We’re in Atlanta on our national listening tour, taking stock of what it means to be middle class today and how the middle class fares under President Trump.
It felt great when there was a big, strong middle class in America. Like we were all in this together. Of course, it wasn’t that simple. There were plenty of people cut out. But now, the middle class has taken a beat down as income inequality has grown. More at the top and bottom. A thinner middle. It’s true all over, and it’s true in Atlanta – where we’re broadcasting today. This hour, On Point: On the road for our national listening tour, we’re talking the middle class in America — in Atlanta. — Tom Ashbrook
Guests:
Adria Welcher, sociology professor from Morehouse College.
Nan Orrock, Democratic state senator representing parts of Atlanta. ( @SenNanOrrock)
Greg Williams, mortgage broker and radio show host.
From Tom’s Reading List:
Los Angeles Times: Trump Vows ‘No Change’ To 401(K) Rules In Republican Tax Bill — “President Trump on Monday vowed there would be ‘no change’ to rules for 401(k) plans, seeking to douse speculation that the Republican tax overhaul bill being drafted by Congress would include new limits on retirement savings.”
CNNMoney: Trump’s Quest To Kill Obamacare Hurts The Middle Class — “Like their peers in many states around the nation, Utah’s insurers are steeply hiking rates for next year in part because they anticipated President Trump would stop funding a key set of Obamacare subsidies that help lower-income enrollees afford health care. Trump lived up to his vow earlier this month when he announced that he would end the cost-sharing payments. Whom will this move hurt the most? The middle class, who aren’t protected from the rate hikes like those of more modest means.”
Washington Post: Is $100,000 Middle Class In America? — “Just who exactly is middle class is in the national spotlight again as President Trump and Republicans in Congress craft tax cuts for individuals and corporations that they say will primarily benefit the middle. Vice President Pence called the plan, which is still being fleshed out, a “middle class miracle” this week. But amid this discussion, the middle class has been defined in different ways. Gary Cohn, Trump’s top economic adviser, recently discussed how a “typical family” making $100,000 a year would benefit. Trump has espoused the value of the plan to truckers, who make around $41,000 a year.”
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