1 in 3 Illinoisans lives in or near poverty level: report

Sun-Times Media Wire ^ | Jan 16, 2013

[george76]

A staggering one out of three Illinoisans today lives in or near poverty — the peak of a continued climb over three decades

...

almost half of Chicago's population is living in or near poverty.

In suburban Cook and Kane counties, it's nearly a third; in DuPage, McHenry and Will counties, one out of five people, and in Lake County, one out of four.

Statewide, 31 percent of the African-American population lives in poverty, along with 22.6 percent of Latinos; 12 percent of Asians, and 11 percent of whites.

Of the state's households headed by single women, 34.3 percent live in poverty; as do 8.2 percent of senior citizens, and 20.7 percent of disabled people.

[circlecity]

Of course in America a family can have a house, two cars, cable tv, high speed internet and smart phones for everyone and still be considered to be living “in poverty.” What’s it say about a country when obesity is the greatest health problem of those “in poverty”.

[Paladin2]

Didn’t the gov’t recently move the stakes to put richer peeps back in “poverty” to help increase the body count?

[txrefugee]

As long as they have food stamps and their ObamaPhone, they be OK.

[kabar]

Of course in America a family can have a house, two cars, cable tv, high speed internet and smart phones for everyone and still be considered to be living “in poverty.”

And how much of that lifestyle is subsidized by the taxpayer? 48 million on food stamps--70 million on Medicaid-one trillion a year out of the federal budget spent on means-tested welfare programs.

Yes, we keep redefining what the poverty level is and means, but this is not just an academic exercise. It results in the allocation of federal resources and a federal budget that borrows 42 cents of every federal dollar it spends.

[Logical me]

Three classes of people in the US. One educated but ignorant. Second uneducated and super ignorant. Third insane.

Take your pick for Illinois. We in California have them all and NY is beyond belief.

[vpintheak]

Look who did the “study”. A group that exists on government funds. I’m not buying it

[Opinionated Blowhard]

The answer is easy — more government spending and a tax hike on the “rich” to pay for it.

[dagogo redux]

If we extend this idea from “financial” poverty, and include poverties of safety, inalienable rights and moral clarity, I’d say everyone in Chicago qualifies.

The thugs who run things are poor in spirit, the serfs under their rule are poor in life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. It is no wonder that The Chicago Way and the US Communist Party have their deepest roots here.

[BigFinn]

Speaking of Obamaphone. That lady has had an epiphany. She got a job and found that her taxes went up. Watch this. There might be hope for these people if someone shows them the BHO hypocrisy. click here for video of Obamaphone Lady when the lights go on

[conservativebabe]

Bullshit! I worked in a grocery store for 4 years in IL and those people in “poverty” eat better than the rest of us. And they carry smartphones and Coach purses too. THAT is poverty in IL.

[Paladin2]

"Noncash benefits (such as food stamps and housing subsidies) do not count."

QED.

[Theodore R.]

People in IL think all they need to alleviate the remaining problems of poverty is more Democrats and more government programs.

[1010RD]

This is the same Cook County Economics Obama is bringing to the nation.

Get ready.

[Tea Party Terrorist]

Love to hear them tell me how the obese live in “food deserts.”

Like the dual claim of Global Warming causing floods and drought.

[1010RD]

Government programs actually hurt the poor:

Government distorted the health care market and is now working for insurance companies, hospital systems and existing providers: http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2012/11/cochrane_on_hea.html

Big Pharma has corrupted the drug process and captured the FDA. Obamacare makes it illegal for the government to negotiate drug prices or for Americans to buy drugs from cheaper foreign sources:
http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2012/11/angell_on_big_p.html

Government unemployment and disability programs worsen job creation and employment opportunities for the poor:

http://www.econtalk.org/archives/2012/12/mulligan_on_red.html

The site is excellent and the podcasts top drawer. Download them, listen to them, read the transcripts and pass the info on.

[Theodore R.]

“Hypocrisy” is too big a word for the American majority now, but they know it when it is explained in reference to the “rich.”

[justiceseeker93]

A staggering one out of three Illinoisans today lives in or near poverty — the peak of a continued climb over three decades.

There seems to be a correlation between state and local government control by Democrats (and RINOs, in some instances) and increased poverty and general decadence in the populations under those governments' jurisdiction.

Illinois and Chicago in particular are just one example. Detroit is even a worse case. California and New York are examples as well.

[Theodore R.]

The American majority simply does not believe what you witnesssed in the IL grocery store. Their compassion for “the poor” is nearly boundless.

[MeganC]

So 1/3 of the people who repeatedly vote in corrupt, tyrannical Democrats to run their state are impoverished?

They deserve it.