Say Good Bye to Middle Class

I am a teacher. Most people would categorize that profession as middle class along with police officers, fire fighters, nurses, managers, etc. I am the only wage earner thanks to the economy which despite all the liberal pundits claims is no better than it was two years ago. Looking at my paystub, it has become obvious that the combined weight of taxes, medicare taxes, insurance and what is laughably referred to as my retirement fund, is taking more than a quarter of my income. The cost of insurance alone has been driven up by making those of us saps who pay for insurance responsible for the higher costs of giving away "free" healthcare to anyone who qualifies. Note: Qualifying doesn't mean legally qualified, but it means you have the right connections to complain your way into services for free. Compare that to my Mom, who now has no money thanks to buyouts by Merrill Lynch to BofA and others. And what about that nice cushy golden parachute they gave as a parting gift to their former CEO? It looks like short of turning Mom out on the street, she will end up in our small home. It's a house that has no safeguards or amenities for the aged. It's falling apart. And there's not one thin dime to fix it. I am pretty sure that despite all the labeling, I am no longer middle class. I am poor. And at 54, that's a pretty solemn observation.