Public Comment

What most likely comes to mind when reading the title above is the considerable number of deaths caused by the coronavirus. More than a million have contracted the disease and over 250,000 have already died.

However, the decline in longevity in the US is not a new development. In fact, it predates the coronavirus. According to the official records, the decline in longevity began in 2010. Those who were disproportionately affected have not been low income or African Americans or sick senior citizens. They have been white workers between the ages of 45-54. But unlike many whites, they lack a college education, which appreciably limited their job opportunities.

The jobs they had held were mainly well paying,stable manufacturing jobs. But as the result of a serious dive in manufacturing jobs, their work life situation changed dramatically. The only jobs they could obtain were low paying, temporary and intermittent. Also many of these blue collar workers suffered long periods of unemployment. 

As a result of the changing character of their jobs workers became deeply despaired. Dependence on opioids and alcohol became common. And many committed suicide. if their life pattern had not changed, 600,000 would still be alive. 

According to a recent study, researchers found that even a 10% increase in wages would prevent 700 suicides a year nationally (every state was included). 

This year (2020) millions of other Americans may shortly be in very serious trouble. To help those who have been affected. The legislation has provided 2.2 trillion dollars to protect the public from the health and economic impact of COVID-19. The law also includes a thirteen week extension of unemployment insurance  

However, the catch is that the program expires December 31. Unless the program is renewed 12 million Americans will be without income. Of course the consequences are very worrisome. Millions of these Americans will wind up in poverty. 

Among the serious problems of poverty is hunger. The charity organization, “Feeding America”, estimates 54 million Americans currently do not have enough to eat. Moreover, 37 percent of parents have been forced to cut the size of meals for their children or completely skip meals. About 10 percent of mothers with children under the age of five do not have enough food for their children. Indeed, thousands waited on line for food on Thanksgiving day. Clearly, the impending layoff of 12 million workers next month will be devastating. 

What is occurring is a war against working people and their families. Congress and the new administration must be persuaded to adopt progressive, worker oriented laws that will improve the standard of living of working people. There is plenty of money available, particularly from the rich, who are undertaxed and by using various statistical gimmicks some are not taxed at all. Consider the following --- according to the U.S. Census the income inequality between the halves and the have-nots is larger now than anytime in the last 50 years.  

If major reforms are not made in the redistribution of income, the years ahead will be grimmer and grimmer and our lives, shorter and shorter.