Here are the facts from the Census as I see them. The data is from 2003 and is also listed in 'real' 2003 dollars. You will notice a decline in real wages in recent years due to recession. http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/h03ar.html
Also, as shown here, you can see what percentages of income are apportioned to each 1/5 of the population. Overall, people are better off than they were in the 1950's, they are margianlly better off than in the 1970's and in recent years progress has ground to a halt or declined. http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/histinc/h02ar.html
Here is a pdf. which shows poverty, clearly a larger percentage of people are now living in poverty from 2000-2003. A big chunk of those people are kids. http://www.census.gov/prod/2004pubs/p60-226.pdf
Here is the consumer price index. It isn't pretty when seen next to wages. http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/income03/cpiurs.html
I am dubious that this Heritage article that was posted as evidence was a fair and accurate representation of reality. http://www.heritage.org/Research/Taxes/bg1791.cfm
I read it carefully and found it mostly an attempt to justify some severe 'modifications' to the Census statistics, to muddy the water, to give people an excuse to ignore the facts, and to smear the Census people as raving lefist statisticians who use statistics to justify an agenda. I don't think that kind of perversion of the facts is ethical, fair or moral on the part of the Heritage Foundation. I believe the work that has gone into the Census is an impartial, fair, accurate and useful representation of our country. The Heritage Foundation is the organization with the partisan agenda, not the Census people.
I guess the bottom line for me is that the economy is uneven or in decline in my little world. I have seen far too many of my friends laid off to feel secure. Many people I know are worried, and they have reasons be worried. The dollar is in free fall, jobs are sluggish, retail sales are down, inflation is up, consumer debt is at an all time high, medical costs are out of control, gas is up, the defecit is exploding, the trade defecit is sending 1% of the USA net worth overseas every year and interest rates are headed up. When it rains, it pours.
Peter Vevang Holland Nieghborhood
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