During the recent election, neither presidential candidate spoke to the “working class.” Sen. Kerry addressed the “middle class”; President Bush, the “ownership society.”

Formerly, strong unions delivered workers’ votes to supportive politicians. Unions are weaker today. Imports, outsourcing and technological advances have reduced the number of manufacturing jobs, those of the majority of union members.

But there’s still a working class. We see them every day: retail salespeople, restaurant workers, subsistence farmers, child-care providers and others. Many of them are single mothers. Today’s working poor have few strong political advocates.

Social Security is endangered by proposed “private accounts.” The working poor haven’t money to invest, let alone pay brokers’ fees. (A broker once told me, “If you can’t afford any risk, you shouldn’t be in the stock market.”) Better-off people might risk investment. But loss from their contributions to Social Security inevitably would reduce benefits for all. Tax “reforms,” such as flat tax or national sales tax, would further deprive and burden the working class.

The administration is glad for faith-based and like agencies to take up the slack in help for the poor. But their resources aren’t adequate.

As a nation, we need to regain a sense of community. Do we have to turn to Karl Marx for instruction? From every man according to his means; to every man according to his need …

Or, above all, to him whose birth we so recently celebrated?

Dorothy Prince, Auburn