Middle Class musings: A new idea on how to discuss class.

[AndyHammond1970]

(This earlier was my reply to a question about what is middle class. The talk had dried up by the time i got it posted. I think it merits more discussion.)

from least to most wealth and income

1 Poor===20K and less
2 Working class====20k to 50k
3 Professional class 50k to 100k
4 Entrepreneur class----100k to 250k
5 Property class========250k and above

I know the numbers don't completely jive right. Lawyers are professionals and many make more than 100k but the gist of it is there: poor people, regular working class that used to be the manufacturing industries and the better service and service manager jobs, the hi tech and hi skill jobs that require usually College or extended training, the Entrepreneur Class is the small to medium business owners and then the Property class at the top are the true wealth holders. Economic Social mobility is somewhat possible, but seldom can anyone climb more than one rung above where they start. The numbers of course aren't set in stone, regionally they would be somewhat different but the essence of the structure still remains. All this to say this: the economic policy's of the Republican only benefit class 5 but 3-5 are very Republican and class two is still somewhat split. I am at present writing a book on this. but this is sorta the idea that kicked me off.

[gmoney]

1. $250K for top bracket? Need at least two more

Read David Cay Johnston's "Perfectly Legal" -- he'd have a class from $250K to about $8M or so, then the $8M and up class -- the fuckers who the entire country is working to enrich, who pay minimal taxes, and who own all the politicians.

[unblock]

2. ya got that right. $1MM ain't what it used to be

not sure about the exact range, $0.25-8.0MM, but there definitely is a big difference between, "i'm rich and i don't have to worry about anything for the rest of my life" versus, "i'm so rich i can do anything to anyone and STILL not have to worry about anything for the rest of my life."

[salvorhardin]

3. I hate the term Entrepreneur class

Here where I live in rural upstate NY, there are a large number of "entrepreneurs" (people who work for themselves) amongts the poor and working class quite simply because there are no jobs! I would expect this to be true across the U.S., even in urban areas. Hell, I'd consider small time drug dealers, and other less savory occupations, to be entrepreneurs. To reserve the term entrepreneur for the upper-middle class is, well, rather classist. IMHO, YMMV.

[w4rma]

5. I agree. Entrepreneurs are among all those income levels. (nt)

[smirkymonkey]

4. What about taking into consideration

size of family, age, job status, i.e. a young, upwardly mobile college grad may start out at 40k, but has no dependents and very little overhead whereas a middle-aged man supporting a wife and 3 kids, w/ a mortgage, etc. on the same salary would be in a much different postion economically.

There are so many permutations in each category, it seems as though the above mentioned categories would not be an accurate description of each person's/family's situation. Is there a way to account for those differences under this system?