can be seen in this Washington Post article, just posted, from which I quote the following:
Between 1984 and 2009, the median net worth of a member of the House has risen 2 1 / 2 times, according to the analysis of financial disclosures, rising from $280,000 to $725,000 in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Over the same period, the wealth of an American family has declined slightly, with the median sliding from $20,600 to $20,500, according to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from the University of Michigan.
All figures have been adjusted for inflation and exclude home equity, which is not included in congressional reporting. The year 1984 was chosen because it was the earliest for which consistent wealth data were available.
And 1984 was in the midst of the Reagan revolution, when he had a working majority in the House and control of the Senate.
It is a long, and thorough article. I think it is a must-read.
Dems are just as responsible as Repubs - both DCCC and DSCC have at times looked for candidates who could self-fund at least in part.
It is like the media that is no longer part of the middle class - remember when during a Dem primary debate Charles Gibson thought taxing incomes over 250K would hit teachers and firemen?
If our elected representatives cannot grasp the reality of our lives, and think more in terms of their own portfolios (remember, no restrictions on Congress trading on inside information), no wonder the rest of us are getting screwed economically.
Read the article. Pass it on. Please.