Ireland's Squeezed Middle: The Irish Times.

[gatsbygirl20]

The IT is dealing with the problems of the beleaguered middle class--or the "coping class", or those who thought that they were middle class---for the next few days.

It begins with an introductory article today:

Ireland's squeezed middle - The Irish Times - Sat, Feb 04, 2012

When the link opens, you need to click on the follow-on articles up on the right hand side to hear the personal stories.

Some of this personal testimony will draw ire---skiing seems to be a problem for one family--but one woman's feeling that she is slaving away without any little sweetener or reward, such as the odd impulse buy in town, will strike a chord with some.....

[gatsbygirl20]

Anyway, Social research in UCD have come up with lists of those least affected by the recession, and they include:

(a) Employees of MNCs. Google and Facebook have employed 2,500 people in Dublin City and have plans for expansion. Apart from tax increases the employees seem to be doing OK

(b) Those whose main income, such as pension, is from social welfare--apart from the loss of Christmas bonus

(c) Farmers

(d) Retirees on big occupational pensions

[wombat]

The IT is dealing with the problems of the beleaguered middle class--or the "coping class", or those who thought that they were middle class---for the next few days..

Maybe "chattering classes" or "whingeing classes" is more accurate. The majority still have their jobs although you would never know it listening to the media. As usual, those who are in desperate conditions are too busy to moan. I am thoroughly fed up of landowners complaining about having their septic tanks inspected as if its their divine right to sh1t in the river, homeowners whingeing about negative equity although they have no intention of selling, the PS whingeing about early retirements as if no one has ever retired before. In short, if we have a referendum, I may vote no in the hope that all their moaning wishes get fulfilled. Rant over.

[Telemachus]

It will be interesting to see the "problems" affecting those the Irish Times consider the middle.

[hammer]

How one entrepreneurial family has fared - The Irish Times - Sat, Feb 04, 2012

We`re in existence mode ....................good quote.

This chap employed 15 people who all receive dole and he gets nothing

Ireland helping entrepeneurs..........................that must be the biggest lie ever told.

[Hugo7]

"The Squeezed Middle" does NOT refer to middle- and low- income earners but to middle income professional and semi-professional earners. The sighing/moan radio ad for this series reminded me why I haven't bought this news paper for 10 years .I couldn't read the article referred to beyond the first paragraph.(I did try but life is short)

[hammer]

It wouldn`t be Irelands "squeezed" middle if ECB rates weren`t falling and the majority of us are on trackers.

It would be goodbye to the middle.

ESB + 22%
Gas + 12%
Health Levy + 40%
Health Insurance +15%
Petrol €1.54 per litre
Motor Tax + 20%
Quinn Levy + 3%
Bus fares + 15%
Train fares + 13%
Utility tax / Septic tank charge / Water Rates

etc.............

[gatsbygirl20]

Maybe "chattering classes" or "whingeing classes" is more accurate. The majority still have their jobs although you would never know it listening to the media. As usual, those who are in desperate conditions are too busy to moan. I am thoroughly fed up of landowners complaining about having their septic tanks inspected as if its their divine right to sh1t in the river, homeowners whingeing about negative equity although they have no intention of selling, the PS whingeing about early retirements as if no one has ever retired before. In short, if we have a referendum, I may vote no in the hope that all their moaning wishes get fulfilled. Rant over.

You probably need to read the "In This Section" links when the IT article link opens. Most of those interviewed are indeed working, but in some cases they are down to one income where they used to have two....they are trying to keep up the middle class image of a coping family while gradually things are "beginning to slip" as one interviewee terms it...

The distinguishing characteristic of the middle classes, according to Gerard O'Neill of Amarach is "faith in the future, home ownership, sending kids to college, saving for a rainy day" but the "liberation of credit during the boom years changed a lot of that".....

One man speaks of the knock-on effect on the wider economy of squeezing the middle class ; "I'll live without my life assurance, but then Aviva is laying off 1,000 staff"

There are the usual complaints from squeezed middle class workers that those on welfare seem to be "relatively
insulated"....

[wombat]

This chap employed 15 people who all receive dole and he gets nothing

PRSI, although its a tax, is also an insurance premium. Self employed people pay a lower rate which entitles you to an old age pension, not dole. Most self employed people have taken a risk by going self employed in the hope of making more working for yourself than for an employer, nobody wanted to pay higher PRSI in the good times, they can't complain about no benefits in bad times.

[KingCash]

This chap employed 15 people who all receive dole and he gets nothing

Ireland helping entrepeneurs..........................that must be the biggest lie ever told.

The best way for the government to help entrepreneurial Ireland is to get out of the way. Only after they fully remove themselves from the equation, will we see jobs and prosperity. If they repealed only one page of the burdensome regulatory catalogue crippling our economy, people would go back into the productive private sector tomorrow morning. Because of the monetary policy, the middle class is getting wiped out and there is a transfer of wealth from this class to the rich. The massive welfare corporate/private subsidy state is contributing to this tenfold.

This government have been disappointing - a negotiation here, a cut there - all totally irrelevant.