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In the late '80s, the richest fifth of families made an average of 8.6 times the poorest fifth. Ten years later, it was 10.5 times more - the fourth greatest increase in income inequality in the nation, according to ''Pulling Apart.'' Among the reasons for this are the disproportionate loss of manufacturing jobs and the nasty bite that many workers took in the recession that started in 1989.

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This has been a typical broad occurrence across the country and if anything is understated here. The people at the top 15% of incomes write the articles praising the economy while brokering its decline. The people at the median level and below take the beating and have had no representation in anything since Ross Perot in '92.

The economy began to flatten in the last quarter of '88 and has never fully recovered.

Liberals and leftist have done everything they could in Massachusetts and nationwide to put the pillow to small manufacturing, chemical, logging, construction, and any and all small buisnessmen and tradesmen. These people have been screaming for decades. Nada. Nothing. All Archie Bunker cranks. When you kill off the middle size buisness with taxes, rules, regulations, forms, fines, fees, lawyers, permits, codes and zoneing---you kill those jobs. Doh!

I've read some of your material at zolatimes, as well as some of your posts here, and have to say that I am almost invariably impressed. However, this:

The people at the top 15% of incomes write the articles praising the economy while brokering its decline

is a headscratcher for me.

While the medidiots who write the articles praising the economy are almost certainly in the top 15% of incomes (which is in the $70k-$80k a year range, or thereabouts, depending upon whose numbers you believe), your statement would seem to imply that all/most of those at the top 15% are actively brokering the decline of the economy. Is this what you intended?

I'm curious as to what group you really think is actively working towards this decline, and how. It seems to me that a professional eduction (accounting, engineering, computer science, MBA, law, medicine) and a diligently worked-at career with at least a hint of entrepreneurship creates that level of earnings for millions. How does that translate into "brokering the decline of the economy"?