Superhero Wages

Sure, they had a point.  That short essay that went viral about how Bruce Wayne was significantly more powerful than Batman.  With his riches, it argued, he could fund endless charities and thus save his city.

But I'll do you one better.  

All he ever really had to do was pay his people more.  

Charity can buy you groceries, but it can't empower you to buy your own.  Not long term, anyway.

Charity can buy you a car, but eventually you're on your own for gas, insurance, and oil changes.  

Charity can train, or retrain you for a job, but it can't guarantee a job will always be there.  

But you know what can do all of those things?  A healthy economy.

Wayne Industries covered a lot of ground.  They employed millions around the world.  They're so big they set the tone for both their direct competitors and others who want to emulate them.  Transparency in those wages would help even more.

Every one of their employees is a consumer.  The more money those consumers have, the more products and services they buy.  The more they buy, the stronger Wayne Enterprises and other companies get.  The more the money circulates, the healthier the economy is, and the more people get jobs.  

Start by doubling the salaries of the janitors and the mail room staff.  Or triple.  Work your way up.  Cap the highest-paid staff at a reasonable percentage of the lowest-paid staff.  Keep shareholder profits reasonable, and spend as much as you can on salaries.  

That's how you save Gotham.

People with jobs, self respect, and stability are less likely to commit crime, or do drugs.  All those people are paying income tax and sales tax which will fully fund necessary government resources.  Your schools could be palaces.  You know the drill.  

Sure, you can't save literally everyone this way, but you'll save a lot more than with other methods.  And you can still have charities to fill in the blanks, and hell, if you really wanted you could keep punching bad guys at night.  

It's not as entertaining or sexy, but it doesn't take a superhero.

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