Paul Giamatti said:

I'd procure 50% up front.

konik said:

so really what should have been stated is; 12 hrs work @25ph minimum.

ninjacolin said:

inheritance is inheritance. can't say too much about that.

omaryak said:

a stronger social safety net and fairer pay would make people more able

You know man, I hate it when you make me feel like a socialist.

I want to agree with you. Really, I do. I can't though because you're failing to take into account the impact of inherited money.

I think we can both agree that those who have had all of their wealth and material possessions bestowed upon them by birth right haven't really shown an interest in understanding/taking advantage of the opportunities within the system, they have in effect done nothing for the capital available to them.

Of the Forbes 400, approximately 19% inherited their fortunes outright.
articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Forbes/TheForbes400.aspx?vv=1100 )
With the vast majority of others on the list having inherited significant sums with which they built their empires, and grew their fortunes.

This is an issue as equal access to capital does not exist. A person with zero assets cannot simply walk into a bank and say 'hey! I have a great idea about how to sell widgets! give me $2,000,000 to make it happen!'... They would be laughed out of the bank. However a person lucky enough to have been born into the right family could have the same idea and have instant access to the capital they required.

You suggest that the issue is with the 99% for not going out and taking a greater interest in making and having money. Perhaps at the very beginning of capitalism, that statement was true. However now a significant portion of available wealth has already been captured by the elite 1% and is just being perpetually passed down from generation to generation, and at this point the income disparity has become too much to bear and those with the liquid assets to invest as steadily capturing more of the available money.

We're not living in a democracy anymore, it truly is a plutocracy.