Republicans think $450K salary is middle class

[struggle4progress]

BY NICOLE GOODKIND
11/3/17 AT 1:08 PM

... On Thursday, House Republicans issued a fact sheet about their new tax cut plan that referred to Americans earning $450,000 a year as "low- and middle-income" ...

... median household income in the United States is $59,039 ...

"Did somebody make a mistake?" laughed AFL-CIO Policy Director Damon Silvers when told of the income classifications by the GOP ...

http://www.newsweek.com/tax-cuts-republicans-middle-class-trump-701094

This GOP stupidity is very usable

[LonePirate]

1. That probably is middle class for their donor base.

[Flaleftist]

2. Then minimum wage should be a lot higher. nt

[Not Ruth]

4. $225/hr 😲

[BigmanPigman]

3. Who votes for these idiots

except other idiots of course.

[Snake Plissken]

5. A person earning minimum wage would have to work 62,069 hours a year to get to the GOPs middle class

And there are only 8,760 hours in a year

But somehow they continue to get away with selling their fantasyland bullshit as reality.

[hibbing]

6. 150k

I can't remember what debate it was, but it was a VP debate and Chris Wallace asked a question straight from the brilliant economist Sean Hannity. Something about an average middle class family would benefit because they make 150k a year. The audience laughed. Many here on DU however agreed. I think the example was a firefighter and college professor. A college professor and a firefighter are not exactly your average occupations. Firefighters are unionized and it takes a great deal of investment in education to become a college professor obviously.


Peace

[Igel]

8. The definition is squirrelly.

For a family with two incomes, $450k/yr is the cut-off for rich to the GOP.

Under Obama, "rich" kicked in at $250k/year. This was controversial because, as pointed out, median household income is $55k/year, give or take a few thousands.

I've heard people say "$100k/year is the cut-off." But my family is above that and doesn't feel especially rich. We're both teachers in public schools. Still, we're way below the Obama cut-off. I know people who look and act middle class that are at or above $250k/year, though, and this isn't a high-priced area we live in.

Part of it is the whole "benefits" versus "gross" versus "adjusted gross" distinction. Part is what you do with your money.

[hibbing]

10. How would you define rich?

Who owns and controls the means of production?


Peace

[Adrahil]

9. I'm an engineer and my wife is a college professor.

Our household income is a little north of $200K. I'd call us upper middle class. We are comfortable, but we do not live extravagantly. My car is a 2005 Accord. My wife drives a 2010 Odessey.

[shadowmayor]

11. You are rich

You are not upper middle class at all. Half of the Americans working today make less than $28K per year. Notice how the media and then the public talks about household incomes - that's both adults, children, and even Aunt Tilly with her SS check if she lives there too. Most Americans have no idea about where the cutoffs are for average, poor, middle, or upper. Your income puts your household in the upper 5% realm. That's upper class whether it feels like it or not.

Not trying to bug you, just wanted to point out for others to read how we have a strange sense of how many people are poor, how poor they are, and what constitutes a middle-class income in the USA.

[GeneMcM]

13. depends where he lives

[brewens]

7. Ever notice than any anecdote a republican has about a hard working middle class guy always claims

they work 60 or 70 hours a week? I guess an average Joe that busts his ass for 40 a week and a couple hours of OT can't be considered hard working. Of course they hate the 40 hour week and OT rules and would love to do away with that anywhere they haven't already.

[Mopar151]

12. Those accustomed to working long hours

Actually produce LESS than the 40 hour worker.

[iluvtennis]

14. If 450K is middle class, then my Silicon Valley engineering salary is at the poverty level..

..just one salary in my household as I'm a divorced single mom.

[NoMoreRepugs]

15. The ads countering the upcoming GOP ads

selling this bullshit are writing themselves, but it will be hard not to ridicule the morons.

[SunSeeker]

16. K & R for exposure.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

17. This should be on billboards across the country.

"Republicans think $450,000 a year is low- and middle-income"

Also, on those little annoying ad cards people leave in public restrooms.

[rusty quoin]

18. It is middle class to them since all others do not matter.

I wish the trump voters who share the supermarket line with me would get it into their thick skulls.

[RainCaster]

19. Then I'm in a very low class

Or the GOP is really out of touch.

[CrispyQ]

20. The same party who thinks you can buy a car or renovate your kitchen with the $1000

you'll save with your tax cut.