Posted on 01/01/2014 5:36:13 AM PST by gooblah
Abstract: For decades, the U.S. Census Bureau has reported that over 30 million Americans were living in “poverty,” but the bureau’s definition of poverty differs widely from that held by most Americans. In fact, other government surveys show that most of the persons whom the government defines as “in poverty” are not poor in any ordinary sense of the term. The overwhelming majority of the poor have air conditioning, cable TV, and a host of other modern amenities. They are well housed, have an adequate and reasonably steady supply of food, and have met their other basic needs, including medical care. Some poor Americans do experience significant hardships, including temporary food shortages or inadequate housing, but these individuals are a minority within the overall poverty population. Poverty remains an issue of serious social concern, but accurate information about that problem is essential in crafting wise public policy. Exaggeration and misinformation about poverty obscure the nature, extent, and causes of real material deprivation, thereby hampering the development of well-targeted, effective programs to reduce the problem.
(Excerpt) Read more at heritage.org ...
Poverty is the guy with Ramen noodles and old values in line behind the EBT user. The outdated American is nominally still a producer but barely keeping his head above water...Ramen noodles for him, surf and turf for the person in front of him, but in reality he’s paying for both.
Obamacare = slavery and poverty; the true intended result for white ‘folk’ delivered by the payback queen, Jarrett, and her sidekick, Zero.
Welcome to the reality of the great society. Those on the Dole are better off than those that pay for them. This cannot be sustainable. Once again, the down fall of America.
poverty is having to stand in line and fight for those new $200 sneakers thet day they arrive at the mall, and maybe bus’ up your french manicure your baby daddy paid for
This is because our gubment uses a relative and not an absolute scale to measure poverty.
our poor are fatter and wealthier than 95% of the world.
they are not poor , they are parasites.
I got what you meant. Kind of funny. I didn’t get big rims on my truck last year. I just gave the salesman a “Really?” Look. I don’t usually present myself in a “rims” kind of way.
I would love to be wealthy enough to take groups of our “poor” people to visit poor countries.
Show them what it is all about.
The truly crazy thing is that the progs don't think their constituents, the "impoverished", have enough. We have to give them more. A lot more says Emperor Barack.
If you are on the Dole, AND have a friendly "community organizer" who has the list of EVERY federal program, and who knows how to sign you up, and who can ensure that the Democrat-voting government workers at the programs will not reject your application, you can live quite well.
Free Obamaphone. Free Section 8 housing. Free Medicaid. Federal aid for paying your utility bills. Food banks where you can load up on meat and veggies, so you can save your food-stamp money for lobster and steak (or just convert to cash). Etc, etc.
Add to that an "off the books" job, and you're all set.
The pensions of local, state and federal government employees, including uniformed services that all can retire at a young age with full benefits are not sustainable.. It needs readjusted to the reality of the private sector. If not we’ll have a two tier society just like in Soviet Union where those connected to the “party” could retire and others worked forever.
Times have changed since most Americans had good paying productive manufacturing and corporate jobs that paid taxes that covered these pensions. That was before we had decades of traitors in Congress that gave our jobs to China etc, and opened our immigration and borders to a world that changed the face of America and gave us millions of unskilled residents we didn’t need.
We still don’t have central air, or cable, or an X-box, and pay for our own groceries.
Several years ago (during the Recession) we were on food stamps for awhile.
I would do my best to avoid being seen with an EBT card.
Started back to work and things started looking up. No more EBT. We go to a salvage type grocery that does not accept food stamps.
Some of my co-workers are still on all kinds of assistance and look forward to “tax time” every year. Like another Christmas.
Although the government subsidizes low wage jobs, I don’t think they realize that people will be in the strees with pitchforks and torches if something interferes with receiving their tax refunds.
One man makes a six-figure income (we'll say $120k). He is up every day at 5am so he can beat the rush hour traffic into the city. He usually gets home around 7pm, rushed through dinner and then spends an hour or so catching up on emails. More than 40% of his income is taxed and each year his tax burden is more. 15% of his pay goes into his 401(k) plan so that he will not be a burden on others when he finally does retire - hopefully when he's 67. He has to find a way to fund his children's education on his own - no help from the government when you are considered so "wealthy." He pays full price for everything yet throughout his entire life, he is made to feel guilty for being so successful although he constantly worries how he will keep all those balls in the air if he ever lost his job.
The other man has been out of work for years. After a string of mostly dead-end jobs, he hit the "jackpot" when he injured himself at work. He's been on disability since even though he gets around just fine and belongs to a gym club. His typical day is spent relaxing around the house. Mostly TV and video games while still in his sweatpants. He owns a high-end TV set and the latest gaming consoles. The highlight of his existence is when the SSI checks show up in his mailbox. He has a girlfriend who has two kids by him but she lives separately so that she can "maximize" her welfare and food stamp benefits. This man has no worries about supporting his kids or himself, the government is providing just fine.
So again, who is living in poverty here?
Let’s not forget tattoos.
bfl
Exaggeration and misinformation = Media
My 47 year-old son is the first example and my 50 year-old daughter is the second, Thankfully she has no children but the rest fits. Everything she gets is free. I figured she would have to earn 48,000 a year to duplicate what she has. Why work?
Both have college degrees. I rationalize that my son and I are paying taxes to support her. Doesn’t make us feel better about it.
and hair extensions for the females
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