| Part of the problem is that it's hard for hard working people, where both spouses go to work everyday, to compare themselves with a guy making $3 BILLION dollars in a single year, and seeing themselves as having a lot of money.
The obscuring fact is that people making 200K have more in common with the people making $40K per year, than either of them have with people making $1mm or more per year. If the people making 200 or 40 per year lose their jobs, or have their property taxes go up 5%, or pay $.50 more per gallon of gas, they may have to significantly change their lifestyles. But if a person making $3mm per year pays more for gas, they don't really need to even look at the receipt.
There must be some different way to gauge economic differences. Maybe the percent of income on discretionary spending, or something like that - something that would show the real fragility the families may feel day to day. |