My Take: Don't feed into the easy wealth mindset

One of Gandhi’s seven deadly sins is wealth without effort. Once again we see a fantastic example of that in our 21st century world. This time, the sin appears to be against Swifties (Taylor Swift fans). No big fan myself, I am really in no way, shape or form affected, but I do feel for those who do like Ms. Swift and identify with the messages and the art she offers?

According to news feeds I get, some third party speculators are asking $42,000 a ticket for one of her most recent shows in 52 cities. I had to read that three or four times. $42,000. How did this happen? Third party intermediaries and speculation. Wealth without work. Ticketmaster, a monster global conglomerate, is now under congressional scrutiny for allowing this kind of chicanery to be an issue. The saddest part is that these congressional hearings are usually more bluster and blow than actual change, however.

We recently did a well-deserved date night. Not Taylor Swift, we aren’t that financially blessed. A former SNL comic at the Park Theater. The Park Theater is a Holland treasure. Neither of us had been in a long, long time. The dog and I walked by and saw the poster. She, dog, thought that her Mom, my wife, might be interested. Persuasive little cur, she is!

We bought tickets. There is also a third party intermediary that handles bookings for lesser-known and less popular acts. The cost of the tickets, with the middle men’s cut, quickly ballooned to more than what the poster listed. Drat. For us it was no big deal. A couple of extra shekels or pfennigs to us is a minor inconvenience at this stage of our lives, but I can see to others this might be viewed as a major setback.

The Park Theater is a wonderful place and bit of Holland history. Supporting it was a pleasure. We shall go again. I will, in future, go directly to the box office as to avoid what I feel are unearned fees. That money should go directly to the theater for its maintenance, preservation and for the local jobs it supports. Consider me a Gandhi acolyte on this one! That whole dirty hands/clean money mindset is becoming very appealing!

A fair day’s work for a fair day’s pay. AFL, American Federation of Labor from the year 1881, according to the website I looked up. Speculation does not jibe with Gandhi’s views or the AFL slogan. Flipping real estate, adding extra fees on top of MSRP(s) on certain automobiles. Day trading AMC or Game Stop stocks for a quick buck. Elizabeth Holmes and her Theranos. FTX and that bitcoin nonsense. Online sports book gambling or state sanctioned lotteries and casinos on Native lands are not producers of wealth and do not foster a fantastic, growing economy. Studies show that casinos and lotteries are actually quite deleterious to society!

Our best recourse? As a retired teacher I could substitute. Apparently districts are crying for subs. Like bus drivers. Just won’t do it for two reasons. Reason number one, been there done that. Loved it then, but was time to move on. Reason number dos, have to go through an intermediary that adds no value to proposition. At my stage in life I can, like Don Quixote, fight windmills on the plains of La Mancha. Using my limited time and dollars to make a stand? Schools need the money more than a third party.

As Donna Summer sang, she works hard for the money. You work hard for your money, as do I. Just say no (thanks Nancy Reagan) to this easy wealth mindset. Fight with your wallets. A fair day’s pay for a fair day’s work.

— Jeff Raywood is a resident of Holland.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: My Take: Don't feed into the easy wealth mindset