Something's Very Wrong When Only the Rich get Richer

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/economy/somethings-very-wrong-when-only-rich-get-richer

***SNIP


In the three-year span from 2008 through 2010, in 15 different states, our most affluent 20 percent averaged over eight times the income of our poorest 20 percent. Back in the late 1970s, the new Pulling Apart points out, not one single state had a top-to-bottom ratio that ran over eight times.

Overall, after adjusting for inflation, the nation’s richest fifth of households have seen their incomes rise an average $2,550 each year since the late 1970s. Average incomes in the nation’s bottom fifth have increased a mere $1,330 for the entire last three decades.

And incomes for the households in America’s middle fifth? In all 50 states, the gap between top 20 and middle 20 percent has widened “significantly.” The gap between middle 20 percent and top 5 percent has widened even more.

In New York, for instance, the average, inflation-adjusted incomes of the state’s middle fifth increased by just $14,118 between 1977-1979 and 2005-2007. Over that same time span, top 5 percent incomes soared by $193,877.

[Iggy]

1. WHEN is the last time you heard a democratic congressperson say

anything about raising the minimum wage??

[ProSense]

6. Here,

Senator Harkin: http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021861071

[Iggy]

7. Very Good; Including Jesse Jackson Jr., who also recently

advocated for an increase in the min wage-- but who unfortunately just resigned from congress-- he's in some sort of trouble related to the buffoon/former democratic governor of IL.. that makes TWO of hundreds of democrats in congress.

who else in congress is going to push for a significant increase in the min wage??

[liberal N proud]

2. But they deserve it because they worked hard for that money...

That is the line of crock you hear from the ill informed idiots will give you in support for this system.

GREED is what consumes us all, it will either consume you because you have the money and want more, or it will consume you because you don't have enough to survive. You have no choice what side of this fact you are on, it is all by fate alone that decides if you are rich or poor. There is a small group however who either are moving up the ladder or down it at any given time. This small group gives few the fantasy that they too will one day move to the upper rungs of that ladder. Little do they know that a game they played as a kid was a lesson on this, it was called King of the Hill where the guy at the top is always knocking you back down that hill.

[marmar]

3. k/r

"There Is Something Terribly Wrong With This Country, Isn't There?"

[xchrom]

4. ...

[HiPointDem]

5. kr