:Hyper-rich

Source: June 5, 2005 Old Nantucket Warily Meets the New By GERALDINE FABRIKANT
アメリカにおける所得格差は、増大する一方であるという。ただし、そこでは貧富の格差だけではなく、富める者・と・さらに富める者、との格差も大きく開きつづけているというのだ。
とあるリゾート地に住まう住人は、一昔前と現在を比べつつ、こう言う:

The island, he said, is rapidly dividing into two types of people: "the haves and the have-mores."

ブッシュは、減税政策の恩恵は貧困層にこそ授けられているというが、それはまったくの出鱈目であることを記事は指摘する。
Source:June 5, 2005 Richest Are Leaving Even the Rich Far Behind By DAVID CAY JOHNSTON

President Bush said during the third election debate last October that most of the tax cuts went to low- and middle-income Americans. In fact, most - 53 percent - will go to people with incomes in the top 10 percent over the first 15 years of the cuts, which began in 2001 and would have to be reauthorized in 2010. And more than 15 percent will go just to the top 0.1 percent, those 145,000 taxpayers.

  • Ronald Reagan signed tax bills that benefited the wealthiest Americans and also gave tax breaks to the working poor.
  • Bill Clinton raised income taxes for the wealthiest, cut taxes on investment gains, and expanded breaks for the working poor.
  • Mr. Bush eliminated income taxes for families making under $40,000, but his tax cuts have also benefited the wealthiest Americans far more than his predecessors' did.

クリントンとブッシュの税収政策は、まったく対照的なものである:富裕層への増税をしたクリントン政権は、連邦予算の均衡をとることに成功したが、現共和党政権はふたたび赤字を増大させている。この赤字を解消することがまた、次期民主党大統領の仕事になるのだとしたら何とも皮肉なことである。