The Urban Upper-Middle Class "Poor"

From Gawker (h/t nc links):

For your judgmental pleasure: UrbanBaby's most harrowing tales of economic hardship and financial woe:

• $700,000 poor. NYC
• $350K, so, so, so poor. Not being dramatic or anything, really poor. We totally struggle every day. UES.... Obviously we are totally over extended. If we could get out of this mess, we would, but we can't.
• 500,000. DH spends to much so I feel poor
• 2012 will be about 400k. Fell mc. HHI is down since 2009. Live on the UWS.
• $275K, on the poor side of middle class, NYC.
• 180K Greenwich Village. I feel wealthy compared to most of the world. I feel like I am doing my child a disservice when she cried at age 4 because I told her we will NEVER buy a country house.
• Last year $650k. This year $375-450k depending on bonus. I know rationally we are doing well, but we still feel pinched. We try to save our bonus and spend our base ($275k) and with 2 DCs in private pre-school, modest place on far UWS, and pretty modest life, we rip through that $275k incredibly fast. But for those haters, here is the math: $275k = $137k after tax. That is a bit more than $11k per month. After rent, it's $6200. Annualize preschool and subtract, we are down to $3500. And between all of our other expenses, somehow we burn through that.
• 200k, poor, DC suburbs.
• 140k, no dcs, 2 adults and we feel POOR. san francisco.

I would think it would be hard for people in rural parts of the country to feel sorry for these folks who make so much more than they do.  I guess it isn't, since rural areas support the politicians who want to give the super wealthy massive tax breaks.  The evidence seems to indicate it is easier to feel sorry for those who are wealthier than you than it is for those who are poorer than you.  I don't get it.