American Morning
Broken Government: Middle class fed up?
Editor's Note: All this week in our special series "Broken Government," CNN is taking a hard look at our nation's government; the frustrating problems and the potential solutions. Today, our Carol Costello reports on the growing struggles of the American middle class. Tomorrow on American Morning, we look at why banks still aren't loaning and what the answer is for small businesses.
By Bob Ruff and Carol Costello
What does it take to be part of the American middle class?
Here’s the tried and true way: Get an education, work hard, get a good paying job with benefits, raise a family, buy a house and a car or two and take a vacation once a year.
Put it all together and you’re describing not just the dream, but the fulfillment of that dream by tens of millions of Americans during the last century. But that was then, before the hard economic times following 9/11, and this is now.
Meet the Bindners of Alexandria, Virginia.
“I think the middle class,” says Moira Bindner, “is trying to get a handle on where their feet are because it feels like the rug has been totally pulled out, and it’s really challenging on a day to day basis to accomplish everything with the paycheck coming in the door.”
For example: “You don’t go to the dentist, you don’t get your car repaired until it’s desperate...the retirement plan went out the window and our credit card debt went up,” says Moira.
Moira works for a company that manages professional speakers. Her husband, Michael, works in education. Both have lost their jobs, and while they are now back to work, their combined salary is thousands less than it used to be.
Commerce Department statistics show that the Bindners are hardly alone. From 1990 to 2008, middle class incomes rose just 20%, and most of that happened in the 1990s. Since then, income has stagnated for people in the middle, yet home prices shot up 56%, college costs 60%. As for health care, no one would be surprised to learn that it’s up 155%.
According to some, government has made the problem worse.
Jacob Hacker is a Yale University political scientist who just published “The Great Risk Shift,” a book about the decline of the American dream. He says, “there’s a lot of pressure for politicians to appease those who have the most money in the system.” He’s talking about big political donors and lobbyists who represent the rich and powerful.
Washington gets that there’s a big problem with the middle class in America, says Isabel Sawhill of the Brookings Institution. But “none of them are willing to do the unpopular things, which means they’re not willing to raise taxes, and they’re not willing to cut spending. So we’re at an impasse now and it’s getting worse day by day.”
“The only thing that has come out of Washington is more and more gridlock and more and more game playing,” says Moira.
So, we asked her if government is broken?
“I would say, not broken, but bruised...I think it’s bruised.”
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The blame cannot be laid at the feet of one congressman or president. Over time, everyone of them has forsaken the middle class one appropriation, one bill or one corporate tax cut at a time.
There is an old expression – one nothing broke the horse's back...throw this on the horse's pack, it's nothing. Well, our back is breaking.
It's not democracy that's broken, it's the Washington mentality, similar to the insular culture at GM which had to go for the company to survive and grow. We need the same with all 3 branches of government.
Further, the American people need to stop listening to sound bites of news and do their own investigation. It's amazing what you'll discover when you get below the surface.
And for heaven's sake, please keep inflamatory people out of the lime light. Do we really need to hear another uninformed person at a podium spewing hate instead of constructive ideas? yes, we all know that the greedy have battered the country, but instead of just bashing other's ideas, come up with something better.
I think the author is behind on the real vision of the middle class dream. What I see is these days is "get an education, get a job, buy a house you cannot afford and 2 imported cars, get in debt way over your head, and then expect someone to bail you out." The work hard and save for a rainy day ethics are long gone.
Children are NOT a necessity. Cell phones, cable/satellite, eating out, credit cards also aren't a necessity. Maybe Americans need to get their priorities in order. My grandparents and parents never had the debt Americans have today.
I worked for ATT for 37 years and I have had a front ow seat to the rape of America.Is our phone system better since deregulation?Is our airline system better since deregulation?Is our banking and investements industries kinder and gentler since deregulation?Why is health insurance industriy the only ones (except for pro baseball) immune from anti-trust(price fixing ,monopolies)?Are we better off since the dramatic change in allowable legal immigrants in the 70s?Are we better off since all the out sourcing to other nations of much of the work previously done in America?Why do banks and auto makers get tax breaks at this time.The list goes on and on.All attributable to a government run by and for corporations.This government is not broken.it just doesnt represent the average worker bee.Bush 2 announced that he was going to run his administration like a corporation! Im also amazed no one has tied the Vegas federal buildig attack with the texas plane attack.The laws these people are upset about are written to use against Joe blow but are passed at the behest of the monied busines interests so they can continue to feast on the American populace.
We need to repeal the elitist economic policies inimical to the middle class that were incipient in the 1960s but flourished in the decades that followed, eg., deregulation, so called-free trade/outsourcing, executive agencies infiltrated with industry insiders, and the sickening amount of lobbyist/corporate money drowning out our cries for common sense reform.
WE NEED GOVERNMENT HEALTHCARE!!!
We are middle class with 3 teenagers and that is our only area of difficulty...if your poor you get free medical and dental and if you are retired you get medicare...but us in the middle get no checkups and go to the emergency room when we need to see a doctor....whats up with people not wanting goverment healthcare...and if you are in the military you have nothing to say cuz you get EVERYTHING from the government
Just by stepping out your front door, you can pretty much see how much of a bad job our entire government is doing, from the hike in crime to hunger, it's as if there is no american dream, and the sad part about it , is that our government simply does not care, because if they did, the things that go on in this country wouldn't exist.
JUST 4 WORDS would send fear, anguish, and OH KNOW from the banks, credit card companies and give the hard working AMERICAN an even playing board..... THOSE WORDS ARE:
REPEAL THE BANKRUPTCY LAW.
We need to vote out all Incumbents – Both parties! That is the only way for the American people to deliver the message that we will no longer tolerate the "American political system "dysfunctional," riddled with "brain-dead partisanship" and permanent campaigning." Better yet, vote for anyone you have never heard of – if you know of them , they are likely spending millions on campaigning and are owned by and indebted to special interests! Copy and paste this to your status if you agree.
Bayh got it right! http://news.yahoo.com/s/ynews/ynews_ts1134
The problem with the government is that it is not getting a handle on stopping corporate abuse as it did in past eras. Most people's financial issues are due to the fact that healthcare costs have skyrocketed, wages have frozen and prices keep going up as corporations get ahold of a greater market share. Now the middle class has no money to spend on products and services because the entire paycheck goes to insurance, which we now have to buy ourselves, and bills which keep increasing. Our economic system doesn't produce anything tangible these days. A large share is just healthcare or insurance related. Without a diversified economy, we will collapse.
It's the "funding / financing" system of our politics that has set up the crash that's broken our government. As Deep Throat once famously stated "follow the money". Yet, for some reason, the public seem to be willing to take up serious discussion regarding either term limits (which would reduce the incentive for bigger and better fundraising) or mandatory public financing of campaigns (which obviously completely negates the need to fundraise), and the politicians for sure won't take it up themselves.
So, here's an idea that I really think would work, if only "the public" would get behind it. And, as far as I can see it's not at all partisan.
Why can't we simply limit, by LEGISLATION, the time period during which any Federal Politician could engage in fundraising? Why not demand (we the people) that none of them take in one red cent to their campaign war chests during the first 4 1/2 years as a Senator of the first 18 months as a Congress person? And, implement rules that ensure that funds contributed by all of the various PACs and other shadow funding mechanisms are NEW funds, also, meaning funds that can be proven to have been raised during the said 6 months or 18 months during which fundraising is allowed.
A quick search of the FEC's disclosure website shows us that nearly every single one of the Congresspersons elected in November 2008 began fundraising for the 2010 elections from practically the day that they were sworn into office!
This is my humble suggestion, anyway. But, I think it's a good one. People are mad as hell, no matter which party one identifies with, and while it may be hard for the American people to wrap their heads around whether or not they would want to lose their beloved representatives to term limits, or whether public financing would really only mean higher taxes, I think that every one of us can understand that the endless campaign, and the quest for even bigger sources of funding are what are keeping our elected representatives from actually doing the job they were sent to Washington to do, and that is the work of the people, not the work of ensuring that they come out on top in the next election.
Our Government is crooked, and sneaky and greedy. The Middle class has been gouged repeatedly and are being forced into poverty. You are either rich or poor, health care has become a dream which we can't afford! Food prices have doubled, jobs have disappeared, banks won't lend and small businesses have been destroyed. it is obvious that BIG Businesses and Politicans are the only ones making money $$. We need shorter terms in office, restructure (lower) all their salaries, take away their health insurance, make them accountable for their time, expenses and eliminate any and all Lobbying ! Its "our tax money" that they have and are abusing. Most Americans are pissed off, broke and fed up with our Government!
Yes, our Government is broken, but that's not all. Our whole country is broken. Every person old enough to vote for the past 50 years is quilty of the mess we are in now. Our jobs have been shipped overseas or beyond our borders, Wallstreet and special interest groups have prostituted Washington, the country is mortgaged to the hilt, and "We the people" have stood by and let it happen. Its time for the American people to take back our country. So quit whining and take a stand. If politicians aren't representing "we the people" then get rid of them.
It all gets down to greedy CEo's and their fraternity bros in Congress!one used to be in stocks for investment in a company and shared in its value.Enter the CEOs who work on a bonus from market s share success and their partners in Congress who passed NAFTA for 'trade balance" so their ceo pals could send our jobs to slave labor in Korea and China so the stock market shares would go up so they can receive their outrageous bonuses while paying lobbyists millions to give to the politician's"re-election" campaign(probably in swiss banks accounts.with everyone making money except us,they take our pension plan and play lotto in the stock market with them and when it catches up with them,we are the ones left out in the rain while we(read government) is paying these guys back the money they lost on our behalf.Wheres our money?btw.the only free trade Nafta benefits is the Far east and Mehico.BTw,.everone in the world is laughing at us for spending so much money to police the world.Who made us the saviors.i dont remember voting on that.They had rather get a pat on the back and an attaboy rather than take care of their own people(we Americans)!
No way they can Roosevelt our jobs back like the 1930's.As far as health care goes,no American should have any less coverage than Congress members!!
The mechanism of govenment is not broken. What is broken is the ability of "The People" to think for themselves. The average individual{which is most of us} have a limited understanding as to how our fears and dreams are effectively been manipulated by a powerful, greedy corporate and and religious elite.
With their money and influence this elite creates the environment from which "perfect images" of politicians tell people what they want to hear. We vote for them creating our government.
Society must become mature enough to vote for imperfect human beings that are willing to show the voters exactly the way things are even if it is not what we want to hear.
This is a time to look inside ourselves first, because government is a reflection of who we are as a people.
Only then can we move forward with this great,young american experiment.
Dem. and Rep. in the Senate and Congress need to start working together. The middle class in this country is melting away. All I read and hear about is the Health Care Bill. What everyone needs to take a look at is the "welfare system". That's what hurting this country. If you have a health issue, your insurance company should take care of it old and new. But if you don't have insurance because you say you can't afford it, let them be able to go to the health clinic. Why should the "middle class" help pay for them to get insurance to go to doctor. The health clinics have doctors. If you are sick, than a doctor is a doctor. Make the co-pay a set price that everyone can afford at the clinic. Pres. Oboma or any candidate went into the White House at a bad time. Bush and his group set them up for failure. Now they are sitting back with no issues. Pres. Clinton didn't do that to them. I say take a harder look at the people sitting on their butts getting those "welfare checks" every month and doing nothing to earn it. I say make the Social Workers do a check and balance on their clients. Then their boss can check on them. The welfare system needs a look into.
Middle class is not only fed up with the government, corporate America is also feeding off of the middle class. Case in point, when companies have executives that are paid 275% more than the rank and file, this is slavery. A CEO making 26 million dollars for the work of one person and the average salary of his employees is a range from 80 thousand to 100 thousand amounts to nothing but slavery with a dollar figure to appease the law of slavery. You cannot tell me that a CEO making 26 million dollars is doing the work of 260 people making a salary of 100 thousand a year. It’s time the work force demand equal pay for the work that we do. No one person is worth that especially when they can’t do the work that make the company what it is. If you work for a company and you have purchased stock in that company, let your voice be heard and get touch with the proxy vote of your share, bond together as employees and set the by laws that benefit you as an employee. Don’t always agree with the board of directors; vote them out when they become a talking head for the CEO and their executive staff. When you look at a sports team, the coach does not make more than the players on the court or field, because the players are the force that makes the workforce and team just like the average employee in the corporate workforce. CEO’s use employees like chess piece when their bonus are determined by the profit of a company and when the CEOs don’t make their numbers, their method starts with employee layoffs. Employees should put on the proxy vote that no employee can be laid off when the company is making an annual profit. Laws should be passed and enforced on how companies report profit and loss. It’s time the average employee bond together as one union where we buy stock in all the fortune 1000 companies and a group and take control of the corporate executive pay that is out of control and out of touch with the average employee.
I am sick, livid, vile and tired of our government and especially the way it apparently works. To me words that are more vile than the "f" word are the following words: Republican, Democrat, Conservative, Liberal, Socialist, Marxist, Capitalist, Partisan, Bipartisan, Experiance and so on. Why? Everyone seems to have there own perspective of what these words mean. These words are used by polititians to deceive the people to get themselves elected or re-elected into office. I, for one, would like to see on the ballot for any given office or issue the following option: "None of the Above". Congress has got to get it into head that they only represent their constituents in their state and congressional district. Period. When they fail to represent us and instead represent corporate interests and wealth. We should reserve the right by majority vote to have them removed from office. And, we shouldn't have to wait until the regular election to do it! In other words congress, watch your step, if you want to keep your job! I would rather see a bunch of empty seats, regardless of the consequences than to see this crap go on and on, year after year, decade after decade. I apologize for this diatribe. I feel better now. My next blog will consist of real solutions to fix our broken government.
It is interesting that the congressman with the freezer full of cash is displayed as an example of broken government while the media never show, or asks as far as I know, where the money comes from.
This is like arresting the prostitutes and not the pimps or johns.
Could it be that our corporate owned media do not want us to know where the money comes from?
Yes, I agree with those saying "unfair electoral system". We need free or reduced rate broadcast/postage rights AND limits to allowed campaign funding and expense.
Right now it's all about who has the most dollars to advertise.
I agree that federal government is broken, and has been for some time (decades at least). One thing that adds to this though is that the media, including CNN, run stories that are based on viewer interest due to the "controversy" involved, rather than an overall objective view of what's happening in Washington. Few if any stories run on the successes elected officials have, so the electred officials who do good, don't get the press like those that create controversy and play poltical games.
Party politics seems to have gotten so bad, that perhaps a large enough wave of independents running and getting elected (if they can compete) can help make a difference. Find, encourage, support and vote for an independent this coming election!
Another major contributor is the extent and impact of lobbying. To help lessen this, here's an idea. My understanding, including from seeing it first hand, is that sentaors and representatives rarely if ever debate issues. They make appearances that are mainly for the TV audience, and then come in for a vote for a few minutes and leave the chamber. Early in our country's history, the elected officials needed to get together presumably to debate, and to vote. Since they aren't debating in the chamber anyway, and could push a button to vote securely just as easily from their office in their home district or state, they should spend nearly all of their time in their home district/state, making it much harder and more expensive for lobbyists to get at them directly. Maybe the impact will be like with other things, if you raise the cost of something people will use it less. Less lobbying and more face time with the people from the home district or state should provide better accountability and better reflect the kind of elected official performance that people expect.
our government is broken we need time limits on congress just as we have on the presidency all congress does is raise money to be reelected if they had term limits they would be more inclined to help the people like they are supposed to do BUT IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE TO PASS LAWS THAT WOULD MAKE THEM LEAVE AND THEY ARE TOO SELFISH FOR THAT
We all know that politicians listen mainly to those with money. I just think that we should know who "bought" our politicians. Personally I think they should be like Nascar and they should have to list who bought them (you know the bigger the sign, the more they paid). Personally I'm not poor enough for the Democrats to care about, but too poor for the Republicians–the middle class is the forgotten class these days.
To: the recent writers
I think we all agree that the system's broken. I'm saddened by the difficulties many of us are facing. It will not get better without the US citizens coming together and NOT purchasing products made, grown, and labored-for in the USA. Corporation are now getting off scott free, by using loop-hole income-tax shelters. This is unfair. At the same time they make profits. When you look at real income, measured by purchasing power, the biggest increase in wealth is occurring to the top 5%, many within this 5%, owning corps with overseas trading. The top 1% earners have had income increases of 106% gains in real income (numbers over the past 30 yrs), while the balance of the rest of the US can't keep up.
Thanks Carol
Loved the story. Wish Mike got a quote or two – but thought it was balanced. Glad we could be a part of it.
Keep asking the great questions.
The problem with your presentation of this issue (so far) is that it lacks insight: WHY is our Congress dysfunctional and WHO is chiefly responsible? While I hate to sound like a single-minded partisan, from what I have seen, there are several blocs of Democratic members of Congress who work across party lines; you interviewed a "blue dog" Democrat on this morning's show, for instance. But WHERE ARE THE "RED DOG REPUBLICANS"? I know there are moderate Republicans and regional lines of demarcation among Republicans out there, but the fact is that the Republicans have provided not one single vote in favor of anything or anyone the President has promoted, allowing themselves to be painted over by the most extreme elements of their ideology. It's doesn't look like it is mainly a "congressional" problem and it doesn't look like it is mainly a "democratic" problem. From here it looks like it's mostly a "Republican" problem, highlighted by the historically abusive rate of use of filibusters in the Senate. It is time for CNN to tell it like it is; I'll be watching.
It's not Federal Income Taxes that are the problem, it's ever-escalating insurance costs (at all levels), property taxes, electricity bills, water bills, cable bills, telephone bills – everything we pay on a day to day basis and the add-on taxes and charges on all these bills.
The political 'double-talk' avoids these real problems because of the influence of lobbyists. Federal Income Taxes are an easy target for, mainly Republican, lawmakers to target for reduction, avoid the real issues, and protect their relationships with the lobbyists.
They call it 'Allowing Free Enterprise to Work". I call it "Corruption".
I am fed up with a government that responds only to the corporations and their lobbyist's and the situation is only going to get worse with the recent supreme court ruling.
I am fed up with politicians on both sides of the aisle that are elected to represent the people only to find they are brain dead when they get to DC.
I am also fed up with a government that allow coompanies to cross over our borders to avoid paying taxes and giving our good jobs away to people that are willing to work for less than a livable wage with no benefits to improve their bottom line..
I am fed up with a gov. that allows corportations like Brown & Root and their parent companies to move their offices out of the country to avoid taxes but still yet received billion dollar contracts from the USA.
Our gov. bails out the bankers & wall st., allowing them to pass out "fat cat bonus's" while doling out to their customers .47 cents a month on a deposit of $12,000.
I could go on and on but you get my drift and the future does not look good for the middle class under the money system that now prevails.
I always have believed that our government is for the government, not for the people who elected them. My view of a politician is this," they are our elected prostitutes, not elected officials whos job is to represent the people who voted them in and to serve the people".
I will be brief. There are two major problems which have been burdening the political process for decades and are at the root of this unsustainable problem.
(1) The monopoly the two-party system has on government, funding, and policy decisions. This has stifled free speech, an exchange of ideas which are more to the center and have lead to the polarization we see today. If you are a true student of history, the two-party system is a relatively new phenomenon which was not intended by our founding fathers. This is just one-step away from consolidated power.
(2) The inordinate amount of influence that lobbyist have upon elected officials. This has lead to an unhealthy incentive for elected officials to respond to wrong directives as opposed to responding to the electorate.
In my opinion the solution is to disband the two-party system or in the alternative create greater access to funding for minority parties, while limiting access to funding for majority parties. This would dilute the control the two parties have on government and lead to greater compromise and ease the flow of decision making. It is not surprising that the views espoused by Ron Paul and others who would normally would not have a voice are now taking hold and have provided them greater access to a larger platform. Whether you agree with them or not, their voice needs to be heard and their ideas brought to the table in order for us to move together as a United States.
Our family moved to the United States from Norway in 1998.
I am an American citizen and my husband is a Norwegian citizen and
Our four children have duel citizenship.
We came to the United States to purchase a business and had sold everything we owned, including our home and gave up our secure jobs in Norway because it was our understanding that we were going to have a better life in America. The Norwegian winters are extremely long, dark and harsh, something I had never gotten used to.
When we first arrived we of course had the money to buy the business but needed a couple of additional loans from the bank to buy some equipment and additional tools. We went around to some of the big banks and quite honestly they would not give us the time of day because we had no credit history. There was however one local bank that beleived in us and took a stand with a loan and ever since then we have been using this local bank for our daily banking needs including business and personal checking and additional loans for purchases. There were never any problems because this bank had stood behind us and we have always paid everything we had borrowed back on time so we have had an excelent track record and a good credit score.
Then last year we found out that the house which is connected to the property where our workshop is was in dire need of a complete remodel
including a new roof. We had been doing things to improve the property
over the last couple of years like replacing the windows and these things we had paid for out of pocket but the estimates for this major remodel were coming in at $40 grand plus which we needed help with.
We went to out long term loyal lender with all the appropriate paper work
and waited for a reply. It was summer so we figured it might take longer than usual to hear back from them due to vacations. We called back in a month's time and they said they needed some additional information so we got it to them and waited, another month. Nothing. We called and they said they could loan us about one third of the money we needed to do the work so we went ahead and secured a contrator with our savings so he could get started and be completed before winter.
We called the bank again and got some run around from our long term loan officer and he said he needed more time to get the loan approved.
By this point the roof was well underway and we had used up most of our savings. This leaves us with no choice if we want to finish the house but to apply for credit cards and try to repay with a high interest rate.
Our credit card interest paid last year alone was over 16 grand.
I tried to reason with our local bank that I would rather have paid them
that interest through a consolidation loan but they will not help us.
There is something broken and to tell the truth the long harsh winters of Norway are starting to look pretty good to me now.
First, I would like to know how you define the Middle Class: by type of employment, level of income or amount of education? Then think of who filled the ranks of the Middle Class in the post WWII years: many were factory workers. Well, what has Congress done over the decades? It has legislated all kinds of laws and regulations that ended American industrialism in the homeland. So little is manufactured Stateside now. NAFTA and other laws and free trade agreements and tax breaks have eliminated jobs for the Middle Class. Food products, from fish to tomatoes comes from outside our borders, as does all kinds of clothing, toys and tools. Even tech support isn't domestic. So what Middle Class? Congress has not represented the interests of its citizens for decades. The buck rules.
You can see it even in the sad attempts to reform health care. It would be in the interest of the Middle Class to control the cost of drugs. But Congress caved in and Americans will continue to pay the lions' share of research and development for medications even though everyone in the world will benefit f rom them. What is the answer? Congress needs to represent those who cast votes for them
and not the big lobbyists. We need to reform the national election system and one way would be to reduce the campaigning time for primary campaigns as well as that for congressional and presidential office. We should provide national radio and TV time for campaigning and have stricter limits on all spending on campaigns, including the use of candidates personal income. Corporation law must be changed so they are not considered as an individual for election purposes [and perhaps in other areas as well].
I agree that our government is broken. It's clear that the congress is bought and paid for by special interests with lots of money and power. As a person who spent several years as a lobbyist to our state (WI) legislature, I can speak from personal experience on the extent of the such influence and can only imagine what it is like at the federal level.
One thing I think we lose sight of is that it doesn't make a bit of difference whether the politicians are in the pocket of big business or the Sierra Club; the AFL-CIO or the Chamber of Commerce, or any other set of "right" or "left" leaning interests. I they represent these groups over the interests of their constituents, they are not doing their jobs. Now that the Supreme Court has further undermined the middle class with their "free speech" for corporations ruling, we have no representation in Washington. Voting these members out of office would seem to be the obvious choice but waiting in line for those seats are a cadre of lesser politicians who have the resources to buy those seats with special interests' money. We have no chance of sending people to Washington who represent the people. Nobody can afford to run without money and money from those groups who represent special interests is inherently corrupt.
Finally, I am sick and tired of hearing our representatives talk about the "American" people. With their privilege and power, they have no concept of us and most wouldn't know us if we bit them in the ass.
Thank you
Dick Roellig
The Middle Class of Americans is being destroyed, slowly, but the total destruction seems inevitable. I believe it all comes down to the America coming to believe the greed is good. The first evidence was wall Street and our Banking system. It seems that to be a leading executive in America there is a requirement to be a narcissist. Decisions are made on the basis of improving EBITDA and to gain their bonuses anything goes. It does not matter how much money is borrowed since the interest payments are subtracted in the EBITDA in the final calculation. The bonuses are eliminated in adjusted EBITDA so the Executives reward themselves by borrowing excessively to support spurious projects. The philosophy toward employees is that feet have cost and whatever can be done to decrease cost to expand executive bonuses should be done. Do away with bonus plans and 401k matches they are costs. If you lose some employees who cares there are plenty more to replace those who are lost. This same philosophy of "protect my position" has carried over to our government. There is no longer a concern for we the people , just me and mine. It is not government that is broken, it is the American Way of Life, it is frankly gone. Big business lead the way and took their paid for politicians along with them. It is time for Americans to stand up and say enough. Term limits may help and making any kind of bonus based on net profit income and employee retention may be a start, but at my age I doubt that I will ever see the real America reborn. May God help my children and grandchildren, I apologize to them for not doing more to stop this insanity.
It was nice to see on your morning show President Obama bowling. Today that seems like a luxury that a lot of americans can no longer afford. My household has had a $60,000 + income reduction due to a job loss of 20 years. That is pretty hard to swallow. ALL of our politician have contributed to the financial break down of our country. ALL of our politicians, including President Obama, should put their money where their mouth is and give up their salaries ( that we pay by-the-way ) until our country is in full financial recovery and americans are off unemployment and back to work. " We the People " need to take our country back. Four years is a long time to turn a negative into a positive. Most companies wouldn't give a CEO that long. Our politicians work for US, and WE have the power to fire them if they can not get the job done!
One of the reasons the US became a major world power and South American countries did not is that in our country the middle class held a significantly higher share of national wealth. In South America the rich have traditionally held most of the money and that has held those countries back. Now we are moving towards the South American model where the rich hold all the money. This will weaken the US and cause major instability in our society.
America has become a "Service Nation". We produce few tangible items and most of our jobs are in service industries. Because we import most of our tangible goods, (when was the last time you bought something that didn't say, "Made in China") most of our Dollars are headed to other countries. Then, to get our money back into our economy, we then have to borrow from these countries to "Stimulate" our economy. This just adds to the National Debt.
This is why we don't have any jobs left for the middle class and the only jobs left for the lower class are minimum wage.
The solution is one that will be too difficult for most Americans to swallow. We need to break unfavorable trade agreements, impose tariffs on imported goods and raise their prices. Then America will be forced to become a Manufacturing Nation once again.
But that's just my opinion.
We need to over throw political parties. Republicans and Democrats are no different than Communist or Nazi parties. You have to be a "good party member" to get perks. Being a good party member is more important than doing the right thing. You want to get re-elected? Then you vote the way the party wants you to vote! President George Washington said political parties would ruin the country. He was right.
It's not only our Government that's broken, its our whole country. We blame government for all that's wrong when we need to look at us Americans who gave our Country away over the last couple of decades.
Yes we are all at fault and we all contributed to the mess we're in by allowing our industrial base to slip away year by year by greedy corporations, greedy officials and greedy us. But now is the time to take back OUR AMERICA. We can start by voting out our elected officials who have told story after story of how well they have done in office, we need to start looking for and rewarding companies who make consumer products in OUR AMERICA ( Which is hard to do since we gave it all away) We need to change the Service Businesses that do all our work for us to companies that employ Americans. We need to stop sending Billions of our oil dollars to countries that would rather see us dead. We need to wake up America and start taking control of OUR COUNTRY because our government can't seem to do it.
the middle class has been fading for years. I am a senior. We are considered "Middle Class". Where is the help for us? We watch CNN all the time. How about a story about how the senior's are struggling. The cost of living is skyrocketing and here we are stuggling to make ends meet. Trying to hold on to our precious houses. No increases in social security. So if your are a senior and make a little over 30K, there is no help available. We just paid out $1200.00 for new energey efficient windows and can't qualify for a tax credit....The list goes on. I dare anyone on CNN to do a bit on "Seniors in America". Rotten shae we have to struggle like this.
our government is beyond broken,our so called politicians are out to take care of themselves,their friends and big business.their are two sets of laws one for the famous and wealthy and another for the middle class working people.this was once the greatest country in the world,now its being flushed down the toilet.what we need in this country is a serious revolution to wake up the crooks in washington.
Me, born here (DC) worked on Capitol Hill. College educated, wished for the American Dream and came close to it but it was elusive always slipping away between my fingers. Personal finical hardships, lose of jobs to foreign countries (oh yea, is that patriotic to send jobs overseas?) I am now 52 yrs. old, not just me, I have four friends in the same situation all with college degrees and lost everything. So now I imagine myself as an immigrant, like my grandfather who came from Italy. I come here with nothing and start from the bottom. Looking to get a job in a coal mine or a fast food restaurant but they won't hire me cause I am over qualified and to old. Last four dollars I bought tomato sauce to put on dough, next month I won't have this internet or a cell phone. I'll have to hitch hike to a warmer climate to live on the streets, hey it's still America, I have a dream, I could hit the lottery and my problem would be solved. Wake up America and stop arguing. You know what I have learned about wealthy, politicians, etc...They are PIGS, like a pig they want more and more, REALLY out of TOUCH, this has been building up for decades and I saw it coming. GREED
Ron
The American Dream is alive and doing well - in India, and at a huge discount to corporations. Our, ney, The Government is not broken. They are right on schedule to eliminate the middle class.
Guys, I feel for anyone in the middle class who is starting to feel the economic pinch. I have been disabled for 20 years, almost half of my life due to failed back surgery. Living pay check to pay check doesn’t even begin to describe my life. My wife needs to be on disability but doesn’t qualify. She needs knee surgery, no cartilage left in her knee at all. She actually is a candidate for knee replacement but is too young to qualify for it. God help anyone who is middle class and is now beginning to find out what life is like for the lower class. We have lived begging to be middle class, I guess that wouldn’t even help now. God bless us all, with the government and the economy in shambles we need it.
I'd also like to note my frustration with the fact that none of the people charged with, or claiming to take stock in the reconstruction of our government are not people who are effected of even in touch with the realities of the struggles that the majority of the American public are battling with every day.
The pains of higher living costs and fewer and lower paying jobs is not something, I've come to learn, that one can sympathize with from an owners box far above. It might have a great view, but the blood, sweat, tears and screams are long muffled by space and ignorance.
Our government has always been dysfunctional at best and downright broken at worse. However in attempting to explain why it has come to a screeching halt now you are ignoring the obvious.
The fact is that racist white people are so insulted that a half black man is president that they will not agree to any amount of progress on his watch.
Republicans are chief among these. After all the modern republican party was born out of the civil rights legislation of the 1960's. That was when racist whites declared that the democratic party and its leader Lyndon Johnson had betrayed them by pushing through civil rights legislation. Racist in chief Ronald Reagen, the great communicator, put it more succintly when he declared that he did not leave the democratic party, the democratic party left him. I guess it was at this point that he made a mental note, back when he still could make mental notes, to start his campaign for president down south with Trent Lott, Strom and the good ole boys in his southern strategy.
The 1960's also so massive waves of immigration and consuequent busting of unions. Both of these policies allowed racist white people a way to eliminate blacks from the work place and avoid the old style racial discrimination which was now illegal.
As long as Barack Obama is president republicans will never allow any government accomplishments. Many democrats are not much better. Part of Obama's problem is that he did not go for broke and push his agenda and forget about bipartisan support he would never get. In addition he is way too smart to not realize that he never had 60 votes in the senate. Many of those democratic senators are democrat in name only and serrve a lobbyist and voter constituency that is really racist republican to the core.
It is going to be an interesting ride until 2012 when some really bizarre things could happen if we do not implode before then.
With taxes, doctor fees, insurance costs spiraling out of control while the government continues raise the middle classes taxes and companies are asking employees not to take their raises so they can stay in business... Who wouldn't feel the squeeze? More and more I look at the projects and money I would have liked to spend and its nothing unreasonable but have to weigh the costs and budget every dime.
I think the only thing that has saved my family during these economic times is my husband and I long ago vow'd never to own a credit card.
I do wish someone would tell government they can't take money we aren't making and we can't consume in the amounts they knew us for if costs are allowed to get this far out of hand.
Vent? OK! Here goes… Is the government broken? Not in the classic sense. The government works now just as it did 200 years ago. The government was corrupt, fraught with scandals and bowed to the highest biding lobbyist. The difference is that we now live in a global economy. Two hundred years ago what was good for business was generally good for America so the corruption and lobbying had little negative impact. Today what is good for business is seldom good for America and it is destroying our economy. There are two solutions. The first is complicated and unlikely and requires that the states bypass Washington to call a Constitutional convention to fix the problems. The second is to pass a national sales tax to impact virtually every product sold in the U.S. with a high fee. The key to this is to allow tax rebates based on numerous economic variables that act negatively on American BASED companies. Polices such as the environment, medical insurance, and foreign monetary policy would be included along with many more. The goal would be to provide a level playing field that would allow American companies to fairly compete with any country in the world without negatively impacting our legitimate trading partners like Canada. Too complex to go into here but generally a company here would pay less sales tax than say a company based in China for numerous reasons like the environment. Countries like Canada might get an even better rebate because their environmental policy might be stricter. The tax could even vary from state to state for the same reasons thus rewarding states like California that have better environmental polices than notorious polluters like Texas.
There is a root problem for our government whoes; Greed. Where does this Greed manifest itself?; China, Republicans, Giant corporations, and (because of the first 3), Government. The reason Governors of different parties can agree upon things, is because no state can survive alone. They need the help of local business, small business, cooperation of nearby states and the federal government. Here's how I break it down. Greed fuels the motivation of top corporate executives, which motivates them to send jobs to Communist China which puts people out of work. Those people are no longer paying taxes or not nearly as much as they were so the burden goes to those still making good money; management executives, who are the greedy. Because they're greedy, they join the Republican party because (clearly) all they believe in, is in cutting their taxes (and to hell with everyone else's problems). Because the republicans have been largeley responsible for the mess the federal government has caused over the past 8 years, drastic measures are needed to reverse them. These measures are expensive and will require tax increases, increased debt, spending cuts in other areas, or a combination of all the above. Here's why the republicans are not cooperating, -it's simple. If they compromise even a little, and allow a democratic President with a democratic congress to succeed; it will prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that, THEY-the republicans are solely to blame for government failure and the subsequent suffering of it's people. They'll all be ran out of office as the interpretation of the two parties will change from liberal-and-conservative, -to right and wrong. For the record, I consider myself an Independant.
These politicians don`t disagree because their republicans or democrates, they disagree because they are cowards! As long as people keep voting for these cowards they get what they deserve! Dave Robinson Mt. Vernon Illinois
I love this topic. CNN is the best.
I think a key for the middle class is reforming Health Care. The out of pocket costs and premiums are rising much faster than incomes, let alone one person loosing their job.
When you look at the Health Care packages in play today I would hope that everyone in Congress can agree the key components of Pre Existing Conditions, Not being dropped when you get sick, lower prescription drug costs and young people being required to buy Health Insurance. The real cost to Health Care Reform is providing insurance for the 30 million people that don't have it. No wonder the Republicans don't like that. If you look at who these 30 million people are that don't have insurance, I don't think you'll find many Republicans. Therefore in order to meet the demands of the people that elect the Republicans, they don't support insuring everyone. How sad for our country.
With respect to young people (those too old for their parents coverage) being required to buy insurance, it is now the law that every driver have Car Insurance. What is the difference?
I do believe that Congress is broken. We have entered a cycle where the party in power moves their agenda forward without including the other party and the party out of power does everything to stop the agenda. Neither party is willing to move towards compromise for the good of the country. In the next elections the tables may turn and the Democrats will now become the party of "NO" and the Republicans will drive their agenda without including the Democrats. Perhaps the message that the American People can send is to vote a 100% turnover in Congress, particularly the Congressional leaders of both parties. I am a long time Democrat, but believe that the Democratic Congressional Leadership is doing a terrible job. How difficult would it have been to put together a bi-partisan group to write the Recovery package in stead of having the Democrats write it and present it to the Republicans. That is how this Congress started and it has been downhill from their.
This week is an opportunity for both parties to come together on Health Care for the good of the country. Everything the President has said about rising Health Care costs and Insurance Premiums is coming true (look at the trends). Instead of using this as an opportunity, the Republicans say they will only work together if the entire existing bills are scrapped. That sounds like five year old kids threatening to pick up their toys and go home if they don't get their way. I heard the President say that everything was on the table. To me that means that if the Republicans feel strongly about being able buy insurance across state lines. I heard the President say he was open including that. So why do we have to start over. Do the Republicans feel that Pre-Existing conditions is not a good item for the bill? Or how about policies being canceled when someone gets sick? I wouldn't think so. I do believe that any of the items included by the Democrats the bought someone's vote should be removed. The deals that Harry Reed made to secure the vote is an example of Congress at it's worst. If that type of dealing were happening anywhere but in Congress it would be called "Blackmail" and is illegal. In Congress it is SOP (standard operating procedure).
Anyway, I love your look at Broken Government this week and hope that Congress is watching. Keep up the great work.
I grew up in the 70's and believed that the free trade market system worked. Then, the government allowed NAFTA. We (middle class) have watched as over 800,000 jobs have left MI (in the past 10 years) only to create profits for the small upper-class percentage who own the corporations sending US jobs over our borders. These same major corporations can't understand where their buying market went in the US. Then, as all the foreign trade is unstabilizing our US jobs, and our "free-market" system is faltering, who do we bail out? The banks and major corporations (GM, etc). American right-wingers cry "no socialism" every time health care is discussed, but it's ok to spend our tax dollars on large corporations. Solution: Rewrite the foreign trade laws and stop giving corporations individual trade rights.
Carol -
Before Americans can discuss fairness or support for the "middle class" there needs to be a measurable definition of "middle class." My high school students didn't believe most American family incomes are between $50,000 and $65,000 a year. I know this data exists in the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but politicians and financial pundits talk as if a six-figure income is scraping the economic bottom. You cannot create sustainable reality without a reality check.
Is the middle class being forsaken in Amercia... the answer is obvious and painful to all. As a middle class American I've learned in the past year that I am no longer eligible to remortgage my home due to new laws that now consider my bi-level home a single story. And new legislation in Michigan will most likely lower my teaching salary next year, along with charging me more for insurance and retirement benefits – a triple whammy! I recall our new administration promising to help Americans keep their homes and increase money for education – which is being cut severely per student, also.
Department of State Said that missionary get kidnap and kill all the time all of missionaries happen to be girls from age 20 to 27 who get kidnap our Department of state has been broken along time we need a care head of Department of State
Our government is a computer. We the people feed it bad data (the people that shine us into electing them). Then their bad data out is their wasteful laws, partisan fighting and the like. Otherwise known as “garbage in garbage out”. The government can only work with the tools at hand and that consists of the bums WE ELECT! And they’re bums just like the rest of us! Why? They come from the same society where “money talks and bulls*t walks”. Not adopting the Tea Party’s method of operation is a good way to start. Whiney white people shut up and do something! We as Americans are the most impatient people ever. Quit whining and start finding and electing people that aren’t career politicians. It will be a daunting task and we all want an instant fix. It won’t happen quickly. That may be what snuffs out any change. Politicians understand we have short attention spans and can afford to wait us out. They’ve done it before and they’ll try to do it again.
There are atleast 2 major issues that even the media is not willing to consider asking; False Representation of "The People" and fanatism from us Americans. There has to be a way for "our representative" to truly represent the will of "the people" we, American, need to be willing to set aside our loyalty to our parties in benefit of our country. Finaly, the media needs play a crucial part of voicing loudly the will of the people with much more interst of our country thant the "bottom line" interest.
Over the past 10 years our government failed us on all possible levels, over a wide spectrum covering national security to financial security, with our children future in between. We are not safer, we are not richer, we are not healthier and the future looks bleaker.
We don't need Change – We need a Revolution. Here are the basic driving forces of the revolution we need:
1] Shift the governing power to the individual states away from the federal government.
2] Reshape the tax code to reflect state needs and not federal needs.
3] Let the individual states – or a cluster of geographically and culturally homogeneous states – decide on how best serve their constituents on issues such as health care, education, business entrepreneurship, religious orientation, same sex marriage etc.
4] Eliminate the Senate and Congress and form a national government where the President is the Governor of all state Governors thus governing the nation thru the perspective of the states interests and not bipartisan bickering.
5] Turn Washington DC into a museum and move the government to a central geographical location that reflects national unity and not old east coast politics.
We must shake our system to the core or else we will end up like the Greeks and Romans. Their empires did not last forever. Ours seems to be cracking down.
Is government broken? Isn't this just the GOP agenda working, they voted again the stimulus bill that gave tax cuts to 95% of the middle class and according to the majority of economists saved almost 2 million jobs. Gave tax cuts to small business and unemployment benefits to the people who had lost their jobs.
With 50,000 people dying each year for lack of health care and 1 million filing bankruptcy because of health care bills the GOP are against major reforms, remember their motto is government can't do anything right.
I think if you ask the majority of Republican lawmakers their answer is government isn't broken, it's to big and government to be cut more and do less.
I have tracked income since 1979 for business purposes and found that wages were going stale in the early to mid eighties. It was Reagan who was is office at the time but it seems no one wants to put any blame or blemishes on Reagan.
The middle class fluorished in the fifties under high inflation and several military conflicts while the USA grew at some of it's fastest paces in history.
Too few have amassed too much wealth and like marbles, when someone has all the marbles it is no game anymore unless the holder of the marbles decides to spread them out to the players so the game can continue.
As folks now frown on the "Bonnie and Clydse method of redistribution, we need a plan to get the squirreled away monies back in circulation so our "Great Experiment can move forward once again. A great starting point would be to call in the monies I consider wasted from all entities who received stimulus funds, just as those folks expect from all home loans.l The supreme court just voted for all to be treated as a person anyway, might as well take advantage before they regain conciousness.
The government is indeed broken, and I think that the media is not doing enough to highlight the plight of the middle class. The middle class now represents the truly poor people in America, we are struggling to maintain status quo. We have just enough to pay our bills and nothing more, one disaster away from homelessness (health/ job/ rate increase).
No time to take care of ourselves physically, little time or no with our children, can't afford natural foods we teach our children about. The worst part is, you don't qualify for any benefits because you are too 'rich'.
Honestly, I think the CNN special should really be on the middle class. We know the govt is broken, they just need to know how the voters are living. Pass the bills, stop voting "No" to everything, cut spending, DO SOMETHING.... EVEN IF IT'S LOUSY.... TRY ANYTHING.
Hi Carol...Just a thought...It seems to me, that we, as the consuming, and the majority middle class, as it's called, allow so few to control our destinys. We are a majority here, and the last time I looked, that is supposed to be the way this government operates, by a majority. So, what's the problem. I must be missing something here, like, for instance....representation, and honesty from those are elected to do as we the majority wish, and desire!.... Until we, the majority, retake our rights, and demand that our wishes are carried out, we'll remain in a tail spin...... just a thought By the way, I love your reports, they are always concise and informative, and your a pleasure to watch...thank you
I agree with those stats about the major increases in expenses absorbed (or breaking the back) of the middle class. Health care, housing, tuition the most prominent. And the wage increases pale by comparison. So that all means the "net" money it takes to live has been going down for several decades. The governmental leaders, federal and state level want to keep adding spending (aka programs/entitlements) to convince Americans of how great they are, and how they deserve to been in office, and propagate the standard of living of USA vs the rest of the world. But so what ? If you're doing this at the expense of long term fiscal responsibility, and doing this without the means to pay for such programs, you are only shooting yourself in the foot, kicking the an down the road. I pity the next generation, having to PAY for all this recklessness. How foolish the leadership is, no matter what party your are in. I'm an independent, thinking for myself, because it is ridiculous to believe much of this garbage coming out of life long politicians. The solution, cut spending big time, cut programs, and yes increase taxes a little if you need to. You cannot be afraid to cut, or else you are only hurting this nation. I have to do that on my household budget, the govt is no different, the laws of physics and economics cannot be overruled forever. It will seek balance eventually, and we will all have egg on our face then. Save your money, don't be risky, trim unnecessary expenses. And how about this : One Term Limits on these clowns that are supposed to be representing the citizens, but somewhat wound up only representing their own interests. What a shame for this great nation.
The baby boomer demographic has brought to the corporate boardrooms,judicial chambers,halls of Congress,college faculties,public school administrations and,national media suites the same honesty,integrity,ethics morality and COMMON sense that they exhibited when they were flower children during the 1960s. It doesn't make any difference whether they are Republicans or Democrats. They are all too crooked,clueless or gutless and wimpy to lead a dog across a street let alone a country. The best thing that the baby boomer demographic could do for my country is to die off sooner rather than later.
Very,very sincerely,
Larry Nelson
The pressure on the middle class really started with the energy shocks of the 70's, and has generally worsened steadily since then. The economic vulnerability became clear then, but neither the public nor the government were willing to take the steps necessary to counter the increased foreign oil dependence. Add to this the increased global competition of low manufacturing wages over seas that encourages the outsourcing of many traditionally local jobs, which simply adds to the downward pressure on the middle class.
I think that the govrnment needs to quit fighting over whos fault it is that.the middle classa is in such sorry shape and work together to help us and not the rich and lobbiest. i have kidney failure and am. only 35 i have no health insurance and cant afford to get any. and they say i make to much for .assistance my huisband and i only made 40000 this past yeart together. tell me how we are supposed to make it.
The goverment has stopped lookng out for the middle class along time ago. They are just interested in whats in it for them. They took away cost of living increase for retirees for 3 years yet gave themselves arise. Charles Rangel is still in office with all benefits and is under investagation for tax avasion, Al Capone was put in Prison for that what makes him or other goverment officials any different? Its time to clean out the goverment and get rid off the waste like Rangel,officials who cant bother to read the entire health reform bill but votes in favor of it. Officials who cant stay awake during Congressional meetings. They are wasting the tax payers money. It should be up to the people to vote congress a raise . Americans dont vote for who's the best but who's not the worse . Congress is a joke.
I have totally lost confidence in our government. All the bickering and posturing has really gone nowhere. We never seem to get anywhere in our government. How does anything ever get done? I guarantee that if there was a bill to increase their pay they would all agree. I have written my congressmen countless times over the years. You know how many times he has responded or anyone from his office for that matter? 0 Government officials say they are here for the people and want to do what is right for the people. It's all lies. They are there for themselves and anyone who will pay them to do something.
look up us history since we installed the federal reserve everyrhing has been designed to take all our rights away one by one till our kids wake up outside on the street in the country we concoured. media gov politics all are manipulated from 1920 one world one government new world order will commence if the us people would stop being distracted and analyse what is going on. credit laws are made by the federal reserve i borrow 1000 dont charge me 1200. by design we will never pay out debt because money= debt
I have no hope for the US Government being honest with the American people. Being honest would mean admitting that the 70 year old policy of marijuana prohibition was a mistake based on lies and corporate greed, and that they’d rather waste billions of tax dollars arresting and imprisoning millions of non-violent citizens, forgo billions of dollars of tax revenue, and continue to put unnecessary pressure on the environment by prohibiting hemp than admit they are wrong.
I have been struggling because im on unemployment and I feel like I work so much and I get so little in benefits, Im not trying to be greedy but when my bills keep going up because or rate increases and these things I need to keep in contact with my family, its getting frustrating.. I would really like to know why these companies that I pay bills for keep raising rates pratically everytime I pay my bill. Are companies that greedy. Im so sick and tired of the greed it makes me sick. People are just out to get all they can and we have to pay the price and I think thats unfair and crap...We all want a secure future but we are paying for other peoples future while ours is so uncertain...I think greed has taken over this country and I dont see an end in that unless we get the greedy out and get the people who actually care in to positions to make our lives easier...I would like to get back on track and be able to save for my future...We need help in the worst way and if we dont stop the bleeding now our finacial future will die the only ones who will be safe our the ones taking the most they can get out of us...
We no longer have a middle class, and this has been a long time in the works. The disintegration of the middle class into the 'upper lower' and 'lower upper' classes leads back to the classic American battle in which the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. 'Middle Class' is nothing more than a phrase. A terminology used to mute another section of our public inciting the feel feeling of 'average' and 'normal'. One might take note that at this point in our society, those who might think themselves middle class are either horribly in debt, or completely unscathed by our economical hardships. One of two extremes not to be lumped into one so called 'middle class.'
The dream is said to be able to live comfortably within ones means. though, as a society we are not capable of doing so. We over extend, over compensate, and underestimate, and as long as we are not honest with ourselves, and our government is not honest with us, we are doomed to fail.
Hi Carol,
This is in response to your "banks loaning money". With an income of over 150k and a credit score of 780 one would think that getting a loan for 30k would not be a problem. It seems that the banks are doing just what big business did. They're keeping the money we gave them for themselves and sharing it with each other and leaving us out in the wind. Know any loan sharks? Could use one about now. At least they have cheaper rates than the credit card companies.
I can pretty much sum this up with a couple of points:
1 – Free trade not FAIR trade. "Do unto others as they do unto you"
2 – Corporate executives paid on stock performance, where does humanity or morality fit into the equation? How can a company turn a profit of millions of dollars and still lay off people because they missed their Wall Street number?
3 – Lobbyists and Interest Groups – where is the middle class lobby?
4 – Forcing our retirement savings to Wall Street, would you bring your savings to a casino?
5 – Our government – does it really matter which party or which people are elected to congress? They all operate under the same motivation – stay in power for the sake of power alone. Oh, did I forget to say money too?
6 – Wars declared to be fought by the defense contractors, not the people.
7 – Banks failing from their own greed...anyone going to jail yet? Any reforms yet? Anyone even fired yet?
Thanks Carol
War on the middle class was declared decades ago by the men that truly run this country; Obama, Bush, and whoever else they put in the Oval office are nothing more than poster boys put in place to further the agendas of these men. The last true President this country had was Kennedy and looked at what they did to him. For what, for wanting to abolish the private Federal Reserve and dismantle the war-mongering CIA. This country's government isn't broken, they are doing a fine job for the people that put them in power and pay to keep them in power (which surprise America, isn't us – The Middle Class). The truth is out there for anyone inclined to do the research. It is so obvious yet oblivious to most, wake up America!
I am tired of reading about cops and firemen pulling in $200,000 with overtime. Why does a NYC MTA subway repairman making $200,000 with overtime? Bankers get huge bonuses while their employees take losses. Union workers at Lincoln Center are getting $200,000 for pushing pianos around. Goldman has record profits in 2009! My plumber cousin, low on morals, makes $150,000 a year. I just figured out that the lady who cleans my apartment is making $40 an hour! More than me. I went to college for 4 years and feel like I am in a dead end job with no future. With kids on the way and a wife who makes more than me, what will I do when she is pregnant? We are on her companies medical. Then what? Who is looking out for the poor middle class fools?
Government is not broken. The party system has simply never worked. There are already checks and balances built into the "system" via the constitution, i.e. the overlapping representation of senators and congressmen. When the rewards of senority and party support are replaced by simple idependent analysis and voting on each issue by each of our representatives, the emphasis will be shifted to fixing the problems rather than lining pockets. Of course, you will never do away with the problem of "You vote for my bill and I'll vote for yours" i.e. "If you don't vote for my bill, I'll vote against yours". You can trace every case of gridlock back to the greed and power bred by the party system.
My parents who have been working all of their lives are madder than they have ever been and so am i. When President Obama said that he was going to make a bill that would help out the american people in the economy and help make jobs, we thought it would be a very quick program, but we all know that it has not. I think that if Obama woud have listened to the people and get to know the middle class he would know how to help the people of america. I think he could have given the money to the people, that would have helped the amercian people and the economy out.
I think the focus is wrong. For many in the "middle class" the rules of economics went out the window and now we are all paying the costs.
For example, the basic rule of homeownership was not to exceed more than 30% of your gross income, yet ask people how many of them took 2 incomes and played "funny math" to get in the home they felt they deserved.
Second, this ridiculous idea that young people need credit cards. What ever happened to delayed gratification? Part time jobs, work study, part time attendance at college, going to community college for the first 2 years, etc.
Third, most of us can no longer afford the basics, i.e, healthcare (and I pray for the people who are worshipping at the temple of employer provided insurance – ask your co-worker with the child with the chronic ailment or the recently unemployed neighbor how that system is working); retirement planning – most if not all Americans have this foolish notion that it will all work out without a plan or investing.
Fourth, expectations out of alignment. We don't enjoy simple things like family, friends, good health, etc until they are gone. We want the house on the hill, best schools, best clothes, vacations every year. And yet, most of our lives will be the harvest of what we have invested in. A nation that hates playing taxes but loves receiving benefits is doomed to failure. A nation that is willing to throw the least of them under the bus (the poor, the elderly, the disabled) so they can get theirs is doomed to failure. And finally a nation that thinks that a creation of the state (corporations) have the rights of human beings is definitely going to fail.
It appears to me that even before the Obama administration announces some new proposal Republicans are against it just because it is Obama. Democrats keep trying to appease the right and find common ground but there doesnt seem there can be. It's either their way or no way. With the new Supreme Court ruling companies will gain even more control of the government. It's not the vast majority that run this country it's companies and people with money. If 98% of the country wanted some law passed I could still see the upper 2% getting there way. Thats how powerful money has gotten and how bad things are getting for those of us without it.
The economy will be pulled out of this recession by the housing market–but this will only happen when people such as myself (working, good credit, paying all my bills–but under water on my mortgage) can sell our homes. I'm ready to buy–if only I could sell my modest house for what I bought it for 4 yrs ago! I am under water in my mortgage and will still owe if I sell my home. My options? Short sale, volenteer foreclosure or stay in my house for the next 10 yrs. President Obama's administration needs to redue the principal on our homes– it is not our fault that the greedy bankers collapsed the market. We are the little mice that got caught in the fatcat's trap.
Vee–Florida
yes our goverment is broken I have been trying to get my wife Anne home from Bamako Mali Anne is UScitizen and A France citizen Anne got Kidnap three weeks ago our Department of State would not help with mali police I had to call France Embassy the Department of State hate's women and jewish People I still got to get Anne a airplane ticket
I think the story about middle class Americans being fed up with government is absolutely correct. The Republicans only care about the rich and tax breaks for the rich, and the Democrats only care about more programs for the poor. They both say they are concerned about the middle class, but their actions don't reflect this at all. Yes, we middle class Americans should be fed up with both parties. Look at health care reform – completely unnecessary earmarks to get certain politicians to vote for the bill, and no idea who is going to pay for all this. Well, we know who is going to pay for this – the middle class. This bill is going nowhere as currently constructed.
Yes, it is broke..and has been for quite some time. Once my husband decided to return to college and get a mechanical engineering degree, the only way we could do it was on one income. Unfortunately, my income dropped (independent contractor) by 45% in today's economy and we have had to move into my parents' house just to pay our bills. Talk about swallowing your pride! The most ironic part is we made too much money to be eligible for many of the govt's student loan assistance.
Once again someone people think it is the governments responsibility to keep a certain style of living constant for the citizens of this country. Theoughout my life I fluctuated between lower class, middle class, lower middle class lower upper class etc.... The mechanism I used to move between these classes was my hard work or lack thereof. I was responsible for where I ended up not dependant on the government. At times I had multiple jobs, other times I couldn't find a job therefore, I dropped down on the income scale and thereby lost my position in the class I was in.
At the end of the day, the government is not responsible for or required to keep the citizens of this country at a certain level of affluence.
The American people are the ones that lost their "moral/ethical" compass. If that weren't true, they would be able to see through the BS that political candidates have been dishing out for decades.
Also, as it started to become more and more difficult to claim the "American Dream" by using the tried and true parameters, people started building immense debt on credit cards to "get there."
It's not a case of "this one thing or that one thing" that has led to this situation. It's a combination of a few basic factors of life. Not enough room on this space to get into it adequately. Stop pointing fingers and start looking at our own minds and hearts. Get square there and things will work out....eventually.
The political is broken and won't be allowed to heal beacause of far right wing radio and groups. If a Republican canidate even stands next to a Dem, the tea partys, rush and beck will tear that candidate apart. Ask Gov Crist! Also this is the first time in history that a political party will filibuster ALL bills brought before Congress, and they HAVE to. The outside influences from media to money has destroyed OUR government.
Would like to know the ranking of congressioanl members by income. Years ago, when Saxby Chambliss was elelcted, he was the " poorest" member. Wonder if that is true today and if not, what changed ?
IT'S THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND SOCIETY THAT ARE BROKEN! Our government and its problems are only symptoms. After all, didn't we elect them? How are they supposed to govern a people that are so unbelievably at odds? Until we, as a people, can realize/accept that the US in NOT just a christian nation, that all people matter, that we are destroying our environment with our greed, over-consumption and materialism, that healthcare should be available to everyone, that the sensationist media could probably talk about something other than a celebrity's affairs during a broadcast (when are we going to start holding the media accountable for their worthless stories?), and the war is sucking more money from our pockets than any government program so we need to stop it, this country will NEVER progress. I'm far more disappointed in the american people than the government.
The government is not broken it is working just fine if you are represented by lobbyists on K street. The banks, wall street , and insurance companies are getting everyting they want. Congress and obama are owned by the lobbyists and will never change so the only solution is for all the middle class voters to stick together and vote them all out. We now have welfare for the poor and corporate welfare but nothing for main street taxpayers.
Let look at all the things in the U.S. that are and have been broken. So the Supreme Court open the doors for no limit buy in to get politician you want. Then laws that put corporate profit above people. The Supreme Court should never be a life time place for inept people to live out their final days. Take the hunt for Toyota, could this be backed by the big three? Look at just how many people really got hurt or killed by this problem? Then look at Drug Companies can keep a drug out there killing and injuring far more actual people and less is done. Then there are the imported products that we let in that have countless band or restricted materials in them. That may actually in the long term injure more people then the Toyota that speed ahead. Mean while we allow insurance companies to have a monopoly. Deny people medical coverage and treatments that in the end really are fatal to patients. So they murder people by the policy. That numbers a lot bigger then any Toyota problem. But to take the public eye off the real issues and problems in America let report something that so many companies are allowed to do. That is put profit before people. “We the people” have to get a brain and stop re-electing anyone, start cleaning house out with the old. When it comes to health insurance “We want what they have.” The same coverage the politicians have. They were elected to serve the public since they have failed to do this they should be removed and lose that coverage. Then there are the banks. Those big bonuses promote greed, but that is okay in America we are told that is free enterprise or it only business.
I agree with Steve. Both sides of the issue should be represented, especially in a feature story such as this one. Personally I am getting a little tired of middle-aged and older Americans referencing the "good-old days" and saying that the world isn't what it used to be. The world is still a crazy place – the difference is that the media of your time did not expose you to the world's worst troubles up to the minute like it does today. Take a look at the news coverage of the Vietnam War for example – civilian Americans were shocked to see what war actually was. This report demonstrated my frustration precisely by showing clips of media from the 50s era – the prime time of the American blind eye. Television back then was simple and featured mild humor simple life problems; today, television and other forms of visual media cover everything from family humor to the darkest of topics such drug dealing and murder. Too many Americans are not able to understand the context of the media they are exposed to and take it for what it is. You can't compare I Love Lucy to real people living today. Just because I Love Lucy portrayed only the mildest of life humors and drama, does not mean that harsher life situations did not exist in people's lives back then. Nobody is perfect today, and nobody was in the 1950s either. I am very thankful to be living today in an era with ever expanding media possibilities. But it is very aggravating when naive Americans whine because one President has to spend money to get things back on track from the previous administration. Our government is not broken beyond repair. I hate party politics. Party politics are childish. But they occur today and they did in the "good-old days". Our government is not broken; it is just slow-moving.
The Government is not broken, but the media is seriously broken. Our media system is more bought and paid for than our Government. I don't see the media challenging our lying politicians anymore like they used to do. Even a regular everyday person at home can see when a politician is lying thru his teeth and the media just sits there and nod their heads. All we have today is a partisan media who only cater to the party they like. The reason why there is so much confusion about healthcare and other important issues out there is because the media decided not to tell the truth and just show us SOUND BITES that will divide and confuse us. The media have used most of their time telling us how ligit the tea party is and not telling their viewers that those peoplare the same people that were showing up at Palin's rallies during the election. As a moderate Republican, I say that the tea party is a sham you need to tell the truth before bunch crazy people take over our system. Do your job and if a politician knows that you will ask tough questions, they will lie less and do their job too. Stop blaming the politicians and start educating your viewers about the facts. So, they can make the right decision for themselves. The media and the bloggers have ruined our country beyond repair.
We are all in this fix because we, as americans, as the middle class, etc, have taken our country for granted. We, as Americans, believe that , if we all work hard/harder, this country will give back to us two-fold. Now, we have to face the truth....the politicians who are in office for decades do not understand the American system anymore. They are out to get what they want and the working/middle class will just have to wait..wait...wait. We need to set a limit on how many years each and every Congressman can stay in office. After a while, they do not speak for us.
We are all selfish. The tea partiers want to go back to the way it was.....You can't go back, you have to go forward to get things done. That is what we call Progress. Stop limiting ourselves.
There are people dying each and every day and we have people out there that do not give a rat's a$$ but God does not forget.
Amercians (some of us) have gotten so fearful of everything and everybody. You are pathetic!!! We blame everyone and everybody for our shortcomings. We use our children as an excuse, i.e., (leave this big old debt for the next generation) What a crock? Get a backbone and do what Americans have been doing for the last 100 or more years and start listening to our hearts and our brains. Do what is right for the Country. We might not agree on all things, just like the next person, but we have one simple word for that..Compromise. If we can't do that, then we can't call ourselves Americans.
I am disappointed that the media does not take the opportunity to highlight, defend, and support all the things our President has done is his first year of office to fix the government and all the good that he attempts to do despite the criticism. Daily I get information from his staff on the major things he has been able to accomplish in a year and a few months of office. No where in the media do we see this promoted. How about doing a story that helps instead of hurts? Please consider that much of his criticism is Republicans being disagreeable just to disagree and try to paint failure on his administration instead of seeking the greater good of the voters.
Thanks for listening!
Big business is the problem. The good name of capitalism has been taken over by greed. Profits are more important than people.
The right has railed against unions for years. They have even turned union members against themselves.
The majority of the right has always voted for the best interest of corporation and the majority of the left voted for the best interest of the individual. Now, many of the democrats are bought and paid for, too.
There still are some democrats holding out and voting for the middle class interests, but they are demonized by the right-wing noise machine in rush limbaugh, fox news, etc..
I am so disgusted with these middle class people who are fighting against the very people who want to help them.
I hate to say it, but there are some pretty stupid people in this country who will vote against their best interests because of the propaganda they believe from the powerful, but lying/misleading, voices they hear.
What happened to President Bush Sr. in Carol Costello's listing of President, after President, after President. For the one who coined the phrase "read my lips", he should NOT have been skipped over.
politicians are are owned by business, they pay their way you see, but it's we who pay inevitably. gridlock is a money thing that steers the vote and everything and yes it's it's we who pay.– pardon me for asking why- i know what gives – but i don't know why- makes a grown man want to cry- the boys on wall street know how to cheat-and the guys at the top wring you out like a mop, who in the world do we turn to?????the kids in the slums are predestined bums, and the the man in the street gets two times the heat, while the good life is all that he yearns to. if you really want to know why, it's that politician guy. he owes his soul to the company store, and you and i, we pay more. business gets away with it because politicians are paid to let them rip our hearts out
It is time Congress work together to solve the financial problems that this country faces. I know the financila crisis can be solved but when will Congress start to take the actions that are needed to solve it? If Congress chooses to not work on this problem lets put people in there that will.
carol ur the best. and I love CNN. I have never commented before but is CNN also planning to do a series on the good that government does? the difference it makes in peoples lives? Otherwise its feeding into a stereotype that only favors the a certain poiitical view. I hope you will consider pointing out the positive impact government makes as well as its challenges.