Another Journalist Confirms What Was Written Here First In "PolitiDose"

New York Times journalist Nicholas Kristof in a story published in the Times Picayune dated 5/16/14 confirms what this writer's commentary published in "PolitiDose" dated 7/23/08 titled, "Innovation:  Lost In America" pointed out about the transfer of wealth from the middle class to the wealthy and corporate America.  That was almost 6 years ago.  Kristof's article should be read by everyone.

Part of Kristof"s report is as follows:  1) The U.S. middle class is no longer the richest in the world:  2) U.S. workers toil on average more hours than workers in Canada, France and Germany:  3) Data now shows that America has become the advanced country not only with the highest level inequality but one of those with the least equality of opportunity:  4) The bottom 99% of the French people have done better than the bottom 99% of the American people.

5)  The top 1% in the U.S. now own assets worth more than those held by the entire bottom 90%.  6)  The six Walmart heirs are worth as much as the bottom 41% of American households put together:  7)  The top six hedge fund managers and traders averaged more than $2 billion each in earnings last year, partly because of the egregious "carried interest" tax break.

And to think those are some in congress who continue to block the President's economic proposals that would help the middle class enjoy a deserved increase in their buying power and close the ever growing gap that the wealthy and corporate America enjoy.  In an article published in the Times Picayune of 5/11/14 it was pointed out that in Louisiana, repairing the states infrastructure offers higher wages paying 30% more to workers at lower ends of the economic scale.  That the median hourly wage in New Orleans is $19.24 per hour and the median annual salary is $40,020.

And how about this part of the report?  Only 12% of infrastructure workers hold a bachelor's degree or higher, while about 80% of workers learned with on the job training.  The republicans in the U.S. House needs to get off their tails and pass the President's jobs bill to rebuild the nations infrastructure they have been sitting on for over two years.  Those higher paying jobs are needed now.

It is past time for congress to act and close the inequality economic condition between the wealthy and the middle class and between corporate America and its workers.  Every one knows that economic gap exists and congress needs to put the country and its people first.  Nothing else is more important.


This commentary written by John Lucia.