What becomes of the bare necessities

A recent study from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University shows that 50% of renters are what is known as cost-burdened in their rent, that is they pay better than 30% of their income for housing (20.6 million people).  Twenty-seven percent pay more than 50% of their income (11.3 million people).

One supposes our foes on the right will point to this as being the fault of those uppity poor folks trying to have more than they can afford.  But the plain truth of the matter is that it's a combination of wage stagnation, high unemployment, a minimum wage that hasn't come close to keeping up with inflation, and rent just being too damn high (did you know that almost half of America's homeless have a job?).

Combined with a study from the Alliance for a Just Society which shows that for every $15.00 an hour job ($31,200 a year, full time, for our republican friends who struggle with math) there are currently 7 job seekers, and that we've lost 4 million $15.00 an hour jobs since 2009 (and that's not to mention that $31,200 a year isn't exactly going to make anyone rich), one has to wonder if the the bare necessities are being priced out of the reach of ordinary Americans what becomes of the American dream?

Judging from these numbers, it isn't going to be long before we're gathering scrapwood to build our very own 21st Century Hoovervilles, from where we can watch the wealthy with awe while our children go hungry.

Either that or we can be like the French and tear the mother fuckers down.

Peace,
emaycee