Income inequality

"The 10 Scariest Charts of the Recession" has some startling data -- even though we knew things were going in this direction.

For example: in the last 15 years, the median family income has risen by 13.2% (0.88%/year), while that of the 400 highest earning households has jumped 409% (27.2%/year). Because their tax rate also diminished over the same period, their after-tax incomes actually went up by 476%.

The income inequality (the share of total income going to the top 10% of the population) reached an all time high in 2007 (latest data available). More disparity even than in the late 1920's just before the big crash.

In 2006, the average Wall Street bonus -- not salary, but bonus, on top of salary and deferred stock options -- was more than 4 times the average annual salary of workers.

More of this at: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/19/the-scariest-charts-of-th_n_540456.html#s81506

Ralph