Cause and Effect of the IMF
and The European Central Banks forced bailout

Foreclosures are up, unemployment is up,
poverty is up, inflation is up, oil prices are up, coal prices are up, gold is
up, healthcare is up, bankruptcy is up, White collar crime is up...

Incomes are down, housing prices are down,
property values down, Americans drowning in debt...

Good luck my fellow Americans you’re going to
need luck. Representation for your bottom line is that you are the bottom!

We have failed our people....

Sorry you do not want more for yourself and
want to give it all to the Corporations.

But give corporations who do not need any
more money, more money!

STUPIN IN AMERICA!!!! VOTE AGAINST YOURSELF

Want to correct the "wealth gap"? Here's a few tips: get a job, give up your Apple products (Ipod, Ipad, Imac, etc), cook your own food instead of eating take-out all the time, no more Starbucks, don't buy any more big screen tvs, stop smoking weed and cigarettes, give up beer, make sure your kids know how to read (they're YOUR kids, not the gov'ts, not the teachers, so it's your responsibility), live within your means, get off the gov't teat, show some personal pride and responsibility, and finally, do what it takes to be successful as a person.

If you add in the value of all the gov't aid, ie, unemployment, welfare, free medical, SS, Medicare, free cheese, food stamps, subsidized electric and heat, food pantries, food banks, free shelters, etc. there are not many people falling below the poverty line. They may not live like the fantasy families on tv, but who does?

America is the only nation on earth with fat poor people. Can someone explain to me why people from all over the world flock to this land of opportunity and so many people who are born here, speak the language, and have all the benefits of citizenship won't get off their a**, get a job, and try to make something of themselves? What a bunch of whiners!

BLACK FRIDAY! Buy small save a small business!

Did anyone here even bother to read the article? This is a good story and doesn't show more income inequality, but less. It wasn't 20% of middle class families moving to poorer neighborhoods, but that 20% left and went to rich neighborhoods. The people living in poor neighborhoods stayed about the same. Looks like capitalism works.

The way that they calculate the groups guarantees that a significant segment will be defined as 'poor', even if they are far better off than they were in 1970.

Perhaps it would be useful to also show median income by group, compared with 1970, as well. (Inflation adjusted).

If you add in the value of all the gov't aid, ie, unemployment, welfare, free medical, SS, Medicare, free cheese, food stamps, subsidized electric and heat, food pantries, food banks, free shelters, etc.

People pay tax's on medicaid/medicare/SS all there life. Your right they give subsidies to energy company's.

America is the only nation on earth with fat poor people.

You know why you got fat poor people norm. It's that concoction of crap they call food, there selling us.

I see at least two Baggers answering the #1 post (and as usual supporting each others Comment with their thumbs). Situation "Normal", We keep the money in our pockets.

Almightydollar: Many people who collect off of SS and Medicare do NOT pay into the system. Additionally, the fact that they may have paid something does not mean they paid much relative to the benefit they receive.

SS is in essence a welfare program for the elderly. Means test it and call it as such. There is no reason the waitress that will serve me breakfast this morning should pay for Warren Buffett's SS check. And for the record, if it is means tested I likely wouldn't get it either.

ROY WILSON-336103 "Perhaps it would be useful to also show median income by group, compared with 1970, as well. (Inflation adjusted)."

I ran some numbers (Inflation adjusted in 2010 $), and median income for 1969 was only $27,996, but in 2007 it was $48,970, so the average person in 2007 made 75% more than they did in 1969, even if there was a different distribution of income.

The article makes it seem like the average 'poor' person is far worse off than 30 years ago, but that is just not true.

Also, AlMightyDollar make a good point because the distribution of income does not consider the huge disparity favoring the 'poor' in the value of public assistance received by the 'poor'.

I agree with norm. hit it right on the head. I have always asked myself "why are americans so fat and stupid?" Actually not all are, but some are fat and some are stupid. Of course there are those who are both fat and stupid!!! America should be ashamed of itself and apologize to the rest of the world for being so dumb!! If you don't think so, just look at our declining education system.

Exactly how do you propose to make things "fair" that don't involve the government? When you pass a piss test and get a job let me know.

Want to correct the "wealth gap"? Here's a few tips: get a job, give up your Apple products (Ipod, Ipad, Imac, etc), cook your own food instead of eating take-out all the time, no more Starbucks, don't buy any more big screen tvs, stop smoking weed and cigarettes, give up beer, make sure your kids know how to read (they're YOUR kids, not the gov'ts, not the teachers, so it's your responsibility), live within your means, get off the gov't teat, show some personal pride and responsibility, and finally, do what it takes to be successful as a person.

Newsflash! Many people do exactly what you've outlined here and get nothing in return. People aren't upset because they aren't rich, you dolt, they're upset because their hard work gets them nothing anymore - all the money goes right up the ladder into the hands of those who don't need any more money.

It wasn't 20% of middle class families moving to poorer neighborhoods, but that 20% left and went to rich neighborhoods. The people living in poor neighborhoods stayed about the same. Looks like capitalism works.

That's not the way I read it.

In 2007, the last year captured by the data, 44 percent of families lived in neighborhoods the study defined as middle-income, down from 65 percent of families in 1970.

That's a 21% drop. So where did those 21% go?

At the same time, a third of American families lived in areas of either affluence or poverty, up from just 15 percent of families in 1970.

Poverty increased by 18%. So that only leaves 3% unaccounted for. It looks more like 3% moved up and 18% moved down.

Almightydollar: Many people who collect off of SS and Medicare do NOT pay into the system. Additionally, the fact that they may have paid something does not mean they paid much relative to the benefit they receive.

I pay in and have paid in for 28 years. I intend to collect it if it's still there and I'm still alive.

If you want to talk about people collecting some thing for nothing lets talk about oil subsidies. Or fractional lendind.

If you want more disparity between rich and poor while getting rid of the middle class, then vote Republican and join the poor. If you want real solutions that require the rich to start paying their fare share of taxes and force them to hire from US citizens, then vote Democrat. It's a simple choice.

This study confirms what so many Americans struggle with and experience on a day to day basis - desperate economic situations.

On this forum there are too many perceptively blind posters that in a manner of a "refrain" state that "there are so many opportunities in this land." Unfortunately, the opportunities for economic advancement have either died or are rapidly dying. The "gold rushes" of the past are becoming relics in our society.

The "patches" for advancement are unobtainable for too many of our citizens.

If given the chance - most Americans would gladly economically stabilize their families and themselves in the middle class. That so many of our people are falling into poverty - clearly states that our economic, political and social systems are skewed and faltered. This country needs significant and progressive corrective courses of action.

To the posters who will still want to cling to the FAILED GOP economic policies of the past - I ask "how many more of our citizens must we lose to impoverishment before you are forced to open your eyes and mind and say enough is enough?"

This article vindicates the political positions of the Occupy Wall Street protesters.

norm903 "Want to correct the "wealth gap"?"

You might have included;

"Graduate from school", college if possible. With all of the grants and scholarships available to the 'poor', all it takes is some individual initiative - oh, that nasty non PC word - 'Personal Responsibility'.

DocStrange: "People aren't upset because they aren't rich, you dolt, they're upset because their hard work gets them nothing anymore - all the money goes right up the ladder into the hands of those who don't need any more money."

Your comment says it all, and concisely, too. Thank you. Oh, one question; what about the people whose hard work gets them everything? Or are you about equal outcome, not equal opportunity? Just askin'... And frankly, I don't think you need any more money either. Or is that "different"?

Tainted money: money that taint yours. Keep your hands off it, leave it in the pockets of those to whom it belongs.

The article compares 1970 to 2010. What has happened in those 40 years?

Federal Dept of Education created

HUD created

EPA created

Medicare was in its infancy in 1970

And in 1971, Nixon put the final nail in the coffin of the gold standard and the Fed Reserve began printing non-stop

There are many, many more, but the point is that government has become larger since 1970. Is more government eliminating the problems or creating more?

Nobody forces you or anyone to stay in poverty. One can choose to upgrade his or her skills and get a better job for themselves and a better life their families. That's what America is all about. Working hard and harder and moving up the chain.

There are two sections of the Society in America who are constantly expecting for welfare from the government and sucking up the wealth that rest of 79% of the population creates. The first ones are the bottom 20% who are chronically dependent on Government for one form of welfare or other (food stamps, heat assistance, Section 8 voucher, mortgage assistance from govt, disability assistance, etc. etc.) and the second group is the top 1% who buys out the politicians and government bureaucrats (at all levels - federal, state, and local) and enact / twist laws to favor them and get all kinds of corporate welfare not seen in the modern times.

These two groups of leaches should be weaned away from the remaining 79% and then our society will become better. It starts with better financial and environmental regulations (and enforcing the ones we have), banning the lobbyists, make the rich pay their fair share of taxes and better Consumer protection laws (wireless, broadband, retail, product safety, banking, etc.). On the other side, we should enforce all the existing immigration laws and stop all the H1 visa and green card programs. Make sure Americans are employed in jobs in America and not foreigners.

If we take these steps and better our education system (all over the country) and improve our infrastructure, then we will be a better country and the income gap will reduce and people will lift their ass and do some work (instead of waiting for government to pay them).

Wall Street has ripped off people's investments, every insurance company in this country is allowed to rip us off (Health, home owners, auto etc, the jobs went overseas because of greed. Most people want to work and live a good life. This is all about greed and the rich getting richer. Look at what the Koch Bros and their Republican friends are trying to do. Look at Ohio, Wiconsin trying to take away collective bargaining. Looks like they are driving the middle class down a big hole to me.

I do believe we need welfare reform but we need to stop lobbyists from controlling our politics. during the Bush era, we lost 50,000 factories and only one million jobs were created.

Oh, but wait, who is hiring? Enlighten me. What jobs are available right now that will be able to pay of peoples staggering debt, that they may or may not ow to student loans, debt to the banks, debt to this and debt to that, and how about some more debt. I do not believe the goal of capitalism is to create a debtors society, right?

The "get a job" philosophy is a nice talking point, but it doesn't practically explain who is hiring and where these jobs are. It doesn't matter if somebody wants a job, when they are taken.

If there are any jobs out there that pay more than minimum wage, please tell me.

While I believe America is all about hard work, pursuit of happiness and eventual reward; this country has strayed from it's core principles of rewarding hard working Americans.

The rich get richer off of govt. subsidies while the poor get poorer off of strangle-hold policies enacted by the rich.

Do you feel like you're working harder, longer hours, and still can't keep up with rising taxes, gasoline prices, utility bills, ballooning medical expenses, or the accelerating cost of paying for your kids' education?

The company of tens of millions of American workers today on the same economic treadmill, having to walk faster and faster just to stay in the same place, or, unable even to keep up with the pace due to unemployment, loss of benefits, or wage cuts by their employers.

Considering just the period from 1989 to the present yields an obscene result. The median executive salary (cash pay and bonuses) of American CEOs rose by 79% from 1989 to 2000 and has continued to accelerate right through the current Bush II recession that Obama inherited! And that's only the median. The average CEO cash and direct compensation growth is even higher than 79%.

That's only CEO wage or 'cash' compensation. How about management incentives, stock options exercised, the value of new stock grants, special supplemental pensions, etc. etc.

While the American worker and family are working harder, with longer hours, and still falling further and further behind; the American CEO is 500 times better off since Reagan, Bush I, and Bush II which is why the Obama administration is trying to curb this absurd trend.

Think about that $200,000 equivalent pay you might have gotten if you were treated as equally or fairly as the CEO of the company you work for...

For those calling poor Americans as lazy and incompetent, you are either one of those rich arrogant folks or are just plain ignorant...

Did anyone notice that the study was about who lived in rich, middle class and poor 'neighborhoods', not how many people are actually 'rich, middle class or poor'.

People are basing their posts on a faulty assumption - that it is representative of actual income distribution, which is not actually true. If a person makes enough to be classified as 'rich' and has paid off their home but happens to live in a neighborhood that is classified as 'poor', they are counted as 'poor'.

That is the result of successive mostly republican administrations. The democrats havent been able to understand and synthesize a response to the coordinated attack on middle class through God Guns and Corporate Greed.

DocHolliday-2979123 "For those calling poor Americans as lazy and incompetent, you are either one of those rich arrogant folks or are just plain ignorant..."

Didn't Obama just say that Americans had become 'lazy' compared with past generations?

PS - If you want to get ahead, get an education - preferably in a subject that is useful to prospective employers.

norm903 "Want to correct the "wealth gap"?"

You might have included;

"Graduate from school", college if possible. With all of the grants and scholarships available to the 'poor', all it takes is some individual initiative - oh, that nasty non PC word - 'Personal Responsibility'.

That is a bunch of hoey! Do you have any idea how many students have graduated from college only to find out there are NO JOBS! But they sure have a debt they are saddled with!

Norm,

The reason the people who get government loans such as food stamps, welfare, free cheese, free shelters, etc, etc, do not pay the government, is because they are poor. Poor people do not have enough money to seriously contribute to the government. The reason poor people are fat? Not because of all the food stamps they eat, but because the cheapest food in America is fast food, and basically stuff that is horrible for you.

But why don't you cry foul when the largest corporation in the world, GE, makes over a billion dollars from taxes, and pays nothing in return. Or how all these oil companies make millions of dollars from the system and don't have to give anything in return. It is those darn poor peoples fault!

Did anyone notice that the study was about who lived inrich, middle class and poor 'neighborhoods', not how many people are actually 'rich, middle class or poor'.

LOL Roy.

I live in a poor neighbor hood, and it's full of rich people.

The only reason your not seeing hundreds of post the opposite of yours is.Poor people simply don't have the time to post. There to busy working two minimum wage jobs, that leaves them a full 4 hours to eat, relax, sleep and get back to work. Or they simply can't afford the Internet.

Many were poor long before the recession. There is no getting around the fact that laziness and government handouts are huge contributers to poverty.

ROY WILSON,

Roy, you very often find a way to RATIONALIZE the articles discussed on the Vine! There is a big difference between critical reason and rationalization. There is a big difference between truth and distortion of the truth. You really should learn the difference. Examples of rationalization can be readily found in your post #1.9. Here is MY example of rationalization: 1% of the people had income increases of +275% and 99% of the people had increases of 40% therefore the average increase for ALL people was 157.5%, right? Wrong! Either you didn't read the article or you are manipulating the numbers for YOUR own purposes. Why do you want to distort the truth? Does this make you feel superior? Do you believe that it fools the people on the Vine who can think critically, rationally, and truthfully? You seem, from reading your posts (often), to be an intelligent person, why must you distort the reality in your post?

In Michigan,

Companies all over my area are hiring. A huge biotech firm just opened a new multimillion dollar plant and they need tons of people to work in it. My company will be hiring soon. The place I worked at the beginning of this year literally could not hire people fast enough to meet their needs. These jobs pay $30K - $150K depending on your level of education with a median of about $55K. Good benefits too!

KiloByte,

Not everybody who is poor is poor because they are lazy and uneducated. That's social darwinist thinking.

AtlasWillShrug "And in 1971, Nixon put the final nail in the coffin of the gold standard and the Fed Reserve began printing non-stop.

A $Dollar from 1970 is now worth 18 cents because of inflation.

...the country’s middle class has slipped to the lower rungs of the income ladder as manufacturing and other middle-class jobs have dwindled, while the wealthy receive a bigger portion of the income pie.

Tackle the issue and you'll be accused of Wealth Re-Distribution by those who benefit from the status quo.

Didn't Obama just say that Americans had become 'lazy' compared with past generations?

Why yes, Doc, he did just say that! Of course, you won't find the liberal media saying ONE PEEP about that because, well, he's one of them. He is THEIR guy. They essentially got Obama elected by manufacturing an empty suit that fit their idea of who the next president should be. Imagine if George Bush had said that! OMG the media and the Dem politicians and the liberals would call for him to resign for being out of touch!

Now back to the topic, in January 2009 when Obama took oath, there were 142.2 million jobs. As of August 2011, the last data I could find, the number of jobs have shrunk to 139.6 million. Keep in mind this is two and a half years after that $800 billion stimulus jobs bill was passed that Biden said MUST be passed to keep unemployment from going above 8%. The same bill that billions went to in failed green energy companies like Solyndra.

And now the liberal Democrats want another half trillion in Stimulus Jobs II? Stop the insanity! And regarding the very first poster, "this is what the occupy crowd is about" well, it's not working out too well, is it? Taking taxpayer dollars and reallocating them by the government as it deems fit. Nope. No, here's what the OWS crowd is about: pushing old white Conservative women down stairs (ironically the same thing liberals accuse the GOP of doing...pushing the elderly down the stairs!). And yes, this is a Faux News/Fixed Noise link because CNN and MSNBC and ABC, CBS, and NBC didn't report about it.

http://nation.foxnews.com/occupy-wall-street/2011/11/07/occupy-dc-goons-push-elderly-woman-down-stairs

scrambolo "ROY WILSON, Roy, you very often find a way to RATIONALIZE the articles discussed on the Vine! There is a big difference between critical reason and rationalization."

Thanks for the laugh. Apparently, you don't understand the difference yourself. The figures in my Post $1.9 are based on actual facts, which you can easily verify if you took the time. There may be more income disparity over the last 40 years, but each income group is far better off than 40 years ago as well. As for the 275% increase in income for the 'rich' over 40 years, that's an increase of only about 5% per year, so it's hardly the big deal you make it out to be.

You also apparently missed my point at Post #1.25, which noted that the article talked about people in 'neighborhoods' that are classified as 'rich, middle class or poor'. That is not the same as actual income distribution. I hope that's not too 'deep' for you.

Ruby tuesday- if you get a useless degree (like alot of kids do) you wont have a job when you graduate. I see more sociology majors at my school than society knows what to do with, theres way to many history teachers ETC. Thats not the 1%'s fault thats the idiots who didnt research careers fault.

Hey Norm: If all the people stop eating out and not buying Goods then you wouldn't have a job, You would be like the rest of the 99%.

nick,

While I agree with you (I personally know someone who got an art degree for the sake of getting an art degree and then worked in a shoe store) there have been a lot of people in science and engineering who are having trouble too. These fields are by far the most useful to get a degree in because they actually have a chance of producing wealth and increasing that GDP. But even with a science or engineering degree, it can be hard to make ends meet! Starting salary for a kid with a new degree here in the city is about $30K. It isn't enough for a single person to live on by themselves with student loans.

if you get a useless degree (like alot of kids do) you wont have a job when you graduate. I see more sociology majors at my school than society knows what to do with, theres way to many history teachers ETC. Thats not the 1%'s fault thats the idiots who didnt research careers fault.

This is what I have been saying all along. Pick a field where you know there is a demand for skilled employees (i.e., engineering, nursing, bio-medical research, etc.).

Don't whine and cry to me if you played f*ck-f*ck in a college dormatory for four or five years and majored in doghouse interior design and you're stuck with a $150 K college bill you can't pay, AND WANT ME TO.

While Princess Pelosi is increasing her wealth from 22 millions to 35 millions in 1 year , OWS movement continue protesting in the wrong place , Congress make laws and regulations not WS , occupiers should go to the WH and Congress to express their outrage and exercise their right of free speech, they still don't get it. There is greed in WS but the government allow that, just look the big bonuses the Obama's administration approve for CEOs of Freddy and Fannie.

This is today's "Master of the Obvious" article unless, you are a (R) congressman then it's all the poor & middle class' fault.

Minor correction to my Post #1.37 relative to the comment "As for the 275% increase in income for the 'rich' over 40 years, that's an increase of only about 5% per year, so it's hardly the big deal you make it out to be."

I just ran the numbers again, and a 275% increase in income for the 'rich' over the last 40 years amounts to an average income growth rate of only 3.5% per year, so it is indeed not the big deal you make it out to be.

Gotta go now, but I'll check back later to see your 'critical reasoning' response.

ROY WILSON,

RE: your post #1.34

If you truly believe that today a $1 is worth only 18 cents, I'll make you an offer you shouldn't refuse! I'll give you 75 cents, IN GOLD, for every $1 you give me! When can we meet to do this deal?

There is also a divide of those who work and do not work, and those who aspire and do not aspire to raise themselves in increasingly difficult situations.

There is also a divide between the elderly who planned ahead and those that did not.

There is also a divide between what the younger population in America is willing to do for work to survive versus what the previous generations did without question.

There is also a divide on those who pay taxes and those who do not.

There is also a divide on who pay the highest percentage of taxes and who do not.

There is also a divide between the small businessman and a multinational corporation.

There is also a divide on those who can hold a job that has value in light of the wave of outsourcing. This directly contributes to the above statements. We are in a world economy, people, and any divides you see in America and secondary effects of this.

People who do not realize this divide up on either the left (Dems) or right (GOP).

People who actually are willing to speak up but want others to solve this problem for them and claim no personal responsibility, divide up on either the extreme left (Wall Street Protestors) or far right (The tea party)

@ pragmatic

I understand that but the other contributer is that these kids

A. graduate expecting to automatically make top dollar

B. go out of state to a state school (which cost significantly more than staying in state)

C. (this applies to a bit less but ) Completely switch majors halfway thru school.

scrambolo , you still don't get it, sorry if I got involve in your discussion , my suggestion is hold your 75 cent in gold and wait for 1 years you will see you will get more dollars for the same piece gold, this is called inflation. 10 years ago we pay 85 cents per Euro now we pay 1.40 per Euro .

Gross overpay of chief executives, professional athletes, tv personalities, etc., etc., etc. is a big part of the problem. The "poor" are paying for all of this everytime they make a purchase.

You can blame it on laziness or the lack of will to work but that is BULL SH!%!!!

When there aren't any jobs to apply for what in the heck can someone who wants to be an employee do in order to work???

Then you find out that through trade agreements and through a lack of tariffs the political leaders our parents elected had made side deals with corporations to send our jobs overseas!!!
This issue is much larger than one or a few citizens failing to go look for work.
This issue is about our political leaders selling out the citizens of this country for pay and opportunity for themselves.
This issue is not about the American citizen being lazy and not wanting to work!!!

WE ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE PISSED OFF AS EVERYDAY PASSES!!!

WE KNOW WHO TO BLAME!!!!
Also, it is becoming harder and harder to keep a stable state of mind in this situation.
When your kids can't eat and you know that your political leaders and the rich worked together to cause this to be the case.
You begin to want to strike back!!!!

First Non Violently!!!

Then you begin to look at the players in our political field who is causing this to occur to the citizens of this nation and you then want to focus your revenge on these folks!!!!

THIS SH!% IS GETTING SERIOUS!!!!
AND IF I'M STARTING TO GET TO THE POINT OF ALL BETS ARE OFF BETWEEN MYSELF AND THIS COUNTRY THEN, SOMEONE LESS STABLE IS PROBABLY ALREADY PLANNING FOR SOME GET BACK!!!

If I can't live like this then I'll be damn if my children are left to deal with these issues!!!!

This wealth gap needs to be corrected

Right. Take from the producers and give to the moochers.

And all you people whining about "Wall Street." If you don't know how to play the market, get out of it. You're just whining because either you were too lazy to learn the game and expected Wall Street to give you something for nothing, or you're just lazy bums who never had two nickles to rub together in the first place.

I believe our country can provide a safety-net quality-of-life, such as free education for those who maintain a minimum C-average, health care, food for the needy, and care for children whose parents chronically cannot or will not provide the basic necessities with enforced sterilization of both parents.

Other than that -- which is more than enough -- get off your lazy a$$ or starve in the streets.

My wife and I are both working and I consider we both have substantially decent jobs we live a simple life with our two kids and don't flaunt in anyway with expensive cars or anything and we still struggle..

Its obvious inflation is killing our country and it doesn't take much to knock a family out of the financial loop only to go bankrupt then everyone loses..

If I could go back and live in the seventies with our income I'd be rich..

Article:

has declined significantly since 1970

Well middle class, what was the relative size of government 41 years ago?

How many federal, state and local laws were passed nationwide in the last 41 years?

Does a bigger government (more "laws", more "free stuff") translate into a better life for you, middle class?

I suppose it does. So vote for more "legislation", and get your kids in a day orphanage so mommy and daddy can work - all day.

Pathetic.

JK

What is your point, we are not a communist country, go to Cuba if you don't like to see people well paid. There is no law that prohibit to be rich, those athletes can make the money they want.

There is also a divide between what the younger population in America is willing to do for work to survive versus what the previous generations did without question

Let me guess.

You walked to and from school in the snow up hill both ways, into the wind against the rotation of the of the planet barefoot.

I can whistle that tune too. But it didn't get me any where. What I got for my hard work ethic, idea's, ambition. Is used abused and tossed aside.

People who actually are willing to speak up but want others to solve this problem for them and claim no personal responsibility,

I love this personal responsibility crap. Where is the personal responsibility of the energy company's that are poising out water and food supply? Where is the personal responsibility of congress not to engage in insider trading. Where is the personal responsibility of the people that run there company into the ground. But rather than become poor like every one else does, they get a bail out.

What the article does NOT tell you is the demographic shift since 1970 caused by the influx of MILLIONS of poor Mexicans, and MILLIONS MORE illegals into this country, coupled with L.B. Johnson's liberal "Great Society" programs that subsidized poor and single-parent house holds for each child born and spawned EXPLOSIVE GROWTH of MORE POOR in the population.

Couple this with the leftist policies of regulating and taxing businesses, pushing them overseas to remain profitable. Get the whole story!

This story is just more leftist propaganda

I understand Alabama is hiring, there is a severe shortage of workers there with many job openings. Those jobs may require physical work though and they won't put you in the 150 x neighborhood or even the 80x neighborhood. If we don't fill these jobs they will be going overseas also!

Didn't Obama just say that Americans had become 'lazy' compared with past generations?

No he didn't.

"I think it’s important to remember that the United States is still the largest recipient of foreign investment in the world. And there are a lot of things that make foreign investors see the U.S. as a great opportunity -- our stability, our openness, our innovative free market culture," Obama said. "But we’ve been a little bit lazy, I think, over the last couple of decades. We’ve kind of taken for granted -- well, people will want to come here and we aren’t out there hungry, selling America and trying to attract new business into America."

Obama was talking metaphorically about our business and political leaders not actively pursuing foreign investment. He wasn't talking about the American people or workers in general.

Quit watching Faux news.

ROY WILSON,

RE: your post #1.37

You state that the increase of 275% over 40 years is only 3.8% per year. You are wrong! 275% divided by 40 years is a 6.875% AVERAGE increase per year! The 40% increase is an average of 1% per year. This does not even keep pace with inflation over this period of time. However, you and I both know that an increase of 6.875% is actually 687.5% more per year than the 1% increase per year. You and I know that there is REAL and intolerable income disparity in the United States and this disparity will only increase because VERY FEW decent jobs are being created. Nor will they be created! A person, let alone a family with only one child, cannot exist outside poverty on the minimum wages being paid by most jobs available today! This will continue to worsen and the results, at some time within the next 10 years, will be very, very dreadful to both you and I. Now I am not complaining as I have made a very comfortable life for myself. But there is a Christian Principle of Love your neighbor. Do you believe in this principle? If you do not, fine. If you do, you and I have a responsibility to act, before it is too late! Capice? If you do not understand, perhaps you should read Peel-Layer's post number 1.50. Now that is REAL anger and real trouble in the future. He is not just a lone wolf, don't you know!

ROY WILSON-336103

Didn't Obama just say that Americans had become 'lazy' compared with past generations?

PS - If you want to get ahead, get an education - preferably in a subject that is useful to prospective employers.

"Graduate from school",college if possible. With all of the grants and scholarships available to the 'poor', all it takes is some individual initiative - oh, that nasty non PC word - 'Personal Responsibility'.

Yes, Obama said we have become "lazy", don't you agree? I do, but go watch FOX news, they were insulted by this comment this morning.

As far as getting an education in a field that could be useful for employment, I agree with you there, many graduate in fields that have no bearing on the market or actual society.

Now, where I disagree completely with you, is the third comment, for many reasons. First off, your Republican buddies are the ones who want to chop most of the education grants and scholarships, trying to keep the poor down. How's that going to help educate this country?

Secondly, I know many hardworking college graduates who are barely getting by working 2 jobs because there is no work in their field. These are hard working people who refuse to live on the system, very proud, once very successful, down to pinching pennies. What do you have to say to them?

Everybody on the "Vine" is proud of you, that you are continuing to live successfully, that the hard times that have hit so many people out there, somehow has avoided you.

Hey, that's great, but most of us live in the real world, we've watched our employers lay off our colleagues off one by one, have been handed responsibilities of 2 or 3 actaul jobs and told to "suck it up, be happy you have a job, if you don't like it there are many out there that would appreciate your job". That's the reality of today, believe it, it's real.

In my personal experience, I've seen my company lay off entire shifts of dedicated employees that have worked there 30 + years, then open factories in China to make up for the loss of production here. Basically, the CEO's and stockholders will not accept a loss in earnings in these lean years, they will screw over everyone below them to make a profit. Yep, another reality of today, that's real too!

So this is the America you are proud of? This is the America that has been fair to the masses?

Yes, there are lazy people, there always has been. But if you don't see the disparity that has been going on (and taking the masses down), maybe you are part of the problem.

Here's something to chew on - back in the 70's, we didn't have a pot to "cook" in - BUT after working hard, proving our trustworthiness, we were able to purchase a house we could AFFORD, then continuing to work hard, it's now paid off, kids are raised and doing well after college graduations. We're looking forward to the retirement that we SAVED up for. We are part of the middle class that people seem to think has disappeared. But yoohoo, here we are!! Why people seem to think they should just be given the things that we worked so hard to achieve is beyond me. This country was built on hard work, honesty and integrity. I'm trying to figure where all this greed and thinking you're entitled to handouts came from. Our children weren't raised that way - are you raising yours that way???

The portion of American families living in middle-income neighborhoods has declined significantly since 1970, according to a new study, as rising income inequality left a growing share of families in neighborhoods that are mostly low-income or mostly affluent.

So, why is this, lets look at an example of one major factor:

http://www.naturalnews.com/002689.html

And when I use the word "bribes," I'm saying they bribed people in government. I actually filed a Freedom of Information Act Request and got a Watergate tape -- March 23, 1971, we find Richard Nixon taking $3 million dollars cash in the White House. John Connelly walks in there afterwards and is recorded saying, "These men are militants, they're adamant, they're going to place a lot of money into political activities," and they had $3 million cash! You know what Nixon did the next day? The next day in a cabinet session, despite the fact that a week earlier the Secretary of Agriculture, Clifford Horton, said there'd be no increase in the price of milk that year because there was a surplus, the next day Nixon surprised everybody by raising the price of milk across the board, translated to a $300 million increase that Americans had to pay.

A year later, before the Watergate tapes were even known, Nixon was now being interviewed on television by 100 reporters, and one of the reporters at the end said, "Uh, Mr. President, how about rumors of the milk fund?" -- that $3 million bribe was paid, we now know. Nixon responded: "Milk fund? The Democrats are raising the price of milk, not the Republicans!" And he said, "I want the American people to know that their president is not a crook -- I am not a crook." That's what he said in response to a question about the milk bribe he took. The guy was a crook, and that's the way Congress works.

Back in the 70s, this bribery was illegal. Nowadays, it happens all the time. And that is why our middle class is vanishing, because corporate lobbyists bribe politicians into making bills that make those corporations more money, at the cost of more of our sweat and labor.

A totally unscientific observation, based on the life experience of a guy who grew up in the 'hood: one of the ways that government handouts contribute to poverty is that they're actually not that much. No one's getting rich collecting welfare (unless you're ExxonMobil, and you're getting "subsidies"), despite all these apocryphal stories about "welfare queens." I hasten to add that no one should be able to get rich off welfare---unless they're takin' a piece of that money, putting in the stock market and really, really good at picking the next Facebooks...

In fact, I've known people who made "calculated" decisions to deal drugs after comparing the likely incomes they could expect from welfare, working at MickeyD's or on the corner. Of course, almost all of those people are dead or gonna be locked up, like, all day. Shoulda checked their math...?

One thing the streets teach early, and ruthlessly, is that you get nothing for nothing. Most of the young people I know are either in college or in a trade school but are not thinking in terms of being someone's employee---a good mindset, IMO, when there are either no jobs to be had, or the ones that do will never pay better than what I call "beer money" wages.

brenda1964

If you want more disparity between rich and poor while getting rid of the middle class, then vote Republican and join the poor. If you want real solutions that require the rich to start paying their fare share of taxes and force them to hire from US citizens, then vote Democrat. It's a simple choice.

LMAO, you REALLY still believe there is a difference between dems and repubs at this point? In case you missed it, Obama just said pretty much the same thing the Repubs have been saying, here let me quote one of these Repugs from above:

norm903

Want to correct the "wealth gap"? Here's a few tips: get a job, give up your Apple products (Ipod, Ipad, Imac, etc), cook your own food instead of eating take-out all the time, no more Starbucks, don't buy any more big screen tvs, stop smoking weed and cigarettes, give up beer, make sure your kids know how to read (they're YOUR kids, not the gov'ts, not the teachers, so it's your responsibility), live within your means, get off the gov't teat, show some personal pride and responsibility, and finally, do what it takes to be successful as a person.

If you add in the value of all the gov't aid, ie, unemployment, welfare, free medical, SS, Medicare, free cheese, food stamps, subsidized electric and heat, food pantries, food banks, free shelters, etc. there are not many people falling below the poverty line. They may not live like the fantasy families on tv, but who does?

America is the only nation on earth with fat poor people. Can someone explain to me why people from all over the world flock to this land of opportunity and so many people who are born here, speak the language, and have all the benefits of citizenship won't get off their a**, get a job, and try to make something of themselves? What a bunch of whiners!

Basically, hes calling americans lazy, the same as Obama!

The Socialists "K-12 Public Indoctrination System" and the Lefty-Liberals at the Universities have put the finishing touches on a whole Generation of Entitlists.....

Generation E .

The majority of the comments on here proves it.

Obama said a little bit lazy in trying to attract business investments. He did NOT say Americans were lazy. You folks shout nonsense at times.

kk181,

RE: your post #1.61

"Where did it come from?"

It was learned from the corporations, politicians, parents, new media and etc.

I like you, have retired, fairly comfortably, but the young of today absolutely do NOT have the number of opportunities for a job making a "decent" wage. That is why they are starting to HATE our generation. It WILL get real nasty; hopefully not in our lifetime! When I went to. and paid for. my college education at a private Catholic University the cost in 1965 was $2450 per year (including room and board). Today that same university is $34,000 per year. What student, and how many parents, can afford this same education today? Only by going into a very deep level of debt, for a student! Then the problem arises after graduation, FEW JOBS available to pay off the debt. This IS the reality our grandchildren face today!

Your comment says it all, and concisely, too. Thank you. Oh, one question; what about the people whose hard work gets them everything? Or are you about equal outcome, not equal opportunity? Just askin'... And frankly, I don't think you need any more money either. Or is that "different"?

The problem is that nowadays it's "everything" or "nothing." I assume you read the article and the news on the subject over the last year or so. People just don't get what they put in anymore, you either get way too much or not nearly enough. That's why the middle class is disappearing and that's why the country can't climb out of this economic funk.

I'm not a Communist which you oh so subtlety planted into your response, but the distribution of wealth is so out of whack in America that it's hurting 99% of us. If the free market is either incapable or unwilling (take your pick) to redistribute wealth more evenly, then the government has to - because if no one does it, you can say goodbye to your country. The oppressed will burn it down and they should.

Hi Oskar,

There is definitely greed on Wall St. and in Congress. I'm not sure anymore where the OWS should protest, it seems to me, it should be in both places. There is a revolving door between Wall St. lobbyists and Congress. Watching the 60 minutes piece on Jack Abramoff explains the complete corruption between Wall St. and Congress. It is sickening to say the least, yet even Abramoff himself says it still exists today. When asked how many Congressmen/women he had influence over, he replied about a 100, but was upset that he didn't have more. The truth is right in front of us, and yet we still spin our wheels, as we watch government and WS become more and more corrupt. If you look at the names of the Board members and CEO's of any major players on Wall St., They are the same names over and over again, it's financial musical chairs where; when the music stops, the CEO of one company is on the Board of Directors voting for a bonus for the CEO of another corporation, who is on the BOD of his company. Next year for example, the music will stop, and a former Big Pharma CEO will be the new CEO of Big Oil. It's plain, and simple, and sad, but no different than Congress voting a raise for themselves. We are asking for regulations from the very people profiting from the lack of them. Excuse me Senator Mouse, could you build me a security system to prevent my cheese from being stolen, No problem, me and the other elected mice will vote on it today!

I liken Wall St. and Congress to the chicken and the egg, which came first, who controls who? The only way to prevent this, is to exterminate the chicken from making the egg, or destroying the egg from becoming a chicken, or Both!

scrambolo...(#1.67)

The average salary in 1964 was about $6,000.00 a year....so your tuition costs were over 1/3 the average salary.....

Today the average salary is $52,000. Tuition costs are 3/5 the average salary....the problem is Tuition has gone up way more than the salary ability of people to pay it....

If the Pell Grant Program ($30 BILLION this year) were eliminated....I bet tuitions would come down overnight......The Universities are where the Problem lies....overpaid Administrations running Institutions of overpaid professors, that have Teaching Assistants telling Lecture Halls full of a few hundred students, what chapter to read for information already published in textbooks.....

scrambolo "ROY WILSON, RE: your post #1.37 You state that the increase of 275% over 40 years is only 3.8% per year. You are wrong! 275% divided by 40 years is a 6.875% AVERAGE increase per year!"

I guess you don't understand 'Compounding' of rates. Let me explain it in a way that even you might understand.

If you made $100 a week in 1970, and got a raise of 3.5% each year, you would now be making $395 per week, an increase of 295% in 40 years.

Mike in Delray "Today the average salary is $52,000. Tuition costs are 3/5 the average salary"

That would be over $31,000 per year for tuition. That's a pricy school. There are plenty of lower cost options available.

I have found that people in America have lost the understanding on where their money goes. they don't see that they are nickel and dimming themselves to the poor house. You have more luxury spending then existed in 1970's. Their are more cars them drivers. More and more house holds are having the second most expensive thing they could own and don't even bother to figure out how to change a bulb! And they have two of them!! They buy a car every three years (last year it changed to 4 years)!! Just look at the gaming industry for adults did that exist in the 70's? we as adults spend more time pleasing ourselves than finding out what is in you 401K.

You have people that think having a mortgage is the best plan for taxes!! if you want to give my 10,000 and I give you 2,000 back Send it to me I also have a bridge to sell you. the best thing to have is a paid off house it is easier to sell and it is harder to get foreclosed on. think about it what could you do with out a car payment,mortgage payment, card payment?

Auto 101 "I have found that people in America have lost the understanding on where their money goes."

Excellent point. Most people don't have a clue that buying a new car every 3 years costs them about $6,000 per year - If they have 2 cars, that's about $12,000 per year - about 40% of their after-tax income.

Hi Auto,

Paying off your house is GREAT! Could you let me know how to do this with a wife, 2 kids and a car and 2 jobs, because I don't understand bank interest. But you have an alternative, rent, give someone money with no return. I am not sure who buys a new car every 3 or 4 years. It's quite the generalization, that "people in America have lost the understanding on where their money goes". Maybe they know where it goes, but are frustrated to the point that they really don't have an alternative. Also, as an adult, I pleasure myself by trying to find out how to help my son pay his next college tuition bill.

And Roy, if everyone's mortgage is there largest investment and we spend 40% on cars, we must have about -25% of our income left over after mortgage and auto payments.

ROY WILSON-336103....(#1.72)....I agree with you completely....I was using scrambolo...(#1.67)'s numbers.....My son goes to Palm Beach State College where his in-state tuition for full time is about $2,400 yr. (12 credits a semester). He's doing at least his first 2 years there, living at home, working part-time. It can be done without going 10's of thousands of dollars in student loan debt...

Paying off your house is GREAT! Could you let me know how to do this with a wife, 2 kids and a car and 2 jobs

it's called pay more or have a 15 year their are people that have a 40 years mortgage!!!! I have a wife and two kids and we are looking to buy a home in about 4 years with almost all cash (we may have a small mortgage).

But you have an alternative, rent, give someone money with no return.

You assume a mortgage on a home is an investment at the end of a 30 year you almost pay twice the price of a house then you have all the maintenance on a house over 30 years and you have inflation. If you factor all this in you loose money on this so called investment. If you rent your money is not a total loss you don't pay for repairs which can be costly on a house.

Also, as an adult, I pleasure myself by trying to find out how to help my son pay his next college tuition bill.

Did you make it his job to look for free money? heir are thousands out their for free my brother got 10K for free.

The middle class is on the ropes sir, it won't be long before their gone and we have all the money> EXCELLENT Smithers'! our plan is A FOOT! SOON WE WON'T HAVE THE MIDDLES CLASS TO WORRY ABOUT AND we WILL HAVE WON THE GAME! evil AS ALWAYS SIR ! tHANK YOU SMITHERS, now bend over !

Maxx can you please put rational thought in your statement.

Auto 101.....LOL....MAXX-320489...put one right over your head....

It's Montgomery Burns !!

Ha-Ha ----- Nelson

We stopped watching the Sampson's because Homer was to close to being my dad (my dad use to eat horribly when he would have a hot dog he would have two-three table spoons of butter then the same with mayo).

I learned a lot about money from my parents most of it was what not to do. As a child I had loaned my parentsover 16K it was more like a gift because they never paid it back. I still have a great relation ship with them I just don't give them any money. in money 101 a rule should be don't loan money to family you ether give it or don't never loan it.

ROY WILSON,

re: YOUR POST #1.71 "let me explain it to you in a way EVEN you can understand."

I would bet I understand better than you!

And I would bet the Dept. of Labor Statistics understands better than both of us. So check out the figues published by these PhD economists. Oh, and I would bet that you may be able to communicate better if you talked TO people instead of DOWN to people, but that's just my novel idea, not yours of course!

Granted the below data only covers the last 30 years starting in 1980.

http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1981/05/rpt4full.pdf

The math from the BLS does not even come close to supporting your arguements. Where did you pull your figures from? Really, well, besides being wrong, I thought they smelled just terrible!

Hi Auto,

I am happy to see that you can afford to pay off your house in 4 years, but you are the exception, not the rule. You and your wife must make a significant sum of money to be able to do that, which I applaud. The interest is outrageous on a mortgage, looking at an amortization will open alot of people eyes. I think people today, look at the monthly payment and decide if they can pay it. In theory, you are a 100% correct but the reality is not many people can do what you say.

As for the free money for college, you wont find much if your father , being me, makes any a decent wage, or if he has a substantial bank account. My son has a 3.9 gpa and will graduate suma cum laude this year. He is worth every cent I have had to pay, but it is sad that all I had saved is now gone. I should had the foresight to take that money and invest or hide it. But this caught me ignorant and unaware, which I can only blame myself. Problem now, is my 13 year old will soon be ready for college!!

ah mr. auto? do you not see the symbolism quoting mr burns from the simpsons and his complete disregard for anyone not like him and the parallels between him and the 1% er's and the fools like you that defend their rape of the u.s.?"coherent thought"?maybe you should think again about that comment. and yes . the simpsons reference went completely over your head. must be all that anti obama tinfoil up there!

"The Coming Collapse of The Middle Class"

From Professor Elizabeth Warren:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=akVL7QY0S8A

scrambolo "ROY WILSON, re: YOUR POST #1.71 "let me explain it to you in a way EVEN you canThe math from the BLS does not even come close to supporting your arguements."

You don't need the BLS to verify the accuracy of my Post #1.71 - a simple calculator will suffice. Just enter 1.035 (a 3.5% increase per year), and then the x (times) button and then enter 100 (starting salary of $100 per week), and then push the = button 40 times, and you will see that it equals an ending salary of approximately 395, which is a 295% increase over 40 years.

To get a 275% increase over 30 years, it would require an annual 'raise' of 4.5%. If you think that's an outlandish average annual raise, I doubt many would agree, especially since the average Inflation for the last 30 years was about 3.6% per year, resulting in a net increase of less than 1% per year.

Ah, the power of compounding.

Mike in Delray "ROY WILSON-336103....(#1.72)....I agree with you completely....I was using scrambolo...(#1.67)'s numbers.....My son goes to Palm Beach State College where his in-state tuition for full time is about $2,400 yr. (12 credits a semester)."

I live in California, and here's a simple way to minimize the cost of a 4 year college education (120 units).

Spend the first 2 years at a Community College - Cost = $36 per units x 60 units = Tuition of $2,160.

Transfer to a State University - Cost = $5,472 per year = Tuition of $10,944.

Adding them together gets a total tuition cost of $13,104, which is a whole lot cheaper than paying $31,000 per year = total tuition of $124,000 at some 'expensive' college.

PS - If the student is 'smart', they will get a degree in something marketable, like business or engineering. Most of the 'Liberal Arts' degrees pretty much limit you to being a teacher - which is fine if that's what you want, but just recognize the opportunities are more limited.

. must be all that anti obama tinfoil up there!

First of all I don't support Obama on policy. I believe he wants what is best for the country I believe he was born in the USA. In fact I have said many times if Parry gets the nomination I would vote for Obama. The person I'm interested in is in the wrongparty and that is Huntsman. Some one that made the Chinese nervous.

the simpsons reference went completely over your head.

no it didn't now that I know the source of the comment I know why you used that. Now the 1 % don't do that Some do. people harped on the BP executive that said the little people that caused outrage but if people just has some IQ they would know that English is not his native language and he had his statementlost in translation. You have the democrats say we care for the little guy all the time this gets no anger. The owner of the dealer is very respectful and treats all his employees in the 5 dealers with good benefits. Here at this dealer the company pays all the health care premiums. and if your like me where you have it through try care you get a 2K debit card to use for the purchase of medical supplies(I.E. Tylenol,aspirin eye solution)

You and your wife must make a significant sum of money to be able to do that,

I don't know if it is that significant. I'm an Auto tech and the wife is an E6. not rich but we have the power to succeed. this last year I just finished paying off 90K+ in debt that freed up 1800 a month. and we don't have a house .

Ah, the power of compounding

The number one underestimated thing in investing.

ROY WILSON,

re: your post #1.86

Roy, no one will be smarter than you! Maybe a question you can answer. If inflation is/was averaging 3.6% per year over the last 30 years, AS YOU CLAIM IN YOUR POST, and wages were increasing at a rate of less than 1% for middle class citizens then how would you view the increase in wages of those middle class citizens? You defeat your OWN arguements. I would say the real net LOSS would be around 2.6% per year. The poverty levels will substantiate my position as will the BLS. Of course you failed to mention the BLS in your rebuttal in post #1.86. The bottom line is this Roy, your BS walks and FACTS talk loudly!

scrambolo

So give me some verifiable facts from the BLS (with links, since they have hundreds of possible links) that we can verify, and show how they relate to the subject.

Perhaps then we can have some intelligent discussions.

oska-1391552,

RE: your post #1.48

oskar, I sure don't mind if you get in on the discussion on anything I may post. That is why we have this board, to exchange ideas and beliefs. Let me explain my post on trading 75 cents in gold for 1 USD. I learned that little lession in my FIRST economics class in 1964. The same offer was made by my economics professor. PLEASE, think about this. $1 is still $1. To trade 75 cents worth of ANYTHING would be foolish. Why? Because with that trade, I could IMMEDIATELY go purchase $1 worth of gold instead of the 75 cents worth of gold I traded for that $1. The purchasing price of $1, is ALWAYS $1. But if you insist, I'll make the same offer to you. I'll give you 75 cents worth of gold for every U.S. Dollar Bill you give me. Let me know when you can meet to make this trade. No trick, just a straight trade, 75 cents worth of gold for every 1 dollar U.S.! Have a GREAT day!

Even the staunchest deregulator advocate Alan greenspan says he messed up.

He says you got to regulate. If you watch more youtube videos it gets worse. There are admissions that the criminality go unpunished because its just out of control.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R5lZPWNFizQ&feature=related

ROY WILSON,

RE: your post #1.90

Roy, IF you would have looked just a little closer at my post #1.82 the citation and link is there. Check it out! Better yet, I'll do your homework for you. Same citation from the BLS is below. I know you'll find a way to "twist" the data to your advantage.However, I just can't help you there.

http://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1981/05/rpt4full.pdf

Good Luck and have a GREAT day!

scrambolo. Thanks for the link. Thats fantastic

I have found it very hard to find information about the US median versus the Inflation ( CPI) and what I do see especially in the media is the constant rubbish about household income versus CPI.

This is the big lie. Now we have two household incomes where before the 1970s , one person working supplied the household income.

While wages for women have increased greatly, median earnings of male wage earners have remained stagnant since the late 1970s.^[6][7] Household income, however, has risen due the increasing number of household with more than one income earners and women's increased presence in the labor force.^{[8] -- excerpt wikipedia}

We constantly see the corruption reflected in corporations. The people who are unproductive and do nothing complain about the workers. The ones who actually create the wealth are blamed and payed the least.

The top 1% of the corporations earn as much as the rest of the corporation and yet are just a cost. They are the reason why american corporations can not compete internationally and are handicaped for it.

American know-how is legendary but its the workers and lower paid people who created this wealth. The idiots who run these corporations sit idle and party with the wealth and demean the US worker. We need better pay but without unions there can not be this fairness.

I do know that the laws governing unions has been sabotaged. Thats why we get the corruption in unions.

Either way we need to regulate CEO pay. We need to find away to cut the bozo pay. No one is worth 1 million dollars in a public corporation.

We need laws on sabotage to make sure that CEOs and executives can be held accountable for there actions. The fiduciary duty is hard to enforce and we need laws on minimum standards of incompetence.

Everytime we see a major corporation fail , we get the incompetence defense and its getting tiring. This is never fully investigated

johny-388777,

Thanks for your compliment. You have also brought up a very, very valid and intriguing point. That point is that many of the income figures today do NOT take into consideration that in most, or at least many, households have two incomes from both husband and wife. This leads to another problem, or a problem within a problem, if they have children. Kids, especially teenagers, left alone after school have much more unrestricted access to all sorts of potential trouble, from alcohol and drugs to delinquency and sexual misconduct. In short parents are working and there is no supervision for their children after school in many households.

Heil!

ar559995, I've got some bad news for you. You are one serious illness from being part of the poor. And your eugenics crap has been discredited for decades, since WWII.

I have a better idea. It's easier to sterilize 1 out of 100 then 99 out of 100.

ar559995,

The Nazis called. They want their propaganda back.

BLACK FRIDAY! Buy small save a small business!

@differnet:

Not so when one is already part of the top 1% and covered many times over...

Discredited by the reactionary, politically-correct, hypersensitive establishment...mostly due to fact that the aforementioned morons allowed hormonal and intellectually inferior women and other weak specimens to vote in elections -- this is arguably the biggest mistake ever made by man in the course of human "progress"...we now have a dumb, effeminate society in which "feelings" triumph over the true progress of the intelligent man.

@ theCavalier:

Riiiiight...so we can continue to propagate your own lineage of sewer rats.

You are nothing but a troll. Ignore ar559995 and this ignorant genetic error will go away.

@Will-1091847:

The Nazis took it way too far...no one has to die if we just exchange welfare benefits for sterilization.

@VOA-4220576:

Yet another bottom feeder who cannot see the light due to their own half-watt bulb...

as long as you will be first in line!

ar559995

You've got to come from the Hitler lineage! Check on ancestry.com!

good one, Steve B-310027...you seem smart enough to be spared from being sterilized

That is what the progressives will do after they are in power. Somewhere they are headed with the help of the idiots here that are calling you a nazi. They prove your point for you with their idiotic remarks. Most of them are on Obama's ship of fools.

@dave-735909:

yes...first in line to truly move the human race forward!

Troll. Don't feed them--they multiply if you do.

ar,

When the revolution happens, when the poor are knocking at your door with their noose in hand, you'll probably claim brain damage as your excuse.

@Frank-739698:

Yes..."progressives" are so myopic and idiotic that they don't understand the true meaning of the word they use to describe themselves.

Somehow, it has not dawned on them that the low IQ idiots at the bottom of the rung, who they want to keep afloat, are inherently incapable of creating "progress" for society...the irony of it is truly amazing.

If they weren't lazy they wouldn't be born poor. Oh wait, they work hard a jobs supplied by the rich. Oh wait, there aren't any jobs.

@alsophia theophilos:

You've proven my point for me...only a group of blithering idiots, whose births would not have taken place were it for sterilization, would need to have a revolution and knock down people's doors holding nooses-- they can't compete with the intelligent and talented without resorting to barbaric violence...bottom feeders shouldn't be allowed to reproduce!

While I don't agree with the forced Sterilization, I do believe we have to do something about the growing Welfare class. They start popping out kids at 14 or 15. We need to put a limit on it. If you have 3 kids when you go on welfare, fine, we will provide support for them. But that is IT. No more. If you have 1, fine, we will provide for it. But no more than 3. We need to start taking responsiblity for ourselves. How can you teach your children to do well in school, and work hard, when the government will provide for them either way?

Drug testing should be mandatory for anyone receiving welfare. Why should we be supporting their drug habit?

There is no gene for the human spirit

@Janine-1645002:

well said...couldn't agree more w.r.t. drug testing

@HShen-4046077:

Actually, the "human spirit" to which you are referring is a manifestation of one's willpower...the latter trait has been scientifically proven to exist within the brain. So, for all we know, willpower may well be a genetic trait too!

Hi ar,

Such a contradiction, when barbaric violence of the intellectually superior is used to enforce sterilization on the non-intellectual in order to prevent the non-intellectual becoming barbarically violent against the intellectually superior. Don't you love the irony of the final solution?

@Miker-3099934:

Sterilization is by no means barbaric or painful. Just use anesthesia...

The only thing barbaric and savage is the continued presence of bottom feeders, who can do no better than leech off of the wealth of the superior and threaten the more valuable lives of the latter through their brainless violence and crime.

What ar, with his obviously inferior intellect, fails to realize is that even if his disproven eugenic theories were correct, there will always be someone on the bottom. As you remove more and more low IQ people from the gene pool, the bottom slowly rises and the gap between it and the top closes. At what point do you realize that the sterilization process is complete, before or after it consumes you?

@dave-735909:

The fewer people we end up having over time the more resources we will have to go around. The more contented the newly evolving superior 'race' becomes, the less crime and anti-social behavior we will have. In addition, the presence of heightened average intelligence will ensure this. Still, those who show signs of falling through the cracks will have to be sterilized...but the number of people needing this will fall gradually over time. Those who excessively hoard resources without putting them to good use will have to give them up, or face sterilization too. This process can sustain itself and continue until there is little need for it.

I'm sorry this is so difficult for you to understand.

And I am sorry it is so difficult for you to understand. :(

Consider this one question, and possibly you will see the flaws in your theory (although I kind of doubt it). Who will take out the trash?

By the way, voting for your own posts shows a real lack of confidence in the correctness of your position. LOL!

Simple...the bottom 1%, at any given time, will have the responsibility of taking out the trash.

AR may be on to something here

Why would AR need to vote for his own posts? His ideas make a lot of sense. They may be a bit extreme but they are not without merit.

BLACK FRIDAY! Buy small save a small business! Buy American Save America!

Mark-3140636,

"Companies that export jobs to countries for slave labor and poor if no regulations are just parasites on the US economy and the world, they should be taxed to the hilt. Companies that invest in the US and create jobs add more tax payers to the economy and more purchasing power making the country more secure are the ones that should get the tax breaks. "

Very well said! But those in elected office are not affected by their actions, or lack of. Until they are, it's just going to keep getting worse!

Good post Mark. We tend to agree those that ship jobs overseas should be taxed to the hilt. If they want to continue to do business in other countries then they need to get out of the U.S. America needs the middle class back so bad. Until they do comeback, we as a nation will continue to suffer the consequences of corporate greed in this nation whom choose to exploit other nations with slave labor salaries. We do have a breeding ground in this nation set to build revolutionaries with political power behind the numbers of misfortune Americans ready to take back our government. We need now more than ever tax reform for anyone making under 250 thousand a year a 9% tax rate. The rest need to be taxed to the hilt but not as a punishment for being successful but as a group that can take care of a government's financial operating costs where no one under 250 can barely support their own lives. Everything is this country costs so very much now. Cost of living in the U.S. is so high that most would be devastated at their first serious illness. We are on the same trek as the Romans and yes eventually we will fall and become a third world country overnight. Drugs, violence, theft, rape, murder will all increase as a nation becomes poorer. Colleges are to blame all over this nation for overpriced education to the selective few. Americans need free education for the survival of our country. Everyone that is without a job right now needs access to re-training in new careers. We have a serious shortage of doctors, nurses, healthcare professionals. Our nation's schools to take advantage of these skills are way out of anyone's financial reach. America can become a great nation again through education and spearheading our nation into the next century by offering jobs in advance technologies. We don't need the government we have right now in Washington. They all need to be replaced with individuals that can mainstream this nation into a new frontier of change. Offer people of all ages, not just the young, an education that will spur economic growth and development of new innovative technologies.

Right on the money Mark!

I disagree about the fight over jobs being shipped overseas. Its complicated.

The USA need to be the best place to do business. Why is it not?

The key thing not being discussed in the congress is making the US the best place to do business.

What does the USA do better then anyone else? Innovation.

What is the biggest problem world wide after corruption? Congestion.

We need to get idiots in congress to work on reducing congestion.

The top ideas for that is to build infrastructure. The main ones I like are ring roads and ring metro rail in the big cities. So we can get more people out of cars and cars off to they place they want to go rather then everyone driving to the center of the city.

The key innovation is pods. You can see the youtube video if you search heathrow airport, Pods.

We need to make zero wait time public transport. Its possible. Well a combination of it. Why? Traditional trains are just too heavy and power hungry. We need trains made out of aerospace materials that are light and thus more green.

Write to your congress person. Do not sit idle. The USA needs you.

There is more to this story though. We need more ideas. I just put out the most obvious.

I am not surprised that Philadelphia topped the list of cities with the sharpest rise in income disparity.

I live out the in the far burbs of Philly in a town that used to have a bustling steel mill. The main street is made up of magnificent 100+ year old stone buildings that speak of a much more opulent past. There used to be a JCPennys, a theater, a Woolworths, a grocery store, and lots of other little prosperous shops. Now, its all liquor stores, prepaid cell phone stores, pizza shops, and misc. businesses that come, die, and go. The only "business people" that can make money downtown anymore are the drug dealers. If you don't mind fearing for your life, you can buy a row home here for $60,000 - which you would then have to gut and renovate to get it back up to any sort of livable condition.

A mile down the road is a development with a snotty, pretentious sounding name and $800,000 carriage houses.

Income disparity.

DUH! You thank? Open your flippen eyes Will the collapse of the nation is all around you.

The American Public insists on cheaper TV's, cheaper computers, cars, etc. So the companies go where the labor is cheaper. That's simple Economics. When the public finally decides they don't need the latest Cell phone, or a 60" wide screen tv things will turn around. Our disposable society created this situation.

People need to stop whining and get to work. If it's not what you want for a job, you do it anyway, for now. Until something better opens. That's how our parents and grandparents worked, and it worked for them. Stop expecting the government to solve problems that you yourself created.

Janine,

The disposable society is what has fueled the economic growth since WWII. And it was great for America back when Americans were making all the shiny toys. People don't want the cheapest electronics, they want the nicest electronics when they can afford them. Apple products are by far not the cheapest out there and yet they are doing quite well. The people who make cheap electronics are doing fine, but they aren't making billions upon billions. Apple has a markup on their toys of about 50%. They could make them here in the US and still reap a handsome profit.

The attitude of "quit whining and get to work" isn't particularly helpful. Creating jobs might be more helpful. But some people don't have much of a choice. For example, my wife and I had a baby a few months ago. She is unemployed because you can't get maternity leave from a temp job (a lot of work available is temp work). Around here, daycare costs you around $1,200/month/child. My wife could take any old job, but it is gonna cost us more if she makes anything less than $1,200/month after taxes. That excludes minimum wage work. (Fortunately, she has a good education in a useful field and a lot of experience. It isn't unreasonable to expect her to make double or more than what is required.)

@Will,

Baltimore's like that, too. You can buy one of those famous Baltimore townhouses with the marble steps for fifty grand, maybe a little less---but the neighborhood vampires will be checking your belongings when you move in (the better to break in and steal what they like), you may have drug dealers hiding the "product" on your porch (especially if you live in a corner house) and you'd be smart to sleep on the floor at night...

BLACK FRIDAY! Buy small save a small business! Buy American Save America!

Let's just continue to watch the country hemorrhage with a war that is costing 2 to 3 million dollars a minute......YIPPEE!

Let's give more our tax payers money to Corporates like Halliburton! Gots to makes em' rich!!!!!!!

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/12/military_kbr_lawsuit_121508w/

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2006/jan/24/usa.iraq

If we work harder we can give more money in interest to China.......FOOLS!

Now they expect Americans to work slave wages like the way the rest of people that they take advantage does.

Let's face people can't make a living here because the costs are too high because we have to pay for their war games.

Capitalism is now the game of making gain at people's expense! It's SICK!

Oh all the bad news. There is good news too.

Hair transplants for the 1% is booming.

BLACK FRIDAY! Buy small save a small business! Buy American Save America!

BLACK FRIDAY! Buy small save a small business! Buy American Save America!

@Ryanwill37:

I'm sorry your genes and upbringing make you so irritable...poor neonatal brain development is very difficult to overcome. Another case for sterilization...

So if we have a controlled environment in which a low IQ idiot is competing against a high IQ individual, there can be some random luck occurrence whereby the dumb person miraculously beats the smart person on an intelligence-oriented activity. Really?

So what leads to children being born in broken homes? I'll educate you...stupid, irresponsible parents who should not have bred! Whose genes do you think the child has? So if I take in a crack baby child, I should expect that child to develop exactly the same way as a normal child?

It is a well-known fact that wealthy blacks score lower on IQ tests than do poor whites...it just isn't politically correct to say this publicly. Blacks are known to possess smaller brains than whites. Clearly there is more than just environment at play here.

Ponder these questions and tonight you may go to bed a little bit less stupid.

@ar,

Push back from the WAR propaganda before it makes you any stupider.

BTW, I'm a college-educated black man with an IQ of 152. Be afraid...be very afraid...

That's nice Brian...I could make you a quota hire at my Venture Capital firm. Would you be interested? If so, let me know so you can send me your resume. It would be a great chance for you to hobnob with the top 0.1% plus income crowd...this would be about a 99.9% increase from what you were likely raised around.

And congratulations on beating the average black IQ by 67 points. Mother nature can be a mad scientist!

Brian, we're in the 152 club together. :D

Sorry, AR, this brother doesn't do "quota hires." I have no need---and I've also spent about as much time around folks (of all colors by the way) with deep pockets and no class. I suspect one day----sooner rather than later---I'd come to wrok to find the office padlocked and the FBI looking for all the rich "big brain" types...

But hey, I appreciate the "offer."

@Super Ultra,

High fives on that!

Not to reply to myself, but it'd help matters considerably if I spelled words correctly (wrok=work) and completed my sentences (..."no class as I care to in this life.")

Typos irritate me...my own worst of all ;{

BLACK FRIDAY! Buy small save a small business! Buy American Save America!

http://www.sweetliberty.org/issues/hate/bodybrokers.htm

Great news. We have a body parts boom. Get your butchers knife out and make a killing

There you go again Mark - thinking logically with "uncommon" sense. You must be in the wrong blog! It is unfortunate that people who can do something about the mess we are in don't read blogs like this - they might actually learn something. In any case you are spot on, thank you!

Bill Clinton, Wal mart and Free Trade with China was what started our companies leaving America. Bad old companies?? What would you expect when Bill opened the gates to China?? Our companies could not compete with China's cheap labor and it was either leave or go out of business. George Bush slowed down the exodus by lowering taxes and it worked to a certain extent. So you can whine all you want about the mean old companies but it was Bill Clinton who sold out America as a favor to Wal Mart. The Republicans lowered taxes on corporations their so bad. No the Republicans were trying to save some jobs. Barack Obama is no better then Clinton. His policies have destroyed millions of jobs but that is what he wants to do. Destroy the American economy to pave the way for socialist takeover. Well look at Europe, Italy and Greece. They are what happens after socialists take over. You can't put everyone on welfare and expect your economy or country to survive. Look at the numbers not the news reports. Barack Obamas numbers are the worst of any person to ever live in the White House and the only thing he has accomplished is making everybody in America poorer except his buddies that keep ending up with billion dollar loans that taxpayers are responsible for.. Lawyers and politicians got us into this mess. We need a proven businessman to get up out and I'm not talking about the white Obama, Romney.

Frank please if you can read take out your history book to learn the simple fact that Tricky Dicky of Watergate fame "broke the ice" with his trips to China. That is actually rather well publicized as fact and you Repubs can not deny that without looking like the treasonous idiots you actually are.And BTW thank you for playing the race card which this is all about - get the black guy out of the WHITE house even if it costs us the nation itself, man up and admit the fact that race and bigotry are alive and well. BTW I am 1 White really fed up boomer JFYI

But they will lead you to believe they are doing good! THEY ARE NOT! They are not saving a world, they are destroying it.

http://educate-yourself.org/du/falloutoniraqbabies12jun08.shtml

it is downright EVIL what they are doing.

Massacre Caught on Tape: US Military Confirms Authenticity of Their Own Chilling Video Showing Killing of Journalists

Why do you think so many journalists have been killed in this so called "war"?

All brought to you paid by American tax dollars!

Most wealthy people aren't wealthy because they get up every morning and work hard. They are wealthy because they were born that way. What surprises me is the amount of people that subject themselves and desire a Plutocracy in America. Wealth is what is destroying the American economy if you look at it in terms of money circulating. The wealthy by definition hoard money, the middle class and poor will spend it.

Mark,

Shame on you for making sense and presenting a rational opinion ;)

You've made me so angry...I've voted you up!

http://www.tax.com/taxcom/taxblog.nsf/Permalink/CHAS-89LPZ9

this explains it well.

Its not a wealth gap, its the grand canyon chasm

What the hell? You get criminality if there is no middle class?

We have the biggest crime wave in the history of the USA by the 1%.

I am not sure on the exact amounts but its so big that its hard to measure. Its from 2 trillion to 9 trillion. Then you say that if the middle class disappears that there will be more crime? Just another type?

The US median wage ( male) has been stagnant since the 1970s and has not kept up with inflation. The bureau of labor stats measures house hold income against CPI because its embarrassing to measure it against US median wage.

http://eatthebible.blogspot.com/2010/10/luke-16-steal-from-rich-give-to.html

I have learned my lesson. Steal from the rich and give to yourself. That is the lesson folks. Do what they do.

They didn't really cherry pick. The comparative purchasing power after tax (how much the income is worth in 1970's dollars) of the higher income is double the lower. They also happen to be nicely even numbers after tax.

OH, They SOOOooo 'cherry=picked" everything

Putting at least 2 destroyed inner cities into the figures , "YUP cherry-p"

So destroyed inner-cities don't exist?

In any case, given that the meta-analysis was done in percentages of the 117 largest metropolitan areas (which would give the best statistical distribution), the inclusion of two cities would only constitute about 1% of the average.

Again, this is a meta-analysis of census data. They didn't collect their own data, they used the best set of sociological data available.

Check out the Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality. It's actually now a national institute thanks to the excellent research that's been put out.

http://www.stanford.edu/group/scspi/center_news.html

a

Thats right! Theres an ole saying. "If you want to hurt the rich, hit them in the wallet."

Don't cry that they have money when you are giving it to them.

That's the point. You need to know how to READ! Not go off on a talking point tangent. 99 % of the losers if given 1 million dollars would have it spent before the end of the year.

About 46.2 million people, or nearly one in six, were in poverty in 2010,
compared with 43.6 million, or 14.3%, in 2009.

The bureau says that if Social Security payments were excluded from income, the
number of people 65 and over in poverty would be 14 million higher in 2010.

Trudi Renwick, the bureau's chief of the Poverty Statistics Branch, says "the
single most important factor" in the increase in poverty might be the increase
in the number of people who did not work at all last year.

She says the number of people over 16 who did not work at least one week
increased from 83.3 million in 2009 to 86.7 million last year.

The increase in the number of people without health insurance is due mostly
to working-age Americans who lost employer-provided insurance in the weak
economy. Main provisions of the health overhaul don't take effect until 2014.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/09/census-bureau-us-poverty-rises-to-151-highest-since-1983/1

Maybe they should just go out into the fields and pick peppers and that will help them out of poverty! IDIOTS, who are you people trying to fool?

The statistics, contained in the report, titled "Income, Poverty and Health
Insurance Coverage: 2010," cover 2010, when U.S. unemployment averaged
9.6%, up from 9.3% the previous year.

Highlights:

• Median household income for the nation was $49,400 in 2010, a decline of
  2.3% from 2009, when inflation is figured in.
• The 2010 official poverty rate for the nation was 15.1%, up from 14.3% in
  2009, with 46.2 million people in poverty, an increase of 2.6 million since
  2009.
• The percentage of people without health insurance coverage in 2010, 16.3%,
  was not statistically different from the rate in 2009. The number of uninsured
  increased to 49.9 million in 2010 from 49 million in 2009.

That didn't come out right.

About 46.2 million people, or nearly one in six, were in poverty in 2010,
compared with 43.6 million, or 14.3%, in 2009.

The statistics, contained in the report, titled "Income, Poverty and Health
Insurance Coverage: 2010," cover 2010, when U.S. unemployment averaged
9.6%, up from 9.3% the previous year.

Highlights:

• Median household income for the nation was $49,400 in 2010, a decline of
  2.3% from 2009, when inflation is figured in.
• The 2010 official poverty rate for the nation was 15.1%, up from 14.3% in
  2009, with 46.2 million people in poverty, an increase of 2.6 million since
  2009.
• The percentage of people without health insurance coverage in 2010, 16.3%,
  was not statistically different from the rate in 2009. The number of uninsured
  increased to 49.9 million in 2010 from 49 million in 2009.

The bureau says that if Social Security payments were excluded from income,
the number of people 65 and over in poverty would be 14 million higher in
2010.

Trudi Renwick, the bureau's chief of the Poverty Statistics Branch, says "the
single most important factor" in the increase in poverty might be the increase
in the number of people who did not work at all last year.

She says the number of people over 16 who did not work at least one week
increased from 83.3 million in 2009 to 86.7 million last year.

The increase in the number of people without health insurance is due mostly
to working-age Americans who lost employer-provided insurance in the weak
economy. Main provisions of the health overhaul don't take effect until 2014.

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2011/09/census-bureau-us-poverty-rises-to-151-highest-since-1983/1

I am so sick of hearing people talk as if jobs are just PLENTIFUL. Those who are in poverty are just LAZY SMUCKS.

I should had said, "I am SO sick of hearing people talk as if GOOD paying jobs are just plentiful. If a person could get a good job, they WOULDN'T be living in POVERTY.......DUH! Due to corporate greed people can't earn a living wage!!!!!! It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

Let's use chemicals to poison their food, make them unhealthy, make them buy drugs, then keep on raising the costs medical insurance up to bankrupt them or they die. It is one vicious cycle that needs to end. It is all a scam....ALL OF IT! Its totally inhumane. We live in a very sick society.

US median household income is a big lie. Why? Its two incomes now. That means you need two people to work to get the same income that one was making 30 years ago.

And via the pension funds , 401ks they get the crappy returns and are milked . The US average Jo gets fleeced with the 401k, gets fleeced by the high banking costs, gets fleeced because the tax is used to bail out. Its no end to the fleecing and then we get told that we are lazy and stupid .

If it were not for the tax breaks the 401ks would be the worst investment.

The problem has been stated since the 1930s. The disconnect between the 401ks and pension fund managers , the funds that invest for the pension funds in the stock, allow for the corrupt boards that pay the crazy money.

If the members of the pension funds can cut down the middle men between them and the stock in these corporations, the executives using the 401ks to party all year around won't be able too.

That is the problem in a nutshell. 5.2 trillion in 401ks in 2008, 2.9 trillion in 401ks in 2011.

If it were not for the tax breaks the 401ks would be the worst investment.

May be they should spend more time learning about their 401K than House wives and NFL.

Maybe, ha ha. Its not easy. The paper work is not easy to understand.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

If were were all equal there would not be a class war. This is SUPPOSED to be AMERICA the land of free. There isn't supposed to be classism which is why our government is corrupt and has been for decades. Corporations should NOT BE RUNNING THE COUNTRY!

Rubytuesday, Kudos & right on the money blaming the Corporations. There have always been classes in the USA but there has been harmony between them because there was always a hope for advancement and most received a livable wage.

The problem is that we have gone from family run businesses to Companies that work to their investors while ignoring the employees that put them where they are.

Basically, people are not making enough money to buy what is produced and so, with no market business cuts employment rolls. This snowballs to a point that there is no market left and the business closes its doors... we are swiftly approaching that point which is why so much American Industry is moving Off-Shore and closer to the new market.

@Greg,

Interesting post----I agree with you to a point.

Instilling work ethics is always a good idea. IMO, many of the 99%ers grew up in households where Mom & Dad did all that and more---and still got pink-slipped when the top execs of the company decided to cut wages and benefits, move offshore and vote themselves fat bonuses and pay raises.

That's not to say that other 99%ers aren't just plain lazy---and my 18-year-old looked at me like I'd just grown three more eyes when I told him about the Ford Pinto and its' propensity to explode in a crash if it was hit "right."

Often, the entry-level expectations are surreal, but somewhat understandable. Folks are trying to get as much as they can, up front, because a job can be yanked out from under "you" at any time. There's virtually no job security and employers are blatantly disloyal (for the most part), especially in the private sector. No one's willing to "pay their dues" anymore because so often, it's "throwing good money after bad." How hard can we really expect people to work when they have every reason to believe the company won't hesitate to screw 'em over...?

Just sayin'. But I'm voting you up.

Walgreen's quit giving full time store employees a christmas bonus (about 4$ a week). The CEO got a $6,000,000.00 raise! Since the family has not been in charge, things are really changing!

The department that I work for has had 2 positions open for 1 month now. Yes, I have recieved plenty of applications and have completed plenty of interviews. And I think that I will agree with Norm. I have people coming in for the interview in jeans and t-shirts, little or no experience and asking/expecting huge salaries, or for the most part, can not pass a drug test.

I am not talking about flipping burgers here, it is building maintenance, pay range $11.00-$25.00, depending on experience. I think that alot of the people that I mentioned above have gotten to the point where they have learned to live comfortably off of their 99 weeks of unemployment and are going through the motions of looking for a job to make it look good.

The first of the two positions that I filled already, was a kid (mid 20's, kid to me), that drove 45 miles to meet me at 12:30 am, they are graveyard positions, showed up with a positive attitude and generally acted llike he wanted to work.

What do you know he passed his drug test, finished orientation, showed up to work a week ago, and is learning the buildings left and right.

I know I have rambled on, but this is what it takes to get a job. Put/show some effort in what you apply for. Don't expect a job to be given to you just because you showed up. I would assume, and I could be wrong, but the person who made the first post, Count Acumen, is one of the first people I talked about, spread the wealth. You know what, I am not rich, but I have never put myself into serious debt, only have one monthly bill besides rent/utilities, and live with in my means. I do not expect anyone else to take care of me but me.

I hear stories about hamburger joints putting up need help signs on the front counter and they get patrons eating the meals having job interviews for the job. Thats not all. People start coming in from all over the place even after the need help sign is taken down and asking for a job.

You can get 50 year old men, x-office types asking to work to children.

Its amusing for people with jobs.

asking to work at childrens wages.

I don't think I would find that amusing. I would find it very sad and disheartening to see people who had worked and cultivated a life and a career who had it yanked from under them begging to flip burgers for minimum wage.

There is a point where you can only laugh at the temporary nature of life.

Well flipping burgers is a complex task. Try to get a robot to do it?

@William Root,

I once worked at a company that paid a $50 Xmas bonus, but only if you were a full-time employee AND lasted a full year---which sometimes meant a person had to work there two years to get the damn $50. BTW, none of the line workers were salaried (supervisors & managers included) so outside of federal holidays a day off was ALWAYS unpaid. The company made tons of money pulling stunts like this---and do I really need to add that one's chances of seeing Bigfoot at the mall were better than that of getting a raise? Also, after that first year one became entitled to a week's paid vacation. In order to get two weeks off, you had to work there full-time for five or six years.

The place was a revolving door. I'm sure the turnover rate was at least 75%. The truly lazy would quit, as this was a dirty, blue-collar job and hard workers would realize that hard work really wasn't gonna get them much besides the chance to do more hard work.

No, it wasn't Wal-Mart but it wasn't a mom&pop either. Spend enough time in a swweatshop, though, and it'll color your perceptions of work...maybe forever.

yea great. I guess that happens all the time. Tell it to a crowd of unemployed and see if you get out alive.

Hey why don't you go down to harlem. See if you come out walking funny if you are half decent or come out at all.

There are 50 million people in poverty. Now I just found that the BLS, is a lie

They measure household income against CPI ( inflation), Else the US median wage died in the since 1970s.

Just do a search on Household wealth, Rise of two incomes, since 2007 now two incomes do not keep upto to CPI.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Income_in_the_United_States

YOu will see US median male income was stagnant.

Brian that sounds exactly like my husband's current job, except there just is no xmas bonus at all. I think most of those have gone the way of the dinosaur. He's worked there for over a year now but he's classified as a "temp" and of course always will be, so no benefits, now or ever. So he keeps on looking for better things. Maybe one of these days...

Boomer: the 1% have been planning for this for a long time, building gated communities and even homes that float in the ocean. The 99% are not people, not really 'human' to them; we are just "Human Capital". You know, like a piece of lumber or a widget or other small part, to be used and then tossed and replaced.

I think that its not that bad. Its about fighting for things that you believe in.

Me. I believe in hair transplants for the rich. Its booming.

so you actually doubt the rich is getting much richer and the middle class is disappering. time for you to wake up and smell the coffee. obama has caused this and you dont even see it

Obama caused this? This disparity has been developing for YEARS. When I moved to our street years ago, almost every building on it was a three or four family apartment building. Neighbors knew each other. Over time, more than half of these buildings have been converted into condos, and this began in the 90's. Wealthy or well to do professionals have replaced working class families in what had been a working class neighborhood for 100 years, and gentification - with its million dollar homes - has pushed them out. Along with the old residents has gone mom and pop stores, small diners, etc., replaced by Starbucks and the like.

I agree Hans, there has been a total Corporate takeover, by a Corporate government. That is why the protesters are protesting. Perhaps they are going to get off the park lawns but the movement isn't going to quit because it has had a derogatory effect on way too many people.

limbaughger, are you being paid to say that?

http://www.newser.com/article/d9qp6ib80/census-ranks-of-poorest-poor-hit-new-high-as-poverty-deepens-spreads-from-cities-to-suburbs.html

Well i think it could be the CEO of goldman sacchs. = Limbaughger.