To Dems, a couple living in N.Y.C., who both work and have a combined income of $100,000 per year (that would a fireman married to a teacher, BTW )are the wealthy. They aren't;that couple isn't even in the upper middle class!
And no, the middle class does NOT pay the most taxes...the upper middle class ( and actually it's the upper most part of the upper middle class! ) and the wealthy are the ones who pay the majority of the taxes.
Why don't you think that the wealthy "requires a paycheck "? How else are they going to pay their bills......from spending their capital? That's a way, certain, to become poor awfully fast!
All depends on how you define "wealthy". To me the middle class is the working class --- the ones who require a paycheck. The wealthy can live off their investment income or trustfunds. You might define "wealthy" as someone with just a good income but who still requires a paycheck, to me those would be upper middle class, they aren't wealthy enough to quit working.