Rah! Rah! for the Rich

This evening on All Things Considered Don Gonyea covers the Bush's new Treasury Secretary appointment, Paulson. He frames the economy story as being one where the "economy is strong and unemployment relatively low," but the foolish public just doesn't understand how great things are going. Well I have a little news for NPR, the economy stinks for most of us. Minimum wage is stuck at $5.15 an hour ( a princely sum of $ 10,700 per year for full time work). Real wages continue to drop for all but the richest Americans (according to US Government figures). Health insurance costs (for we lucky ones that have any) continue to soar--my own family health insurance choices are between a lousy $6,500 a year plan or $8,600 a year plan (that's for a 20/80 percent plan with copays and deductibles). College costs are soaring. No thanks, NPR, it's not that the public is misinformed, it's that the public knows they are getting royally ripped off.