Inequality before the law

THE income gap in this country is outrageously wide.  Incomes are outrageously unequal.  Some have too much for their lifetime of extravagance and many have too little for modest lives.  What any government has to do is narrow the gap so that everyone has a job with a living wage.  Simultaneously government through implementation of laws already in the books should keep striving to provide as many jobs with a living wage as possible to those seeking employment as well as giving opportunities towards self-sufficiency.  We actually have those laws in this country.

Yet present circumstances are that a few and very limited number of Filipinos represented by one hundred or so families are making so much that in the context of today’s conditions, it is obscene.  Many are in this class because the laws favor them, the opportunities are given to them and because they hardly share their profits with those who help earn them.  Example, are the top-earning corporations providing living wages?  In monetary terms they may be giving the minimum or even above minimum wages for their rank and file.  Are these wages enough to have the recipients buy a car, a house, their children’s best possible education? Is their employment stable enough to give them a future? Are these wage-earners in possession of means to have health insurance, life insurance, enough disposable income to take a vacation during the year?  If not, then they are not earning a living wage.  Also, if wages cannot be raised precipitately for market reasons or competitiveness reasons or whatever excuses, how about providing opportunities for employees to own their own homes, educate their children,  buy vehicles if needed, have health and life insurance and other benefits with easy credit terms in lieu of higher wages?  With the billions that some corporations make, they could certainly sacrifice a fraction to give their employees who help them make the profits a decent share.