Respect the Worker
The snowflake, a thing of inspiration, mystery, beauty, delicacy, exquisiteness, and manifestation of an intelligence, with other snowflakes forms the snow covering the ugly and the mundane making these beautiful and significant. In doing this, the beauty of each snowflake is seen but without coming together forming snow this beauty slips away.
You, me, family, friends, neighbors, strangers, each of us is capable of inspiration, mystery, beauty, delicacy, exquisiteness, and intelligence. With a developed capacity, each of us with others forms humanity transforming the ugly, the mundane, and evil into beauty, significance, and the good.
Like the snowflake fulfilling its purpose in forming snow, the purpose of each of us is fulfilled in forming humanity, a gathering together of human beings possessing a developed capacity.
The snowflake is formed when extremely cold droplets freeze onto a pollen or dust particle in the sky creating ice crystals. As the crystal descends water vapor freezes onto the crystal building new crystals becoming snowflakes. No two snowflakes are the same, but each possesses (seldom broken) six sides.
The following of this pre-determined formula, external to the snowflake, gives us the snowflake. The snow, many snowflakes coming together, acts as an extension of this pre-determined formula external to the snowflake.
The same is true of man. The following of the pre-determined formula, external to man, but applicable to man, is necessary for each man to be of inspiration, mystery, beauty, delicacy, exquisiteness, and intelligence forming a humanity of illumination.
The flower, as with all, and the snowflake, achieves its purpose, its destiny, unique to the flower by following the pre-determined formula (rules) applicable to the flower. Man, too, achieves his purpose, his destiny, unique to man by following the pre-determined formula (rules) applicable to man. These rules are external, not internal.
Common to the flower, as with all and man, is a shared purpose, a destiny to develop that purpose, that destiny, unique to each. But the flower, as with all and man, cannot achieve this purpose, this destiny, without help external to the flower as with all and man.
The flower as with all and man each possesses the potency (capacity) to achieve is purpose, its destiny. Common to each is a potency. Common is the necessity of an external cause to take this potency and achieve the purpose, the destiny, unique to each.
The potency of the flower develops by a cause external to it. The potency of man develops by a cause external to man.
The flower, planted in the soil with the right minerals, nourished by the rain receiving the sunshine grows from a seed reaching upward towards the sky flowering the world. The seed of the flower possesses a potency, the development of which is its destiny, but this destiny requires the external cause, soil, water, and sunshine.
Man is no different. He, too, possesses a potency, the development of which is his destiny. Following rules of development, applicable to man, as the flower does, man grows and together shines. Each is like a snowflake and when together like the snow shines near and far.
Necessary to this potency becoming an actuality, reaching its destiny, is the discovery of truth. The flower can only develop reaching its destiny if done in conformity with truth. The same is true of man. To man, these rules are called morality.
For the flower there is no discovery. It just happens. For man this discovery is a struggle, and it is this struggle that becomes history.
Central to this struggle is freedom from hunger, physical restraints, with freedom to think, to ponder, to question, to think, free of bias, prejudice, dogma, and conventionality. It is in this freedom where free will is discovered for freedom and free will cannot exist without each other.
History is the struggle to develop this freedom acknowledging freedom as a necessity, a pre-requisite, a condition precedent, to man’s development in all his forms and manifestations. Man being a social being, a spiritual being, a physical being, demands this freedom.
Like the flower, man possesses a potency unique to him. Unlike the flower, development of this potency cannot happen unless man has the freedom to develop this potency.
Central to this freedom is a system appreciating man’s role in the economy. Failure of this appreciation denies to man the freedom necessary to a useful and full life, and the rightful benefits and fruits of his labor. An economy wherein man is preoccupied in securing food, clothing, shelter, and safety denies to man the basics needed for freedom.
A system where each man struggles to survive the day, the potency unique to man cannot be developed. It is the economic order in which we live where the struggle plays out.
A system denying these benefits and fruits denies man his freedom. Denial of these benefits and fruits in the economic order in turn gives us a political and social order denying to man his rightful place. Leads to a world where in the arena of ideas, of religion, man becomes an insignificant participant, a follower not enjoying freedom and free will stiffening the potency unique to man, denying to man his destiny.
Through a system acknowledging these benefits and fruits by empowering man, the worker, with control of the economic market, freedom and free will become his way of life. The political order reflects this.
The economic order becomes a function of the worker causing man to be a participant, not a follower. Control of the arena of ideas, of religion reflects this.
Essential is the worker owning the workplace making being a part of the economic process in a meaningful way. Being in an economic system respecting the worker by having the worker own the business for which he works brings ownership with all the benefits of Ownership. Through this ownership the potency of man is developed.
History is a struggle of man to effectuate what the Greeks called “Eros”, the desire to have what man does not have. This effectuation takes place through the struggle to control one’s life. This desire is frustrated by the struggle to survive, to pay one’s bills, to care for one’s children, to live safely. Frustrated by the failure to be part of the process, to be reduced to that of follower, of little, if any, significance.
With the benefits of the economy justly owned by the worker, the political order being a function of the economy works to the benefit of the worker. Division goes away. Come to see the person next to you as a brother. Less conflict ensues.
What we have now is not this. Each is kept in a state of struggling by an economy creating an elite whose goal is to expand their wealth at the expense of the worker. An economy reflected in a political order whose goal is to control the worker for the benefit of the elite at the expense of the worker.
There is a failure to respect the capacity, the potency, in each, a failure to acknowledge and appreciate that common to each is an individualized beauty. This failure negates togetherness, sense of duty to the polity, citizenship. And worse.
When the elite disagree among themselves, it is the worker with his blood and sacrifice who participates in the conflict not the elite. A different potency, a potency of ugliness and evil, is developed giving us the potency of conflict.
MEET TTHAN AND PATRICIA
Let me introduce you to Ethan and Patricia, a young couple in their early to mid-20s living in the Cockeysville area of Baltimore County, Maryland. They met in an elite public high school in Baltimore City. And within a few years of graduation and after having attended community college for a few years, they married.
The wedding was a simple church wedding, followed by a gathering of in the church hall of this Catholic church. Their moms and dads, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, some older, some younger, were in attendance. Joy hung in the air as they began their lives together eagerly planning a future of security, children, and making their parents loving and proud parents and grandparents.
Ethan and Patricia represent American youth at their best living among millions no different than they. They are the future and because they work hard, root for their Orioles and Ravens, suffering depression when the Ravens lose to the Steelers, taking pride in themselves, their family, their community, they present a good and positive American future. They are the future.
Ethan and Patricia being good Catholics believe in God and in the sanctity of the unborn. They are a serious couple.
Ethan works at a large retail establishment in Cockeysville, Maryland selling foodstuff, lawn mowers, aspirin, and whatever you can imagine full time being paid $16.50 per hour while Patricia works at the same establishment as a part time employee. She also is paid $16.50 per hour.
They are proud Americans celebrating the independence of their country on the 4th of July with family in the back yard of a grandparent eating hot dogs, potato salad followed by fireworks. Dogs beg for food with great rewards. Memorial Day and Labor Day are remembered well though many of these holidays are workdays for Ethan and Patricia while for many others these are days to purchase a mattress.
Patricia’s part-time hours amount to 20 hours per week. Between the two of them, their monthly household income is $4,290.00 depending on Patricia’s hours worked. Sometimes more. Sometimes less. This is pretax income.
Nationally for this store, the percentage of part-time associates is 50%, well above the national average at 29%. It was 20% in 2005. Part time employees can expect to work 18 to 24 hours a week making Patricia fortunate in having more hours of work.
Their employer is reported to be the largest private employer in the United States with 1.5 million employees. Its part-time activity is reported to be very active in the Baltimore area.
To some their income sounds like a lot of money, to others like a little. Which is it?
The answer is how much does a young married couple hoping to have children living in Cockeysville, Maryland need to make their dreams a reality.
INCOME AND EXPENSES
They have a total income before taxes and deductions of $4,290.00 per month.
They have a monthly budget:
Rent $1,400.00
Utilities 300.00
Groceries 600.00
Transportation 400.00
Clothing 100.00
Cell phone 200.00
Cable 150.00
Health Care 50.00
Rental Insurance 25.00
Miscellaneous 200.00
FICA Taxes 355.00
Federal Tax 230.00
State and Loca Taxes 385.00
Total Income $4290.00
Less Expenses 4,395.00
Monthly Deficit $105.00
Their income is absorbed 100 % plus more by the expenses to meet minimum way of life. No room for savings.
Their dream to have a child remains. This is their life.
Work. Pay the rent. Work. Pay the utilities. Work. Then, go back to work again and again.
Years go by with no change except increases in rent, utilities, food, transportation and so on. Increases in income? None or not enough to meet inflation.
No changes describe their lives except more bills to pay with less money with one more change. Patty is now pregnant.
THE FAMILY GROWS
The family, now being three not two, does not increase the number of hours worked except to the extent extra hours may be worked creating overtime for Ethan but not Patricia. She works part time so she can work more hours at the same rate.
There will be additional expenses on a regular basis such as child-care, food, formula, diapers, clothing, medical care.
Before the third member of the family, income failed to meet expenses. There will now be more expenses. From where will additional revenue originate?
Child Care for three days a week $210.00
Health and Hygiene Products 20.00
Formula 40.00
Food 160.00
Diapers 75.00
Clothing 60.00
Monthly total $565.00
Other than her employer offering benefits up to ten weeks of paid time off to eligible birth mothers, Ethan and Patricia are on their own.
Some of these expenses can be lessened with help from family like their parents, their grandparents, an aunt, uncle or friend. Government aid can help. Absence these resources this couple has only their employment to help them.
Is it enough? No.
With no increase in hours worked by either parent, meaning income at $4,209.00, Ethan and Patricia are facing a shortage of $670.00 per month or $8,040.00 per year.
Part Four
How is this deficit of $8,040.00 each year provided no further setbacks occur to be paid? Ethan and Patricia reached out to their employer hoping for help but none came.
Then they turned to their government, local, state and federal being told their government will stand with them. Help with the purchase of food, payment of rent and with child care is available.
There would be assistance with food with the amount of assistance available to them depending on their net income and state. These are called SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits based on net monthly income. The maximum benefit for a household size is reduced by the household’s expected contribution of 30% of its net income.
Most families in Maryland with gross income up to 200% of the federal poverty level, about $4303.00 a month for a family of three, qualify for food stamps. There is no asset limit in Maryland.
Ethan and Patricia have a gross income exceeding $4303.00. There will be no food assistance.
The Maryland Department of Housing and Community Decvelopment (DHCD) is available to help. The tenant must meet all of the following criteria.
1. Be identified as the Leaseholder.
2. Not receiving other forms of rental assistance.
3. Must be delinquent on rental payments.
4. And be delinquent due to illness, employment or wage loss.
Ethan and Patricia meet conditions One and Two, and not conditions Three and Four. There will be no rental assistance.
A married couple with one child in Maryland may be eligible for childcare assistance through the Child Care Scholarship Program or the Child and Dependent Care Credit.
This family and their size may be eligible if their annual income is less than $76,117.00 making them eligible for childcare assistance. They can reasonably look for help in the amount of $325.00 per month.
For Ethan and Patricia, they look somehow to make ends meet.