Median household income was $46,326 in 2005, up 1.1 percent from 2004 after adjusting for inflation. This is the first annual increase in real median household income since 1999. Since 1967, the first year for which household income statistics are available, real median household income was up 30.9 percent

During the 2004 election, the line in the sand that Kerry had drawn for his tax-the-rich plan was $250,000 a year. Though obviously the taxation plan itself met with much criticism, the public seemed to swallow the actual number as a reasonable definition of rich at the time.

that's because the public swallows the political hacks' strategy of class warfare hook, line, and sinker. show me the person who thinks anyone making $100/200/300K per year deserves to be taxed more and I'll show you someone who doesn't have the belief that they could ever earn that much. Or someone so disgustingly wealthy that they pay someone hundreds of thousands to ensure they don't pay taxes anyway...

$500k in Los Angeles is like $150k anywhere else in America...with the possible exception of New York City.

I assure you even 300k is far from disgustingly wealthy.

Lets talk weath. I am starting a new thread in current events. I would appreciate it if you all came over and commented in an effort to refocus the discussion and take advantage of an interesting bit of thread drift.

To you, 30 billion euros is not disgustingly wealthy.

And you would know this how? I accept that our society is economically stratified. It can't be anything else, it does not matter how little you make.

I'm just tired of the rich pleading poverty, especially CEOs who gets raises while their companies go to the toilet and employees lose everything they worked for. Even Mike Bloomberg made over $11 billion while in office, taking a $1 per year job. Eleven billion. At least he didn't take NYC to the toilet.

How much should someone running one of the largest cities in the world make? Also what were his sources of income to produce the $11B?

His trust. He is up from 5 billion to 11.5 billion (my mistake, sorry.)

He owns Bloomberg, LP, now in trust. You see the Wall Street ticker on CNBC and other financial channels? That's thanks to Bloomberg.

Goldman Sachs and just about every other brokerage house on Wall Street got an electronic ticker, thanks to Bloomberg.

I'm not certain yet whether his reach extends to Fleet Street or other European, or Asian markets.

Did his job as mayor have anything illicit impact on that trust? I am not a Bloomberg fan, but so what if his personal wealth grew from $5B to $10B or even $100B? If he only accepted $1 in wages then you should be applauding that choice to not take unneeded taxpayer money.

If that is the case why would you say this to me?

I am no CEO. Sure I make good money by most standards but I am far from rich.

Well, he is an MBA... must be evil. ;)