275% Redux

For the last couple of days I've been working on this week's essay, here and there, when I had a few minutes to devote to it. The original title was "275%". I wrote my usual length offering but, after re-reading it, I just couldn't subject you or me to many of the same things I've been writing about since last March. So I decided to make this a short one. A redux, if you will. My original piece had some detailed arguments on how the economic and political fortunes of this country started changing under the Reagan administration and have continued up to this day. I attempted to eloquently explain how changes in government tax policy, labor policy, and corporate business policies have led us directly to this state in our country. I explained how "the rich" influence lawmakers to rig the system in their favor at the expense of the middle class. It's not a complicated thing to understand if you just examine the facts. But you've heard all that from me before. So this time it's just the facts- and I'm sure you'll get the point!

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, in a report released last week, after tax income/wealth distribution increased as follows over the last thirty years.

- Top 1% increased income/wealth by 275%
- Top 20% (averaging in the top 1%) increased income/wealth 65%
- Bottom 80% saw virtually no change in income/wealth
- income/wealth disparity is at the highest level in our history

So there you have it- no fancy analysis needed. This is a perfect picture of economic and social injustice. This is a perfect prescription for the economic disaster we're living with now. This is the perfect explanation of why we need to get the money out of politics. This is the perfect reason to stand with the 99% Movement/Occupy Wall Street movement. It's really all you need to know.

Thanks for looking in.
-