Monday, November 28, 2011
Rolling Over The Middle Class
Below is a good analysis of the economic plight of our disappearing middle (and working) class:
http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/11/galbraith-social-security-middle-class
Coupled with living pay check to pay check, crippling credit card & education debt it is no wonder that people watch what is happening to the Occupy Wall Street movement, agree that they are, too, part of the 99% but keep on with their heads down.
Here are some proposals to start with (all are negotiable):
Congress members should roll back their salaries...as of 1/2010 the salary for new members $174,000 (before adding in benefits, and realizing that seniority, chair ships, etc, add on to pay). The average family of four has an income of about $50,000 per year, so a member of Congress should earn double that--so Congressional leaders reflect who they are serving. (The same goes for the President--who also does not have housing costs during the term of office).
Congressional Ethics should stop the revolving door that President Eisenhower warned us of...how obscene it is to learn that Gingrich earned $1.6 million + from Freddie Mac.... (Serving in government should not be a get rich quick scheme!)
We should implement a 2 year community service or military service program for young people 18-20. It will teach them to give back, give them some life experiences on their own and help others. I also am in favor of a similar program for those who take "early retirement" before age 70. For the elders, they can do service in their home communities--20 hours a week working in literacy programs, libraries or soup kitchens.
FICA should be on all pay income earned, not limited to the first $106,000. That would secure Social Security.
Want students to really learn: get rid teaching to the test ways of measuring excellence (not) in schools;that will save monies, and give teachers roughly 2 more months to really teach.
Single payer health insurance--the government already provides that for the poor, the elderly, prisoners, military members and veterans, and governmental employees. It is the private health insurance companies that have jacked up the cost of health care (and are the ones who deny health care services. The US pays the most for health care, yet we are way below the top ten when it comes to infant and mother' mortality, for instance.
Legalize and tax marijuana. In fact, end the war on drugs.
That is a start...more to come...
http://motherjones.com/politics/2010/11/galbraith-social-security-middle-class
Coupled with living pay check to pay check, crippling credit card & education debt it is no wonder that people watch what is happening to the Occupy Wall Street movement, agree that they are, too, part of the 99% but keep on with their heads down.
Here are some proposals to start with (all are negotiable):
Congress members should roll back their salaries...as of 1/2010 the salary for new members $174,000 (before adding in benefits, and realizing that seniority, chair ships, etc, add on to pay). The average family of four has an income of about $50,000 per year, so a member of Congress should earn double that--so Congressional leaders reflect who they are serving. (The same goes for the President--who also does not have housing costs during the term of office).
Congressional Ethics should stop the revolving door that President Eisenhower warned us of...how obscene it is to learn that Gingrich earned $1.6 million + from Freddie Mac.... (Serving in government should not be a get rich quick scheme!)
We should implement a 2 year community service or military service program for young people 18-20. It will teach them to give back, give them some life experiences on their own and help others. I also am in favor of a similar program for those who take "early retirement" before age 70. For the elders, they can do service in their home communities--20 hours a week working in literacy programs, libraries or soup kitchens.
FICA should be on all pay income earned, not limited to the first $106,000. That would secure Social Security.
Want students to really learn: get rid teaching to the test ways of measuring excellence (not) in schools;that will save monies, and give teachers roughly 2 more months to really teach.
Single payer health insurance--the government already provides that for the poor, the elderly, prisoners, military members and veterans, and governmental employees. It is the private health insurance companies that have jacked up the cost of health care (and are the ones who deny health care services. The US pays the most for health care, yet we are way below the top ten when it comes to infant and mother' mortality, for instance.
Legalize and tax marijuana. In fact, end the war on drugs.
That is a start...more to come...
Labels: Economy, middle class
