The Struggles of the Once Middle Class

Closing out this past year is only slightly better economically then the previous years since the final collapse from the corruption and extremely failed policies of private investment in growth in the so called free market capitalism. Few talk about especially those that seek to hang onto that new capitalism of the 1%, that sped up as the century changed, but started back some thirty years, and near total collapse back in '07 and '08. That collapse wasn't only in the so called bubble bursting in residential real estate but across numerous economic issues. That started as the economy for many stagnated in the previous half dozen years as government agencies, including the congress, ignored the regulations in place and for congress started rubber stamping costs, especially for private, as to not one but two invasions and occupations of other countries while not demanding the country sacrifice as we demanded the military and their families do. These two reports below show only small window into how it all changed the lives of millions and continues to do so.

Family members struggling to find work

December 30, 2011 - 2011 did see some improvement in the job market. At the beginning of this year, nearly 13.9 million Americans were unemployed when 2011 began. The latest figures from November shows that figure is down to 13.3 million.

But that's no comfort to those who can't find work, especially in homes with more than one person without a job. CBS News correspondent Mark Strassmann in Atlanta shows one family's struggle.

Gloria Hall was at a job fair outside Atlanta looking for two openings: One for herself, the other for Colby Johnson, her 19 year-old-grandson.

"I want to work," she said. "My goal is to meet people, to network."

Hall is a 62-year-old social worker who used to earn $22,000 a year. She lost her job last July when the hospital she worked in closed. read more>>>

That 13.3 million, actually much higher for many aren't counted or are under employed in part time etc., is a drag down for the rest of the economy especially in the communities across this country, clearly showing the almost total lack of private investments here, if any are happening they take place overseas. With that lack of private investments, on extremely weak excuses of issues like not knowing what the government will do, free market capitalism was supposed to remove any government involvement, along with continued blocking of public investments in many area's that this country really needs, keeps the whole economy stagnated with wages now falling as well as benefits. The only ones profiting from the labor of the rest are the small numbers at the top who brought this all on.

AIR DATE: Dec. 30, 2011 Suburb in Wealthy Illinois County Sees Unexpected Rise in Poverty

SUMMARY
A suburban neighborhood of one of the nation's wealthiest counties has experienced a surprising rise in the number of people living below the poverty line -- a trend that accelerated in suburbs across the country during the recession. Elizabeth Brackett of WTTW Chicago reports. Transcript>>>

Watch Suburb in Wealthy Illinois County Sees Unexpected Rise in Poverty on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.

A cut from the above transcript:

Aravosis had a middle-class upbringing. Her father was a college professor, and, in 2008, she got her second master's degree, this one in elementary education. But, because of cuts in state education funding, she hasn't been able to find a full-time teaching job.

Last year, she made $11,000 as a substitute teacher, far less than what she needs to support her two children.

The past couple of years has apparently stopped the rapid fall over the cliff, landing on a ledge thus stopping the fall, but the growth, climbing back up that sheer cliff, has been extremely slow thanks mostly to the lack of private investment from those who continue to add to their wealth, and who don't mind spending millions on the politics of the country to keep their lofty status, and the blocking of public investment, long ignored or even added to even before the collapse, that will eventually bring down the rest of what once was what others envied this country for while we once shared the wealth of the labor and innovations of the experienced work force.

The remains of the past thirty years but especially what was left from the previous administration their once total political control with the same ideology in both houses of congress that will take a couple of decades to clear up, if ever, and even no sacrifice from the population as to the two wars and the results from.

You might want to view this earlier post as well:

PERI: Military Spending vs. Domestic Spending - Jobs