Trickle-Down Nothing

I’ve recently heard the word “establishment” thrown around quite frequently. The broadest sense of the term refers to an elite class ruling over a body such as politics, business, or education. During a recent stay in my home state of Idaho, I found the term perfectly describes the culture perpetuated by the rich elite who control the Republican party.

Trickle-down economics is alive and well, but it has yet to produce the results we were promised by the Reagan administration. Idaho ranks dead last in average wages and ranks 47th in education. The state ranks 31st in health-care sign-ups, despite constant attempts by legislators to denounce “big government.”

Upon their return to Boise the legislators upped the ante in hypocritical fashion. The first was a mandate prohibiting any city or county from banning plastic bags. This bill was proposed by a politician whose district happens to have a plastic bag factory that employs 250. (It’s all about the jobs!)

The second mandate bans any local government from raising the minimum wage ($7.25). There’s a simple reason for this. Idaho needs to either raise taxes on the rich or entice employers to the state. The state chose the latter.