Protesters invade NYC Financial District 9/17/2011

Protesters invade NYC Financial District
Demonstrators invoke Mideast rallies, call for end to corporate greed favoring rich

NEW YORK — More than 1,000 demonstrators descended on New York City's Financial District on Saturday for what could be a days-long protest of what they said was corporate greed favoring the rich at the expense of ordinary people.

The rally, dubbed OccupyWallStreet on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook where word was spread, spurred the New York Police Department to lock down Wall Street near the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall, local media reported.

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Attention Americans: You Won’t All Be Rich Tomorrow

Attention Americans: You Won't All Be Rich Tomorrow
By Invictus - September 14th, 2011

Perhaps folks are thinking: Well, my taxes might not go up now, since I'm making the median income, but my wages are going to quintuple any day now, I just know it. And when they do, I'll be damned if I'm going to pay one more plug nickel in taxes. I also need to protect the loopholes for corporate jet owners, as I'll surely soon be one.

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Why We're More Dependent on Government Support Than Ever

Why We're More Dependent on Government Support Than Ever
On average, 20 cents of every dollar of disposable income comes from the government
By Meg Handley
May 5, 2011
US News and World Report
money.usnews.com

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My comment...
Government social benefits (aka transfer payments) account for nearly 20% (20 cents of every dollar) of our disposable income. That's unemployment insurance, social security, medicare, medicaid, fed/mil retirements, etc. Which is why balancing the budget is virtually impossible.

Are We Poor? by Amy Davidson 9/13/2011

Are We Poor?
Posted by Amy Davidson
The New Yorker
September 13, 2011

How poor are we, as Americans? There are all sorts of ways to measure the poverty of our lives: income, possessions, health, houses, even height. Depending on one’s personality and position, there is also the matter of whether others around us are richer. The federal government does have a fixed one—a poverty line—and Tuesday we found out that forty-six million two hundred thousand Americans are, by that standard, poor, which is 2.6 million more than just two years ago. The poverty line is notched at $22,113 in income for a family of four. That is not very much, and buys even less in some parts of the country than in others.

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Is making less becoming the norm? 04 Sept 2011

Is making less becoming the norm?
Sunday, September 04, 2011
By Olivera Perkins, The Plain Dealer

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Deborah Normand is making $10,000 less a year, but she feels she's among the lucky ones.

She went from working as an office manager for a wholesale business to a clerical position, and it took a year and half for her to find that job.

"I am happy to be working," said Normand of Berea.

According to a new report by Policy Matters Ohio, Norman's job experience may be the new reality.

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Special Report on “Breakaway Wealth” 9/05/2011

Special Report on Breakaway Wealth
By Barry Ritholtz, September 5th, 2011
The Washington Post

There is a huge Washington Post special report on Breakaway Wealth in the US. More than most other industrialized nations, the U.S. has seen the top 0.1% compensated in vastly disproportionate numbers versus the rest of the populace.

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Great Prosperity (1947-77) vs. Great Regression (1981-?)

Great Prosperity (1947-77) vs. Great Regression (1981-?)
By Barry Ritholtz - September 4th, 2011

SEE THE ORIGINAL CHART HERE