WHY THE RICH ARE EVEN RICHER:

Cosmic Markdown: EPA Says Life Is Worth Less (David A. Fahrenthold, 7/18/08, Washington Post)

This value is routinely calculated by several agencies, each putting its own dollar figure on the worth of life -- not any particular person's life, just that of a generic American. The figure is then used to judge whether potentially lifesaving policy measures are really worth the cost.

A human life, based on an economic analysis grounded in observations of everyday Americans, typically turns out to be worth $5 million to $8 million -- about as much as a mega-mansion or a middle infielder.

Here's the amazing thing: the value of 300 million American lives isn't even included in our massive $56 trillion household net worth.

Posted by Orrin Judd at July 19, 2008 9:37 AM