What is definition of 'middle class'?

I am curious as to what defines the middle class, can anyone tell me? Once I worked for a living, so obviously was working class.

Did I graduate to middle class when I retired?

Also can anyone tell how many classes there are and what separates them?

Are any classes worthy of special treatment?.

Jack Quinton, Corvallis

America's tenacious; let's just hang on

Freedom in America is a wonderful thing. However, freedom without direction is a very dangerous thing. Today it seems capitalism has become nothing but greed. How could something so mean be so good?

With our financial crisis today, we see how greed, incompetence and abuse of power are rampant in our institutions and in our society. The American people feel like they have given away so much of their power that many feel it's too late to get it back. This is what I have heard over and over from people over the last three months. I always remind them that the America I came to, and in whose Army I served for nearly 10 years, gave me everything and is still strong and resilient; the most tenacious nation on Earth, whatever the cynics might say.

To those who say they feel stretched out too thin these days, I would say this: You just hang on little longer. When you stretch a rubber band out too much it usually snaps back, returning to its original position very quickly and slapping the hands that stretched it so hard that they will never do it again. The American people are that band. Hang on! The best is yet to come.

Mehmet Kupeli, Corvallis

Tax on new houses is unfairly selective

The Corvallis housing market received yet another blow when the school board voted to put a one dollar a square foot tax on new homes. Is it really fair to do this to the segment of our economy that's been the hardest hit by our country's financial crisis? While schools are important to all of us, it makes more sense for all of us to bear the cost of school funding.

Many young families already have found Corvallis to be too expensive for them, and they've chosen to live in more affordable communities. This is one factor that is leading to the decline of our school enrollment. Now even more will be unable to afford to live here.

Why must the community desires all be funded by a tax on new homes? They are already being charged an exorbitant amount for city parks as well. Many building permits with SDC charges have already exceeded $30,000. Why not charge some other randomly selected group - say public employees, for example? Corvallis has a lot of them. Perhaps we could put a new tax on doctors, dentists, engineers or some other group. Obviously that would be unfair, too, because the only fair thing is for the entire community to pay. Right now is not the time for any new tax.

Michael Lorenzen, Corvallis

No, Social Security is not in trouble

In the Oct. 13 front-page reprint of a Washington Post article about 401(k)s, Nancy Trejos makes the error of saying "Social Security is in danger of eventually running out of money."

In an August 2008 report, the Congressional Budget Office determined that "Social Security beneficiaries will receive larger benefits in retirement - and will have paid higher payroll taxes - than current beneficiaries do, even after adjustments have been made for inflation and even if the scheduled payments are reduced because the trust funds are exhausted."

To put that another way, even after the trust fund is exhausted (at about the same time as Baby Boomers are past history), the value of Social Security benefits will be worth more in real (inflation adjusted) dollars to those Boomers' grandchildren than what retirees are getting today.

Of course, Ms. Trejos' underlying theme that "workers have had to assume the investment responsibilities" is correct. Social Security represents the largest part of most seniors retirements today. For those of us who have enough to invest more, a 401(k) is an excellent vehicle - as long as continue to pay attention.

Pay attention to Social Security too, though. It will only "run out of money" if we let politicians make unnecessary changes.

Arnold Larson, Corvallis

Check out reasons for 'yes' on M02-65

Many of us in Corvallis are familiar with the Corvallis Senior Center as a great rental facility for community events. A larger facility would accommodate larger groups, as well as concurrent multi-use. For more information regarding the Corvallis bond measure 02-65, consult the Web site www.seniorsswingsetsandsoftball.com. Please join me in voting YES on 02-65.

Freda Vars, Corvallis

Prep Senior Center for aging 'Boomers'

We will need more space in the Corvallis Senior Center and Community Center as the so-called "Baby Boomers" turn 60.

The article that appeared in the Gazette-Times on Sept. 28 indicated that the boomer population is going to have the same impact in planning for senior centers as it had on the public schools when those babies, a "wave of humanity" (an increase in population), were born. And now it is time to plan for the boomers in retirement. Here they come, and welcome!

How will we fit them into our present building? And what services will we be able to offer them? The financial climate may be bleak, but the opportunity for economical construction may be golden.

Please consider the alternatives and vote "yes" on Corvallis bond measure 02-65.

Ann Lincoln and Nancy Leman, Corvallis

Merkley a needed change in D.C.

For years I have observed, week after week, Sen. Gordon Smith canceling the vote of our Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, as Smith always voted with the Republican majority and with President Bush. Until recently, that is, when, with the election looming, Smith has moderated and tried to paint himself as bipartisan. No wonder Sen. Wyden is energetically supporting the candidacy of Jeff Merkley, the former Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives.

Smith and Merkley's backgrounds could hardly be more different. Smith was born into a lucrative family business in eastern Oregon and used his millionaire status to propel himself to the U.S. Senate at a time when Americans were buying into the Republican "Contract with America" campaign. Both the Senate and the House and then the presidency became controlled by Republicans.

Merkley, the son of a former Roseburg sawmill worker, was the first in his family to go to college. He earned degrees from Stanford and Princeton studying economics and public policy. He became a national security analyst at the Pentagon, an expert in nuclear weapons issues. Later he lead the World Affairs Council of Portland. He has worked as the director of Habitat for Humanity in Portland. But his political career really took off about two years ago when he lead a band of new leaders to take control of the Oregon House and end the gridlock that had been going on in our state's government.

Learn more at http://jeffmerkley.com and help us bring real change to Washington.

Tracy Rupp, Corvallis