WTF I don’t get it? Why am I living on the edge in the middle?

[upstatecajun]

Over the past 10 years the middle-class has been in decline in the United States, well more like the past 25 to 30 years. Why?
When I was growing up during the 1960’s I remember only one of my parents had to work in order to keep our family feed and a roof over our head. We never were in need of assistance from the government or other family members. Schools were a place of learning and teachers were respected. Hell I remember my mother and father saying teachers did not make the money they deserve for putting up with me. But that was 47 years ago.

I did somehow do better than my parents as an adult as far as earnings however today my kids are worse off than I was at their age. I find myself having to help them just to make ends meet. My son and his wife both work and have two kids. Neither my son nor daughter-in-law has received a pay raise in the last two years. Their co-pays and insurance premiums for health care go up each year and as you know food and gas prices keep going up. My grandkids school keeps cutting back on their education and after school activities. One of the text books I saw had a date of 1997. To top it all off they had to sell their house and rent an apartment because the insurance and mortgage payments became too much for them.

So much for the American dream.

Guess what I am trying say is what the hell happen the last 30 or 40 years to cause this?
Now they are taking away worker rights. What’s next? I keep hearing that Social Security is broke. BROKE?????????? WTF? I have been paying into the system for nearly 40 years…where is my money???? I have played by their fuc@#$* rules all this time, served my country honorably in the U.S. Navy and now you’re telling me the rules are changing? Fuc@ it. And another thing, Social Security is not a hand out you dip wade Tea Bagger. KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY SOCIAL SECURITY. How about practicing some of those moral values you republicans keep taking about.
Sorry for miss spelling and the rant.

THAT IS ALL!!!!!!!




http://www.liberalohioan.com/index.html

[Duer 157099]

1. They lowered the top income tax rates

Put them back up to 90% and suddenly the CEOs don't want the huge salaries but rather keep the money invested in the company and jobs.

[Hosnon]

Bingo. High tax rates aren't used to increase tax revenue.

They're used to push money back down to the company (e.g., investment, increased wages, more jobs).

[Hosnon]

2. The wealth of this country has been funneled to the top. We've generated trillions in value

over the last 30 years but it did not go to the wage-earners.

And it boggles my mind that so many professional political commentators repeat the line about Social Security being "broke", "unfunded", and the "largest contributor to the deficit".

[Cassandra]

3. An assault on the middle class by the rich

The SS trust fund was loaned out to cover repuke deficits and the richest don't want to pay it back.

[mod mom]

4. Reagan, Bush I & II, Clinton, Telecom Act of '96, Repeal of Glass Steagall (both signed by Clinton)

push for Free Trade (read: outsourcing of jobs overseas) need I say more?

[RKP5637]

5. Exactly!!! n/t

[Dont_Bogart_the_Pretzel]

6. +1000

[TreasonousBastard]

7. We're just back to normal....

A lot of us grew up spoiled, thinking that it's justright and proper that everything gets better as time goes on.

Well, it doesn't. We just grew up in one of those rare slices of time when things did get better-- for a while.

Throughout history, though, just how many times did things get better for us hoi polloi? Rarely has the percentage of the poor gone down, and never as much as the percentage of the rich has risen.

"Middle class"? The term never really existed until we decided we were in it and actually had some clout. But, money and power always let us get just so far until they feel threatened and then they put a stop to our foolishness. Often enough they put a stop to it just because that's what they do.

Even forgetting world history, just look back at the few hundred years we've been around and see how it worked-- The US Revolution, Shays' Rebellion, the Whiskey Rebellion, stealing Indian land, robber barons in the early 20th Century, Mexican War, Spanish American War, threats to invade Canada, Bryant's campaign against Wall Street-- all basically over money and power. Even the Civil war had its economic and class elements.

For 30 years or so we never had it so good as we had it after WWII, but now we're back to normal.

[upstatecajun]

8. okay

But I dont have to like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[TreasonousBastard]

9. I don't either, but I stopped complaining until I figure out what to do about it.

[upstatecajun]

10. Your Choice

I do try to do something about it. I vote, I show up at rallys, I work on campaigners of those who are like minded, I volunteer my service to the folks that need help. So what you are saying is I should just be quit and give up the fight? maybe I am missing something here.

[Paper Roses]

14. Many of us feel the same way you do.

It is frustrating to realize that, no matter what we do, Washington will have it's way. I gave up a while ago.
I'm too old and have health problems and live on SS. Fun, Huh?

[Raschel]

11. Great post!

[upstatecajun]

17. Thank you

[leftstreet]

12. Receiving livable wages is "spoiled?"

:shrug:

[dkofos]

13. Reganomics happened.

[Initech]

15. Shit like this doesn't help things:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x643143

:banghead:

[jtown1123]

16. Social Security is NOT broke and they money is all there. Here is some reading:

http://www.ncpssm.org/truth_squad/index.php

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/cockroach-ideas/

Enjoy! Yes, things are awful now and your example very clearly illustrates that.