So, of course recessions will hit the poor to moderate income folks worse, but it begs the question: were they really doing that much better during our years of supposed economic prosperity?

Not according to the Oregon Center for Public Policy.

Some key points:
For 2000-2007, Oregon’s economy grew 4%, compared to a 2.5% national average. Yet, not all Oregonians profited equally. 60% of workers saw their wages decline (adjusted for inflation) in real value, and more experienced losses in overall health coverage.

Locally, Lane County has a much higher than average fetal and infant mortality rate (a measure of basic population health because carrying babies to term and raising them through the first year is a basic function of any organism — if we can’t do that, what kind of place do we live?). Oregon’s rate is higher than the national average as well.

Oregon’s 1500 wealthiest households make as much as the lowest earning 450,000 households.

OCPP recommends several strategies, such as raising the corporate minimum tax (a popular item among many), and investing in public projects, infrastructure, health insurance and unemployment (to name a few). My favorite is increasing the Earned Income Tax Credit at the state level (currently a pittance).

I am interested in your comments — both on what we should do to move out of recession at a state or local level, but also some analysis of why we haven’t done a better job of at least maintaining the distribution of income, if not improving economic equality, over the last decade.