Spread the wealth

The writer of the Dec. 29 letter “Disappearing middle” obviously doesn’t know the history about how the middle class was created in America.

In the 1950s after World War II, 40 percent of the jobs were union, and today that number is about 10 percent. Complain all you want about unions, but they helped enable everyone in this country to make a nice living and save for college and retirement. Why is it that the right never attacks the Wall Street CEOs like Bernie Madoff and the outrageous salaries and bonuses they made illegally while nearly ruining the economy taking money from our 401Ks to reward themselves? How absurd!

Another reason for the middle class being wiped out is that we went from good-paying manufacturing jobs to a service-based sector with Taco Bells and Walmarts at every corner. These jobs don’t even pay their employees’ health care, but the Waltons are the wealthiest people in America. How patriotic of them!

When a country allows all of the wealth to be concentrated at the top, those few can buy only so many automobiles, televisions, etc. There has to be a balanced playing field in order so that an economy thrives.

Ron Carlson

Raleigh