Income gap between rich, poor in W.Va. has grown

Income gap between rich, poor in W.Va. has grown

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- The income gap between the wealthiest West Virginians and their poorer counterparts has grown over the past 20 years, mirroring a national trend toward greater inequality.

The state's richest 20 percent have average incomes of $103,911, compared to an average income of $13,941 for the poorest 20 percent, according to a study released Monday by the nonpartisan Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

That means the richest residents have average incomes roughly 7.5 times greater than the poorest West Virginians, compared to 20 years ago when the gap was 5.9 times greater.

"I think it can lead to a democratic deficit,'' said Ted Boettner, executive director of the West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. "People who are working harder and harder just to get by are less likely to take the time to participate in civic life.''

The study may be understating the size of the gap between rich and poor, since it doesn't include income from capital gains, which tend to go toward those with higher incomes.

West Virginia may be doing better than other states. The study says West Virginia ranks 16th for the disparity between the richest and poorest residents, and 25th when it comes to the difference between the richest fifth and the middle 20 percent.

The states with the largest gap between rich and poor are New York, Alabama, Mississippi, Massachusetts and Tennessee, according to the study.
AP-ES-04-14-08 1640EDT

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200804140416

How about a break down in theeducation level, jobs and medium age and family size of the richest and poorest 20% and who these people are.

The average for the poorest ($13,941) is 40 hours at $6.70/hour. If someone is working for $6.70/hour it's because they're either lazy, dumb as a rock or both. Wendy's and McDonalds start at $7 or better per hour and Wal Mart will pay upwards of $8.00/hour if someone just shows up on time every day and that's starting. Keep showing up and they'll keep raising your pay. All it takes is a willingness to work.

And in today's society, the best way to get an education is to be poor. There is so much money out there for those willing to learn that it's not funny. All they've got to do is get off their keyster and go get it.

HUUUMM, same paper, next day, different story.

April 15, 2008
Income gap is among widest
W.Va.'s poorest see earning fall since late 1990s

The richest West Virginians are pulling away from the poor - and the middle class - faster than in the rest of the United States, according to a new study by two Washington, D.C., nonprofit groups.

West Virginia's poorest families have seen their income decline by more than $1,000 since the late 1990s, after adjusting for inflation.

"That's not surprising," said Ted Boettner, executive director of the nonprofit West Virginia Center on Budget and Policy. "The lack of wage increases in West Virginia is just dramatic.

"The typical worker in West Virginia makes almost $1 less per hour today than 30 years ago," after adjusting for inflation, he said.

The study, "Pulling Apart," by the Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, looked at income data dating back to the late 1980s.

The study found that during the late 1990s, incomes grew for both rich and poor. But the 2001 economic downturn ended that. Incomes stagnated or fell for poor and middle-income families, but rich families recovered - partly thanks to the federal tax cuts of the early 2000s, the report states.

http://www.wvgazette.com/News/200804140614

Now that above sounds like what ole lefty liberal socialist Ted Boettner would say.

Even most dummies know that tax cuts do not cause one's income to grow, ...... to increase.

Tax cuts permit one to keep more of their income.

One's amount of income must preceed any taxes that are levied against said earnings.

And just how did they figure that "Incomes stagnated or fell for poor and middle-income families" .......... when their Earned Income Credit INCREASED during that same period?

GEEEZE, they all received "a BIG income check" when they filed their taxes.

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What are EPI's Values?

• Helping Working People — Economic policy should focus on improving conditions for working people.
  

• Truth and Accuracy Matter — EPI research should be honest and rigorous.
  

• Dignified, Remunerative Work — People must be provided with the capacity and opportunity for dignified, remunerative work for personal as well as societal benefit.
  

• Strong, Effective Labor Movement — A strong, effective labor movement is essential for democracy and to ensure an equitable sharing of income and wealth.
  

• Government For the People — Government should set standards and rules for markets, and should ensure the efficient provision of public goods and investments.

This doesn't strike me as "non-partisan" at all. In fact, I suspect the opposite is true. I suspect the Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities are both partisan organizations and that their report is published now for strictly partisan purposes. The whole point is to promote class warfare. The whole point in calling attention to gross economic disparities is to encourage people to call upon their government to rectifiy those disparities and re-distribute wealth. I think that would be fine but for the fact that it would reward those who do not or cannot work and punish those who do.

• Government For the People — Government should set standards and rules for markets, and should ensure the efficient provision of public goods and investments.

That's gotta be right from the Socialist Handbook.

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It's weird how Teddy keeps popping up, isn't it?

ohio county wrote:This doesn't strike me as "non-partisan" at all. In fact, I suspect the opposite is true. I suspect the Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities are both partisan organizations and that their report is published now for strictly partisan purposes. The whole point is to promote class warfare.

Is "class warfare" only created by the publication of income statistics for "strictly partisan purposes", or is "class warfare" an integral result of a greed based economic syatem?

Surely you don't think that, without the publication of income statistics "now", that "class warfare" would not exist.

I mean, it's not like right leaning organizations aren't publishing their own "non-partisan" economics statistics "now", is it?

(By "now" I presume you mean during election campaign season.)

ohio county wrote:

No, that is not what I wrote. But, yes, your point about the timing is entirely correct. Your first question is like something shermangeneral would ask in one of his polls. It is a false choice. There are many other ways to wage class warfare and we are certainly not limited to one or the other.

ziggy wrote:

ohio county wrote:This doesn't strike me as "non-partisan" at all. In fact, I suspect the opposite is true. I suspect the Economic Policy Institute and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities are both partisan organizations and that their report is published now for strictly partisan purposes. The whole point is to promote class warfare.

Is "class warfare" only created by the publication of income statistics for "strictly partisan purposes", or is "class warfare" an integral result of a greed based economic syatem?

Surely you don't think that, without the publication of income statistics "now", that "class warfare" would not exist.

I mean, it's not like right leaning organizations aren't publishing their own "non-partisan" economics statistics "now", is it?

(By "now" I presume you mean during election campaign season.)

ohio county wrote:

ohio county wrote:

No, that is not what I wrote.

Uh, with all recpect, OC, it is what you wrote- unless I am totally confused here today, which is always a possibility.

Your first question is like something shermangeneral would ask in one of his polls. It is a false choice.

OK. I'll ask it another way. Isn't class warfare an inevitable result of a capitalistic based economic system?

Trivial though it may seem to you, the difference was glaringly apparent to me. I did not highlight the word "now". You did.

If envy, greed and avarice are inevitable, I guess so.

ohio county wrote:Trivial though it may seem to you, the difference was glaringly apparent to me. I did not highlight the word "now". You did.

OK. That is correct. I did that, not to change you emphasis, but to readily show why I used the word "now" in my reply. That is a common practice here. But if that was unfair to you, it was not my intent. But I apologize for offending you- even if unintentionally.

If envy, greed and avarice are inevitable, I guess so.

These three terms are closely related. Greed is the engine-the human engine- of capitalism. Greed is not bad; it is the natural part of humanity that prods us to try to procure for ourselves adequate resources to survive.

I aver that class, classism and "class warfare" are facts of life in many modern economies- and in older ones as well. To suggest that we should not recognize and talk about economic inequalities in the context of election campaigns in a democratic republic is to suggest that politics ought not be about matters that are important to voters.

I think my thrust was more a criticism of the Associated Press' assertion that the group(s) were nonpartisan. It was political polemic disguised as news. Bec ause it is clearly marked as coming off a newswire, the Gazette can safetly claim no violation of their journalistic objectivity.

ziggy wrote:OK. I'll ask it another way. Isn't class warfare an inevitable result of a capitalistic based economic system?

Why it sure is.

Just the other day I was told that was the reason the Shiites and Sunnis were killing each other.

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