#but this post isn't about her success it's about income inequality

[theworldthrukaleidoscope-eyes]

To fast food workers: "It's only meant for young people in college! Not to support a family!"

To retail workers: "The job isn't that hard. Why do they need to be paid so much?"

To CEOs: "They had to work hard to get where they are!" - Let's talk about this. A CEO of a small business (I'm using an example of someone I know personally, just so you know I'm not inflating or spewing secondhand facts) makes 350k/year. Minimum wage makes 15k/year. Do you honestly think any people/persons are capable of working over 20x harder than anyone else?? Retail workers have customers screaming at them for 8+ hours a day; fast food workers must prepare your food in a boiling hot kitchen (with customers screaming at them!) for 8+ hours a day. I could go on about waitresses, firemen, childcare, teachers! (oh but those jobs should be fulfilling enough without the paycheck...right?? Tell that to the CEO) My CEO friend doesn't work every day. She works MAYBE 15 hours a week, and complains about the days she has to drive to work to handle things in person. She absolutely does not work harder than minimum wage workers. Don't get me wrong--she used to. Before she made 350k a year. Before she made even 200k a year. Did she work hard to 'earn' a position where she makes so much and doesn't work? No. That's what we call 'retiring'. What she is doing is earning money she don't need off the labor of others. Because that's the kicker--she doesn't need this much money. She owns three houses. She travels at least 3 times a year overseas or on yachts/cruises. She buys expensive furniture (I'm talking 2 thousand dollar lamps, 400 dollar chairs) on a WHIM. She eats out for nearly every meal. She does not need this much money. People in poverty don't want to have a free ride. They don't want rich people to pay their way. They want this kind of financial imbalance to stop. Because when your friend who just spent more than you make in a year on her monthly travel expenses, and then complains that her taxes are just too high, and she has to pay way too much for health insurance, to someone who literally cannot afford health insurance (and some days, actual food)...it starts to get ridiculous.

This is a real person I know in real life. Not a billionaire. Not a famous actor, artist, or anyone you would have heard of. This is income inequality right on your doorstep.