Dear Editor:

Everywhere people are discussing inequality that results from the impact of excessive CEO payrolls. Discussions include unequal taxation and widening wealth gap — not poverty wages that increase executive wealth.

In April 2014 Robert Reich, former Secretary of State and current UC Berkeley professor, put forth mathematical and economic arguments that the livable minimum wage should be $15/hour. Only Seattle, Washington, has seen the light. States that voted to raise the minimum wage are still aiming for $10.10 in the future. Most politicians ignore the fact that lower wages enrich executives at the expense of the taxpayers. Knowing this fact has yet to stir the public for immediate action. Corporations are unwilling to provide living wages to employees, leaving taxpayers covering wage gaps in welfare.

Wellehan Shoes has taken that step, and other small businesses have done the same in Maine. You would think government leaders who want to see the economy grow, and reduce the taxpayer burden, would have put a ballot issue out raising minimum wage — but no, that was voted down by our national senators and vetoed by the governor. Labor has attempted to draw attention to the oddity of it all as they work at non-living wage jobs remaining on welfare. Some business owners are concerned that it would cause economic hardships, but historic data only reflects economic gains from wage increases — including 2014.

Why are the taxpayers so quiet? Taxpayers raised a huge cry at the waste of welfare dollars on Photo ID studied by the state of Tennessee and found to be wasteful spending. Taxpayers filed complaints about mandatory drug testing of welfare recipients — a presumption of guilt rather than innocent until proven guilty — therefore unconstitutional, and in Florida not cost effective. Taxpayers raised a ruckus when 70,000 Mainers were denied medical access resulting in death, pain and suffering. Many of those 70,000 are those who work at below poverty wages.

A majority of taxpayers fall into the 99 percent, yet these same people are silent about their tax dollars funding welfare, enabling excessive pay to wealthy executives. Why?

Jarryl Larson
Edgecomb