Recipient: Frank McGowan Occupation: Tavern Owner Responded On: January 29, 2005 Bill Received At: Clear Ridge Hardware 6122 West 63rd Street Chicago Originally Dropped At: Clear Ridge Hardware 6122 West 63rd Street Chicago On: January 25, 2005

 

Frank McGowan's Comments

 

In the United States, if people start out in a very low paying job, can they still become quite wealthy if they work hard enough?
Definitely, yes. I've known people who have. I worked construction all my life, started out as a laborer and I've known many people who started out that way and became big builders and whatsoever … So it is possible? Oh, yeah …

In the United States, generally speaking, is money distributed in a fair way?
I don't know if it's fair or not, but it seems some of the hardest jobs are the lowest paying jobs. People who work hardest for minimum wages, it doesn't seem fair to me. I don't think there's any way they can control or stop it though. Somebody scrubbing floors or cleaning toilets, cleaning up places, they're making nothing; working long hours, people working McDonalds, any place like that, any minimum wage job. I don't think they're fairly compensated.

What about on the other end, folks who earn a whole heck of a lot of money—do they deserve to earn that much or are they overpaid?
Some do, some don't. Professional athletes for one, I think earn too much money for what they're doing. Doctors—everybody needs a doctor and the better a doctor, the more he deserves.

So overall, if I asked you if money is distributed fairly in the United States, what would you say?
It's distributed the only way it can be. Otherwise, you're talkin' communism. It's never going to work out fair. I don't think it's fair, and I don't think it'll ever be made fair.

So, should we go to communism?
No, I'm not saying that 'cause that's proven that that doesn't work, so, I think it's just a matter of fate. What you're going to get and what you're going to make, that's it.

Is there some kind of fantasy work that you'd like to do to earn money?
No, not really. I've pretty much made as much money as I'm going to make in life. I'm just kind of workin' my retirement job right now. The only fantasy maybe I have, is winnin' the lottery. That's it.

Do you ever play the lottery?
Yes, I do, I play the lottery maybe three or four times a week. 20 to 30 dollars a week. That's all. I don't have much chance of winning. But it's something to do. That's about it.