Perspective: The Rich Keep Getting Richer through Good Times and Bad

Between 2002 and 2006, the richest 1 percent of Americans saw their incomes steadily grow by 11 percent each of those five years. On the other hand, the rest of us were lucky to see our average income increase by 0.9 percent each year, less than inflation.

According to The New York Times, "In 2006, the 15,000 families in the top 0.01 percent of the income distribution — earning at least $10.7 million apiece — pocketed 3.48 percent of the nation’s total income, double their share in 1993."

What about those financial officers who blew it over the mortgage crisis? "[C]hiefs at 10 financial-services in [a Times' study] made $320 million last year, even as their banks reported mortgage-related losses of $55 billion."

Oh, yes, in case you've forgotten, these are the same folks who received the greatest benefit from the Bush tax cuts, the ones Georgie Boy wants to make permanent.