During his eloquent 2013 State of the Union address, President Barack Obama outlined his agenda which included alleviating income inequality. He called on Congress to increase the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $9 an hour. The president starts, “Tonight, let’s declare that in the wealthiest nation on Earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty,” and finishes by saying that this single action “would raise the incomes of millions of working families. It could mean the difference between groceries or the food bank; rent or eviction; scraping by or finally getting ahead.”
This of course was music to the ears of many Americans, a nice harmonious medley.
However, following the president’s address, the Republicans quickly responded by banging their drums. In short, Florida senator Marco Rubio speaking on his party’s behalf said, “Presidents in both parties—from John F. Kennedy to Ronald Reagan—have known that our free enterprise economy is the source of our middle class prosperity. But President Obama? He believes it’s the cause of our problems.”
Ding, ding, ding! “Middle class prosperity”? That’s pure rhetoric. This writer, as well as her fellow Americans, is wondering: what is “middle class prosperity”? While it sounds grand, does the middle class actually experience “prosperity” in the same terms as the wealthy? Last time I checked, “middle” meant median, average and intermediate. To use the term “prosperity” referencing economics is almost dichotomous when paired with middle class. It’s a term reserved solely for the wealthy in the financial sense.
These politricks are what’s slowing economic growth and job creation, not the president’s agenda. It’s time for us to put on our armor and get ready for another four years of battle – a fight to rise economically above “intermediate, average and median.” Middle class, who are you? Check out the U.S. Census Bureau’s middle class chart and map to discover how hard you have to fight – if at all.
