PeterLucas wrote:
> >
> > I think you're getting a distorted or inaccurate impression of the US
> > society on the whole based on this family's unusual situation?
>
> No.
>
> My CA wife was a Theoretical Physicist (working on the 'Star Wars'
> program) at UCLA and she counted *every* penny she had.
>
> I was an Aussie ex-soldier, bumming around the world skydiving, earning
> more than twice as much as she was.
>
> Here's a look at the average wage for Aussies......
>
> http://www.domainsdownunder.com/wages-australia.html
>
> and when compared to this..........
>
> http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_fl.htm#b47-0000

Your comparison is highly inaccurate... you're comparing wages of
construction labor in the US to what, unspecified AU jobs... and the
AU dollar is worth less and goods and services cost more... it costs
more to live in AU.

http://www.liveinvictoria.vic.gov.au...content Id=-1