Re: wages/Federal Poverty

[Ken Medlin <dev-plan@moscow.com>]

>what about more partnerships between the minimum wage entry 
>level positions and employers who can pay higher wages?  What training and 
>skills building can the entry level employers offer in a cost-effective 
>manner?  How can employers provide more continuity between jobs for those 
>moving up the career field.  How do the entry level employers assist in 
>these 
>advancements?  How do the higher paying employers assist the entry level 
>employers in providing this training/continuity in order to maintain a more 
>stable and community invested work force?

These are all legitimate questions to address employers in a "normal" 
economic market, where enterprises typically produce a product or service 
that competes across the board. But when you look at the economies of the 
Palouse, viz. Moscow-Pullman-Colfax, you find that about 90% of the jobs 
are in service sectors depending on transfer payments from governments 
(incl. schools), the taxpayers, non-capital generating institutions, 
health services, charitable agencies, etc. -- these enterprises do not 
generate original wealth as do industry and agriculture that sell  goods 
in the market places. Hence, the elasticity of most employers' budgets is 
extremely restricted when it comes to wages and benefits. Most of them 
can't go back to their donors, like a legislature, board or association 
and ask for more money that isn't there. Only by reordering priorities at 
local, state and federal levels can in most cases any adjustments be 
made. And, as we all know, that process is extremely political and 
fraught with litigation, conflict and confrontation. Not that such 
processes ought not to be pursued when working conditions seriously 
deteriorate, but the bottom line is, where is more money coming from? In 
large companies/corps., the gaps between employees on the line and the 
executive levels are admittedly huge, and perhaps extremely excessive. 
But where do we have those conditions on the Palouse? 
   How much blood can you squeeze out of the turnip? It's very 
unfortunate that our service jobs here are by their very nature 
low-paying in a non-competitive market. I'm willing to be proved wrong on 
this, but I can't see the data coming out differently.  
   On the other hand, if our economic system were geared first to address 
everyone's "basic needs", and would then only  agree to distribute 
rewards on that basis, followed by added compensations by quality of 
output or service, there possibly could be adjustments to wages earned by 
those now struggling to meet costs of living. Redistribution of wealth is 
an issue in this country, but, since Martin Luther King's appeals (it's a 
coincidental day to say that), no political party has even dared mention 
a radical solution to poverty. The "Great Society" of LBJ didn't change 
anything, and from the New Deal we have social security. What more can we 
expect from the system? City, county and state govts. simply haven't got 
the dough, nor do fast-food, clothing or public service agencies have it. 
Your national chains ship most of their profits out-of-state, so there's 
nothing left to redistribute. Idaho and eastern WA do not rank in the top 
half in the nation in terms of productivity and income. Hope this makes 
some sense. Ken M.


------------------------
William K. Medlin
Dev-plan associates
930 Kenneth Street
Moscow ID 83843
208/892-0148
dev-plan@moscow.com