Income Gap

Congratulations on your incisive analysis of income disparity (“Report Exaggerates Income Inequality,” Commentary, Oct. 7). There is, however, one critical factor left out of this analysis: About 80% of those in the lowest 20% of income will no longer be in this group within five years, while the same goes for the highest 20%.

This mobility is what makes the country tick and why bashing of the “rich” goes nowhere--everybody hopes to become rich and many people really have a chance to do so. No one wants to dump on the group he or she hopes to be one of some day. Divisive appeals to the green-eyed monster are doomed to backfire.

SIDNEY BROUNSTEIN

Redlands