America is far from being fixed. Economic inequities and global trade (initiated mainly by the US) is killing american middle class which are way too upset. It takes years to overcome that.............
It's not normal not being able to make ends meet in Washington, Boston, San-Francisco, New-York if you make 100k salary. But this is what's happening right now.
It's not normal for teachers in Arkansas to get a second night job because their main jobs is not enough.
I'm not quite up on how the Canadian middle class is doing. I'm under the impression it's under pressure in almost all Western, industrialized nations. I would surmise the Canadian social welfare system helps those under pressure more than ours.
The comment about the cost of living of Washington, Boston, San Francisco and New York is completely not thought through. Boston and San Francisco are high tech centers generating enormous wealth for our country. The global financial center in New York the same. Washington is a sore point with some of us because the growth in federal spending underpins the enormous wealth and high cost of living there.
In other words, extremely successful economic and desirable regions will always have high costs of living. It's true all over the world. Paris, London, Milan, Tokyo, etc. I've also read things about the high cost of living in Vancouver and Toronto.
The issue of teacher's salaries is true. It's very uneven from one state to another and even one community to another. It's far too haphazard for a vital government service.