Guest Blogged by Alan Breslauer
Below is a sampling of statistics and fun comparisons contained within the newly released 2006 Injustice Index, which is part of the The Drum Major Institute For Public Policy’s 2006 Year in Review:
Number of workers who would directly benefit from an increase in the minimum wage: 5.6 million
Number of very large estates that would directly benefit from a reduction in the estate tax: 8,200
Number of households using credit to cover basic living expenses: 7 in 10
Total Wal-Mart received in government subsidies, sometimes called “corporate welfare” by activists, in 2005: $3.75 billion
Projected total in Christmas bonuses that investment banks in New York City will pay out in 2006: $23.9 billion
Estimated additional amount U.S. workers would receive annually if all employers obeyed workplace laws: $19 billion
See more fun stats and the entire Year in Review at the Drum Major Institute.
“It was the best of times, it was the…BLURST OF TIMES?????” (Mr. Burns from the Simpson’s)
i think my head just exploded.
Amazing! Ditto what DES said……..
I’m happy to say I’ve never put a dime in the stock market. Making money with money just seems sneaky.
“I wish I had a dime for every dime I have”
~Dudley Moore playing a lovable alcoholic born into wealth in “Arthur”
Can it really be said a CEO is worth as much in 4 hours as any other person’s entire year of labor?
Something is seriously wrong there!
If ‘7 of 10’ households need credit to stay above water, then that only leaves the top 3% of Americans (in terms of income) who are doing okay. Where’s the solid middle-class?
Something is seriously wrong there!
If Republicans and businessmen alike are so high on ‘free enterprise’, then why would they ever accept government handouts? Why wouldn’t they rail against them publicly and the taxes charged to raise that money? Seems hypocritical, eh?
Something is seriously wrong there!
Who’s going to fix these problems? Who CAN fix it?
It seems those in power don’t believe those are problems. They revel in the year-end bonuses and high CEO pay. I fear they are in charge and the public (“We the People”) are not being represented (‘taxation without representation’). After all, if the poor were really in charge, would they vote to give billions to Wal-Mart? I don’t think so.
We need to get rid of electronic voting machines and educate the public to vote Democratic — liberal or progressive Democratic!