“Stagnant incomes and rising costs are squeezing Oregon’s working class, forcing more families to turn to relatives, credit cards, payday lenders, free health clinics and food banks to get by,” reports The Oregonian.

“The poorest Oregonians qualify for government help with child care, housing and health care. But that safety net is not there for tens of thousands of working families whose wages don’t cover their mounting energy, housing and health insurance bills.

“These people are not poor. They have jobs that often pay more than minimum wage, but their household incomes fall short of the state’s median of $42,971. ”