Posted on 01/05/2006 10:17:47 AM PST by wouldntbprudent
Still, by almost all measures, the data show rising well-being for all of society. And while the wealth gap may not be narrowing, the rich-poor gap in lifestyles has narrowed substantially since 1992 when measured in many of these tangible items.
"In terms of the items people have ... it amazes me the number of people who are at or near the poverty line that have color TVs, cable, washer, dryer, microwave," says Michael Cosgrove, an economist at the University of Dallas in Irving, Texas. That's not to ignore the hardships of poverty, he adds, "but the conveniences they have are in fact pretty good."
(Excerpt) Read more at moneycentral.msn.com ...
If I were dirt poor, I'd probably try to get a high speed internet connection so my kids could better themselves. Also, if I lived in a bad neighborhood, I wouldn't be able to hang clothes out on the line because they'd get stolen, so a washer and dryer isn't such a luxury when you consider what it costs to use a laundramat. And I'm pretty sure I wouldn't want my kids running around playing ball on the streets if I lived in a housing project, so all in all cable doesn't seem that crazy to me either. I'd try really hard to afford cable too because there is absolutely nothing on regular TV worth watching.
Expensive sneakers, of course, are ridiculous. But most of these other expenses seem reasonable to me. Maybe I'm a bleeding heart, but just to be clear, I'm no liberal.
100% true. The avg. "poor" family in America has a living space larger than, and with more amenities than the avg. "middle class" family in Europe.
Every October, we do a collection of baby stuff at our parish. We regularly get expensive, practically new items. We donate them to poor mothers.
I'm not naive. I know some of these women get the money from the drug dealing daddy of their children. But not all of them.
I could furnish a house with what people throw away, including coror TVs.
Ouch, must've been Japanese coror TVs.
It's easy to afford a color tv when you're poor. You can collect it off the curb when your neighbor gets evicted for non-payment of rent.
And this tells us what about the "pressing," "urgent," "critical" need to raise the minimum wage?
Oh, that is a one fantastic pic!!
"Americans are the only people that drive to the poor house in automobiles." -- Will Rogers
Welfare now covers satellite dishes and air conditioners.
No sense in being poor, if it is dull, boring and you don't have anything to keep your mind from wandering.
There was a study a while back that found living in poverty here is the same as living in Denmark's middle class.
I don't think you're a bleeding heart. I think your reasoning is spot on, though I doubt many proceed with your rationale way of doing things.
I don't think the issue is so much that people have this stuff, it's that the Rats keep running around trying to use class envy, "two Americas," the "homeless," the "starving," the "backs of poor people," blah blah blah as the foundation for their party's--ahem---philosophy that we need more and better programs to help the "poor" and that the "poor" are suffering because of tax cuts for "the rich" and BLAH BLAH BLAH.
All Section 8 (welfare) housing recipients in MA get both free apartments and utilities, including cable TV, among other benefits.
Considering that a 25" color television now costs less than a week of groceries, what does this prove at all? All it proves is that televisions are now just a step away from blisterpacks on endcaps.
I've been away from the States for too long apparently. What, pray tell, is a bugaboo stroller?
I think it proves that the Rat mantras about the poor are widely off the mark.
It proves that the "fact" that America's poor are living hand to mouth, eating dog food and choosing between life-saving prescription drugs and macaroni 'n cheese is a big load of hogwash.
It proves that tax cuts "for the rich" have, in fact, lifted all boats.
It proves that more and more money thrown at "poverty" programs actually goes for "more stuff" programs.
It proves that we have created an economy in which even those in the lowest socioeconomic strata have a level of prosperity unheard of in much of the world.
It proves that the stoopid Rats should quitcher-itching about the minimum wage, entitlement cuts, balancing the budget "on the backs of the poor" and so on.
I could continue. :-)
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