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Sunday, November 27, 2016

What is the value of work?

In an ideal world all work would be viewed the same way. But increasingly there is a hierchy of pay based on the perceived value of that work. At one time garbage was picked up by picking up cans and manually dumping them into the back of a compaction truck. That process has evolved to where the cans are emptied by the truck driver from the comfort of the cab. The result is the same but the effort is vastly different and the pay has also changed. Some of our most important public servants are paid less than those in entertainment and sports. Leaders of industry are also paid in excess of what is reasonable. Raising the minimum wage is not the answer. There are jobs that require so little training that they are paid commensurate and are intended for younger persons just getting started with their work experience. Increasingly, education is the key to prosperity and will continue to be the case. I have worked in construction all my life, despite a college degree. What was once e tedious task of carving a curved rail part can now be done, by what is essentially a robot, a computer controlled carving machine. That requires a person who can program the computer to successfully perform the task in a matter of minutes. Technology is fast changing our lives in numerous ways and will only accelerate in the future. Those who are intending to enter the work force need to prepare to fill a need by educating themselves in the many ways available to us now.

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