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October 20, 2012 If the Rich get Richer! What Happens to YOU? 6:30PM
(Mineral Point)Green Lantern Studios, 261 High Street in Mineral Point
Mahlon Mitchell, president of the Wisconsin Firefighters union and former candidate for Lt. Gov., will be the headliner for the Grassroots Citizens of Wisconsin annual fall event, to be held Saturday, Oct. 20, with doors opening at 6:30 p.m. and Mahlon Mitchell to speak at 7pm.
This free event, which is open to the public, will be held at Green Lantern Studios, 261 High Street in Mineral Point. It is scheduled for the weekend of the Fall Art Tour and will include wine, cheese and good conversation.
Mitchell will address the timely question “If the Rich get Richer, What Happens to YOU?” This is a critical concern today at a time when the income gap between the top 1 percent of American earners and the bottom 99 percent has widened dramatically in the past three decades. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the top incomes have grown by 275 percent between 1979 and 2007. At the same time, the 60 percent of people in the middle saw their paychecks go up only 37 percent while paychecks for the least fortunate households have grown by only 18 percent. This downward spiral has not declined during the recent financial crisis, with 93% of all income gains going to the top 1% of earners in the first year of the recovery.
“Beginning in the 1970’s, our country’s wealth gap has steadily risen to levels not seen since the Roaring Twenties”, said Doug Huebner, president of Grassroots. “This trend not only affects the amount of money in middle class pockets, it has other serious consequences for average families. Opportunities for upward mobility, a mainstay of American life, have been sharply curtailed, and the achievement gap between rich and poor children has become a permanent feature of American society.”
Mahlon Mitchell represents 3,000 firefighters as president of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin. He also works his 24-hour shift at Fire House 7 in Madison, where he is a lieutenant.
Grassroots is a non-partisan group that fosters political dialogue and involvement throughout southwest Wisconsin. Attendees will have a chance to find out more about what the organization is up to these days and how they can get involved in its community-changing work. Among the progressive topics currently on the Grassroots agenda are protecting health care reform, immigration reform, peace and justice issues, and sustaining the environment.
Those planning to attend the “If the Rich Get Richer” event are encouraged to RSVP to [email protected] or 608-967-2375, although reservations are not required.
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