What Does it Mean to be Middle Class in the US?

[blithe spirit]

We hear a lot about our eroding middle class...we can all think of examples and anecdotes and may have an idea of we used to be able to afford but now we can't...or things we think we ought to be able to afford but maybe we can't.

Do you have a number in terms of income that could be considered middle class?

Heres a place to start a conversation about it if your interested...
http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2013/02/15/politics-counts-who-is-mid...

Or share something else if you wish..but what do you think being middle class means to you? Cause for sure it's been taken to mean lots of different stuff depending on politics and where you live.

[Wayne Goodwin]

So many low income people with famlys 3 , 4 or more kids filing income taxes and getting 7,  8 thousand dollars in refunds and more . Earneed income credit . How can one qualify earned income credit when they didn't work for it ?

[Wayne Goodwin]

Yesi received that credit . Most I ever got back was 2800 dollars one year . Took it and made a down. pyment for a double wide for mom and kids to have a place decent to live in ....

[grammyk]

That's generous and to your credit, Wayne.

[grammyk]

You have to have worked to get earned income credit.  And those people with several kids have been paying taxes all year - why shouldn't they get their refund the same as you or I?  And why the complaint about the number of kids?  I am from a family of 5 kids.  Many of the people you are complaining about had the kids before their economic situation changed (lost job, illness, accident, etc.).  

[Wayne Goodwin]

 Grammy I am not against it . People need some way to get a lift in life ...Kids especielly ...

[Wayne Goodwin]

Maybe I should have wrote it differently . Sorry

[blithe spirit]

Ahhh.... Wayne, I do see how you wrote it...looks as though you thought they were getting something they didn't earn or deserve...but they did..they had to have paid taxes and have to have worked a job to get it.
It really is a big help for those folks who can get it.... as you found out when you were able to get it.

Child care credits can also be a big help.

[grammyk]

Agree!  My daughter is a very hard worker but has had some very difficult times through no fault of her own. Child care credit and earned income credit were a lifesaver for her.

Wayne, apology accepted.  I took your first comment as blithe did.  People and especially children do need a lift and we shouldn't begrudge that.  We're all in this together, right?  Although most of our politicians don't seem to think so...

[frenchy]

it just strikes me sorta funny when some will bitch about a mother with 4 kids gettin food stamps and not say a word about a big corp. gettin millions and millions .. i had my own business and never got any help at all when i had lean times .. i just socked some away when i had them fat times cause i knew them lean times were commin ..

i guess there are all different levels of middle class .. lower middle class , middle class, and upper middle class .. and then you have your ubber middle class .. pretty much almost rich but not quite .. and then the rich ...and then the filthy rich .. and then the filthy filthy filthy rich .. and then on the bottom you have everybody else .. you could probably separate them too by callin em poor , or really poor .. or dirt poor right down to homeless .. and at the rate this country is goin i'd say the poor are the 49% that rommney was talkin about .. maybe different classes of poor for different reasons . lost their job or sickness or even retirement .. yeah retirement .. that first year is gonna be a real eye opener for the recently retired .. or some of em anyway .. and we can plan for it but sometimes it just sneaks up on you .. kinda like the football coach who answered when asked why they lost the game.. we didn't lose the game , we just ran outta time ..