more evidence of two Americas

[RazzleCat]

The top fifth of earners in Manhattan now make 52 times what the lowest fifth make - $365,826 compared with $7,047 - which is roughly comparable to the income disparity in Namibia, according to the Times analysis of 2000 census data. Put another way, for every dollar made by households in the top fifth of Manhattan earners, households in the bottom fifth made about 2 cents.

That represents a substantial widening of the income gap from previous years. In 1980, the top fifth of earners made 21 times what the bottom fifth made in Manhattan, which ranked 17th among the nation's counties in income disparity.

link http://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/04/nyregion/04income.html?th=&adxnnl=1&emc=th&adxnnlx=1125835610-gL7tPQZ/ZxWpn+rWClVU6A

[Cobalt Violet]

1. That's why for the poor America is a third world nation.

Who can argue that now?

[Sugarbleus]

2. Exactly........

I've been using that line in a few posts here over the last couple days.

AMERICA: The GREATEST third World Country on Earth!!

As my sister and I discuss what/how we will find our next dwelling to live in, how we'll get our teeth fixed, how we'll pay for blood pressure meds, how she'll get her kneecaps replaced, how she will find work looking like she does and feeling like she feels (anxiety ridden and fearful)....We laugh. Laughter is still our outlet for the anxiety and worry..very therapuetic. BUT, it's NOT FUNNY.

Poor is anyone who is living on minimum wage, living on disability, living on Social security in old age or as a widow left w/ nothing, a veteran who has come back from war all messed up with no options, mentally ill citizens, single women w/children working about three jobs just to pay the rent, the utterly homeless, even those who only have Medicaid or Medicare for health care. Poor is not strickly reserved for homeless or crack addicts. It's anyone who cannot pay expensive rents from whatever source their earnings come from. Who have NOTHING left over for simple pleasures like going to the movies or getting a haircut or put a gallon of gas in their broken down vehicle just to get to the grocery to spend money for cheap food in order to fill their stomachs!!!

Not everyone who is "poor" is uneducated either; additionally, most are decent caring human beings who do more for their neighbor in need than anyone in the middle class and upwards.

I get really peeved when people talk about "the poor" like they were a bunch of lepers.........................over there.

No, people cannot argue about our attitudes.

PEACE~~SB

[Broken_Hero]

3. Very good post...

The Third World is alive and well in the good Old US of A...

[OldSeahorse]

4. The middle class

is skidding downhill rapidly so that the entire country will soon be a third world nation.