Posted on 08/30/2005 9:27:02 AM PDT by Scarchin
Women and Minorities Hardest Hit (As Usual)
Well as long as the Bush Administration can keep subsidizing cheap, imported goods, these people really don't have to work to produce these products themselves. But that'll all end when we can no longer sustain federal deficit spending and default on the interest payments on the National Debt.
...up 1.1 million people from 2003.
Isn't this about the number that came across our southern border?
What is the povertly level right now?
Poverty in the US is what I would refere to living in Trailer homes and run down places. There are quit a few that live that way in the US, but there are also many that has a extremely good income. Its a little bit like the winner takes it all. I like that because the government should not intefere with income distribution. Everybody has their chance to do the right choices.
Like in Norway there are almost no poor people, but not as many millionars either. The last years more people have become millionars, but more people has also fallen into poverty. This is because peoples choices make more difference now. I feel no pitty for the poor. Its their choice.
Not to mention the indirect effect of the depression of wages at the low-end of the economic scale.
I would say long term poverty is a choice.
Does the Census count illegals? If it doesn't, then they have no factor in it.
Defining "poverty" is like defining "wealthy"....It requires CONTEXT.....and we should be comparing our "Poverty" to that of poverty in the World....NOT to others here in the US. For instance.....true poverty in the world is someone who scrapes the garbage dumps for food, tries to scavenge for wood to burn to keep warm, AND scavenges for cardboard and metal and wood to build a shelter.....THAT is poverty. Here, we have socialists trying to tell us how POOR people are who have food, shelter (Section 8 housing), medical care (free), Cars, TV, Cable, toys, bikes, etc...etc.....
A family with three kids has to make less than $14,974.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/bg1713.cfm
you'll all love this link...last year's Heritage presentation on poverty in America.
For a family of 4, it's $19,307 for 2004.
Hey, why don't we go ahead and accept their numbers, instead of proving that they're bunk?
If the numbers are true, it would mean that our related government programs (AFDC, housing, food stamps, etc) are failing. Why pour more money into them? Since they're not working anyway, let's scrap 'em, and let individuals contribute to charities as they see fit.
I bet the number of people declared in these reports would go waaay down if they knew they couldn't sit around and get benefits.
We've had generations of "Great Society". Seems to be getting worse, not better.
If poverty is a houshold income below $15000 I think for sure that would be not enough to get into the middle class in sweden. Even if I admit the Swedes have had some bad years latelly.
I for example earned the equallent of $11000 in 9 weeks at my Summer job in 1999. Wage is lower in Sweden, but not that low.
I didn't see anything in the article mentioning people's possessions. Where did you get this info?
The following are facts about persons defined as "poor" by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports:
* Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.
* Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
* Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
* The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
* Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.
* Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions.
* Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.
* Seventy-three percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.
By this definition, most people from other countries would be happy to be poor in America.
check out that link I posted up a few posts, it has much information on possessions, etc...it's an eye opener on the what poverty means in America.
That's a given with a Republican president. But the rich are richer.
AWESOME! Bookmarked!
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