Middle Class eroding or why do Republicans pols hate the Middle Class

[whitehall]

Republicans hate the Middle Class and love the Middle Class - it is a classic example of ambivalence.

Republicans know Middle Class Americans are workers whose wealth is a product of their personal toil, something Republicans admire. They also know Middle Class Americans pay taxes and demand results from pols they support by their votes. This they hate, for pols in general, and Republican pols in particular, love the wealthy and powerful (for in them they see their personal future) and it pisses them off to be held accountable by the hoi polloi, Middle Cloass voters.

Held accountable they will be come Novemeber 2012; it does not excape those of us in the middle class that the Republcian Party represents only the very wealthy and patronize all other Americans.

The business owning middle class has been targeted by arrogant democrats who think a gross income of 250,000 makes you rich. Democrats are at war with big corporations and small corporations with a thousand laws of restrictive regulations that stifle business. Obama hired a communist to be on his green jobs board but there don't seem to be any green jobs. Obama refered to the US Chamber of Commerce as a subversive tool of the GOP but the Chamber of Commerce is the mainstay of middle class business owners.

 

[Gadawg73]

I drive a 1999 Toyota Sienna van with 258,000 miles on it paid for, live in a 1600 sqare foot home paid for and work 60 hours a week. I have never made over $120,000.00 a year ever in my life. EVER.
I am 56 yoa. Everything I have I saved for. Never, ever given a damn thing.
My net worth is over 2 million.
Now how is that possible? Everyone knows that only the lucky, the people that inherit the $$ and those that do nothing to get $$$ ever get wealthy. Only evil, greedy people and greedy corporations get wealthy.
How could this be?
Something about PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCIPLINE.
Something the left wants to replace WITH GOVERNMENT ENTITLEMENTS.
Tax more and FEWER middle class folks like me will become wealthy.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Republicans hate the Middle Class and love the Middle Class - it is a classic example of ambivalence.

Republicans know Middle Class Americans are workers whose wealth is a product of their personal toil, something Republicans admire. They also know Middle Class Americans pay taxes and demand results from pols they support by their votes. This they hate, for pols in general, and Republican pols in particular, love the wealthy and powerful (for in them they see their personal future) and it pisses them off to be held accountable by the hoi polloi, Middle Cloass voters.

Held accountable they will be come Novemeber 2012; it does not excape those of us in the middle class that the Republcian Party represents only the very wealthy and patronize all other Americans.

The business owning middle class has been targeted by arrogant democrats who think a gross income of 250,000 makes you rich. Democrats are at war with big corporations and small corporations with a thousand laws of restrictive regulations that stifle business. Obama hired a communist to be on his green jobs board but there don't seem to be any green jobs. Obama refered to the US Chamber of Commerce as a subversive tool of the GOP but the Chamber of Commerce is the mainstay of middle class business owners.

A net income of $250,000 is pretty good, and everything I've read/heard is small business has not been "targeted by arrogant Democrats"; targeted tax breaks are directed at small business owners, and much of the tax and fee obligations of small business owners is paid to state, local gov't and special districts. In fact prices are set based on a business plan which factors in payroll taxes as well as other essentials for small business operations.

Big corporations are at war with the American people, have you not noticed how the banks too big to fail have responded after being bailed out, or how industry has moved off shore to hire foreign workers and not American workers?

 

[KissMy]

Democrats have been in power since 2006. Haven't they done wonders with the economy over the past 5-1/2 years? Debt on the day Democrats took control $8,670,596,000,000. Debt today $14,561,230,000,000. So 5-1/2 years of Democrat Debt = $5,890,634,000,000. There now are 7 million fewer employed Americans since the democrats took over.

CNN Poll: For first time, majority is pessimistic about America’s economic future

84 percent of Americans feel the economy is in poor shape. While some expect economic conditions to improve, a majority-59 percent-believes the economy will still be in poor shape one year from now. It’s the first time in the 14 years that CNN has asked the question that a majority has been pessimistic about the country’s economic future. “That’s a very significant, and very discouraging change in public attitudes toward the economy,”

Manufacturing growth hits lowest level in 2 years

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Republicans hate the Middle Class and love the Middle Class - it is a classic example of ambivalence.

Republicans know Middle Class Americans are workers whose wealth is a product of their personal toil, something Republicans admire. They also know Middle Class Americans pay taxes and demand results from pols they support by their votes. This they hate, for pols in general, and Republican pols in particular, love the wealthy and powerful (for in them they see their personal future) and it pisses them off to be held accountable by the hoi polloi, Middle Cloass voters.

Held accountable they will be come Novemeber 2012; it does not excape those of us in the middle class that the Republcian Party represents only the very wealthy and patronize all other Americans.

The business owning middle class has been targeted by arrogant democrats who think a gross income of 250,000 makes you rich. Democrats are at war with big corporations and small corporations with a thousand laws of restrictive regulations that stifle business. Obama hired a communist to be on his green jobs board but there don't seem to be any green jobs. Obama refered to the US Chamber of Commerce as a subversive tool of the GOP but the Chamber of Commerce is the mainstay of middle class business owners.

A net income of $250,000 is pretty good, and everything I've read/heard is small business has not been "targeted by arrogant Democrats"; targeted tax breaks are directed at small business owners, and much of the tax and fee obligations of small business owners is paid to state, local gov't and special districts. In fact prices are set based on a business plan which factors in payroll taxes as well as other essentials for small business operations.

Big corporations are at war with the American people, have you not noticed how the banks too big to fail have responded after being bailed out, or how industry has moved off shore to hire foreign workers and not American workers?

"have you not noticed how the banks too big to fail have responded after being bailed out"

How have they responded?

 

[LibocalypseNow]

lol! Your guy and the Democrats just had a Super Majority and still control the Senate & White House. But somehow it's all the Republicans' fault? Huh Whaa? Man,the Hopey Changey sheep really have lost it. The Country is dying and that's all on you guys. When the Republicans regain Power,you can go ahead and blame them for everything. Till then,you're just coming off as delusional whiners.

 

[Gadawg73]

Why would corporations "declare war" on any Americans be they rich or poor?
That is stupid as shit. The want to make EVERYONE HAPPY.
They want PROFITS and that comes ONLY from making consumers HAPPY.
Most Americans are ignorant on economics and competition.

 

[Wry Catcher]

The business owning middle class has been targeted by arrogant democrats who think a gross income of 250,000 makes you rich. Democrats are at war with big corporations and small corporations with a thousand laws of restrictive regulations that stifle business. Obama hired a communist to be on his green jobs board but there don't seem to be any green jobs. Obama refered to the US Chamber of Commerce as a subversive tool of the GOP but the Chamber of Commerce is the mainstay of middle class business owners.

A net income of $250,000 is pretty good, and everything I've read/heard is small business has not been "targeted by arrogant Democrats"; targeted tax breaks are directed at small business owners, and much of the tax and fee obligations of small business owners is paid to state, local gov't and special districts. In fact prices are set based on a business plan which factors in payroll taxes as well as other essentials for small business operations.

Big corporations are at war with the American people, have you not noticed how the banks too big to fail have responded after being bailed out, or how industry has moved off shore to hire foreign workers and not American workers?

"have you not noticed how the banks too big to fail have responded after being bailed out"

How have they responded?

To begin with check out the cost of interest vis a vis the rate paid on savings and CD's. Next, see how many hoops one must jump through and the points arbitrarily added when seeking a home loan. Then open your mail box, it seems we get half a dozen or so offers to open new credit card accounts each month. Even appcaption for one of our sons with his last named mispelled (and not only from one bank, but from several), finally see how fees for service have increased, and some which were free are now fee based.

 

[Wry Catcher]

Why would corporations "declare war" on any Americans be they rich or poor?
That is stupid as shit. The want to make EVERYONE HAPPY.
They want PROFITS and that comes ONLY from making consumers HAPPY.
Most Americans are ignorant on economics and competition.

I'm not suggesting corporations are acting in the best long term interest of the corporation or our nation. The decision makers want to make profits now; later they'll have moved on to a great retirement or to another corporations and repeat the same mistakes (of not looking long term).

Consider, lowering the wages for the majority of Americans means less money for spending on non essentials. CEO's don't want to make everyone happy, they want to make the shareholders happy, keep their jobs and get their bonuses. As more Americans struggle, less spending occurs and the corporations who move their work force off shore as well as small business will suffer.

Supple siders can argue full shelves will move the economy, it will not if there is no one to purchase those products.

The focus needs to be on jobs, not deficit spending. Yes, the debt is large, but it will only get larger unless we can pull together & act in the best interest of the many and not the few.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

A net income of $250,000 is pretty good, and everything I've read/heard is small business has not been "targeted by arrogant Democrats"; targeted tax breaks are directed at small business owners, and much of the tax and fee obligations of small business owners is paid to state, local gov't and special districts. In fact prices are set based on a business plan which factors in payroll taxes as well as other essentials for small business operations.

Big corporations are at war with the American people, have you not noticed how the banks too big to fail have responded after being bailed out, or how industry has moved off shore to hire foreign workers and not American workers?

"have you not noticed how the banks too big to fail have responded after being bailed out"

How have they responded?

To begin with check out the cost of interest vis a vis the rate paid on savings and CD's. Next, see how many hoops one must jump through and the points arbitrarily added when seeking a home loan. Then open your mail box, it seems we get half a dozen or so offers to open new credit card accounts each month. Even appcaption for one of our sons with his last named mispelled (and not only from one bank, but from several), finally see how fees for service have increased, and some which were free are now fee based.

The cost of interest?
Are you saying they charge more for loans than they pay on deposits?
OMG!

Yes, after years of being too easy with home loans, they've tightened up.
Why is that a shock to you?
Should they continue making bad mortgages loans? Would that make you happy?

 

[LibocalypseNow]

You can blame the Republicans for everything when they get a Super Majority or at least control the Senate and White House. Till then this awful mess is all on you Democrats. Blaming Republicans now is just a cowardly cop-out. This nightmare is yours. Now grow up.

 

[KissMy]

Manufacturing growth hits lowest level in 2 years

Investors pulled money out of stock funds at the fastest rate in over two years in the month of June. According to data released by Strategic Insight, U.S. stock mutual funds saw net outflow of $17.3 billion in the month of June, the biggest monthly outflow since March 2009.

Shocking - Consumer Sentiment Plummets to 63.8!!!

Democrats have been in power since 2006. Haven't they done wonders with the economy over the past 5-1/2 years? Debt on the day Democrats took control $8,670,596,000,000. Debt today $14,561,230,000,000. So 5-1/2 years of Democrat Debt = $5,890,634,000,000. There now are 7 million fewer employed Americans since the democrats took over.

CNN Poll: For first time, majority is pessimistic about America’s economic future

84 percent of Americans feel the economy is in poor shape. While some expect economic conditions to improve, a majority-59 percent-believes the economy will still be in poor shape one year from now. It’s the first time in the 14 years that CNN has asked the question that a majority has been pessimistic about the country’s economic future. “That’s a very significant, and very discouraging change in public attitudes toward the economy,”

Obama, Stimulus & Spendocrats = Epic Fail!

 

[Steelplate]

That's only because of our ridiculous "for profit" Health Care system. BTW... Nurses who work for the Government? VA Nurses, Nurses in State Prison Systems, Mental Institutions, etc? They are union.

Do you folks not realize that the downgrading of labor in the private sector has helped bring a lot of our economic woes to what they are today?

Think for a second. Take off your Conservative Spectacles and keep an open mind for the duration of this post... I beg you all...

When workers were making a livable wage(from post WWII-mid 70's), our country was flourishing. People worked hard because they had something to work for... a reasonable amount of success. The ability to own a home and pay it off in a timely fashion, a car every 2-3 years, a family vacation or two/year. Along with that realistic level of success came another thing... taxation. No one liked taxes back then as no one does now. But back then, people realized that Taxation was part of the privilege of living in this country. At that time approximately 25% of the workforce was unionized and the rest benefited from unionization because non-union employers needed to be semi-competitive to their employees or risk losing them or becoming unionized themselves.

Things were going pretty well until the mid 70's.... when America befell a grave Crisis... the OPEC oil embargo. Gas prices went over $1/gallon for the first time in our history and it happened real fast. Our country was not ready for it and suffered greatly. We had gas rationing and it affected all aspect of our lives... Interest rates soared. Jimmy Carter got the blame for all of that... but it went well beyond anything he did or did not do wrong...

Well, 1980 brought Ronald Reagan and a fresh new perspective... Trickle down economics. Ideally, trickle down economics states that if those at the top make more, they will trickle those heavy profits down to the general population. Back then, it made sense to me and I was a believer. I was for a long time... except I started to notice things....

Previously healthy companies were laying off employees at alarming rates, Plants were closing all over the country. But every time you watched the news, you saw big profits of those Corporations.

Flash forward to today and this is the end result of trickle down economics. What Reagan didn't anticipate in his otherwise great system was this.... Trickle down economics leaves the "trickling down" part up to the employer. It isn't mandatory that they trickle down. They have the option not to... and once they realized that there was nothing to hold them back from just keeping as much as they could... that's exactly what they did.

Which, I know you folks will say "it's their money, they can do what they want". Which is technically true. However... a problem started evolving because of this practice... the workforce(who outnumber employers by a huge margin) started to run out of money because of the stagnating wages and couldn't afford to buy as much or as often of the luxuries that keep our economy rolling and running strong.

When this happened.... the banks(with help from the Federal Reserve in lowering interest rates) stepped in. They offered cheap money for people with credit cards and home equity loans. People started buying again... taking advantage of the cheap money. So now America was slowly getting more and more wrapped up in Credit, fully encouraged by the banking, corporate, and even our government on occasion.

So we ended up with a population that is underemployed, over indebted, and barely scraping by... while those employers profited hugely.... all that occurred BEFORE they started to outsource jobs to foreign countries.

The point I am trying to make is that to say that Liberal policies and whatnot is what is responsible for the problems we have is dishonest as hell. Sure... no one is innocent... but it all started with Corporations trying to lowball their workforce and maximize their profits and of course... to bust the unions.

Remember... the workforce makes up the vast majority of our economy. They are who the Corporations depend upon to buy their stuff. You would think it would behoove them to pay their employees well. But it's getting to the point where a once robust revenue source(middle Class Americans) is slowly but surely sliding downward and those revenue streams are losing ground.

If it weren't for the outsourcing that occured/occurs now.... I think that things would have stabilized a long time ago and it never would have gotten as bad as it did. but with outsourcing, those employers found a new source of labor that will work for next to nothing. That, in turn has delayed or perhaps even destroyed the chance for recovery of the American worker.

This, is why we are floundering, this is why we are having trouble with national debt. This is why the economy can be going to shit, but companies are still making record profits. The bad thing is... we can't keep it up. Broke workers don't buy.. no matter how cheap the products are. It can't continue and it's up to the Conglomerate to realize it.

We can't keep sliding backwards, making the workforce an afterthought and making the employers out to be demigods that are not to be questioned.

If the workforce were well paid and working... revenue would not be a problem and the debt would be half the size... but 30 years of not "trickling down" has got us here.

Asking the conservatives who frequent this message board to queston the dogma they hold as an immutable truth is asking the impossible. Most won't read anything longer than a simple sentence unless the word libtard or demorat is the first noun they encounter.

Suppply siders can fill their shelves with goods, as you correctly point out without good paying jobs the consumer cannot buy, and no one wins.

When you go to buy a car, a house, a new roof for your home, whatever; do you practice liberal or conservative principles?
Do you say "Hmm, this car costs 7K more than the other one but since those workers are underpaid and I feel sorry for them I will buy that car"?
Sure, right. Your ACTIONS are conservative when it comes to YOUR $$$$.
Your rhetoric is liberal when it comes to everything else.
It is very easy and comfortable to sit and be a liberal when YOU ARE SPENDING OTHER PEOPLE'S $$$$$$.

I buy a car according to my ability to afford it. within those parameters, I buy the car that gives me the most for my Dollar. Same with my government. I have been paying into Social Security and Medicare for 32 years. I have worked hard all my life and NEVER have used either Welfare or Unemployment. I have paid my taxes dutifully and proudly. Furthermore... if ALL the Bush tax cuts were to expire.. I'd pay those extra dollars in the same manner.

Btw... your analogy is pathetic. a car that cost 7K more AND the workers are underpaid? Have you looked at car prices lately? It doesn't matter what the pay of the workers is... they are competing with each other... not trying to make maximum profit take a back seat to cost. Remember when Kia and Hyundai came on the market? They were the cheapest cars available. Now that they are established... they aren't trying to be the cheapest anymore.... they are approximately the same price as any other car... give or take $1k or two.

but we aren't necessarily talking about that, are we? My beef is with the lowballing of the American workforce in favor of the Corporate profit. Is profit bad? not at all... but Maximizing profits at the expense of the workforce's ability to afford to live comfortably? that's bad, immoral, and in the long term... bad business.

We are getting to the point where the average American can barely afford to live in this country. Your side complains that 51% of the American People don't pay Federal Income Tax. I complain that 51% of the people are making 30k(median income) or less in this increasingly expensive country. When you look at the cost of living here, median income should be at least another 10k/ year and probably closer to twice that 30k.

If that were to happen, the economy would not only recover... but thrive... because people would actually be able to afford to buy shit without going into debt.... but then that would piss off the banking industry, who loves debt... because THEY make HUGE amounts of money off of it.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

Asking the conservatives who frequent this message board to queston the dogma they hold as an immutable truth is asking the impossible. Most won't read anything longer than a simple sentence unless the word libtard or demorat is the first noun they encounter.

Suppply siders can fill their shelves with goods, as you correctly point out without good paying jobs the consumer cannot buy, and no one wins.

When you go to buy a car, a house, a new roof for your home, whatever; do you practice liberal or conservative principles?
Do you say "Hmm, this car costs 7K more than the other one but since those workers are underpaid and I feel sorry for them I will buy that car"?
Sure, right. Your ACTIONS are conservative when it comes to YOUR $$$$.
Your rhetoric is liberal when it comes to everything else.
It is very easy and comfortable to sit and be a liberal when YOU ARE SPENDING OTHER PEOPLE'S $$$$$$.

I buy a car according to my ability to afford it. within those parameters, I buy the car that gives me the most for my Dollar. Same with my government. I have been paying into Social Security and Medicare for 32 years. I have worked hard all my life and NEVER have used either Welfare or Unemployment. I have paid my taxes dutifully and proudly. Furthermore... if ALL the Bush tax cuts were to expire.. I'd pay those extra dollars in the same manner.

Btw... your analogy is pathetic. a car that cost 7K more AND the workers are underpaid? Have you looked at car prices lately? It doesn't matter what the pay of the workers is... they are competing with each other... not trying to make maximum profit take a back seat to cost. Remember when Kia and Hyundai came on the market? They were the cheapest cars available. Now that they are established... they aren't trying to be the cheapest anymore.... they are approximately the same price as any other car... give or take $1k or two.

but we aren't necessarily talking about that, are we? My beef is with the lowballing of the American workforce in favor of the Corporate profit. Is profit bad? not at all... but Maximizing profits at the expense of the workforce's ability to afford to live comfortably? that's bad, immoral, and in the long term... bad business.

We are getting to the point where the average American can barely afford to live in this country. Your side complains that 51% of the American People don't pay Federal Income Tax. I complain that 51% of the people are making 30k(median income) or less in this increasingly expensive country. When you look at the cost of living here, median income should be at least another 10k/ year and probably closer to twice that 30k.

If that were to happen, the economy would not only recover... but thrive... because people would actually be able to afford to buy shit without going into debt.... but then that would piss off the banking industry, who loves debt... because THEY make HUGE amounts of money off of it.

Median family income in 2008 was over $61000.

 

[Steelplate]

When you go to buy a car, a house, a new roof for your home, whatever; do you practice liberal or conservative principles?
Do you say "Hmm, this car costs 7K more than the other one but since those workers are underpaid and I feel sorry for them I will buy that car"?
Sure, right. Your ACTIONS are conservative when it comes to YOUR $$$$.
Your rhetoric is liberal when it comes to everything else.
It is very easy and comfortable to sit and be a liberal when YOU ARE SPENDING OTHER PEOPLE'S $$$$$$.

I buy a car according to my ability to afford it. within those parameters, I buy the car that gives me the most for my Dollar. Same with my government. I have been paying into Social Security and Medicare for 32 years. I have worked hard all my life and NEVER have used either Welfare or Unemployment. I have paid my taxes dutifully and proudly. Furthermore... if ALL the Bush tax cuts were to expire.. I'd pay those extra dollars in the same manner.

Btw... your analogy is pathetic. a car that cost 7K more AND the workers are underpaid? Have you looked at car prices lately? It doesn't matter what the pay of the workers is... they are competing with each other... not trying to make maximum profit take a back seat to cost. Remember when Kia and Hyundai came on the market? They were the cheapest cars available. Now that they are established... they aren't trying to be the cheapest anymore.... they are approximately the same price as any other car... give or take $1k or two.

but we aren't necessarily talking about that, are we? My beef is with the lowballing of the American workforce in favor of the Corporate profit. Is profit bad? not at all... but Maximizing profits at the expense of the workforce's ability to afford to live comfortably? that's bad, immoral, and in the long term... bad business.

We are getting to the point where the average American can barely afford to live in this country. Your side complains that 51% of the American People don't pay Federal Income Tax. I complain that 51% of the people are making 30k(median income) or less in this increasingly expensive country. When you look at the cost of living here, median income should be at least another 10k/ year and probably closer to twice that 30k.

If that were to happen, the economy would not only recover... but thrive... because people would actually be able to afford to buy shit without going into debt.... but then that would piss off the banking industry, who loves debt... because THEY make HUGE amounts of money off of it.

Median family income in 2008 was over $61000.

funny, the best one I saw was for 2009... and that was $50,221. But median family income means nothing when you use the top 1%, who make an average of $270M/year. That skews that number much higher. The truth is... the MAJORITY of the people in the United states are trying to raise a family on 30k or less.

Those are the same type of Stats that Conservatives like to use when talking about Public sector jobs. The vast majority of the people working for the Public Sector make around 30-40k. But upper management and professional workers make 100k+ including Judges and the legislature, so factoring in those salaries... it makes it look like All public sector jobs make big bucks.

 

[Gadawg73]

Why would corporations "declare war" on any Americans be they rich or poor?
That is stupid as shit. The want to make EVERYONE HAPPY.
They want PROFITS and that comes ONLY from making consumers HAPPY.
Most Americans are ignorant on economics and competition.

I'm not suggesting corporations are acting in the best long term interest of the corporation or our nation. The decision makers want to make profits now; later they'll have moved on to a great retirement or to another corporations and repeat the same mistakes (of not looking long term).

Consider, lowering the wages for the majority of Americans means less money for spending on non essentials. CEO's don't want to make everyone happy, they want to make the shareholders happy, keep their jobs and get their bonuses. As more Americans struggle, less spending occurs and the corporations who move their work force off shore as well as small business will suffer.

Supple siders can argue full shelves will move the economy, it will not if there is no one to purchase those products.

The focus needs to be on jobs, not deficit spending. Yes, the debt is large, but it will only get larger unless we can pull together & act in the best interest of the many and not the few.

If you are a shareholder of a given corporation, and you do know that 90% of shareholders of corporations are middle class folks, you would want a dividend now, this year. How else does a corporation get any investors?
Corporations should ALWAYS act in the best interestof it's shareholders, THE OWNERS of the company.
Respectfully, and I mean this sincerely, you do not know much of anything about business, economics and investing, the LIFEBLOOD of capitalism.
Government NEVER produces any jobs. THE PRIVATE SECTOR, WHEN LEFT ALONE, creates jobs.

 

[Toddsterpatriot]

I buy a car according to my ability to afford it. within those parameters, I buy the car that gives me the most for my Dollar. Same with my government. I have been paying into Social Security and Medicare for 32 years. I have worked hard all my life and NEVER have used either Welfare or Unemployment. I have paid my taxes dutifully and proudly. Furthermore... if ALL the Bush tax cuts were to expire.. I'd pay those extra dollars in the same manner.

Btw... your analogy is pathetic. a car that cost 7K more AND the workers are underpaid? Have you looked at car prices lately? It doesn't matter what the pay of the workers is... they are competing with each other... not trying to make maximum profit take a back seat to cost. Remember when Kia and Hyundai came on the market? They were the cheapest cars available. Now that they are established... they aren't trying to be the cheapest anymore.... they are approximately the same price as any other car... give or take $1k or two.

but we aren't necessarily talking about that, are we? My beef is with the lowballing of the American workforce in favor of the Corporate profit. Is profit bad? not at all... but Maximizing profits at the expense of the workforce's ability to afford to live comfortably? that's bad, immoral, and in the long term... bad business.

We are getting to the point where the average American can barely afford to live in this country. Your side complains that 51% of the American People don't pay Federal Income Tax. I complain that 51% of the people are making 30k(median income) or less in this increasingly expensive country. When you look at the cost of living here, median income should be at least another 10k/ year and probably closer to twice that 30k.

If that were to happen, the economy would not only recover... but thrive... because people would actually be able to afford to buy shit without going into debt.... but then that would piss off the banking industry, who loves debt... because THEY make HUGE amounts of money off of it.

Median family income in 2008 was over $61000.

funny, the best one I saw was for 2009... and that was $50,221. But median family income means nothing when you use the top 1%, who make an average of $270M/year. That skews that number much higher. The truth is... the MAJORITY of the people in the United states are trying to raise a family on 30k or less.

Those are the same type of Stats that Conservatives like to use when talking about Public sector jobs. The vast majority of the people working for the Public Sector make around 30-40k. But upper management and professional workers make 100k+ including Judges and the legislature, so factoring in those salaries... it makes it look like All public sector jobs make big bucks.

http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/2011/tables/11s0694.pdf

Table 695

"But median family income means nothing when you use the top 1%, who make an average of $270M/year. That skews that number much higher"

Rich families skew the median?

 

[oreo]

Republicans hate the Middle Class and love the Middle Class - it is a classic example of ambivalence.

Republicans know Middle Class Americans are workers whose wealth is a product of their personal toil, something Republicans admire. They also know Middle Class Americans pay taxes and demand results from pols they support by their votes. This they hate, for pols in general, and Republican pols in particular, love the wealthy and powerful (for in them they see their personal future) and it pisses them off to be held accountable by the hoi polloi, Middle Cloass voters.

Held accountable they will be come Novemeber 2012; it does not excape those of us in the middle class that the Republcian Party represents only the very wealthy and patronize all other Americans.

So I guess--you believe that conservatives don't exist in the middle class?-- I guess November 2010 didn't teach you anything at all.

"Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance,and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery."Winston Churchill

 

[flacaltenn]

Republicans hate the Middle Class and love the Middle Class - it is a classic example of ambivalence.

Republicans know Middle Class Americans are workers whose wealth is a product of their personal toil, something Republicans admire. They also know Middle Class Americans pay taxes and demand results from pols they support by their votes. This they hate, for pols in general, and Republican pols in particular, love the wealthy and powerful (for in them they see their personal future) and it pisses them off to be held accountable by the hoi polloi, Middle Cloass voters.

Held accountable they will be come Novemeber 2012; it does not excape those of us in the middle class that the Republcian Party represents only the very wealthy and patronize all other Americans.

Ever occur to yu that perhaps the 10,000 Boomers retiring every day have something to do with "the eroding middle class"?? For the benefit of the lefties out there -- when you retire, you generally VOLUNTARILY cut your income and reorganize your finances so that you can survive longer without pain. (survival skills not being a hot ticket item for the left -- I thought I'd help).. PANICKING about statistics should come AFTER you've really pondered ALL the implications.. AND after you've blamed your political opposition for the problem..

 

[syrenn]

Republicans hate the Middle Class and love the Middle Class - it is a classic example of ambivalence.

Republicans know Middle Class Americans are workers whose wealth is a product of their personal toil, something Republicans admire. They also know Middle Class Americans pay taxes and demand results from pols they support by their votes. This they hate, for pols in general, and Republican pols in particular, love the wealthy and powerful (for in them they see their personal future) and it pisses them off to be held accountable by the hoi polloi, Middle Cloass voters.

Held accountable they will be come Novemeber 2012; it does not excape those of us in the middle class that the Republcian Party represents only the very wealthy and patronize all other Americans.

In my opinion... a couple making 250k a year is THE MIDDLE CLASS....the very ones who the left want to raise taxes on.

So who is it who hates the middle class???