I'm a single parent, (yes, a Dad, imagine that) and have been self employed for the past couple years.  Then Washington Mutual bank collapsed last year.  It had effects nationally I'm sure, however the effects I felt were much closer to home as there was a substantial reduction in work on my end.  So I made the decision to re-enter the 'get out the door' job market.  However,,,  there is the small fact that currently there aren't any 'get out the door' jobs!  Our President Elect has vowed numerous times to assist the declining economy and financial blow to us 'middle class' working Americans.  So how do you define 'middle class'?  I for one, am not.  According to the US Dept. of Labor the unemployment rate for the state of Washington has gone from 5.4 in June of '08 to 6.4 in December.  There are fewer and fewer jobs, the majority of Americans are considered lower class and like me can't even afford medical insurance for our kids without assistance, and he wants to help out the middle class?  Why?  I'm not hispanic, not bilingual, not a veteran, not a female, and not 4-year college degree holder; I am at the bottom of the totem pole for a job, and I'm not alone.  Want to help fix the economy?  Quit kissing up to the middle class and cooperate banks and create jobs.  Saving a bank to support our financial infrastructure is fine, but are they going to hire me?  How about taxing the hell out of major corporations for using over seas call centers and production facilities and giving them a tax break for using local resources.  Their prices may go up a bit but there will be more people employed and putting money back into the economy to support additional spending.  Yes, that's an over simplification, but it is also an accurate statement.  It would only take the political body to stop worrying about which deep pocket business they have behind them and start worrying about the majority of their country staying up nights praying the power doesn't get shut off.