Welcome login | signup
Language en es fr
OccupyForum

Forum Post: 30 Ways the middle class are DYING right in front of our eyes...

Posted 12 years ago on Jan. 3, 2012, 2:28 a.m. EST by bill1102inf2 (357)
This content is user submitted and not an official statement

A certain someone who will remain nameless put out the idea that the rich represent the past, the poor represent the present and the largely self-made middle class represent the future. Their success is a barometer of the health of any country's economy. By these lights, America is in a bad, bad way. Not everyone knows it, but everybody can feel it.

1 Today, only 55.3 percent of all Americans between the ages of 16 and 29 have jobs.

2 In the United States today, there are 240 million working age people. Only about 140 million of them are working.

3 According to CareerBuilder, only 23 percent of American companies plan to hire more employees in 2012.

4 Since the year 2000, the United States has lost 10% of its middle class jobs. In the year 2000 there were about 72 million middle class jobs in the United States but today there are only about 65 million middle class jobs.

5 According to the New York Times, approximately 100 million Americans are either living in poverty or in "the fretful zone just above it".

6 According to that same article in the New York Times, 34 percent of all elderly Americans are living in poverty or "near poverty", and 39 percent of all children in America are living in poverty or "near poverty".

7 In 1984, the median net worth of households led by someone 65 or older was 10 times larger than the median net worth of households led by someone 35 or younger. Today, the median net worth of households led by someone 65 or older is 47 times larger than the median net worth of households led by someone 35 or younger.

8 Since the year 2000, incomes for U.S. households led by someone between the ages of 25 and 34 have fallen by about 12 percent after you adjust for inflation.

9 The total value of household real estate in the U.S. has declined from $22.7 trillion in 2006 to $16.2 trillion today. Most of that wealth has been lost by the middle class.

10 Many formerly great manufacturing cities are turning into ghost towns. Since 1950, the population of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has declined by more than 50 percent. In Dayton, Ohio 18.9 percent of all houses now stand empty.

11 Since 1971, consumer debt in the United States has increased by a whopping 1700%.

12 The number of pages of federal tax rules and regulations has increased by18,000% since 1913. The wealthy know how to avoid taxes, but most of those in the middle class do not.

13 The number of Americans that fell into poverty (2.6 million) set a new all-time record last year and extreme poverty (6.7%) is at the highest level ever measured in the United States.

14 According to one study, between 1969 and 2009 the median wages earned by American men between the ages of 30 and 50 dropped by 27 percent after you account for inflation.

15 According to U.S. Representative Betty Sutton, America has lost an average of 15 manufacturing facilities a day over the last 10 years. During 2010 it got even worse. Last year, an average of 23 manufacturing facilities a day shut down in the United States.

16 Back in 1980, less than 30% of all jobs in the United States were low income jobs. Today, more than 40% of all jobs in the United States are low income jobs.

17 Most Americans are scratching and clawing and doing whatever they can to make a living these days. Half of all American workers now earn $505 or less per week.

18 Food prices continue to rise at a very brisk pace. The price of beef is up9.8% over the past year, the price of eggs is up 10.2% over the past year and the price of potatoes is up 12% over the past year.

19 Electricity bills in the United States have risen faster than the overall rate of inflation for five years in a row.

20 The average American household will have spent a staggering $4,155 on gasoline by the end of 2011.

21 If inflation was measured the exact same way that it was measured back in 1980, the rate of inflation in the United States would be well over 10 percent.

22 If the number of Americans considered to be "looking for work" was the same today as it was back in 2007, the "official" unemployment rate put out by the U.S. government would be up to 11 percent.

23 According to the Student Loan Debt Clock, total student loan debt in the United States will surpass the 1 trillion dollar mark at some point in 2012. Most of that debt is owed by members of the middle class.

24 Incredibly, more than one out of every seven Americans is on food stamps and one out of every four American children is on food stamps at this point.

25 Since Barack Obama took office, the number of Americans on food stamps has increased by 14.3 million.

26 In 2010, 42 percent of all single mothers in the United States were on food stamps.

27 In 1970, 65 percent of all Americans lived in "middle class neighborhoods". By 2007, only 44 percent of all Americans lived in "middle class neighborhoods".

28 According to a recent report produced by Pew Charitable Trusts, approximately one out of every three Americans that grew up in a middle class household has slipped down the income ladder.

29 In the United States today, the wealthiest one percent of all Americans have a greater net worth than the bottom 90 percent combined.

30 The poorest 50 percent of all Americans now collectively own just 2.5%of all the wealth in the United States.

The lower down the chain you happen to be, the more likely whatever you do make, create, or inherit WILL BE taken from you by someone with more power looking to claw their way up.

28 Comments

28 Comments


Read the Rules
[-] 3 points by infonomics (393) 12 years ago

Assertion check:

  1. Many formerly great manufacturing cities are turning into ghost towns. Since 1950, the population of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania has declined by more than 50 percent. In Dayton, Ohio 18.9 percent of all houses now stand empty.

From Wikipedia:

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

  • 1950 676,806 0.8%
  • 1960 604,332 −10.7%
  • 1970 520,117 −13.9%
  • 1980 423,938 −18.5%
  • 1990 369,879 −12.8%
  • 2000 334,563 −9.5%
  • 2010 305,704 −8.6%

Conclusion: Assertion checks out. Poster deemed honest and diligent.

[-] 2 points by bill1102inf2 (357) 12 years ago

its the on purpose destruction of America. On top of this, the Fed Gov is pressuring Imigration officials to stamp all VISAS approved as fast as possible while the VA is denying denying denying veterans benefits en masse.

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

You should see Detroit, and it has the busiest border crossing in the world.

[-] 3 points by bill1102inf2 (357) 12 years ago

and once again, this post is moved to the bottom while nonsense sits on top

[-] 2 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

The trolls are busy searching CATO, for a canned response.

Give them a little time, to form their denial

[-] 1 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 12 years ago

Good post. I can happily tell you this made it to the top today.

[-] 2 points by beautifulworld (23769) 12 years ago

Fantastic job, bill1102inf2. These facts should be placed in a link on the navigation bar on the home page of this website. Anyone who questions what OWS is all about can read that list of facts. Indisputable facts.

[-] 2 points by TrevorMnemonic (5827) 12 years ago

This fact is the one everybody should be worried about

Food prices continue to rise at a very brisk pace.

The price of beef is up 9.8% over the past year, the price of eggs is up 10.2% over the past year and the price of potatoes is up 12% over the past year.

[-] 1 points by bill1102inf2 (357) 12 years ago

Yes, and 'discretionary' spending has been removed from America, its all about have or have not right now, and if you are currently a have not, the haves will not let you in the club. It will always be SOME excuse, bad credit, lack of work 'history;, blah blah blah blah blah. Meanwhile, the haves are the ones with bad credit also, parasitic work history, right now, most of the people getting ahead in America, are pulling some kind of SCAM, like not paying their mortgage while collecting workers compensation, filing lawsuits, and working under the table while filing for Social Security

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

This is what commodity traders do.

Create inflation, that doesn't get factored.

[-] 1 points by bill1102inf2 (357) 12 years ago

figuring inflation based on how it was done up to 1980 and we have 10% yoy inflation right now!!!! One of the worst inflationary periods in any living persons lifetime.

Personally I find #'s6,7,8 up there most interesting. Too bad the older folks did NOT work for what they have, instead they have more 'wealth' due to inflation and nothing else. That will happen when you buy a house in 1969 and its STILL worth 10X even after the housing market plunge.

[-] 2 points by Nevada1 (5843) 12 years ago

Hi bill1102, Thank you for post. Best Regards, Nevada

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

Bumpity, bump, bump,bump.

C'mon. You CATO lovers should have found something by now.

Where are the job creator defenders?

Did you get layed off?

I've been there.

[-] 1 points by Miter99 (33) 12 years ago

NDAA can imprison someone and if they ever get out then what they had (what little they had) may be gone

WE need to beware laws signed in - like NDAA

Osigned it in law while on VACATION in HAWAII -- that is more 1% that we could ever know

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

Where's the libe(R)tarian denialists?

I'm sure CATO has a list misdirected BS to refute these facts too.

[-] 1 points by bill1102inf2 (357) 12 years ago

Why is it that when this post gets hit by Trolls it gets moved to the bottom of the list while Troll originated postings are on top?

[-] 1 points by occupyworld (40) 12 years ago

What a great, compassionate country we live in. What country can I move to?

[Removed]

[-] 1 points by JimBeam (152) 12 years ago

What is the financial cut of to be considered the 1%? I consider myself middle class but I don't know what OWS deems 1%.

[-] 3 points by April (3196) 12 years ago

The 1% buys their representation in government. I would like to see serious campaign finance reform enacted.

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

But, but, how is this possible?

The "job creators" are reaping record profits, plus they still have their tax cut.

Something is definitely, not right here. .

[-] 0 points by GreedKilIs (29) 12 years ago

Ask your hero A Lincoln why he chose to fully vaporize the original 13th amendment. Without a doubt, the intent of our Republic was, early on, to keep magician type experts and bribery out of the government.

Oh that's right, A Lincoln was a LAWYER, who by the original 13th Amendment, could not hold elected office.

But you left wing fags would rather cry racist fouls when anyone speaks the truth about your Fascist hero.

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

Robert E Lee and Jefferson Davis were traitors.

Get over it.

They lost.

[-] 0 points by GreedKilIs (29) 12 years ago

stay stupid

you wear it well

[-] 1 points by shoozTroll (17632) 12 years ago

So, you're traitor too?

Sympathizer for treason?

Can't get over it?

It shows.

[-] 0 points by jeivers (278) 12 years ago

Banks do not lend money. They simply create it from debt! In other words, if there was no debt, there would be no money! Our current financial system is dependent on us being in debt to bankers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc3sKwwAaCU&feature=share

[-] 0 points by headlesscross (67) 12 years ago

Hmmmm.....dunno.

[Removed]