Sunday, August 21, 2011

How Can This Be, In The Peoples Republic of Massachusetts?

From the Boston Globe, not some far-right rag:
Economic inequality has grown across Massachusetts...

While family incomes across Massachusetts have generally risen over the past three decades, the state’s poorest residents have fallen behind. And nowhere have they fallen farther than here in Western Massachusetts, where families in the bottom fifth of the income scale have seen inflation-adjusted earnings drop below 1979 levels, according to a new study by University of Massachusetts economists.

The study paints a stark picture of two commonwealths, in which the gap between rich and poor, east and west is growing. For example, the inflation-adjusted median income of affluent families in Greater Boston has grown 54 percent since 1979, to $230,000 from $150,000 a year, largely due to high-paying technology jobs.

In Berkshire County and the Pioneer Valley, where decades of plant closings have left hollowed-out economies, the inflation-adjusted median income of the poorest families fell 24 percent, from $21,000 a year in 1979 to $16,000 - on par with some of the most impoverished parts of Appalachia.

“No real income growth over three decades is what we’re seeing - no improvement in the standard of living,’’ said Michael D. Goodman, one of the study’s authors. “It’s a lost generation of families.’’
But at least everyone is required to buy health insurance!

Hat tip to NewsAlert.

1 comment:

Peter Reilly said...

You remind me of my friend Daryl down in Florida who thinks its irresponsible to not carry a gun. The Peoples Republic portion of Massachuesttss does not extend more than 20 miles west of boston, although there are outpost in Amherst and Northhampton. You need to fine-tune the psychic geography LOL.

Sorry to go off-topic, but I'm working on a piece and I'm asking for your insight as a West Point graduate. In the movie From Here to Eterntiy the charachter Prewitt is even more stubborn than in the novel. In one scene someone explains to him he should complain to the inspector general. The biggest plot change in the movie is that Dynamite Holmes is unmasked as a bad officer and cashired. In the novel which has a darker view of the Army hierarchy he is promoted.

Now my own exposure to military training is laughable. Four years in the Junior ROTC - go ahead laugh. Nonetheless, it made a profound impression on me. Our military scinece classes were "blocks of instruction" rather than having the same instructor for the whole year. Senior year one of the blocks was the Psychology of Leadership. I remember quite a bit from that but the one thing that totally sticks in my mind is "the mission and the men". I've remembered that when I've had responsibility for managing people. It makes it much more rewarding, you have high morale and a much better team. It is also more stressful than using people to further your own ends.

The other thing I remember, although I don't remember from where, probably a novel is the saying that there is no such thing as bad troops, only bad officers.

Regardless, Holmes was a bad officer in a very profound way and I'd like to think that his outcome in the movie was more realistic than the novel.