Katrina vanden Heuvel: What's Congress Doing for the Middle Class?

[marmar]

from The Nation:




WHAT'S CONGRESS DOING FOR THE MIDDLE CLASS?...No matter whether debating estate tax elimination or $600 rebates, Democrats and Republicans alike assure us that Washington legislates for the middle class. But today's middle class is much more than an income bracket. Access to health care, secure employment, and college education defines the group, while wage and benefit guarantees and an inclusive immigration policy that prevents wages and working conditions from bottoming out maintain its vitality.

So has Washington really been working on behalf of this middle class?

The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy's analysis of ten bills from last year's congressional session demonstrates that Congress fell short in its support for the middle class. Only 46% of the House and 34% of the Senate voted to its benefit on at least nine of the ten bills analyzed, while an overwhelming 72% of House Republicans and 80% of Senate Republicans voted against the middle class on six or more bills. 85% of House Democrats voted the right way on nine or more measures, but the percentage dropped to 65% in the Senate. A bright spot for bipartisanship was a concentration of House Republicans (17%) voting for the middle class on 5 or more bills.

Whereas the rich use symbols of wealth to establish their identity and government poverty guidelines differentiate the poor, the middle class constantly redefines itself according to quality of life improvements. On one hand, this ambiguity makes the middle class wonderfully inclusive. On the other, it can allow politicians who neglect middle-class issues to feign support for the middle class.

Fortunately, legislators' votes always reveal their true loyalties.



Posted by Katrina vanden Heuvel at 03/28/2008 @ 5:59pm


http://www.thenation.com/blogs/campaignmatters?bid=45&pid=304082

[Rex]

1. I scanned the title and thought it said Middle East.

[marmar]

3. Well, they're doing the same for both.....

...... F**king them over!

[Rex]

4. Funny, that is exactly what I was thinking.

When I typed that.

F**king them over indeed!

[MannyGoldstein]

2. What Are They Doing *To* (Not For) The Middle Class

There has been an unrelenting attack on the Middle Class since Reagan was president. The Predator Class has purchased Congress and the Presidency, and has used these bodies to continually sodomize the Middle Class, squeezing out every penny they could.

Now we're out of pennies.

[Vincardog]

5. I ran out of pennies years ago. That is why I am no longer Middle class or unemployed.

[MannyGoldstein]

7. You Have Many Politicians To Thank For Your Situation

And a lot of really, really stupid voters who put them in office.

Hopefully this will finally change.

[noel711]

6. But but.. it's a free market economy...

and if you can't play in that economy,
then you can't play at all.

Too damn bad..

trikle down economics...

they're trickling.. on .. us..