As Wealthy Surge, U.S. Poor and Middle Class Incomes Have Gone Backward
Source: CommonDreams by Staff Writer Nadia Prupis
The report looked at 229 of the 381 federally designated "metropolitan statistical areas" in the U.S., from Seattle to Boston, which accounted for 76 percent of the nationwide population in 2014. It found that poorer households saw their income drop from a median of $26,373 in 1999 to $23,811 in 2014, while middle-class incomes fell from $77,898 to $72,919 in that same time period. The erosion of the middle class came as household incomes decreased, "a reminder that the economy has yet to fully recover from the effects of the Great Recession of 2007-09," Pew saidbut more than that, it is a reflection of rising income inequality.
The report continues: The current and future status of the American middle class continues to be a central issue in the 2016 presidential campaign. Moreover, new economic research suggests that a struggling middle class could be holding back the potential for future economic growth. The national trend is clearthe middle class is losing ground as a share of the population, and its share of aggregate U.S. household income is also declining.
With fewer families in the middle tier, the gap between rich and poor is widening, the report found, with the share of adults in lower-income tiers rising in 160 areas. The report follows a previous Pew analysis which found that for the first time in more than 40 years, the middle class is no longer the majority in America.
Read more: http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/05/12/wealthy-surge-us-poor-and-middle-class-incomes-have-gone-backward
DebbieCDC
(2,543 posts)StarzGuy
(254 posts)I was making about $55K with benefits as a teacher on the Indian reservation. Well within the middle class. Then I became disabled and unable to continue to work at any job. I had to spend all my savings, I lost my house and struggled for nearly 9 months with absolutely no income waiting for my SSDI to kick in as well as the same amount of time for my pension to kick in. I was stuck on the Indian reservation as I had no where to go neither did I have any money for gas to move anywhere. I had my travel trailer so as soon as SSDI and pension payments kicked in I moved into a trailer park. I continued to struggle there for about 4 years then decided to rent an apartment.
Now, I struggle each month with not enough money after bills to pay for food the rest of the month. I take in too much in SSDI and Pension to qualify for any government programs and any private help such as the St. Mary's Food Bank because both have income limits. Yes, that's right even the food bank has income limits.
I should simply not drop out of this economy and stop voting. Because, I can no longer afford the former and I get nothing out of the later. I've been a democrat all my adult life and yes I have voted in every election for democrats.
I just can't believe this country would vote for Donny Drumpf as any candidate. He is got to be the unqualified worse candidate EVER selected for ANY office at ANY time throughout human history.
Unfortunately, I live in Arizona, where MERICA! is as strong as it is anywhere else in the country. So, I don't know if my vote will help either Sanders or Clinton win, but in either case there will not be any help for me.
The US congress run by pukes will continue to everything in its power to deny me my benefits through cuts in social security, Medicare and other safety net programs. I might as well kill myself if Drumpf gets elected...
J_J_
(1,213 posts)Probably just kidding, but just because the elite are evil doesn't mean the rest of us are.
Americans are good people. Duers are good people. Look how bad the economy is and people are still donating so much $$ to Bernie.
If you need help, please ask. People will be there for you. Try GoFundme or another similar website.
If you need to talk, Duers will listen and help.
Whatever you do, please don't give up.
(I know people often say this as a 'joke' but sometimes they are not joking, so I wrote this just in case)
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)with the way they keep denying before finally giving in. My wife had to wait two years. When they finally granted a hearing it took 15 minutes. It almost broke us. They want people to give up and return to work. Most cannot afford to keep fighting them.
Jackie Wilson Said
(4,176 posts)it worse AND they dont want to demand single payer.
We are a DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMB bunch.
dchill
(38,594 posts)We're not bled dry yet!
rocktivity
(44,583 posts)The one that Bush created AND left Obama with? That just goes to show you how great it was!
rocktivity
Amimnoch
(4,558 posts)A travesty and criminal what Bush did with it in the ensuing years.
Triana
(22,666 posts)... Once you understand that, the attacks about Bernies returns, tax rate and deductions look very much like swift-boat style attempts to attack his strength and distract attention from his opponent.
So what does oligarchic income look like?
Income inequality: Candidates for the Democratic party nomination
The Clintons income of $28 million for 2014 is 136 times Sanders income for the same period. And the Sanders are doing pretty well, they had income and Social Security benefits that totaled over 200k last year, putting them in the top 5% of Americans. However, the Clintons income of $28 million place them in a different league entirely. The numbers may seem abstract, so Ive graphed them. Sanders income is less than 1% of what the Clintons made in 2014. Where did the $28 million come from?
2014 BILL HILLARY
SPEECHES $9,730,000 $10,492,000
CONSULTING $6,417,475
AUTHOR $36,442 $5,563,867
Tax returns and an oligarchic presidency:
http://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/5/12/1525535/-Tax-returns-and-an-oligarchic-presidency
chknltl
(10,558 posts)SammyWinstonJack
(44,130 posts)lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)NewImproved Deal
(534 posts)Why settle for either Oligarch?
[link:|
alarimer
(16,245 posts)They spent their entire lives (nearly) living on the public dime.
Yet somehow they become multimilionaires afterwards. Book royalties and speeches must pay better than I thought.
I loathe these people with every fiber of my being.
Calista241
(5,586 posts)He's already started to by saying Americans haven't had a raise in 16 years. I fear this could convince a lot of people to vote for him. As James Carville quipped: "it's the economy stupid."
FLPanhandle
(7,107 posts)People want opportunities for themselves and their children. If the Democrats don't have proposals that resonate, then we don't deserve their votes.
Octafish
(55,745 posts)That's been a winning strategy, going by who calls the shots in Wall Street-on-the-Potomac.
tenderfoot
(8,438 posts)Last edited Fri May 13, 2016, 10:01 PM - Edit history (1)
?t=1m16selljay
(1,178 posts)Surely someone rich should have dribbled on me just a little bit by now. Isn't that how it is supposed to work?
warrprayer
(4,734 posts)And rec for reality check
jtuck004
(15,882 posts)Now...
http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/26/news/economy/middle-class-to-homeless/index.html?sr=cnnmoneybin043016middle-class-to-homeless0900vodtop
More of the same or something different? That's what people are facing.
C Moon
(12,225 posts)lonestarnot
(77,097 posts)Urchin
(248 posts)all the high-paying jobs they said technology was going to create for us--you know, like computer repair person?
whereisjustice
(2,941 posts)those jobs to India.
whereisjustice
(2,941 posts)Pakhet
(520 posts)SmittynMo
(3,544 posts)Hmmmm. Imagine that!!!
pampango
(24,692 posts)We have no problems that a little isolationism - walls, tariffs and travel bans - won't cure.
Sure it never worked for us in the past. Sure FDR has to 'fix' our last experiment with isolationism. Sure that's not how modern progressive countries support their middle class. But, hey, it sounds good. My republican base loves my "America First" isolationist rhetoric. And I am all about providing scapegoats rather than solutions. What's not to like?
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)It is Congresses job to raise our Federal minimum wage.
Baobab
(4,667 posts)Where machines do almost everything better and cheaper than people do.
Its a bit like the legend of John Henry.
roaminronin
(49 posts)If you do not have health insurance and are not able to save money every month from your paycheck, then you are not middle class. You are poor.