Down and Out on $250K/year....

[Anonymous]

Article - What is middle class? http://www.reuters.com/article/2010/09/14/us-usa-taxes-middleclass-idUSTRE68D3QD20100914?pageNumber=1

Obama's definition - those earning up to 250k.

Foster regards the upper 20 percent of earners as "upper income" and the lower 20 percent as "lower income." He regards the 60 percent in the middle as middle class, with household incomes roughly between $25,000 and $100,000.

Either way, middle class is not the 250K HHI's. Sorry, it's just not.

[Anonymous]

I don't get. We make 160K combined. We have a decent house in Vienna, two nice cars, a boat.

We pay for preschool, eat out a few times a week, have a decent wardrobe, some nice things.

I feel pretty "rich." Can't see how I would be complaining at all at the 250K level.

Wow.

[Anonymous]

You are not rich unless you have staff. Big car, big house, private schools -- all fine and good. But if someone isn't opening the car door for you, you are not rich.

[Anonymous]

Well, then, at least my kids are rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, then, at least my kids are rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You are not rich unless you have staff. Big car, big house, private schools -- all fine and good. But if someone isn't opening the car door for you, you are not rich.[/quote

Compared to who? The single mom on welfare who can barely feed her children? The homeless an living under the bridge? The family with two parents in blue collar jobs, sometimes 2 and 3 jobs each tomake ends meet? The immigrants who come to this country with NO money and NO property?

You ARE rich if you make 250,000. You make way more than the vast maority of people in this country. Maybe your persepctive is skewed because of where we live, or who you associate with or the degree of wealth you come in contact with on a daily basis. But, to the people who make 30-40,0000 a year, struggling to support their families, you are rich. Those people dream of the life that you have.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well, then, at least my kids are rich.

Love it.

Other poster is snobby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not rich unless you have staff. Big car, big house, private schools -- all fine and good. But if someone isn't opening the car door for you, you are not rich.[/quote

Compared to who? The single mom on welfare who can barely feed her children? The homeless an living under the bridge? The family with two parents in blue collar jobs, sometimes 2 and 3 jobs each tomake ends meet? The immigrants who come to this country with NO money and NO property?

You ARE rich if you make 250,000. You make way more than the vast maority of people in this country. Maybe your persepctive is skewed because of where we live, or who you associate with or the degree of wealth you come in contact with on a daily basis. But, to the people who make 30-40,0000 a year, struggling to support their families, you are rich. Those people dream of the life that you have.

But those folks making 30-40K wealthy, too, don't you see? Because to the people who live in Haiti, whose average annual salary is $772, they are way beyond rich. So maybe those making 30K don't FEEL rich because their perspective is skewed b/c of where they live and who they associate with and the degree of wealth they come in contact with on a daily basis. Those people in Haiti dream of the life of those making 30K.

BTW, 49K is the average US salary. So those making 49K should not be *struggling* to support their families, b/c they are, after all the living definition of "middle class".

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely comfortable and I am not complaining. But, I am not "rich."

Yeah ok, tell that to the nurses, the teachers, the counselors, the social workers, the postal workers, the waitresses, the nannies, the hair stylists, the mechanics, construction workers, personal trainers, taxi drivers, office managers, police officers, bank tellers, firemen, receptionists, metro workers, web designers, videographers, editors, professors, marketing assistants, baristas, cashiers, massage therapists, midwives, paralegals, librarians, trash collectors, human resource administrators and hospice workers that live and work in the same city as you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You are not rich unless you have staff. Big car, big house, private schools -- all fine and good. But if someone isn't opening the car door for you, you are not rich.[/quote
Compared to who? The single mom on welfare who can barely feed her children? The homeless an living under the bridge? The family with two parents in blue collar jobs, sometimes 2 and 3 jobs each tomake ends meet? The immigrants who come to this country with NO money and NO property?
You ARE rich if you make 250,000. You make way more than the vast maority of people in this country. Maybe your persepctive is skewed because of where we live, or who you associate with or the degree of wealth you come in contact with on a daily basis. But, to the people who make 30-40,0000 a year, struggling to support their families, you are rich. Those people dream of the life that you have.
But those folks making 30-40K wealthy, too, don't you see? Because to the people who live in Haiti, whose average annual salary is $772, they are way beyond rich. So maybe those making 30K don't FEEL rich because their perspective is skewed b/c of where they live and who they associate with and the degree of wealth they come in contact with on a daily basis. Those people in Haiti dream of the life of those making 30K.
BTW, 49K is the average US salary. So those making 49K should not be *struggling* to support their families, b/c they are, after all the living definition of "middle class".

Agreed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't get. We make 160K combined. We have a decent house in Vienna, two nice cars, a boat.

We pay for preschool, eat out a few times a week, have a decent wardrobe, some nice things.

I feel pretty "rich." Can't see how I would be complaining at all at the 250K level.

Wow.

If you are maxing out your retirement, are adequately insured with life and long-term disability, and are contributing the max for college expenses, and have a emergency fund of a years salary, then yes, Wow, you guys are doing great.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:$250k probably puts you in the top 10% in just about any hood, except maybe parts of Georgetown and Great Falls. But even there, I suspect you're above the median.

Or is this another, "poor suffering rich people" thread, so we can justify squashing the workplace rights of teachers making $60k a year?

Are you kidding? ONly about 2 percent of the population has a HHI of $100,000. Don't judge the rest of the country by this area and overpaid lawyers, doctors, govt workers.

[Anonymous]

I agree that people making $50k are rich in comparison to most of the world. So by that measure, the $250k poster mega rich, and those who make more than that are astronomically rich.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are definitely comfortable and I am not complaining. But, I am not "rich."

Yeah ok, tell that to the nurses, the teachers, the counselors, the social workers, the postal workers, the waitresses, the nannies, the hair stylists, the mechanics, construction workers, personal trainers, taxi drivers, office managers, police officers, bank tellers, firemen, receptionists, metro workers, web designers, videographers, editors, professors, marketing assistants, baristas, cashiers, massage therapists, midwives, paralegals, librarians, trash collectors, human resource administrators and hospice workers that live and work in the same city as you.

Ok. If you all are reading this . . . I am not rich. The fact that there are people who make less money doesn't mean I am rich.
It means they make less money.

PS- some of the people on that list make pretty good money, actually. Some of the classifications noted above (at my place of work) make very good money.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$250k probably puts you in the top 10% in just about any hood, except maybe parts of Georgetown and Great Falls. But even there, I suspect you're above the median.

Or is this another, "poor suffering rich people" thread, so we can justify squashing the workplace rights of teachers making $60k a year?

Are you kidding? ONly about 2 percent of the population has a HHI of $100,000. Don't judge the rest of the country by this area and overpaid lawyers, doctors, govt workers.

Nobody is saying people who make $250K are poor or suffering. They are saying it does not qualify as "rich", esp. in this area.

Not even sure why you feel the need to be so miserable on this point. You're not getting something you think you are entitled to???