I'm one the working poor, I use to be one of those in the middle class, but my raises do not even cover the increase in my Health Insurance payment. Plus my cost to drive to work has gone from $5.00 a week to $20.00 a week. My heating costs went from $76.00 for 150 gallons of fuel oil to $356.00 (Update: $396.00 8-2007) (Update $528.00 3-2008) for 150 gallons. My electric has increased, cable has increased, garbage service has increased, water/sewer has increased, it is just plain scary to go food shopping. We have cut back on all our spending and still with the higher Health Insurance, Dental Insurance, Life Insurance, Car Insurance, Home Insurance, Prescription costs, out of pocket Health Insurance costs, we still need to cut back. The American Worker use to be one of the countries biggest assets by using their extra income to purchase products. Now we struggle to survive, there is no extra money left over after paying bills to purchase anything but the bare essentials. Savings, NO, send our children to college, NO, buy cloths, NO, buy new furniture, NO, we can only afford the bare essentials. Those working poor Americans that do buy are using Plastic and will be unable to afford the payments. Others are borrowing from the equity in their home, not a good idea.

Here is what a Trickle down economy should be. Workers should get cost of living raises, Executives salaries should be based on a percentage above the lowest paid person in the business. So lets say the lowest paid person gets $9.00 an hour and the now the top wage for nonmanagement gets 76% X $9.00 = $15.84. Next the lowest paid management wage should be $15.84, now the top person in the business should be making 76% more so 76% X $15.84 = $27.88 per hour. Next everyone in the business gets the same percentage when it comes to raises, which should make the top person work hard to get that % up. The bottom person should work hard knowing that he or she will recieve the same raise as the top person. This will increase the profits of the company and at the end of the year everyone should get a percentage of those profits, lets say 15% for your gross wages for the year. What does this all do. It pays people a fair value for what they do, it distributes the money the business makes evenly, there are no speacial workers in a company, everyone has to contribute in order for it to succeed. It also gives everyone in the business more money to spend in the local economy, which helps all.