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Greenfield on Skyrocketing Cost of Living in America

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    Journalist Jeff Greenfield on the current state of unemployment and increased costs of goods in the U.S.

  • Duration 5:41
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And -- where you -- Things are never going to be the same time zone and and.

We have attempted -- the most dramatic example is -- three of us.

Well -- mean east history will -- his career plan sit.

C a firefighter.

-- And so we don't you drop for clarify cool so.

You mean you know and I've got a few granddaughter is one of whom are expect to be.

An actress wonderful will be an explorer one -- who will be a -- -- 16 so that there also but I'm thinking.

Mean you know we're curiously all of the fact that for a couple generations you could leave high school.

Go to group.

Go to the afford planet river rouge or whatever.

Plant was around -- didn't need an education he didn't need skills you did lead people of the willingness to work harder.

And you could you could go on you were -- Not your social is just you -- provide a decent.

Life for your family.

And that's just not how it is sitting.

And then we may never be probably wouldn't ever -- -- -- a -- And now we're seeing them -- -- I can't tell you how many.

People with college degrees.

In the last 45 years or finding that that culture agree.

It should really do for you know to be of a -- that Starbucks.

So.

I think I don't I think we're in for a long.

Term sense of -- kind of -- Not particularly.

Vibrant.

Economy.

Well off the cliff not Great Depression to.

But some feel that it isn't like what America fortitude it had a kind of defined right to be I think the total effect.

Everything from our politics.

To the national culture.

At all -- -- exposed because.

Already have programs some accounts to.

-- by an excellent.

Way Obama -- -- -- work on.

Fund billionaire and all of great terrific people and say get exposed to -- business and was once a -- they have -- The come -- -- these triggers.

All -- new new people.

We're first time people filing for unemployment insurance.

And and that would there -- of those who are rejoicing.

The fact that this -- under 400000.

For the past ten weeks but.

There's still 400000.

People new people.

Every rear wheels almost a half a million people.

Applying for unemployment -- make them.

-- that remember part of that -- be because the country's population.

Keeps growing -- essentially the numbers don't tell you this much says.

For instance.

What's after tax disposable income.

Of African American.

And for the bell reported thirty years it's been essentially stopped it's gone up a little but -- -- -- -- that -- to you know top 1%.

It hasn't gone up that much.

And more important that essentials for the little -- lake -- in health care.

Education for your kids -- should shut up through the roof.

And I think that's one of the big reasons what people feel.

So constantly pressured the -- the essentials.

That people think.

It's part of a middle class more comfortable life what's a little less what.

Those essentials or more out of -- we have more we -- you to you know -- I was told somebody.

My first year college tuition of this is almost sentence sentence -- critical.

As an out of state -- Wisconsin -- years to which -- 600 dollar.

If you were interstate.

You -- for free and only it will let seems.

To say it's a different world that there.

You've got a couple of kids -- intended to college age.

Then you're looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars.

And if you were middle class for you do your nominal income is you know.

Looks to -- -- he is difficult.

And that's been the case for years we saw that.

The idea that -- Are flat that new hires and everything from.

From the -- of the newspaper that journalism industry -- automobile industry to know civil service.

Get paid less than their older -- reports.

And you wonder you know.

Have you had to maintain a vibrant sense of optimism which really is kind of a core American notion in the face of that and my answer -- I have no idea.

It costs 40000.

Dollars.

40000 dollars to send your kid.

To -- garden and Manhattan.

Where they take it or they either currently and take a nap and I'm not exaggerating.

Don't know -- bitten in the the New York private school it's.

Since -- it's on the planet all by itself.

Is this this is you know this is why you I was gonna -- I mean look -- normal -- -- New York but what I hear people in New York.

Talk about how much more sophisticated they are in the regular country I think things like.

That's right he spent 40000 dollars you can go to school here fingerprint.

On his pants.

While those -- out in the midwest send their kids for free that's that's that's have done they are not so Smart we are.

Ours must have a comment manager much hope we don't Jeff Greenfield an -- Barbara drama -- Angeles.