Occupy Wall Street’s most recent push, “May Day,” exemplifies the crux of the protest: it’s a great forum to express widespread discontent about financial issues, but less adept at affecting bona fide change between giant corporations and average consumers. Critics of the movement tend to call it politically dangerous and radical, like pollster Doug Schoen in the Wall Street Journal. On the other hand, President Obama is embracing a 2012 platform crusading for the 99 percent against the presumptive GOP nominee.
The 99 percent has watched gas prices follow a perpetual climb that has left consumers wallowing at the pump. By the beginning of April, the national average was $3.92. Though it’s since fallen about 18 cents for most regions, the west coast is still staring at billboards offering $4.37 a gallon. Fuel isn’t the only cost crippling middle-class Americans. While the consumer price index (CPI) may be relatively unchanged on a seasonally adjusted basis, the Wall Street Journal says core inflation is rising – and the Federal Reserve can’t ignore that for long.
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