"THAT is poverty . . . ."
Posted on 09/22/2004 4:28:17 PM PDT by mumzie
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 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 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 European cities. (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 a microwave oven, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.
Overall, the typical American defined as poor by the government has a car, air conditioning, a refrigerator, a stove, a clothes washer and dryer, and a microwave. He has two color televisions, cable or satellite TV reception, a VCR or DVD player, and a stereo. He is able to obtain medical care. His home is in good repair and is not overcrowded. By his own report, his family isn't hungry, and he had sufficient funds in the past year to meet his family's essential needs. While this individual's life is not opulent, ...
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
Oh my! I'm poor and didn't know it!!!!
"THAT is poverty . . . ."
Im so poor my oil wells need lubrication
This is the dirty little secret the Democrats don't like people to know.
Welcome to America! I think most of the world would like to be this poor.
im so poor i cant even pay attention im so flat broke you could play me on aa victrola
Exactly the type of mumbo-jumbo the liberals like to use to re-enforce their views.
Wow! I wish I was poor so I could own a 3 bedroom 1 1/2 bath house too. Too bad I work for a living and have an apartment instead, and "only" one car.
Taking notes. Awesome info!
This is what John Edwards meant with his "Two America's" speech -- there are multimillionaire trail lawyers who made their money in junk science lawsuits channelling dead children and who own several multi-million dollar homes, then there are the poor ... which means the rest of us.
The avg. poor person has cable/satelite tv and I don't. We both make our choices.
"I'm just a common man. I drive a common van. I haven't got a pedigree." /country tune.
bump
Very succinct...and, deeply, saddingly, true.
These "poverty" statistics are meaningless since it's just about income versus number of people in the household. It doesn't take region or urban/rural into account.
And it doesn't count MOST of government in-kind services like food stamps. I'm pretty sure it doesn't count child support.
Since it's based on income, age and household size my parents are considered "in poverty". They own their own home and have for years. They live mostly off my dad's Social Security (mom never worked much in her life and thus doesn't get much in Social Security).
What this Census Bureau statistic also doesn't count is all the money I and my two brothers give/spend on behalf of my parents. Believe me, they live rather comfortably! They hit us up for cruises as least twice a year!!
I think that the Kerry's should open up their homes as homeless shelters and let all these "poor" people move in with them after he loses the election.
My first post. I need this outlet; I am the only conservative in my office in West Palm Beach.
Following are the figures posted on MSNBC
( http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5832010/ ) about the poverty rates. A co-worker was so excited to point the article out to me, but Dubya's poverty rates are lower then Clinton's for all but one year. I am sick and tired of the doom and gloomers. Consumers drive our economy and the rhetoric on the left does nothing but stifle the economy.
Year Poverty rate (%)
2003 12.5
2002 12.1
2001 11.7
2001 11.3
1999 11.9
1998 12.7
1997 13.3
1996 13.7
1995 13.8
1994 14.5
1993 15.1
1992 14.8
I happen to be either poor as dirt or wealthy, depending on the talking points being made at the time.
I'm about fed up with the whole mess.
Wake me up on Nov 3rd.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.