Rapper rumors spark mall brawl?
Rapper rumors spark mall brawl?,Rumors that Lil Wayne and a Canadian rapper were planning to play the Mall of America reportedly sparked a fight. Police said about 200 youths were involved in the post-Christmas melee in the packed mall. The median net worth of members of the House more than doubled from $280,000 to $725,000 in inflation-adjusted dollars between 1984 and 2009, the Washington Post reported.
The median wealth of American families declined slightly over the same period.
Nearly half of all members of Congress today are millionaires, according to The New York Times.
And the wealth gap is growing faster than before. From 2004 to 2010 alone, the median net worth of members of Congress grew by 15% while the median net worth for all Americans dropped 8%. The median net worth of the current Congress's freshman class was 26% greater than the freshman class of 2004, adjusted for inflation.
The hefty cost of running for office may be keeping less-wealthy candidates from throwing their hats in the ring. According to The Times, a successful House campaign cost $1.4 million on average last year, and a successful Senate run cost nearly $10 million.
The growing wealth gap raises concerns that members of Congress will have difficulty relating to average Americans when making decisions about the economy.