Here's an idea. We need to push for legislation penalizing corporations whose workers qualify for Medicaid and food stamps. Let's call it something like the "Stop Corporate Vampires Act."

Structure it something to the effect of penalizing employers $3 for every dollar in safety-net benefits their employees qualify for. That would make people sit up and pay attention.

I used to work for a company where a lot of the workforce qualified for taxpayer aid. I couldn't do anything about it, because the owners were in no way motivated to pay a penny more in wages than they had to. They were more than happy to subsidize their profits with taxpayer dollars.

A combination of rock-bottom minimum wage requirements and no consequences to employers whose workforce qualify for state assistance will always equal poverty wages.

Let's do something about it!