Today, opening in theaters across the country is a new documentary "Inequality for All" that explores the widening income gap in America. Narrated by former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich, the film profiles people from different walks of life – Costco employees, wealthy venture capitalists, and middle class professionals – to demonstrate how our economy is set up to work for the wealthy few but not for all of us.
From the movie:
Inequality today is as extreme as it was right before the Great Depression. The valley in between those two peaks of inequality, which shows up repeatedly on screen in Inequality For All, represents a time of broad prosperity from which the country can draw lessons. The Great Recession has not produced the same kind of policy shift Reich points to as a key to that prosperity, and inequality is only getting worse. Eroding investments in education and children undermine the future workforce, low union membership undermines present-day workers, and weak financial industry oversight allow the sector that drives inequality and creates economic crises to regain its footing while leaving the middle class behind.
From YouTube:
A passionate argument on behalf of the middle class, this film features Robert Reich-professor, best-selling author, and Clinton cabinet member-as he demonstrates how the widening income gap has a devastating impact on the American economy. The film is an intimate portrait of a man who's overcome a great deal of personal adversity and whose lifelong goal remains protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. Through his singular perspective, Reich explains how the massive consolidation of wealth by a precious few threatens the viability of the American workforce and the foundation of democracy itself. In this INCONVENIENT TRUTH for the economy, Reich uses humor and a wide array of facts to explain how the issue of economic inequality affects each and every one of us.
Facts on Income Inequality
- The top 5 percent made $191,157 or more in 2012, while the bottom fifth made $20,599 or less.
- The top 10 percent of earners took home half of the country’s income, the largest amount on record.
- The gap between the employment rate for the highest income Americans and the lowest income ones is the widest in a decade.
- Income for households in the top five percent of American earners have grown by more than five percent over the past three years.
- From 2009 to 2012, income for the 1 percent grew by 31.4 percent, while everyone else only saw it grow by 0.4 percent.
- The top 10 percent now has 15.9 times the income of the bottom.
NYC Wins When Everyone Can Vote!
Michael H. Drucker
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