http://faireconomy.org/enews/11_things_the_richest_us_households_can_buy_that_you_can%E2%80%99t

The 400 wealthiest families in the U.S. aren't just filthy rich, they are downright dirty. Collectively, these households own $1.37 trillion dollars; a number so high that it's nearly impossible to comprehend. Here are 11 shocking things $1.37 trillion can buy that you can't.

In the U.S., accumulating this kind of wealth is the "American Dream." Getting rich is the result of hard work; padding your bank account is applauded and encouraged. But at what cost? Have we created economic policies that cater to the wealthy, in hopes that we will someday be among them?

Perhaps in today's economy, we have allowed the wealthy to get too far ahead financially.

Case in point: today, the wealthiest families in the U.S. are sickeningly, obscenely rich, to the tune of $1.37 trillion dollars. And unlike the rest of us, they don’t have outstanding medical bills or student loans, trouble paying credit card debt, or live paycheck to paycheck.

So how much is $1.37 trillion dollars? To demonstrate just how much money this is, here are 11 things that the richest 400 households in the U.S. can buy with their "hard-earned" cash:

• The richest 400 households can pay off every student loan for every single student in the entire United States. No more paying for an education, so that you can get a good job so that you can... well, pay off your education.

• The richest 400 could pay your rent, and the rent of every single renter in the entire United States for three years.

• The richest 400 could pay the mortgages of every house in the whole country for 14 full months. 

• The richest 400 households can buy every single house that was foreclosed on in 2007 and 2008.

• The richest 400 households could pay the annual salaries of 19 million families for one year. So go ahead, take that year-long, family vacation around the world you’ve always dreamed of.

• The richest 400 can pay off all credit card debt for every single person in the entire United States. Imagine that! No more credit card debt looming over your shoulders!

• The richest 400 households can afford to give a $10,000 bonus to every single worker in the entire country. What would a hardworking person like you do with that extra money?

• The richest 400 can afford to buy a new car for every family in the United States. Meanwhile, many of us must ignore the flashing check engine light.

• The richest 400 can pay for 3 ½ years worth of gas for every driver in the country.

• The richest 400 households can afford to triple the number of teachers in the United States, then give every single one a $30,000 raise. Teachers are being laid off everywhere, their salaries are being cut, and they are suffering. Teacher-to-student ratios in schools are abysmal. But what can we do about it when so much wealth is in the pockets of so few families?

• The richest 400 families alone could replace 70% of all money lost in the Great Recession, for everyone! How much money did you, your parents, or grandparents lose in the Great Recession of 2008? 30%, 50% of your portfolio? Not only do the rich still have enough money to fund their wildest dreams, but they can also fund your retirements.

As you can see, the wealthiest families in the U.S. are doing just fine. And with this money has come a great deal of political influence, often in the form of tax breaks and tax loopholes. Their influence on policy has made it easy for the rich to stay rich [and get richer].

And until this winner-take-all economy changes, it will remain nearly impossible for us regular folks to get ahead, no matter how hard we work.

In an important decision, the Appellate Division Third Department upheld the Department of Labor’s determination that construction work on a volunteer firehouse was public work subject to the mandates of Article 8 of the Labor Law (the “Prevailing Wage Law”).  In MATTER OF M.G.M. INSULATION, INC. v. GARDNER, 2011 NY Slip Op 05996, (July 21, 2011), the Appellate Division held that the Not-For Profit Bath Volunteer Fire Department (“BVFD”) – which received funding from the local village tax revenues – was that BVFD was “the functional equivalent of a municipal department, thus qualifying as a public agency within the meaning of Labor Law § 220, and, further, that the construction of the new fire station constituted a public work project.”  The Court held that contrary to the Fire Department’s arguments, the Court would find it to be a public work project because of numerous factors, specifically:

· that under the Nor-for-Profit corporation law (1402 (b)), the BVFD remained "under the control of the city, village, fire district or town authorities having, by law, control over the prevention or extinguishment of fires therein";

· that the village board controlled bidding process for construction, owned the trucks and furnished the fuel for the trucks;

· that the Village owned the building out of which BVFD previously operated and, through the provision of the underlying service agreements, funded the lion's share of BVFD's operating expenses.

While some municipalities have, rather disingenuously, attempted to evade the law on this subject, this decision provides firm guidance for municipalities and fire departments that the updating and construction of fire house are subject to the prevailing wage law.

Please feel free to contact one of our labor law attorneys for more information on the applicability of the Prevailing Wage Law to similar projects.