Thank you for your service. Yeah, right!

During the last decade or two, people would greet members of the armed forces with “Thank you for your service.”   No doubt, the public was grateful for their service and the words were heartfelt and sincere.  But the words began to sound hollow.  They were lip service to an idea with little action behind the words.  With exceptions, the veterans found they had little thanks in the way of jobs and benefits to return to.

In the days of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a similar chant:  “Thank you heroes and front line workers.”  But many of the front line workers get no more thanks than words.  According to some statistics, the average wage for a home health care aide is about $11/hour.  Benefits are few if even existent.  The wages for a hospital porter are about the same.  Grocery store cashiers get less on average.   The same holds for fast food and many restaurant employees.

If we really wanted to thank these folks for their service, here are a few things we could do:

• Set the minimum wage nationally to $15.  Currently it is $7.25, which is below the poverty level in many places,
• Enact a rational healthcare system in which everyone can get affordable care.  If you like to call it Medicare for All, that’s fine.  What we have now doesn’t work for many of our heroes and front line workers.
• Expand the public school system to provide quality eduction.  Pay teachers more.  This may mean that sports stars and venture capitalists may have to make less.  they can afford it
• Expand affordable daycare for people at the lower end of the income scale.  This may mean that law partners may need to earn less.  They can afford it.
• Pay domestic employees a living wage.  This may mean that IPO payoffs may have to be scaled down. The noveau riche can afford it.
• Treat the front line workers with respect they deserve.  We call all afford it; it doesn’t cost anything.