In place of that shrinking middle class we have a growing
wealthy class that flies airplanes that cost as much or more than a
house, and those things use all of NavCanada's services. At the other
end of the scale are most of those that used to be middle class, now
the working poor, who, through various changes in the economy, find
themselves making little more than they did 25 years ago, which is a
lot less when adjusted for inflation. Lots of jobs with no benefits,
jobs that are part-time, non-union, temporary. And wiith little
opportunity for advancement. College or university becomes more and
more important.

Dan

Dan,

Even college educated workers are sliding down the pay scale. Unless
you own your own business, or have climbed reasonably high on a
corporate ladder, odds are you have seen a significant decline is your
inflation-adjusted income since 2000. Lots of layoffs and offshoring
in the past 7 years that is driving down incomes. Energy costs are
soaring and with that other staples go up as well. Housing costs have
gone up quite a bit since 2000 as well.

Its getting to the point where you need to own substantial real-estate
and have a lot of money invested so that you can have enough passive
income to live well. Most people don't have the seed capital to do
much of that.

Dean