Silicon Valley boom eludes many, drives income gap

People line up at a food pantry at Sacred Heart Community Service on Friday, Feb. 21, 2014, in San Jose, Calif. Silicon Valley is entering it's fifth year of unfettered growth, but the widening income gap between the wealthy and those left behind is sparking debate, anger and sporadic protests. Credit: AP / Marcio Jose Sanchez
Silicon Valley is entering a fifth year of unfettered growth. The median household income is $90,000. The average single-family home sells for about $1 million. The airport is adding a multimillion-dollar private jet center.
But the river of money flowing through America's tech mecca has also driven housing costs to double while wages for low- and middle-skilled workers are stagnant. Now the widening income gap between the wealthy and those left behind is sparking debate, anger and sporadic protests.
Some even with jobs get supplies from a food bank. Rants against the 1 percent are spray-painted on buildings in wealthy towns. Security guards rally outside Apple Inc. demanding better wages with a banner that reads: "What's the matter with Silicon Valley? Prosperity for some, poverty for many. That's what."
Too many rainy weekends? ... LI Works: Making Countertops ... LEGO at Old Westbury Gardens ... Previewing the Knicks in the NBA Finals ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV
Too many rainy weekends? ... LI Works: Making Countertops ... LEGO at Old Westbury Gardens ... Previewing the Knicks in the NBA Finals ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV



