Bob all well said.The middle class worker in this country has lost pace with everthing cost wise over the last 30 years.All the while CEO's pay has risen a 1000% over the floor worker.All capitolism has become is greed.Use to be a day when so called trickle down worked because the owners of large corperations looked at the long range and understood if you pay your workers a good livable wage they would buy there product.They took less profit and kept workers here in the good Ol USA.My wife who is 56 years old has been a Medical supervisor for 25 years and worked her way up the ladder the old fashion way with good work ethic.She was making around 70K a year and had 15 years with the hospital she was with.Well last year they walked in and she and 173 others were given notice,all the while the CEO of the hospital took his 900K salary and gave himself a 400K bonus for saving the hospital costs.She took 8 months to find a job as a receptionist for a small medical firm at 13,00 a hr.Only job she could find as she was told her age and what she use to make were problems.She is pulling down what I made 31 years ago in the Utility industry as a Tech.Like you I am retired and went to look for some work to stay busy and all I could find was a 11.00 a hr pay job at Home Depot.Would of been a 40 mile round trip to work.Hell I make more with my pension pay.As far as the dumb kids thing and our future is in there hands I know a lot of smart driven kids in our area who would like a bright future but they see there parents working two jobs and falling behind trying to keep a house and food on there plate.It can be fixed as the country has seen worse times years ago and my hope is some of these smart driven kids will help do it.I'll get off my soap box now.You guys can go back to your doom and gloom talk