[madprof98]

While a few impoverished young adults can still scratch and claw their way into the mainstream, it is getting harder and harder to do so as the industrial jobs that created the great middle class are disappearing. (Why do you think so many working-class sons and daughters volunteer for the U.S. armed forces?) Income inequality is increasing in this country; the latest census shows that the number of people living in poverty is rising.

Must be awful to live in a country you hate this much.

[denydenydeny]

others are casting responsibility for the crisis solely on local authorities. Haven't we listened to those callous self-promoters long enough?

This is getting comedic.

[LongsforReagan]

Just a few make it you know.

A few? Talk about living on another planet.

[carlr]

Libs are in full war mode,going to be frightful when they finally realize this isn`t working either.

[SaveTheChief]

This must be why Bush and Rove planned the hurricane -- to get rid of the problem. /sarcasm

[NRA1995]

"Under the careful tutelage of Ronald Reagan and other conservatives, we learned that the poor were simply too lazy to improve their prospects and their misery was their own fault."

Actually I believe it is liberal writers who are simply too lazy to improve their prospects and are to blame for their own misery.

[frankjr]

"If you're somebody like Brown, it's awfully easy to forget that there are people too poor to have a car..."

Maybe that is why the N.O. city evacuation plan envisioned using city buses to take out those without transportation. Too bad the Mayor was too busy sipping Starbucks in Baton Rouge to implement the plan.

I guess FEMA should provide everyone with a car prior to any storm.

Keep on talking Cynthia, idiots like you will halp improve Bush's poll numbers.

[TheOtherOne]

"black Americans had suffered under three centuries of unconscionable oppression"

Black Americans have suffered for 300 years?

[stopem]

So people who work their butts off to earn a living are now the bad guys???

Hmmmm interesting and as to there not being any jobs? SURPRISE
these people are being offered jobs but I don't hear about any takers yet, utoh what will you be able to say than fool?
If these so called people who you say cant get jobs when in reality they WONT take the jobs offered to them what will be your excuse than for why they won't take the jobs??
Because they are single mothers who keep on having babies and now there's no one to care for the babies? Will that be your next excuse for the non-workers?

[savedbygrace]

Tucker is an anatomical miracle: She's able to simultaneously have her nose stuck high in the air and deeply imbedded in her own butt.

She should be written up an some medical journal someplace.

[Enterprise]

I'm sure someone, somewhere, has some figures of the billions of dollars spent on or given to the poor blacks in New Orleans alone. This is one of those "who cut the cheese" articles.

[BureaucratusMaximus]

[cvq3842]

Super barf-o-rama on every line. I could only stand to read a little, but wanted to pass one one response: "income inequality is increasing" because the economy is doing better and THERE ARE MORE SUPER-RICH, AND MANY ARE GETTING RICHER! One way to alleviate this terrible inequality (SARCASM) would be to go back to, say, the policies of the Carter years, and saddle businesses with the high taxes that stifled them. Ten we could all be miserable together.

As far as race goes, all I can say is that the condescension and race-baiting that goes on, and the subtle (or not-so-subtle) message that "blacks can't make it on their own" is as racist and DAMAGING a concept as any bigot could think of.

[n230099]

If anything comes of this I would hope that the American Black Community looks at what they saw on the media outlets and asks itself; "is this really us?" Their rage should then be directed at those that have a vested interest and investment in the maintenance of an "underclass" mentality and population. Without these people, the JJs and Sharptons are nothing. If you have people that are being brought up to think and believe what one young woman said into the camera last week, you have little hope of changing. She said: "Dos dat has gits. dos dat don't has, don't gits". I'm sorry but all the money in the world cannot compensate for that level of ignorance. Thanks Jesse.

[TXBSAFH]

The sad part these libs do not get is that 80%+ of the poor are poor because of their poor choices. Yes there are the disabled and those who have had temporary setbacks, but most of those will pull themselves up sooner or later. The vast majority of the poor are poor due to their lack of vision. They doo drugs, drop out and do not get an education. They stay in a region where ther are no jobs and then complain. I do not mind giveing someone a hand up, but I am tired of those who feel we owe people who are responcible ofr their own bad lot a living.

[Williams]

I think poverty is a problem that needs addressing. But these folks sure as hell have NOT been neglected by the nation.

Prior to the 100's of billions and herculean effort pouring in after the hurricane, the nation was already redistributing an enormous portion of its wealth to "entitlement" programs. It is likely that most of these poor were being supported 100% by the federal government. They certainly are being supported 100% now.

[Dahoser]

CARNAC: Zero.
ED MCMAHON: Zero?
CARNAC: That's right, Bourbon Street Breath.
**OPENS ENVELOPE**
CARNAC: What is the number of columns Cynthia Tucker wrote about the poor in New Orleans prior to Hurricane Katrina.

[headsonpikes]

We gave up on the white poor and the black poor, even though black Americans had suffered under three centuries of unconscionable oppression before a brief period — less than three decades — when they began to be treated as fully human. We gave up on the Native American poor, though they had been the victims of a historic savagery amounting to a holocaust.

We not only gave up trying to help the poor, but we also bought the argument that trying to assist them, especially through government programs, would just make matters worse....

Ms. Tucker, you arrogant socialist beeyatch, the poor are not yours to give up on.

[LetsRok]

If we want to learn something from this disaster, the lesson ought to be: America's poor deserve better than this.

Why is this so? America's poor are better off here than if we just put them on buses and evacuated them to Mexico.

[cvq3842]

PS The last census, I would suspect, would show that the number of people with blue eyes is rising, as well as the number of people with brown eyes, green eyes, etc.

THAT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE IN THE COUNTRY!!!

Tell us what the poverty RATE is, to get anywhere into the ballpark of possible relevance.

The fact that the author did NOT do that tells me all I need to know.

Damn, you need to read this stuff so closely to catch all the bull!

[RexBeach]

Maybe they're volunteering for the armed forces to serve their country and defend their families?

If Ms. Tucker hates the United States so very, very much, perhaps she should think about moving to Canada or Mexico? After all, she is free to stay and free to leave.