11-13-2015, 11:57 PM
(11-13-2015, 02:55 PM)Benton Wrote: I dunno. Those benefits are largely for those in the bottom-most brackets. Like Matt, that's pretty much out the window for a lot of us who have decent jobs. I've got two kids and pretty soundly in the middle class, but I don't qualify for any of that outside of possibly the child tax credit (I know we deduct medical expenses, but I generally stay out of the tax stuff for our household, I've got enough of that at work).
Those benefits have increased, I'm sure, for the lower earners, but that doesn't do anything to offset the wage and hiring freeze my company has. I guess eventually if the wages don't come up, I'll qualify for social aide. Which is a depressing thought.
http://www.epi.org/publication/a-decade-of-flat-wages-the-key-barrier-to-shared-prosperity-and-a-rising-middle-class/
I'd just like to see an actual chart of wages with government benefits contained in the wage figure. That chart -- as far as I know -- does not exist. The bottom 20% for sure would be much higher while the 2nd 20% (percentile) would also rise. It's the middle 20% that would see the stagnation or decline IMHO.
We are creating a generation that do not aspire to be great. Use to be that people strove towards goals. Now mediocrity and acceptance of one's lot in life is admired. I get that a person could get a factory job and support their family back in the 50s to 70s. Things are vastly different now. Two wage earners and no stay-at-home parent. Plus all of our government programs are geared toward the wrong message -- don't work harder and do not get married.
To each his own... unless you belong to a political party...
