The top 10% also earned 60% of all income earned in the U.S. in 2009. Thus, the differential is only 10%. (Source: http://www.irs.gov/taxstats/indtaxstats/art

The top 10% also earned 60% of all income earned in the U.S. in 2009. Thus, the differential is only 10%. (Source: http://www.irs.gov/taxstats/indtaxstats/article/0,,id=133521,00.html http://www.irs.gov/taxstats/indtaxstats/article/0,,id=133521..., 2009 statistics). The poor spend all of their income on necessities: food, rent, utilities, clothing. They effectively do not have income after deducting their necessary expenses; many do not have sufficient income before deducting their necessary expenses. The wealthy spend comparatively little of their income on necessities; their income is increasingly used on luxuries. They can afford to do this because of the services provided by the government. The wealthy receive disproportionately more value from the government, yet the only pay 10% more than the rest of us.