Passage32<br/><spanstyle="display:block;text-align:center;">IndependentInformationandAnalysisfromtheUSA</span>TheGapBetweenRichandPoorWidenedinU.S.CapitalWashingtonD.C.ranksfirstamongthe40citieswiththewidestgapbetweenthepoorandtherich,accordingtoarecentreportreleasedbytheD.C.FiscalPolicyInstituteonJuly22nd.Thetop20percentofhouseholdsinD.C.haveanaverageyearlyincomeof$186,830,31timesthatofthebottom20percent,whichearnsonly$6,126peryear.TheincomegapisalsobiginAtlantaandMiami,butthedifferenceisnotaspronounced.<br/>Thereportalsoindicatesthatthewideninggapoccurredmainlyduringthe1990s.Overthelastdecade,theaverageincomeofthetop20percentofhouseholdshasgrown36percent,whiletheaverageincomeofthebottom20percenthasonlyrisen3percent<br/>“Ibelievetheconcentrationofthemiddle-tohigh-incomefamiliesintheD.C.areawillcontinue,therefore,theincomegapbetweenrichandpoorwillbehardtobridge,”DavidGarrisontoldtheWashingtonObserver.GarrisonisaseniorresearcherwiththeBrookingsInstitution,specializinginthestudyofthesocialandeconomicpoliciesinthegreaterWashingtonD.C.area.<br/>ThereportattributedthepersistentincomegapinWashingtontothearea’sspecialjobopportunities,whichattracthigh-incomehouseholds.EspeciallysincethefederalgovernmentisbasedinWashingtonD.C.,Governmentagenciesandothergovernmentrelatedbusinessessuchaslobbyingfirmsandgovernmentcontractorsconstantlyofferhigh-payingjobs,whichcontributetothetrendofincreasinghigh-incomehouseholdsintheD.C.area.Forexample,asingleyoungprofessionalworkinginalawfirminD.C.canearnasmuchas$100,000inhisorherfirstyearoutoflawschool.“Inaddition,high-qualityhousingavailableinWashingtonD.C.isoneofthemainreasonswhyhigh-incomefamilieschoosetolivehere,whilemiddleandlow-incomefamilies,iftheycanaffordit,choosetomoveoutofWashingtonD.C.totheVirginiaandMarylandsuburbssothattheirkidscangotobetterschools,”statedGarrison.<br/>“AsrichfamiliescontinuetomoveintoD.C.andmiddleandlow-incomefamiliesaremovingout,thepoorestfamiliesareleftwithnowheretomove,orcannotaffordtomove.Thiscreatesthesituationwefacenow:ahugeincomegapbetweentherichandpoor.”<br/>TheWashingtonD.C.areatowhichGarrisonrefersistheDistrictofColumbiacityitself,notincludingthegreaterWashingtonmetroarea.“ThegreaterWashingtonmetroareahasalargepopulationofabout5million,butthelow-incomehouseholdsareoftenconcentratedinD.C.proper,”Garrisonexplained.<br/>TonyBlalock,thespokespersonforMayorAnthonyWilliams,saidresignedly,“NomatterwhatweseemtodotobringinvestmentintotheDistrict,acertainpopulationisnotabletoaccesstheuniqueemploymentopportunitiesthere.Thegapbetweentherichandpooristheproductofcomplexforces,andwon’tbefixedovernight.”<br/>GarrisonbelievesthattheD.C.governmentshouldattracthigh-incomefamilies.Bydoingso,theDistrict’staxbasecangrow,whichinturncanhelpimproveD.C.’sinfrastructure.“Butinthemeantime,theDistrictgovernmentshouldalsotakeintoconsiderationtherightsofthepoor,setupgoodschoolsforthem,andprovidesoundsocialwelfare.Allthesemeasurescanalleviatethediresituationcausedbyincomedisparity.“<br/>Garrison,however,isnotoptimisticaboutthepossibilityofclosingthegapbetweentherichandpoor.Heisparticularlydoubtfulthatcurrenteconomicprogresswillbeabletohelpoutthepoor.“Bush’stax-cutplandidbringaboutthiswaveofeconomicrecovery,andtheworkingprofessionalsandrichdidbenefitfromit.Itisunfairtosaythattheplandidnothelpthepooratall…itjustdidn’tbenefitthemasmuchasitdidtherich,”Garrisonsaid.“TheworkingclassinAmerica,thosewhodothesimplestwork,getpaidtheleast,anddutifullypaytheirtaxes,hasnotbenefitedfromBush’stax-cutplanmuch.”<br/>Garrisonconcludes,“AlotofcitiesinAmericadidnotenjoythepositiveimpactoftheeconomicrecovery.WashingtonD.C.,ontheotherhand,hasalwaysbeenshelteredbythefederalgovernment.ThewidegapbetweenrichandpoorintheDistrict,therefore,deservesmorein-depthstudyandexploration.”