what do you think should happen to help the middle class. and if you don't mind what can the govt. do to help the middle class?
EVERYONE should read
A Letter to America by David Boren. Seriously. AND everyone should hold their representatives to the Congress accountable. Only when the constituency and NOT the special interest groups hold their feet to the fire will we see positive change.
That said, I agree with Boren's approach to saving the dwindling middle class (with a few caveats) Also, please note that I've been a conservative Republican all my life, so although my responses skew liberal democrat, I find myself more centrist these days.
Anyway, Boren's suggestions include a more progressive tax structure (I vote for the flat tax, he thinks the wealthier should pay more/fewer breaks), federal scholarships extended to middle class children (not loans, but he's also a uni president, so that plays into it some), and universal health care. Yes, I know some out there (particularly the uber-conservatives) will balk at that last one, but, if you stop and think about it, you're paying for it anyway in higher medical costs, higher insurance premiums, and higher co-pays. There is no reason why the government cannot implement a 2-tier system that includes current employer-sponsored insurance plans and adds a "buy in" plan (sliding scale) for a Tricare-type coverage (military) for those who have no employer-provided plans (like those of us who are self-employed).
Those are the 3 areas that seem to hit the middle class harder than others and where there is the least support: taxes, education, health care.
We, the middle class, are going to need more than campaign rhetoric. We need men and women representing US, We the People, and not just the ones with the fullest pockets who want to fill them even more. We the People are also going to have to come to terms with some paradigm shifts, like, the United States is in some serious trouble within a global economy and this nation's years of being "all that" are over. We are going to have to hunker down, eat some humble pie, and tighten our belts for awhile until the course we're on can shift. The wealthy are going to have to realize that they DO have a social responsibility and they are going to have to step up to the plate or there will be unpleasant responses to their "let them eat cake" attitudes. We, as Americans, seem to think we are immune from food riots or killing for a tank of gas, but we thought we were immune to terrorism, too...
There may come a day when our troops are pulled out of Iraq...to police our own streets.