Top 5 are Blue - States where the middle class is shrinking the fastest

The data is a a few months old (February, 2014) but the interpretaton of the data remains relevant.
If Democratically entrenched States are unable to address the problem of wealth inequality, what makes them think they can manage this on a National level?

The fact is...they can't.

CALIFORNIA
Voted for Democratic president in last six elections; two Democratic senators; 38 out of 53 House representatives are Democrats; two out of past three governors have been Democrats; Democratic-controlled Legislature.

VERMONT
Voted for Democratic president in six of last seven elections; one Democratic senator and one Independent; one and only House representative is Democrat; two of past three governors have been Democrats; Democratic-controlled Legislature.

MAINE
Voted for Democratic president in last six elections; one Republican senator and one Independent senator; two out of two House representatives are Democrats; past three governors have been one Independent, one Democrat and one Republican; Democratic-controlled Legislature.

RHODE ISLAND
Voted for Democratic president in last seven elections; two Democratic senators; two out of two House representatives are Democrats; past three governors have been Republicans (current governor is Independent from 2007 to 2013); Democratic-controlled Legislature.

WASHINGTON
Voted for Democratic president in last seven elections; two Democratic senators; six out of 10 House representatives are Democrats; past three governors have been Democrats; Democratic-controlled Legislature.


The perplexing popularity of the lunatic fringe candidate Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders is even more confusing. Vermont's middle class is shrinking while the wealtthiest 20% saw their income grow 20% between 09 - 13; embarrasingly enough on Bernie's watch as Senator.

The following is a copy/paste from: https://homes.yahoo.com/news/states-where-the-middle-class-is-shrinking-fastest-194711986.html

#1. California - $60,143 (10th highest) California’s middle-class household income shrank by 6.9% between 2009 and 2013 to $60,143, while incomes of the top 20% of households rose by 1.3% to $223,841 over that time. By 2013, the fifth quintile accounted for more than 52% of the state’s aggregate income, the third highest share in the country. Perhaps as a result, the state’s Gini coefficient increased by the second highest margin in the country, reflecting worsening income inequality

#2. Vermont - 53,020 (20th highest) Incomes among the wealthiest 20% of Vermont households grew by nearly 3% between 2009 and 2013, the sixth largest increase nationwide. Over the same period, incomes among middle-class households fell by 5.9%, one of the larger declines. As in most of the nation, income in Vermont is becoming even more concentrated among the wealthiest 5% of households

#3. Maine - Like in several other states where the middle class is falling behind, income in Maine is relatively well distributed. However, the income gap in Maine is widening faster than in the nation as a whole. Average incomes among the wealthiest 20% of households in the state grew by 2.2% between 2009 and 2013, one of the faster growth rates and much faster than the comparable national figure of just 0.4%.

#4. Rhode island - Middle-class households in Rhode Island earned $56,432 in 2013, roughly $4,000 more than the national average, but still 5.6% less than they earned in 2009. Nationally, middle-class incomes fell by 4.3%. By contrast, incomes of the top 20% of households rose by 2.5% between 2009 and 2013, far greater than the 0.5% growth among the top quintile nationwide

#5. Washington - The average income among middle-class households in Washington fell faster than in most states between 2009 and 2013. Incomes among the wealthiest 20% of households in the state, however, grew faster than comparable figures across the nation.

Maybe get your own houses in order before telling others how to get theirs.

The Democrats are not friends to the middle class, they have in fact...abandoned you.

 

What are the 5 poorest states in the US? They are all red states. If GOP entrenched States are unable to address the problem of poverty, what makes them think they can manage this on a National level?

1. Mississippi
Median household income: $37,963
Population: 2,991,207 (20th smallest)
Unemployment rate: 8.6% (6th highest)
Pct. Below poverty line: 24.0% (the highest)
2. Arkansas
Median household income: $40,511
Population: 2,959,373 (19th smallest)
Unemployment rate: 7.5% (18th highest)
Pct. Below poverty line: 19.7% (4th highest)
3. West Virginia
Median household income: $41,253
Population: 1,854,304 (38th largest)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% (18th lowest)
Pct. Below poverty line: 18.5% (10th highest)
4. Alabama
Median household income: $42,849
Population: 4,833,722 (23rd largest)
Unemployment rate: 6.5% (18th lowest)
Pct. Below poverty line: 18.7% (7th highest)
5. Kentucky
Median household income: $43,399
Population: 4,395,295 (25th largest)
Unemployment rate: 8.3% (7th lowest)
Pct. Below poverty line: 18.8% (6th highest)

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/america-richest-poorest-states-142726946.html

A few figures and a generalization can be used to prove almost anything.

 

^^^This /thread

 

Your figures neglect to mention cost of living.

Nice try though.at diversion.

I can assure you, your dollar goes much further in say Kentucky verses California...an income of say $30K in Kentucky would be equivalent to $54K in California.

Example...moving from Louisville, KY to San Francisco.

You make $30K in Louisville. To maintain the equivalent lifestyle you would need to make $54K

•Equivalent income in the city you are moving to: $53,908.79.
•Percent increase to maintain standard of living: 79.70%.

Source: http://www.bankrate.com/calculators/savings/moving-cost-of-living-calculator.aspx?MSA=

Would you care to comment on the fact that the fastest growing wealth disparity...as a PERCENTAGE...of income includes the Top 5 Democratically entrenched Blue States.

I can see the Progressivers are going to weave and dodge....and not address the topic at hand.

The middle class is shrinking the fastest among Democratically entrenched States. If addressing wealth inequality is on the platform...which it is as a Progressive talking point...even with political power to enact changes, they have neglected to do so. On a National Level, under a Democratic administration, the middle class continues to shrink while the wealthiest continue to grow.

Why give them another 4 years after 2016 when they've failed with 8.

Its' called Avoiding the Issue
(also known as: avoiding the question [form of], missing the point, straying off the subject, digressing, distraction [form of])

but but...Red States have lower income!

Yes of course...however they also have a lower cost of living therefore lower income goes farther...

Waiter...check please...I'll wait for a response that actually addresses the issue...income disparity.

 

To be fair the Republicans have never tried to manage poverty. Their response would be along the lines of "well once their dead they won't be hungry anymore."

 

Kind of cute how the partisans always assume that if they can just prove that the other party is wrong that it proves they are right about an issue.

Never crosses their mind that both approaches may be wrong. Oh, well. Carry on.

 

I am not sure rankings like this mean much. It probably depends on the cost of things around where you live. I haven't been to five of the six states the OP listed, but I went TDY to Ft. Lewis WA, south of Seattle for a couple of weeks and found it much more expensive than any other place I have been. I filled up before I left going TDY for 3.60 a gallon a couple of years ago, when I filled up my rent a care, the price was 4.06. The Hotel room I stayed in cost 110.00 a night, the same hotel room here is 65.00. A combo at McDonalds was 5.99 here and 7.99 there in Seattle.

Luckily, the army paid for it since I was on official business. But I sure wouldn't want to live in such an expensive place. I would have to make at least 20.000 more a year just to break even in terms of what I can buy. Things are just a lot cheaper down here.

 

here's a source that says 4 of the top 5 states where the middle class is dying are red states

5.nevada
4. vermont
3.north dakota
2. ohio
1. wisconsin, where presidential candidate scott walker spent his entire career lapdogging for the rich and busting up the unions across the state

http://www.cheatsheet.com/business/...ddle-class-is-being-bulldozed.html/?a=viewall

 

Apparently many of you missed my point. My point was not about red states or blue states I stated clearly that it was about:
"A few figures and a generalization can be used to prove almost anything." In your responses you help prove my point