The government said Thursday that the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax will increase to $106,800 in 2009 from $102,000 this year. About 11 million will pay higher taxes as a result of the increase.

It implies that only 11 million of Americans make more than $102,000 annually. Certainly, it only accounts the earnings from their labor, not from investment. The high earning population is surprisingly small.

Few, if any on this board make less than this number. The earning power of the Chinese-Americans is indeed outstanding. We only short of passive income. I call this as "high income poor" class.