Apr. 27, 2004 - 19:23 MST

THE WONDERING JEW

Once

Let's see, when I was a kid, middle class people were folks who could live on one man's salary, buy a home and a car, groceries, clothes and still have a bit left over. A status where a man and wife could raise a family in reasonable security. There were people who had higher incomes, but in those days they were called "comfortably off" or "well off."

The recent term "upper middle class," seems to me to be used by people who are well off but attempt to make others think they are in the middle class category.

Some words by Paul Campos who is a professor of law at the University of Colorado --- [email protected]

To me Professor Campos fits in my book beside my friend the late Gene Amole. I don't always agree with his conclusions, but can see how he arrives at them.

In his column in the Rocky Mountain News of today, he had this to say:

"Because there is no formal definition of just what makes someone a member of America's largely invisible upper class, I would like to propose these following definitions. To the extent any of these characteristics apply to you, you're probably an an upper class American, despite whatever protests you might make that you're still rooted in our virtuous middle class.

-- You've have had your lunch paid for by Lewis Lapham (editor of Harper's magazine)

--You've been stuck in annoying conversationns with people who mention their experiences as students at Princeton University, apropos of nothing in particular.

--You sometimes use the phrase "apropos of nothing in particular."

You have strong opinions regarding any of the following:

----The alternative minimum tax.

----Tiramisu

----Beaver Creek, Colorado

----Nannies

----Or anything having to do with cheese

----You have a child or pet named Aidan, Gillian or Chloe.

----You have used the word "summer" as a verb."

Professor Campos ends with the following. "Americans flinch at the phrase "upper class," perhaps because it conjures up images of English butlers or Marie Antoinette. We like to think we're a classless society in which everyone at bottom is the same, i.e., middle class, and in which any ambitious kid can grow up to be president."

"And as long as that kid goes to Yale and gets into Skull and Bones, he's got a fairly decent shot at proving us right."

+++++++++++++++

There is more to his column, but what I put in has the advantage of being slightly humorous (gallows humor perhaps) yet informative about what is going on.

I read not too long ago that a couple who have an income of $40,000 a year are considered to be lower income people. And if prices continue to go up, that may be proved right. When I retired in 1990 $40,000 per year was what a journey man made a year (or less), a factory worker made a lot less usually, or worked one heck of a lot of overtime. $40,000 Low Income ? In a pigs eye. In other words anyone making less will be scrambling to find a el cheapo apartment, drive a third generation used car and have trouble making payments on anything is considered poor ? Many folks who have only one of the partnership bringing in income will be certainly in a position like that.

Of course things have changed over the years, and we have so many improvements in all of our lives, if we can afford them, but still Thoreau's (I think) words, "The average man lives a life of quiet desperation," still hits the nail spang on the head. Whoever said it.

I know that we can't go back in time, wouldn't it be nice if some things could be as they were Once . . . . . . . . . . .

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