The New Year is nearly here — the ideal time to reflect on the year that is drawing to a close. Looking back on 2011, it is the state of the economy that looms large in retrospect, and how the financial system has affected the lifestyle of Americans on a daily basis. To compute the figures, and to really understand what our dollars have gained us in recent years, we turn to a money chart from www.xkcd.com, which was published online in November of this year and can be fact checked through sources including scholarly works or government publications (at https://xkcd.com/980/sources/).So what does this money chart tell us? Well, for one, the median household income, after taxes, is $39,170. That’s certainly not enough for a growing family to survive on in today’s world, by any means. It’s especially difficult for the majority, who earn less than $55,000 a year, while the elite 1 percent make six-digit-plus salaries to support families and very comfortable lifestyles. The total of all household incomes in the U.S. equaled to roughly $10.5 trillion this year. Here’s the breakdown: About 1 percent (about 1.6 million households) earns roughly $400,000 or more. Eight percent (9 million households) earn between $150,000 to $400,000 annually. Sixteen percent (18 million households) earn between $90,000 and $150,000 annually. Twenty-three percent (27 million households) earn between $55,000 and $90,000 annually. A whopping 50 percent (about 63 million households) earn less than $55,000 annually. (The required poverty line is listed at $22,350.)The majority is clearly in the bottom half, but it gets worse. According to xkcd.com, when it comes to state taxes, the poor get socked.“Unlike federal taxes, state taxes are regressive — the poor pay a higher percentage of their income than the rich. This is because sales taxes, a large component of state revenues, fall disproportionately on the poor.”The website calculated that $642 billion was paid in state taxes in 2011, while $2.2 trillion was paid in federal taxes, (after deductions and tax credits).The typical household net worth, when adjusted for inflation to 2011 dollars, meanwhile, for those 34 years of age or younger, in 1984 compared to 2009, was $11,680 versus $3,710, respectively. For those aged 35 to 44 years old the difference between 1984 and 2009 was $72,090 versus $40,140, respectively.Here’s more: The average individual health insurance annual premium is $5,430. The average annual amount a household spends on food is $5,650. The yearly cost of car ownership is $3,650. Annual tuition at a community college on average is $2,580; at an in-state university it’s $7,230. Treatment for cancer, including chemotherapy, costs $117,260.Here’s a real mind-bender: When adjusted for inflation to 2011 dollars, in 1965 a production worker’s average hourly wage was $19.61; in 2007 that wage had risen by 10 cents to $19.71. In 1965 the average CEO was paid for the same period roughly $490.31; by 2007 that CEO’s pay had jumped to $5,419.97. Those wages are not exactly on a parallel track.Here are some other facts: According to xkcd.com, the amount spent on U.S. foreign military aid was $11 billion, with $5.8 billion going to Afghanistan, $2.41 billion going to Israel, $1.32 billion going to Egypt and $5. 8 billion going to “other.” Another $11 billion in U.S. foreign humanitarian and economic aid was also spent, going to Iraq, Afghanistan, the West Bank, Gaza, Africa and “other.”Then there is the cost of war itself; the Korean War cost $341 billion; the Vietnam War cost $738 billion; the Persian Gulf War cost $102 billion; the War in Afghanistan cost $321 billion; and the Iraq War cost $784 billion. The government has a track record of heavy spending when it comes to military operations, but that fits in with this country’s global role as peace-keeper and protector of democracy. But that role comes at a price (not to mention the sacrifices made by those serving this great nation).What does all of this mean? Well, certainly it’s interesting data and information we can all take with us as we go about our daily lives and make decisions for our families and our communities. But it also gives us something more — it gives us perspective. It’s an amazing gift to be able to understand what’s going on in the world around you from as many different standpoints as possible. Having a comprehensive understanding of how this country operates, and where we stand as individuals in the larger picture, is important. If this has helped to do that in some way, then mission accomplished.
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One systemic consequence of slavery is the loss and obscuring of the histories of those who were enslaved. Records were often not kept about where Africans had been stolen from or who they were related to. Families were torn apart, leaving nothing but the faintest traces of the past. The delineation point, where genealogists can no longer trace histories back, is refered to this as the “document wall.”
Today, 250 years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence and more than 160 years since the Emancipation Proclamation, there is a growing effort to restore some of the history stripped from enslaved people and their descendants. Among the leaders of these efforts is Mills, president of the Alex Breanne Corporation, a nonprofit organization that works to identify previously anonymous Black Americans from history and connect them with their living relatives.
The work began with Mills’ sister, who started digging into their family’s past in the 1990’s and introduced him to this emerging world of genealogy. Through that process, the Mills family discovered their great-great-grandfather, Ned Mills, who had been enslaved in Texas. His last name came from his final enslaver and remains the family surname. Through their research, they found that the document wall directly affected their ancestor, who learned of his liberation on June 19, 1865, now commemorated as Juneteenth.
“For the first time,” Mills writes on his website, “American slavery wasn’t something that had happened to anonymous people in a history book. It had happened to my family.”
The discovery gave Mills a familial pride he had been missing for years. That pride fueled his desire to help others find their own history. In 2023, Mills received his certificate in genealogical research from Boston University. He has used his expertise to help descendants of enslaved people uncover histories they never dreamed of learning.
To do this, he uses a process called “reverse genealogy,” identifying a person from the past and working forward to discover their descendants. Along the way, Mills has found some remarkable people who fought for freedom on American soil, some of whom were never freed.
Pay Bill for Robin Starr’s service in the Continental Army.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
At the Cornwall Historical Society event, Mills will present the stories of four Connecticut families: Job Lathrop of Norwich, the son of Pirmus Armes, about whom Mills has published a book; Prince Mortimer of Middletown, also the subject of a book by Mills;, the three sons of London Wallace of Simsbury; and Robert “Robin” Starr of Danbury, who later lived in Cornwall and Sharon.
A few years ago, Cornwall Consolidated School social studies teacher Will Vincent reached out to Mills for research guidance on a local history project his students were undertaking. Together, they learned about Naomi Freeman of Cornwall. After purchasing an acre of land on Great Hollow Road in 1828, Naomi Freeman became the first Black female landowner in Cornwall.
The students petitioned the town to rename a road after the historic Cornwall resident In April 2025, Great Hollow Road was officially renamed Naomi Freeman Historic Road. U.S. Rep. Jahana Hayes joined Mills and the Cornwall Consildated School students for a presentation of their research.
Since then, Mills has guided the students in their quest to learn more about Starr’s story. Starr was a Revolutionary War soldier who joined the Continental Army to earn enough money to buy his own freedom, receiving the Badge of Merit in the process. The stories of his descendents’ services are equally worthy of their own books.
In recognition of Mills and the students’ work, First Selectman Gordon Ridgway proclaimed Feb. 8 as Robin Starr Day.
Preregistration is required for the event at the Cornwall Historical Society. To learn more about Mills’ work, visit
alexbreanne.org.
John Mills speaking at Quinnipiac University.Courtesy the Alex Breanne Corporation
Stephanie Saetta runs Charlie Chicken Bones, a sanctuary in Salisbury.
Dogs have been at the center of Saetta’s life since childhood. She remembers going to the library to research different breeds and trying to convince her parents the family needed a dog. She had her heart set on an Irish Wolfhound, but she was more than happy when her mom brought home a West Highland terrier.
After college, she adopted Charlie as a puppy from a rescue on Long Island. He was a hound-shepherd-Rottweiler mix who suffered from intense seizures. Some veterinarians recommended euthanasia, but Saetta wasn’t ready to give up on him.
When Charlie would have an episode, she would sit with him, nose to nose, talking him through it. She learned to look for the moment he began to come around — when he could smell her again and his tail started to wag.
“You only get one or two of these soul connection dogs, so I do this in his honor,” Saetta said. “I like to think that all the dogs that come through are going to have that person that they connect with just the same.”
Through a network of women working to rescue animals in Texas, she learned about the desperate situations facing many dogs.
With limited space, some public pounds euthanize even healthy animals to make room. Limited access to veterinary care leaves sick dogs or unvaccinated puppies especially vulnerable.
Saetta saw that reality firsthand with a puppy named Gus, a Labrador mix she fostered who has since been adopted. Gus and his sisters had been dumped beside a road, where they were living under an abandoned car. People would leave food for them, but no one would take them to the pound.
“Even the people who rescue animals down there were like, ‘sadly, the best place for them to be is on the side of the road,’” she said. “That’s safer. Someone might actually help them that way.”
Saetta knows that there are far more dogs than any one person can save, but she also knows that helping one dog means one fewer on the street.
Stephanie Saetta,with her rescue dog George and Blue (left), a shepherd mix awaiting his forever home.Madi Long
Charlie Chicken Bone Sanctuary operates entirely through foster homes, a model that Saetta believes is best for the dogs and the humans hoping to adopt them.
Rather than moving directly from a difficult environment into a permanent home, the dogs have a chance to settle into a quieter setting. They can learn what it’s like to live with a family, sleep somewhere comfortable and receive affection without fighting for attention. Fostering also allows the rescue to really get to know each dog.
“As fosters, we’re honest,” said Saetta. We’ll tell you everything that’s been bad, everything that’s been good. What their temperament is and how they’ve responded to all the things they’ve experienced.”
A successful adoption is not just about finding a dog a home; it’s about finding the right home where the dog and family can thrive together.
Saetta is looking for more people willing to open their homes to foster dogs. She understands that the thought of growing attached and eventually saying goodbye can feel daunting. But she sees that goodbye a little differently.
Fostering means being part of a dog’s journey, even if only for a short time. It gives dogs a safe place to rest, the chance to trust again and the love they have gone without for much of their lives. And when the time comes for them to leave, it is not really a loss. It is the reward of knowing they are moving on to a forever home.
Blue, Saetta’s current foster, is hoping to find his perfect home.
Blue, a 7 year-old Shepard mix, is waiting for his forever home. Madi Long
Now around 7 years old, Blue spent most of his life wandering the streets of Texas. People sometimes left food out for him, but his mangy, dirty coat kept them from stopping to pet him. Today, he has a chance to experience something different.
Blue is still waiting for his forever home. Saetta believes he would do best as the only dog in a household or alongside another senior dog. He will need someone willing to continue working with him on his training and understand that a dog with his history needs patience.
But what he gives in return is a whole lot of love.
“He’s so enthusiastic, he’s so excited for life, he’s so friendly, and he’s got such a good heart, and he loves to cuddle,” Saetta said. “He’s a good, good, good dog.”
For more information on adopting Blue or how to foster, visit ccbsanctuary.org.
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