The Clash of the Classes

www.opensecrets.org...

Members of Congress are enjoying their own financial stimulus.

Despite a stubbornly sour national economy congressional members’ personal wealth collectively increased by more than 16 percent between 2008 and 2009, according to a new study by the Center for Responsive Politics of federal financial disclosures released earlier this year.

And while some members’ financial portfolios lost value, no need to bemoan most lawmakers’ financial lot: Nearly half of them -- 261 -- are millionaires, a slight increase from the previous year, the Center’s study finds. That compares to about 1 percent of Americans who lay claim to the same lofty fiscal status.

And of these congressional millionaires, 55 have an average calculated wealth in 2009 of $10 million or more, with eight in the $100 million-plus range.
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In 2009, the median wealth of a U.S. House member stood at $765,010, up from $645,503 in 2008. The median wealth of a U.S. senator was nearly $2.38 million, up from $2.27 million in 2008.

14.3% or 43.6 million Americans live below Federal Poverty Line

Average Net Worth is $182,000 for Americans

Between 2008 and 2009 the median net wealth of members of Congress risen 16% while the Net Worth for Americans dropped 1.3% this quarter. With the members of Congress averaging $765,010 in 2009 for net wealth this means our Congressmen and women are the top 1% of Americans on the wealth ladder. The Net Worth for Americans is $182,000 which is down from 2008 while the average member of Congress net wealth jumped from $645,503 in 2008 to $765,010 in 2009.

The Net Worth of the US is only 23.79% of the Net Worth of our representatives. Do you feel very represented? Do you wonder why there is no immediate action to help create jobs or assist the poor? Ever wonder why there is no serious action taken to reduce poverty or income inequality? Wonder why they have no true desire to regulate the companies that they are making millions off of?

We have two parties of the elite for the elite. They represent the top 1% of the population because they ARE the top 1% of the population! There is no representation in a supposedly representative government when your representatives make 4 times the average income of the general population. When you have the top 1% managing the assistance and creating policies to assist the poor which make up 14% of the US population, how could they possibly help them or even care to help them?

No wonder anyone who dares to challenge the establishment is kicked out, the establishment are the elites. When we think of multi-millionaires we don’t tend to think about DC but rather Wall Street. There is no worry or focus on Main Street when nearly everyone is living like they are on Wall Street.

That’s why anyone who dares to question the upper class is demonized and destroyed and labeled a Socialist because they would never want anyone in office who might break up the whole cabal. I’m sorry but there is a class-war going on and it is the corporations, the bankers, and our elected officials against the Middle Class. When will people wake up and see that someone crusading for the Middle Class and talking about class issues is not someone who is committing class warfare that is someone who is defending you.

Glad to know so many people even here on ATS who proclaim to “Deny Ignorance” have been sucked into their little vacuum.

reply to post by Misoir


All I know is somebody is getting the good tomatoes and I am getting the ones that bounce.

reply to post by Misoir


Here Here, Life ,Creativity,Ingenuity, and the overall direction of America was Much better when there were
many more classes of wealth as well as many more undefined boundaries. Just for perspective, do you think that
an ultra billionaire created the Skateboard?, Do you think and ultra millionaire created the snowboard? Do you think
Bill Gates was worth 50 Billion when he started out? The People of The U.S.A. Created the Television, The Automobile, The Telephone, The Washing Machine, The Lightbulb(advanced vacuum version), The Cotton Gin,
etc.,etc. ad infinity. The exceptional list is available from The Library of Congress /U.S Patent Office. What is happening now is no less than Treason. I do not type these words lightly. Small Business and Innovation is being stifled. Those who have already succeeded are holding on to it so tightly that they are literally Strangling Lady Liberty.
Think I am mistaken?

One last note, it has been hinted that The Pentagon is literally 50 years + ahead in technology that is available
in the private sector. If this is true, Wouldn't this be the Ideal time for the Pentagon to "Pull the rabbit out of the hat" so to speak? Maybe a half a dozen rabbits. Now wouldn't that be a show. It would certainly prove their
allegiance to "The Citizens of The United States of America" once and for all. Not a moment too soon either.

This is a very important Thread that you have created. I am truly troubled by the direction, or more so, the lack
thereof in Social Engineering currently. Someone dropped the ball decades ago due to Myopia, and left us
and their own families in a very dangerous situation.

History may not repeat itself exactly, but it does Rhyme. Often in painful screams and violent revolution.

S & F and best regards.

reply to post by Misoir

The Net Worth of the US is only 23.79% of the Net Worth of our representatives. Do you feel very represented? Do you wonder why there is no immediate action to help create jobs or assist the poor? Ever wonder why there is no serious action taken to reduce poverty or income inequality? Wonder why they have no true desire to regulate the companies that they are making millions off of?

The problem you are seeing is what happens when you half-ass socialism. In a free market, none of this would be the responsibility of the government, and the representatives wouldn't be getting much in terms of kick-backs because the government would have very little to do with business (why spend money on something that doesn't get you the results you desire).

In socialism, none of this would be a problem because you would have the servant and the master social classes. The servant classes only think they have it good because of taxes on the master classes - and they have no problems riding on someone's coat-tails (and are oblivious to the fact that the person wearing the coat is ultimately deciding the destination).

There is no representation in a supposedly representative government when your representatives make 4 times the average income of the general population.

This is not well supported logic. One does not require the same life experiences as you to represent you. One only needs to be capable of taking your concerns -when communicated by you- and consider them in the issues the represented district is facing.

They represent the top 1% of the population because they ARE the top 1% of the population!

This is not true at all. Congress falls within the top 5% of wage earners. usgovinfo.about.com...

The current salary (2010) for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $174,000 per year.

wiki.answers.com...

"Including all tax returns that had a positive AGI [adjusted gross income], taxpayers with an AGI of $153,542 or more in 2006 constituted the nation's top 5 percent of earners. To break into the top 1 percent, a tax return had to have an AGI of $388,806 or more. The top-earning 25 percent of taxpayers [have an] AGI over $64,702."

They need to do much better than double their income to break into the top 1% of wage earners.

What you cited was net-worth, which is substantially different than income. Net worth is assets minus liabilities - debts versus savings, material possessions considered of taxable value, etc.

When you have the top 1% managing the assistance and creating policies to assist the poor which make up 14% of the US population, how could they possibly help them or even care to help them?

The more pertinent question is why should they be obligated to help?

No wonder anyone who dares to challenge the establishment is kicked out, the establishment are the elites. When we think of multi-millionaires we don’t tend to think about DC but rather Wall Street. There is no worry or focus on Main Street when nearly everyone is living like they are on Wall Street.

Who has been kicked out? In case you've not been paying attention, quite a few people have been getting upset and challenging the way we do things.

That’s why anyone who dares to question the upper class is demonized and destroyed and labeled a Socialist because they would never want anyone in office who might break up the whole cabal.

Because you are a socialist. You want the government to regulate and control the market, to provide a standard of living for all citizens, and demonize anyone with more wealth than the average person. That's an extreme form of socialism with communist viewpoints intertwined. You can call a pile of garbage a rose, and it doesn't make it smell any better.

When will people wake up and see that someone crusading for the Middle Class and talking about class issues is not someone who is committing class warfare that is someone who is defending you.

Of course, my annual income is "below poverty" - it would be 'in my interest' to provide me with a standard of living. Someone warring against the classes to provide me with a standard of living simply because I exist would certainly be in the category of "on my side."

But, for whatever reason, I find the whole concept rather insulting. Anyone below the poverty line is so pathetic as to require coercion via the legislative system in order to survive. Anyone with less than someone else is somehow being victimized by the fact that another person has a higher income or net-worth if you believe all of this nonsense about "elites."

I don't appreciate you hijacking the financial status of other people and using it as a weapon to further your own socio-political agenda.