The pandemic has changed our economy in many ways, but it has also revealed some fundamental flaws. The pundits cry and clutch their pearls over rising inflation while never actually producing anything of value for this economy. Certainly, none of us want to pay more for anything, but when viewed with a more sober eye, the changing cost of goods and services could be more of a course correction than a sign of something wrong. We citizens have long enjoyed an endless variety of services at a subsidized rate.
The pandemic has exposed an entire workforce of essential labor that has been underappreciated and underpaid. It is hard to say if by coincidence or by design, but those laborers that provide the most value to our daily lives are the least valued monetarily. Perhaps a modified version of ‘would you rather’ will let you judge who is more essential.
Who would you rather pay a higher salary, the person who cares for your children while you work or the person who entertains your children on YouTube?
Who would you rather pay a higher salary, the person who literally put the roof on your house or the person that puts the for-sale sign in front of it?
Who would you rather pay a higher salary, the EMT that tries to save your life after an accident or the actor/comedian/MMA podcaster who dispenses medical advice?
Who would you rather pay a higher salary, the person that serves you food at a restaurant or the smug pundit that serves you garbage out of the TV screen?
There is no doubt that many of those who command the greatest salaries in our economy provide the least value added. Rather than railing against workers who are not interested in returning to the stagnant wages and slim benefits, perhaps consider railing against a wage structure that is not aligned with the merit or value of one’s labor.
Put yourself in the shoes of the hard-working individuals in my examples and you will realize that we have been getting our essential services at a discount for decades.
David Vala, Taylorsville