Economics: The Gap Between the Have & Have Nots Is Much More About Individual Choice

Much is written today about the economic disparity between the economically advantaged and the economically disadvantaged or the have and the have nots. To close this gap, politicians and social reformers advocate a redistribution of the wealth from the rich to the poor. Yet, the gap still doesn't close given all the resources from tax reduction to socially aware programs funded through the performance efforts of the economically advantaged.
Maybe it is time to stop using economics as the source of the problem and considered that in many, not all, cases this gap between the haves and the have nots is really due to one simple word – choice. How many times do we choose in everyday life what we what to have:

* Eat at home vs. eat out
* Buy a safe, maintenance friendly inexpensive vehicle vs. an expensive high maintenance car
* Buy a home that is nice and meets basic needs vs. a home that is expensive and goes beyond basic needs
* Buy $20 walking or tennis shoes vs. $200 name brand tennis shoes
* Visit the library for reading material vs. buying new books
* Purchase one nice color TV vs. buying several color TV’s
* Working with current cell phone or technology vs. upgrading cell phone at every opportunity
* Attending school or professional development to qualify for further career advancement vs. not attending school
* Eat healthy food vs. eating fat and calorie heavy foods
* Walking an extra 20 minutes a day vs. watching TV
* Making it to work or school on time vs. not making it to work or school on time

By now, you have the idea. Life is truly about making choices. These choices affect what we have and what we have not. By choosing wisely, we make decisions that impact many years into our future.

Our founding fathers made specific choices in forming a government that potentially would allow individuals to perform at the level of their choice through what some call meritocracy. The three basic ingredients to this state are: motivation, energy and talent. Even though this infant government was not perfect, in just under 200 years, this United States was able to send a man to the moon and return him safely back to earth.

Through this structure, many have made choices allowing them to move up from the bottom to the top of the economic ladder. Choices may have involved self-sacrifice from working 2 jobs and going to school to truly understanding the difference between wants and needs. These individuals continually stretched their own individual potential in their ongoing quest to live their passion.

In today's world, the one have choice that closes the gap between the have and the have nots is education. According to data from the 2000 Census, high school graduates earn 50% to 75% less over a lifetime of work than 4-year college graduates to advanced degree individuals such as doctors or lawyers. Students who make a choice not to have a high school degree or GED earn even less provided that they can find a job in our knowledge driven society.

Many wish to ignore this elephant in the room – choice – when talking about the "real" problems regarding the economic gap between the have and have nots. The redistribution of wealth through taxation never addresses this much ignored elephant of choice. Bottom line is that taking personal responsibility for having made a choice is much more difficult than taking personal responsibility for not having made a choice.

Leanne Hoagland-Smith quickly doubles results for her clients from individuals (small businesses owners, entrepreneurs and young people) to large organizations by creating executable strategic action plans along with the necessary skills to pull it off. By closing the gap between today's unsatisfactory performance to tomorrow's goals, limited resources are maximized with waste including time being reduced. Please feel free to contact Leanne at 219.759.5601 or visit http://www.processspecialist.com/ and explore how she can help you.http://ezinearticles.com/