tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385795218480887852.post2134292589562468255..comments2024-03-25T17:55:47.278-04:00Comments on Community UU Matters: Proposal that CUUC take a position on Escalating Economic InequityAdminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07730144199359939405noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8385795218480887852.post-28535126528928148262018-01-08T18:06:36.203-05:002018-01-08T18:06:36.203-05:00Comments by Al Rocchi
Lines 9-11: A period after &...Comments by Al Rocchi<br />Lines 9-11: A period after "addressing", and then deleting the rest of the paragraph. I'm concerned that the SOC incorporates all sorts of issues that are at best peripheral to economic inequity. While there may be some connections between income inequality and climate change, mass incarceration, etc. I think trying to link so many social issues to economic inequity makes the statement less persuasive.<br /><br />Line 4: Delete "locally and globally." There is little if anything about global inequity in the statement, so let's not mention that it's a "moral imperative" to challenge inequity globally. (And if we take out "globally," there's no need to say "locally" either.) Alternatively, I would be favor of adding language that did address inequity on a global level. I think the economic inequity between nations (between rich nations like the US and developing nations) is as much, if not more, of a problem than the economic inequity within the US, which seems to be all that is discussed in the SOC.<br /><br />Line 28. A period after "health care" and delete "and automation." While automation changes the nature of jobs, in the past it has created as many jobs as it has displaced. I do not believe automation would necessarily increase inequity as long as the educational system prepares workers for the new jobs created by automation. <br /><br />While the SOC advocates increasing support for public education (lines 238-241 and lines 256-267) and includes universal access to quality education as part of a moral economic system (lines 139-140), I don’t think enough attention is paid to the current disparity in educational opportunities. I think this disparity is one major cause (perhaps the major cause) of economic inequity between say the wealthiest 20% and the poorest 20% (or for that matter, the remaining 80%). See for example, Dream Hoarders by Richard Reeves and Our Kids: the American Dream in Crisis by Robert Putnam. I believe equalizing educational opportunity should be a major focus of actions to address economic inequity. To this end, I would add this action point: Examine the factors leading to disparity in educational opportunities , including college costs, exclusionary zoning, legacy admissions and regressive tax subsidies, and work to eliminate them.<br /><br />Lines 45-46. Delete the sentence "The current . . . key factors." The sentence names white supremacy and capitalism as key factors in economic inequality. The reference to white supremacy is unnecessary because the previous sentence mentions "systemic racism and a major factor," and the reference to capitalism in this context is dubious. I don't see capitalism per se as causing economic inequity, as opposed to crony capitalism or oligopoly capitalism.<br /><br />Lines 147-148. If an “open immigration system” means open borders, I don’t think most members of CUUC would agree. And while I am in favor of accepting more immigrants, and especially accepting more refugees, it doesn’t seem to me that increased immigration would lessen economic inequity.<br /><br />Lines 150-151. “Dismantling the system” doesn’t seem to be an element of a moral economic system and if it is an action point, it seems nebulous.<br />Al Rocchihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09965304934680166011noreply@blogger.com