Growing Income Inequality in U.S. All But Ignored in Presidential Campaign

Interview with Ellen Frank, senior economist, Poverty Institute at Rhode Island College conducted by Scott Harris

Economic issues being debated in this year's presidential election campaign include unemployment, health care, tax policy, the deficit and more recently Social Security. But growing income inequality across the U.S. is one critical issue that has been all but ignored by the candidates and corporate media coverage of the campaign.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported in September that the number of Americans living in poverty increased by 1.3 million last year. Alarmingly, children were among the hardest hit segments of the population with an increase of about 800,000 living in poverty during 2003. In all, 12.9 million of those under the age of 18 now live below the poverty line. During Bush's administration, 4.3 million Americans have slipped into poverty and 5.2 million have lost their health insurance coverage.

The income gap along racial lines also worsened during the last recession. Analyzing the most recent census data, the Pew Hispanic Center found that white households had a median net worth 11 times that of Hispanic households and 14 times that of African American households. Between The Lines' Scott Harris spoke with Ellen Frank, senior economist at the Poverty Institute at Rhode Island College and member of Dollars and Sense magazine's editorial board. Frank examines income inequality and President Bush's campaign proposals in his so-called "Ownership Society" initiative.

Ellen Frank is author of "The Raw Deal: How Myths and Misinformation about the Deficit, Inflation and Wealth Impoverish America." Read Franks' articles in the pages of Dollars and Sense magazine or online at www.dollarsandsense.org

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Contact United for a Fair Economy at (617) 423-2148 or www.faireconomy.org

Contact Economic Policy Institute at (202) 775-8810 or www.epinet.org

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