Reich said that “ominous forces” have physically divided the country, leaving an “overclass” in the safety of the elite suburbs, an “underclass quarantined in surroundings that are unspeakably bleak, and often violent” and a new “anxious class” trapped “in the frenzy of effort it takes to preserve their standing” as more and more families try to patch together two and sometimes more pay cheques to meet their basic needs. Reich went on to describe widening gaps in income, health care and pensions, which he said are spurring the “disintegration” of the middle class.
OK, so the quote was a little older than the puff piece and most of its data is from the 80's. So here are some more current stats:
In constant 1996 dollars, here's how the figures shape up, according to Census Bureau data:
Between 1980 and 1989, household income for the poorest one-fifth of families rose from $8,547 annually to $8,780.
By 1996, it had sunk back to $8,596.
Meanwhile, the annual income of the richest fifth of the nation rose from $87,797 in 1980 to $115,514 in 1996.
Why Neuro, how polite of you to underscore the failings of the Reagan and Bush administrations.
1996 is such a lovely cut-off point, isn't it? Why little old Clinton had only been in office for three years, and spent much of those three years fighting the entrenched Republican guard. However, let's skip ahead just one year past 1996:
The good news is that income for the median family has been rising since 1993.
However, this nor that was the point. I realize my little "lap dance" of victory would be more than you could bear. However, you're still wandering. Your initial question was addressed and answered, and not by your continual insistence of a fluff piece, but by Census statistics.
"It's the eye of the tiger It's the thrill of the fight Rising up to the challenge of our rival And the last known survivor Stalks his prey in the night And he's watching us all With the eye of the tiger"
However:
"I wear my sunglasses at night so I can keep track of visions in my head." <G>
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