Paying it forward

As our children mature, the Divine Mrs. M and I wonder if  and how they will attain and maintain the same or better life than we have had.  Prices for everything from child care to tires and taxes seem to be rising much faster than wages and the kinds of jobs available don't offer the security or possibility for advancement that our generation took for granted.  It is almost a given that both spouses must work to maintain what our parents felt was a middle class lifestyle.  Granted, budget busters like cable TV and $4.00/gallon fuel oil were not something they had to deal with.  What is happening is the gradual squeeze on the middle class of this country.  Those on the lower rungs are in danger of falling into poverty, while those further up the ladder have to scramble just to stay in place.   Elections have consequences, and in particular, the ascent of Ronald Reagan and the assault on unions were a watershed moment in our lives.  Our votes still mean something, although with the present Supreme Court, they will surely be under siege for at least the next 4 years.  Low information voters informed by Faux News and right wing PACs seem ready to sign on to the treadmill to oblivion.  I hope for the sake of the next generation we can pull back from this abyss.