All people have on this Earth is their time. And their productive time is limited. An hour out of a person's life raking leaves is equal to an hour of a stockbroker's time in the sense they have one hour less. If we truly believe that the most menial tasks are honorable, let's do this.

Tie all wages and other forms of compensation into the minimum wage. Let's say the highest compensation including capital gains would be, maybe, 50 times the minimum wage. OK, 60 times, I'm easy.

We'd see the minimum wage climb, people could afford health insurance, and the wealthy would still have more than enough for one helluva good life.

We need to either provide opportunity to buy services or provide the services themselves.

As an aside, the crowding of prisons is exacerbating the situation, creating an unproductive underclass which is a drain on the entire economy. And getting worse. The minimum wage jobs convicts can get will not support anyone.

Great idea, huh? No one starves, everyone can afford services. Win - win.

Arf