United States ranks 51st in the world for life expectancy. 36th in the world for females life expectancy. While other countries might see this as a case for alarm and action, many in United States see our current health and services infrastructure as too generous.
In fact, life expectancy for white, less educated males is declining in the United States. Many Americans in United States are not covered by health insurance. Social Security provides much needed income for the working class during senior years.
Let's see how the rich and controlling class of US society feels about two major factors in increasing life expectancy.
Healthcare Coverage
John Mackey, Whole Foods CEO, doesn't feel that his recent comments comparing Obama care to fascism will hurt his company's revenues. Papa John's CEO, thinks the cost associated with extending more coverage to more people in the United States will cost consumers more for piece of pizza.
Clearly, CEOs making millions of dollars a year are against extending more healthcare coverage to millions of workers without any coverage citing the cost. Apparently, tens of millions of dollars of compensation to them is considered reasonable costs.
Nevermind, what stock prices do or if they are directly responsible for the financial crisis and millions of people losing their jobs. As the wealthiest Americans, CEOs and the owners of corporations feel little obligation for their workers and society's workers to have access on a broad scale to healthcare.
Social Security
US life expectancy is dismal in relation to other developed countries, but it has gotten better over the years. How much better?
If you are in the top half of income earners, since 1972 you experienced six more years added your life. If you were in the bottom half of income earners during the same time you saw your life expectancy increase by less than two years. See below.
In a CEO Roundtable, representing major US corporations, they proposed increasing the age Americans can qualify for Social Security and Medicare to 70. Boehner (GOP speaker) proposed raising the Medicare eligibility age from 65 to 67 years. They also proposed not raising Social Security and Medicare taxes on income over $110,000.
Morning Bell's Maria Bartiromo and Fox News Anchors lauded this recommendation as responsible debt reduction measures. Historically, corporate taxes are very low. Effective corporate taxes are very low.
Effectively, the CEO policy change would not only erase longevity gains by the bottom half of income earners but cut vital resources to those that need them the most.
47% 'Burden' On The Rich
Mitt Romney, and other CEOs, paid less than 14% in total federal income taxes. Or less than a self-employed worker pays in only payroll taxes including FICA, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Who Gets Benefits And Who Sacrifices?
There is much talk of entitlement. The last election saw Romney attempt to contrast those "contributors" versus the "moochers" of society. Infamous 47%!
Since 1979 the top marginal rates have been slashed in half. Corporations pay a lower percentage to our treasury's annual coffers than they did 30 years ago. The current deficit is fueled by tax cuts who benefit by and large the most wealthy in United States.
While corporate execs get Cadillac style health care benefits, the majority of workers are seeing their benefits being slashed. US CEOs feel they are burdened. They also feel American workers have not sacrificed enough.
Wages Ruined
After years of busting unions, firing workers in the United States to hire Chinese workers, and reducing benefits over the last 30 years, corporations and their executives have squeezed every drop of blood from this country's workers.
Wages have permanently(?) decoupled from productivity in the 80s. While productivity has soared hourly wages have stagnated. Since 1996 wages have only increased for the top 10% of income earners in United States.
Wages Rising
Don't fear, income is rising in America. It's skyrocketing for a certain group.
The gaps in after-tax income between the richest 1 percent of Americans and the middle and poorest fifths of the country more than tripled between 1979 and 2007. But this is misleading. These numbers don't accurately represent what the CEO is being compensated.
Here are a couple factors that ought to be included in the discussion of where cost and overall compensation has gone to in society.
While the above chart provides an accurate portrayal of the relationship between pay, profits, and who does the work, this historical chart below adds even more contrast to the discussion.
Clearly the top-heavy pay is where much of the stagnant income for 90% of American workers have been pilfered to. [Source.]Willful ignorance or an overwhelming sense of entitlement is the only explanation why the rich should once again pass the social bill from THEIR debts to the 90% working to keep this country moving forward.
