US income inequality continues to grow

[Benton]

(07-20-2018, 10:17 PM)michaelsean Wrote: If we are defining wealthy as top 1% I don’t think most wealthy people involve themselves overmuch with politics, and have very little influence.

People’s best interest lies where they decide it lies.

Most of them individually probably don't. I've only know a handful over the years, but their political opinions are as diverse as anyone, and most of those didn't have a lot of political interest. But the people they pay do. Lobbyists and lobbying groups aren't led by a handful of rich elitists, they're paid for by companies and industries where people are doing the best thing for their own interests. 

So while they individually may not exert a lot of political influence, their money does.

(07-23-2018, 02:29 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Because it's not FAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!! 

Because it's not REPRESENTATIVVVVVVVVVVVVE!!! 

Some income inequality is a good thing. You make your money, you keep the bulk of your money and throw a little to the public good. We all do that. 

But right now you've got the top 10% of the country making the bulk of the money and paying the bulk of the income taxes (it's murky how much the total tax liabilities differ when you include sales taxes, capital gains taxes, property taxes,etc.). And having almost all of the representation in state and federal government. That makes it difficult to legislate to the majority and even harder for those 90% to understand what's being legislated. 

Like Obamacare and the misnomers the GOP put out in trying to get it undone. When you talk to some of those 90%ers, they thought Obamacare was communism and needed abolished (even though they were on it); talk to them after the election when they found out they'd just lost coverage and they didn't understand. Whether you were in favor of it or against it, politicians rallied support by misinformation. Why? Because it was in their donors' best interest. Which is how politics works, but they can do it because they don't have to go home and explain why they did it to that large chunk of people not in their socio-economic class.