Saturday, December 21, 2013

The Coming Storm

It's starting to 'rain' but no one knows if or how long it will continue. That will be determined by a huge cultural and economic shift brought on by the changing demographics in this nation of ours.

While people are wringing their hands over the Affordable Health Care Act, many don't realize it is doing exactly what the President set out to do and that is redistribute wealth. The tectonic shift that is causing the most grief is among those with incomes just above the cutoff for subsidies. It's the DMZ of the beginning of this huge social change.

I know people at the other lower fault line who make just enough money to be exempt from food stamps, food pantries, medicaid, etc. They have been living in this purgatory for years. It is at these fault lines where the battle will rage.

Ironically at the extremes are the 42 million people living below the poverty line of about $18,000 and receiving assistance from various welfare programs and the super rich who don't need assistance and can pay out of pocket … thank you very much from the members of these groups.

Both of these groups live off the subsidies provided by the middle and upper economic classes.

Source: NYT, "New Health Law Frustrates Many In Middle Class", by Katie Thomas, Reed Abelson and Jo Craven McGinty; 12-20-2013.