Coordinator of the Citizens Budget Campaign of W. PA. since 1992. Key issues: federal budget priorities, and the growing gap between the very rich and the rest of us.

More on the gap: According to the IRS, the richest 1% had after-tax incomes equal to 12 times that of the bottom 90% in 1986 ($273,562 to $23,451 in adjusted for inflation 1997 dollars).  By 1997 the richest 1% made 22 times or $517,713 compared to $23,815, the average for the bottom 90%. In 1999 half of all taxpayers made less than $26,415.    In terms of wealth, from 1983 to 1998, the richest 1% got 53% of the total gain in marketable wealth. * And this same group got 52% of last year's tax cut.**

*Edward Wolff www.milken-inst.org Milken Institute Review
**Citizens for Tax Justice  www.ctj.org