1. shrinking energy for peasants http://www.bnd.com/sports/columnists/story/654250.html Average worker paychecks are worth less now than in 1973, but CEOs and other rich Americans not only make much more, they pay less in taxes. Click here to find out more! Average full-time workers made $41,198 in 1973 and $37,606 in 2008, adjusted for inflation. CEOs made 45 times as much as workers in 1973 and more than 300 times as much as workers now. The top tax rate was 70 percent in 1973 and just 35 percent now; taxpayers pay the top rate on the portion of taxable income that falls within the highest bracket and pay lower rates on income below that. The top rate for capital gains on the sale of stock and other assets was 36.5 percent in 1973 and 15 percent now. Irrational pay and tax cuts have generated a massive redistribution of income and wealth from workers to CEOs, hedge fund managers and others in the richest 1 percent. By 2006, the richest 1 percent had increased their share of the natio...
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