In this article written by columnist Michael Hiltzik, he cites the Pew Research animation of household income comparisons from 1971 to 2015 to expose the growth in income inequality. The main issue in this article is the worry of what will become of the middle class, but what I focused on when looking at this chart is the issues this brings for the lower class/people living below poverty line. Hiltzik writes:

“The percentage of adults in the highest-income segments grew from 14% in 1971 to 21% in 2015, while those in the lowest two income categories grew from 25% to 29%. Middle income households as a percentage shrank from 61% to 50% in that time.”

Lower class to middle class shows a $10,000 increase between the two, yet the income range within the middle class is $41,000 – 125,608. I am not in full understanding of these ranges, but what I do know is that as the middle class thins out, the harder it becomes for those in poverty to rise up and be successful. What is positive about this article is that by debunking the myths and denials of the wage gaps and diminishing of the middle class, people can make educated decisions on what they can do to prevent this from furthering by voting for a candidate that best fits their needs. Unfortunately, those who do not have a voice in this election could be the ones to improve income equality, but our society does a wonderful job at masking this truth. I highly suggest looking at the animation and focusing on the far right to visually see the increase in the upper class. What can we do to improve voter turnout for those who believe they are not being heard? How do we improve income equality among the lower class as well?

http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-hiltzik-ft-graphic-20160320-snap-htmlstory.html