Some Hard, Cold Facts for Americans

Consider the following: In a 60 Minutes program aired late last year, Ben Bernanke, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, said there is a “rising inequality” in terms of unemployment: the unemployment rate for college graduates is 5%, but the rate for high school graduates is 10% or more. Money Magazine created a list of “top careers” taking into account such factors as projected growth rate, average salaries, stress level, and flexibility. The top 5 of the list are: software architect physician assistant management consultant physical therapist environmental engineer Each of these careers will require some level of post-secondary training or education. That means those with only high school diplomas will fall even further behind in terms of the factors that define a “top career.” In a parallel study, it was reported that people in the highest income group can expect to live, on average, at least six and a half years longer than those in the lowest group. Kent Gilbreath, professor of economics at Baylor University, has done a study (with 2008 statistics, the latest available) that shows the average starting salary for males at $52,301 and the average starting salary for females at $46,121. A study at UC Irvine’s Clinic for Aging Research determined that 79% of people aged 90 and over are disabled, and that women are twice as likely as men to be disabled. While 2010 was the 20th anniversary for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the statistics show that gains made under the ADA, like every other entity in the economy, have been adversely affected by the recession. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have left nearly 40,000 U.S. service-members wounded and have caused veterans’ disability claims to skyrocket to a point of impending disaster. In the final analysis, issues like these can only be addressed through our political process. So, if we want to address all or some of these serious realities of American life in 2011, where do we start? Are any of these issues worthy of our attention? If so, who specifically can we talk to about these and related realities? What do you think?