Watson believes rich people work harder

An ad in Washington DC reads, “Do you need to attend a congressional or judicial hearing but don’t have the time to stand in line? We provide professional, competitively priced line-standing and seat holding services for congressional and judicial hearings.”

This is just sort of opportunity for the homeless and hopeless that Frank Watson promotes in his December 12, 2019, commentary for the Cheney Free Press. Lobbyists pay to have people hold a place in line for them to ensure they have a seat at public meetings — meetings that exclude the public because “the public” can’t afford to pay for line-standers. More often than not, the line-stander is holding a place for a CEO or lobbyist who’s going to argue against the expansion of Medicaid, or for a cut to food stamps, or for a bill prohibiting sleeping in public parks.

The money that America’s corporate lobbyists pay for line-standing is a pittance compared to what they pump into congressional coffers to gain influence in how the government of, for, and by the people is run. “Income disparity” isn’t primarily a matter of the rich having worked harder, unless it’s to work harder at skewing policy — especially tax policy — to their benefit.

Income inequality, which is at its highest level in five decades, is a matter of parents who have the wherewith-all to send their kids to the best schools (say, as a putative member of the polo team) so they don’t end up as janitors, where they’ll really have to work hard.

Richard Badalamente

Richland, Wash.