The combination of the Daily News' lead story about Circuit City firing workers because, get this, at $15 an hour they get paid too much and the New York Times story about the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer paints a gloomy picture of this country's economic health.

Income inequality grew significantly in 2005, with the top 1 percent of Americans — those with incomes that year of more than $348,000 — receiving their largest share of national income since 1928, analysis of newly released tax data shows.

It's sure ain't easy being middle class anymore.

The top 10 percent, roughly those earning more than $100,000, also reached a level of income share not seen since before the Depression.