Thomas Lunde wrote:
>> 1. Reduce the length of the work-week (4 day)
>
>The problem with this idea and believe me, I spent a year arguing for as is
>and did, Tom Walker. Most eloquently. Business is not going to buy it,
>government is not going to legislate it and those who are working and
>enjoying their paycheques are not going to support it.
It's easy to be discouraged by the surface appearance of no movement on this
issue. But this is a seismic issue and the tectonic plates are moving along
quite nicely, thank you very much. Al Gore's presidential campaign obviously
did some polling and conducted focus groups on the issue and guess what? The
"time deficit" came out on top of their spinner scope as a hot-button item.
Here's the punch line of Gore's announcement speech:
"We have closed our budget deficit. But today, we find a deficit of even
greater danger, one that only seems to deepen the harder we work, and the
better we do.
"These are our deficits now: the time deficit in family life; the decency
deficit in our common culture; the care deficit for our little ones and our
elderly parents. Our families are loving but over-stretched."
In my debate with Jock Finlayson of the B.C. Business Council 82% of
respondents (latest count) agreed that we would be better off with a
four-day week. What impressed me about that margin was: 1. it continued to
widen long after the initial announcement of the poll -- the earlier
published result was 79% in favour. 2. the magazine is funded by a
right-wing foundation and leans mildly to the libertarian right.
Like I said: this is the seismic issue. When those plates let go, the earth
is going to shake.
"After all their idle sophistry, there is, thank God! no means of adding to
the wealth of a nation but by adding to the facilities of living: so that
wealth is liberty -- liberty to seek recreation -- liberty to enjoy life --
liberty to improve the mind: it is disposable time, and nothing more."
-- anonymous, The Source and Remedy of the National Difficulties, 1821.
regards,
Tom Walker
http://www.vcn.bc.ca/timework/worksite.htm
