Voting with my wallet

We are still in the pandemic and I hope we can continue to wear masks and decrease the spread while we increase vaccinations.  Many have died and countless are still suffering physically and financially due to the pandemic.

Others able to work from home, save money, and stay safe have done better.  We can begin to see that we will get over this and eagerly wait for the economy to return to normal.

I hope it doesn’t.

Wealth Inequality

From the 1980s our economy has been changed to create wealth inequality – workers are receiving proportionally less for the value they create, pay proportionally more in taxes, suffer from fewer rights, and receive less government support.  Executives, shareholders, and those with generational wealth take the lion’s share and more of our country’s wealth and prosperity.  

As seen in the graphs below it didn’t have to be so unfair.  Every country has problems, but Europeans tend to treat members of their society better including strong worker rights, healthcare, childcare, and other services.

Graphs from 1989 NYMag article Current data at https://wid.world

The change in income share in our country during my earning lifetime has been dramatic.  Those early in their wage-earning years today are at a great disadvantage.  And this is income – decades of income unfairness have created huge wealth inequality that gutted the middle class and constrained the economy.  Not great.

“We the people”, our government, created this change.  We continue to implement policies to make the situation more unfair.

We can change this by getting involved in politics.  Work to get better people nominated and then vote in those who will put average citizens and workers ahead of large campaign donors.  More Warren, AOC, Sanders, Beto.  Less Cruz, Mitch, Hawkins, Noem.

We should work with our elected officials to improve things and peacefully protest for better policies when our representatives don’t.

Spending

And we can do more.  Our economy is based on consumer spending.  I believe we can help change our economy with our spending and saving.

We can use some of our purchasing decisions to shift the economy toward one that is better for everyone.  I understand that some are in debt and otherwise on tight budgets.  I’m also on a budget during this year of volunteering at $5/hour without health insurance benefits.

Here are some of my choices:

Give to charity

“We the people” should give everyone a fair chance at success.  The government is in the best position, as it was in the ’50s and ’60s, to address poverty.  What is the government for if not to help all have a fair chance and proper resources to be productive members of society pursuing life, liberty, happiness?

I wish charity wasn’t so necessary in our country, but it is.  Most of us can be more generous with our charitable giving.  On average those making $20,000 or less are the most generous as a share of their income in our country.  

Donating money and time is a way to improve my satisfaction and happiness.

Support journalism

A free press is critical to inform voters and hold elected officials responsible to create a government that works for all.  However, it is not free.  Advertising and classified ad revenue have shifted to google, facebook, and other online platforms.  I try to maintain one subscription on my budget.  In the past, it was BBC and The Guardian.  This year I’m trying the New York Times.

Even if you can’t afford to pay a subscription I hope you mainly use relatively unbiased fact reporting news sources.  AP and Reuters are on my list of daily news sources.

Graphic from media bias

Buy less stuff

After living as a Peace Corps volunteer, particularly in Ghana, I realize that I can be happy, healthy, and productive with less stuff.  I sold my house and got rid of a lot while overseas.

Still, I will need to get some things once I move to Des Moines.  My plan is to get what I can from secondhand shops and then donate back when I complete service.  I’ll certainly also buy some new things, but will carefully decide on my purchases.

Limit credit cards

I still use credit cards in some places like gas pumps and for larger purchases.  I use cash at small stores and local businesses.  These companies tend to suffer high fees to the credit card company and so some of the money I would like to stay in the local economy is skimmed off the top.

Some might have already gone further in reducing or eliminating the use of credit cards.

Favor small business

When I need to buy something I try to use small local or employee-owned businesses.  This tends to keep more money in the local community.  Local economies thrive with increased local multipliers and struggle when money flows out to large corporations and franchisee owners.

I thought Amazon was nice for hard-to-find books when it first started.  However, as I learned more about their treatment of warehouse workers and suppliers I became less comfortable with supporting the service.

Amazon is now on my “last resort list”.  When I recently wanted to buy a book for my daughter I found a local bookstore in her town.  I’m trying to see if I can buy the book and have her pick it up.  The website’s inventory and order system is down and so I’m waiting on email replies.  It would be easier to one-click purchase, but I’ll give them a little time.

I’ve also gone directly to suppliers, rather than purchase through Amazon.  And as I don’t buy a lot of things I’m not on Amazon prime.  I still might use Amazon, “last resort” is still an option.

Prefer local

Lutheran Services of Iowa operates a community-supported agriculture (CSA) service called “Global Greens” that provide opportunities for immigrants to earn some money.  They grow food that is common here as well as some from their native regions  I might buy into their service and donate the produce until I move up.

I’ll certainly return to the local farmer market wherever I am.  I understand that I might be paying a little more and spending more time.  I’m very lucky to be in a position to afford both knowing others are more constrained.

I wish I had better supported local artists in the past.  I think not having a house and not wanting to own a lot of things limits my ability to support local artists now, but it is something I would like to improve.  I’m glad other people are better at supporting local art.

What about you?  If we all think about voting with our wallets then we can improve our country and planet.


We can all do something.


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