Talk about privilege. Rich get to live longer. Poor & middle class don't.
"Poverty is a life-threatening issue for millions of people in this country, and this report confirms it."—Sen. Bernie Sanders
There are now around 100 million, or nearly a third of the U.S. population living in poverty or near poverty. This figure is missing from glowing news reports about the booming Trump economy. While there are millions of white people living in poverty, poverty rates among African-Americans, Latinx, and Native Americans run two to three times higher.
A newly released report from the U.S. General Accounting Office on Retirement Security, commissioned by Sen. Bernie Sanders reveals that the rich are living longer lives, while poor and middle-income Americans are dying at a comparatively earlier age. Talk about privilege!
This from the report:
GAO found that among Americans aged 51-61 in 1992, fewer than half of those in the poorest 20 percent of America’s wealth distribution had survived by 2014—48 percent. Among the richest 20 percent, 75.5 percent were still alive. The poorest 20 percent were twice as likely to die over the 22-year period than the wealthiest 20 percent.
GAO similarly observed this massive disparity in life expectancy when examining CONTINUE READING: Mike Klonsky's Blog: Talk about privilege. Rich get to live longer. Poor & middle class don't.