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In Reply to: Vanishing middle class? Maybe not posted by Alan on February 01, 2004 at 00:49:36:
I'll work on that, Professor... sometime between running my company, taking care of my Family of five, and all these websites (;
I will tell you that my opinion is based on a few observations.
1. Many high paying assembly line type jobs have moved out to Mexico, especially where I live in Southern California.
2. Jobs not requiring advanced degrees, like working the checkout line at the supermarket that have been paying $15.00 per hour with benefits are being replaced by non-union companies like Walmart that pay $8.00 per hour with no benefits.
3. High paying tech jobs? Ask me or WC what we are getting paid to run these websites. I just returned from a business trip to the Silicon Valley. Talk about an area in depression. It's not just the .com bubble. I used to turn down computer jobs all the time BEFORE anyone ever heard of the Internet. Not anymore.
4. The most disturbing thing to me personally? My daughter was accepted to a private college last year. She couldn't go, because I make too much money to qualify her for any financial aide, other than a $600 loan. But, I don't make enough money to write a $30,000 per year check to the school. If I were rich I could, if I were poor she would have a free ride, because she has the grades. Hell, if she would just have a couple of kids out of wedlock. If I were a substance abuser who beat her and her mother. Anything but being a white middle class kid with good grades would work. If middle class kids are locked out of everything except public education, and public education sucks, then what?
I'm curious. Other than learning to live off $8.00 per hour with no benefits, where do you think the living wage jobs are going to come from in the next ten years? I'm not saying that the middle class is gone, I'm just saying that I don't see a lot of hope for it. If you've got hope (other than a deus ex machina), I'd be interested to know the source of your optimism. Believe me, I could use it.
Our company still pays guys $50.00 per hour plus health and pension benefits to put trash cans in exhibit booths on Saturday and Sunday. But, I'm finding it mighty hard to find people willing to bankroll that kind of expense. Every year we do less events, and I work fewer people less hours. Even as protected as we are, our industry as a whole was down 750,000 union hours in 2001, compared to 2000 (according to the Pension reports I see as a Trustee). That's a lot of braces and house payments.
