Meet Erin Gunn and Peter Ehlert, a couple from Issaquah, who, like many people in this recovering economy, are barely making ends meet. I mean, there’s the hardship of saving for their children’s college education, paying for childcare, and paying off the mortgage. It’s hard for them, right? Like many Americans, they have a hard time coming out ahead.
Sure, until you learn that they both work in the tech sector—and make between them $192,000 and $197,000 . This is the sort of story the New York Times Style section has long specialized—privileged (usually white) people talking about their “struggles.” It’s the kind of story my friend Rob used to say he liked to read to get “good and angry in the morning.”
And now, it looks as if the Seattle Times has some skin in the hate-read-about-privileged-people game.
The outrage gets worse when you read that they bought their new house (now worth around $685K) as the market was heating up in 2013—and that they have $146,000 in savings and almost a half a million in investment funds. I mean how will they ever continue to live comfortably like the upper middle class people that they clearly are?
Remember: The last One Night Count of homeless sleeping outside tallied more than 4,500 on the streets.
Bravo, George Erb, on this fine piece of tone-deafness. You have won this week’s hate read contest. Erb has previously profiled a tech worker, who despite his $90,000 salary, was still cash poor. I can’t wait to read his next story. I’ll be sure to make some popcorn.
When you’re done being good and angry, go read <a href=”http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/mayor-murrays-crucible-seattles-homelessness-crisis/
“>Daniel Beekman’s coverage of Mayor Murray and his handling of Seattle’s homelessness crisis. It’s much better.