Here at City Room, we’ve had enough of people picking on the 1 percent. Sure, some might brand them greedy, but even in New York City, where, thanks to the financial-service industry, they are particularly well compensated, they receive only 33.8 percent of the total income, kindly leaving two-thirds for the rest of us.
We wondered: who were the selfish ones hogging most of the money? We asked the Independent Budget Office, which calculated the 1 percent’s take a few weeks ago.
And so it gives us great pleasure to introduce the class enemy for 2012: the 6 percent.
The top 6 percent of tax filers in New York City, the Independent Budget Office said, make off with 51 percent of the income.
Picture it: 100 people sitting around an enormous banquet table. The table is groaning with goodies, but six guests are helping themselves to more than half the food, leaving the other 94 to squabble over the leftovers.
The top 6 percent, the office said, comprises, approximately, all tax filers reporting income of more than $150,000. For the purpose of the calculation, a tax filer can mean someone filing an individual return or a couple filing jointly.
The 6 percent are everywhere. Just look around you.