Editor, Gazette-Journal:

Between 1984 and 2012, the Gross Domestic Product inflation rate was 308 percent. Median household income rose from $22,400 to $51,000 or 128 percent.

Private college tuition rose from $8,200 to $33,700 or 311 percent.

Health care cost per person in 1984 was $1,700 and in 2012 was $8,900, up 311 percent.

Political campaigns have increased from $400 million to $2.6 billion, up 555 percent.

The cost of political campaigns outpaced all other economic metrics since 1984.

But, the average income only rose 128 percent.

Do you remember Passbook Savings Accounts? Each paycheck, you would put a few dollars in the account and earn about 5.25 percent interest? That was followed about 20 years later by Certificates of Deposit and I remember receiving as much as 15 percent interest.

I can also remember when you could generally see your home increase in value by 5 to 7 percent most years. It was a good place to earn something for retirement. Remember savings earning ...