FYI: New York City’s middle class is an endangered species, says the Drum Major Institute. A DMI poll of 300 likely voters, conducted in March and released yesterday, found nearly half of respondents spend more than half of their income on basic necessities like rent and food, while more than half say they are unable to save money on a monthly basis. The poll launches a series of inquiries and discussions DMI is planning on the state of the middle class. Aimed at discrediting the Bush administration’s economic focus on tax cuts (only 9 percent said they think it will help them), the poll also found 62 percent of respondents worried about affording daily essentials, 70 percent concerned about their own access to health insurance and 68 percent worried about maintaining access to affordable housing. [9/17/03]