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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories 10 things to know for Thursday Emergency services Since You Asked: Is the proposed pot tax legal? Absenteeism in Oregon schools prompts bill that would tie funding to attendance, not enrollment Medford police arrest gang member and his brother after short chase Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency services Medford police arrest gang member and his brother after short chase DEA seeks to seize houses in multistate pot trafficking operation Man sentenced for shooting cat with arrow Emergency services, Feb. 25 Politics and Elections Ballots on Jackson County marijuana tax go out Friday Brown's inauguration brings hope to local lawmakers Kate Brown sworn in as Oregon's 38th governor Gov. Kitzhaber steps down, federal investigation begins Gov. Kitzhaber announces resignation Education Absenteeism in Oregon schools prompts bill that would tie funding to attendance, not enrollment Territorial Seed contribution a boost for SOU food program 200-plus Jackson County students miss vaccination deadline Medford, Ashland districts fall short of anti-bullying standards Grace to assume school governance Environment Lost Creek Lake logjam could become hazard for boaters Made in the Shade Controlled burn planned for Ashland watershed on Friday Coho salmon road trip Mt. Ashland Ski Area celebrates snow State News Judge: Oracle must host Oregon's Medicaid system Oregon Coast fish could be from Japanese tsunami Number of Oregon wolves increases Oregon seeks court order to maintain Oracle's Medicaid-hosting contract Oregon legislature mulls improvements to state ethics, public records law Nation - World Obituaries Daniel Everts Bunn Mary Ann (Schuler) Hill Death Notices Elaine C. Chase Eunice Sleppy Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable Bank of America is predicting a massive Tesla collapse Mars One attracts science fiction geeks and people who hate society This $1 million Mercedes is like an armored private jet for the road Sports Latest Stories Raiders take thriller in double overtime Ducks beat Cal, finally Matthews, Blazers sink Spurs 5A title chase expects to be tight Stepping Up Varsity 541 College Sports Raiders take thriller in double overtime Ducks beat Cal, finally No. 1 Kentucky rises to 28-0 Raiders cruise into conference semifinals Villanova earns share of title Pro Sports Matthews, Blazers sink Spurs Curry comes back strong to lead Warriors Harden's triple-double boosts Rockets Playoffs could use overhaul A-Rod back, but avoids PED specifics Community Sports Business Latest Stories Lithia Motors scores record revenue, net earnings in 4Q and 2014 Bad fourth quarter leads to 2014 loss for Erickson Avista's 4Q earnings of $32.2 million fall short of expectations Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Real Estate News Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Big plans on the Butte Homes for the long haul People In Business People in Business People in Business Transportation Lodging gains bode well for travel industries Medford airport flies past January record Agriculture Warm winter has fruit growers poised for action Briefcase: Business briefs for Feb. 21 1-800-Flowers dumps Harry & David execs Nine companies pitch investment opportunities in Medford Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Feb. 26 Our View: Higher education still getting too little Dana Milbank: The Homeland Security fiasco Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Landgren cartoon: Mall terror threat Editorials Our View: Higher education still getting too little Our View: Adjusting for unintended consequences Our View: Homeless food proposal is the best solution yet Our View: Smell of trouble may spark marijuana limits Voter bill secures a fundamental right Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Feb. 26 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 25 Letters to the Editor, Feb. 24 Feb. 23: Letters to the editor Feb. 22: Letters to the editor Columns Dana Milbank: The Homeland Security fiasco Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Michelle Teheux: Will we keep heading down the wrong path? Kathleen Parker: Twitter as America's conscience Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? Guest Opinion: Bill would shore up legal aid funding Guest Opinion: Weed killers should not be sprayed on streams, homes Guest Opinion: Understanding Wes Cooley Guest Opinion: Smokers: Quit before this happens to you Lifestyle Latest stories Religion News: Netanyahu encourages Jews to immigrate to Israel Prudence Hilburn: Chocolate wins favor among fans of many flavors Easter Island — more than just giant heads 5 Things to Do This Weekend (Feb. 27-March 1) Lost in Suburbia: Ode to Spring (with apologies to Edgar Allan Poe) Food Prudence Hilburn: Chocolate wins favor among fans of many flavors Maple: It's not just for syrup A lesson in patience off Old Jacksonville Highway Community blog: Clean anything with lemons, baking soda, vinegar Food for Thought: Feed your creativity with Havarti Home and Garden Specialty painting adds wow to your walls Dear Monty: Home seller questions agent ethics Home Help: Low-maintenance landscaping ideas Garden Cameos: Winter is the time to prune How to install energy-efficient windows the right way Health Community blog: And if I Die Before I Wake Dr. Murray Feingold: Does a sedentary lifestyle make you prone to disease? Dr. Jeff Hersh: Breathe easy - all about lung function Health Watch: Health improvements you can make today that will pay off for a lifetime Runners’ Corner: Helpful winter running hints Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 20 Religion News: Pope makes surprise shantytown visit Religion briefs: Friday, Feb. 13 RELIGION BRIEFS, Feb. 6 Religion News: Church of England consecrates first female bishop Milestones and Achievements Anniversary: Hofer New arrivals: Sunday, Feb. 8 Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Ronny Cox plays the Unitarian Fellowship SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' Live Music in Local Clubs OSF kicks off its 2015 season Theater SOU presents 'She Stoops to Conquer' 'The Glass Menagerie' is polished and professional OSF kicks off its 2015 season SOU presents 'The Glass Menagerie' Le Cirque presents 'City Walk' Music An all-new Rising Stars music competition kicks off this weekend Ronny Cox plays the Unitarian Fellowship Professor Gall plays Oberon's Tavern Live Music in Local Clubs The music that made Paris famous Community Events Third Fridays showcases local artists Southern Oregon Rod and Custom Show Ashland's First Friday Art Walk showcases new exhibits by regional artists Jacksonville celebrates Chinese New Year Comedian Susan Westenhoefer pulls no punches Dining Restaurant Inspections: Sunday, Feb. 22, 2015 Saigon Xich Lo Vietnamese cuisine The zwickels shall flow Soo Rah Korean Cuisine Stylish shareables are the feature at Brickroom Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obits Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines/Special Sections Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Higher education still getting too little ... Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? ... Judge: Oracle must host Oregon's Medicaid system ... Our View: Higher education still getting too little ... Guest Opinion: Is less education the answer? ... Judge: Oracle must host Oregon's Medicaid system ... Michelle Teheux: Will we keep heading down the wrong path? By Michelle Teheux More Content Now MailTribune.com By Michelle Teheux More Content Now Posted Feb. 25, 2015 @ 6:42 am By Michelle Teheux More Content Now Posted Feb. 25, 2015 @ 6:42 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> The way I see it, we have two choices. We can set up our economic system so that every able-bodied person who wants to work hard can succeed. Or we can keep wages so low that many full-time workers will need government subsidies to help them pay for things like food, rent and medical care. What we should not do is take away help from low-wage workers without first fixing the system that makes the help necessary. I agree with the conservative view that people need to have the gumption to work hard and make their way in the world without depending on the government. I don’t understand the inability of some to see that we simply have not set up our system to make that possible for millions of workers. It’s wrong to accuse a mother of just looking for a hand-out if she needs food stamps to feed her children when she already works full time. On both the national and state level we are seeing moves to cut assistance programs. We are told the recipients shouldn’t be sucking down other people’s money and should be working harder (even if they already have two jobs). I’d love to see a day when we could cut welfare because everybody who wanted to could get a job with a living wage. I don’t feel any sympathy for those who don’t care to work. However, the number of parasites who simply will not get off their butts is a small fraction of the number of people who are working very hard but who just don’t earn enough money. There is, finally, a growing consensus that we need to worry more about the middle class. Even Walmart, the poster child for low wages, has announced plans to pay a bit more. The raises don’t go far enough, but they are a start, and will force other low-wage employers to follow suit to remain competitive. There’s a growing movement to raise the national minimum wage, as well. We produce plenty of wealth in this country, but we don’t spread it around. Any suggestion that we do “share the wealth” is met with hysterical claims that you want to take one person’s money and give it to another. As a result, our income tax rates on the wealthiest are a tiny fraction of what they’ve been in the past. You likely don’t believe this, because you’ve been told and told that taxes are way too high. But look it up. It helps explain why our national debt is so high. We pay so little to the lower-level earners that they aren’t paying anything in federal taxes, and we aren’t taxing the high earners as we did in the past, so they aren’t paying much in federal taxes either. The workers themselves are being told they aren’t worth any more than they are being paid, and that if they cannot survive on a low wage without government help, they’re a bunch of freeloaders. That isn’t the case. Would you believe U.S. workers are making an annual median income of $28,000 (according to Social Security) while producing more than $100,000 in goods and services per year (according to the World Bank)? Don’t these two numbers go a very long way in explaining how we can have high productivity but lots of people unable to support their families without government assistance? We could turn this around with things like thoughtful changes in the tax code. Given a choice, I’d rather see businesses pay their workers a fair wage, one that allows workers to pay for food, housing, medical care and taxes. If we can do that, then sure, bring on the austerity programs. I don’t know any low-income person who wouldn’t prefer to be self-sufficient, and I’m honestly not very concerned about helping the few who feel otherwise. As a bonus, we could all afford to help pay our share of what it costs to run the government, and thus begin chipping away at the national debt. But it’s impossible to get the different factions in one party to agree, let alone get both parties to work together. The country will continue to go to hell in a handbasket, but party leaders can have the satisfaction of knowing they didn’t give an inch to the idiots on the other side of the aisle. Michelle Teheux may be reached at [email protected]. Follow her at Twitter.com/michelleteheux. The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of the newspaper. By Michelle Teheux More Content Now MailTribune.com By Michelle Teheux More Content Now Posted Feb. 25, 2015 @ 6:42 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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