I have lived with people far under the 50% and they can have it much better than the sane homeless living of the scrap of the 1% in the west. Sure most opportunities here in the west will never be available to them, that doesn't make people who have been unable to take advantage of those lucky just to have them.

Point taken. I'll make sure to tell the next homeless teen I see in SF how lucky they are.

And yet it's your hypothetical John Smith homeowner who I should be sympathetic to.