[djs123sdj]

Even if the income for the poor and working class has risen compared to generations ago, something that many forget is that absolute quality-of-life for many of them has gotten considerably worse in very important ways.

Examples: violent neighborhoods, failing schools, housing blight and decay, lack of access to open space and parks, lack of preventative health care, lack of access to role models for children, lack of access to healthy foods.

Even if they have a smart phone and a flat screen TV, what do those things mean when you don't have the basics listed above?

I don't think the poor are as upset about differences in income as they are about the fact that they are pushed into, IMO, sub-human living situations.

The real question is, why have we made a high income the price of avoiding these terrible circumstances?

EDIT: Added a summarizing question.