Economy
See other Economy Articles
Title: Air Conditioning, Cable TV, and an Xbox: What is Poverty in the United States Today?
Source:
Heritage Foundation
URL Source: http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2011/07/What-is-Poverty
Published: Jul 20, 2011
Author: Robert Rector and Rachel Sheffield
Post Date: 2011-07-20 12:31:54 by jwpegler
Keywords: None
Views: 7507
Comments: 13
Each year for the past two decades, the U.S. Census Bureau has reported that over 30 million Americans were living in "poverty." In recent years, the Census has reported that one in seven Americans are poor. But what does it mean to be "poor" in America, ask Robert Rector, a senior research fellow, and Rachel Sheffield, a research assistant, at the Heritage Foundation. To the average American, the word "poverty" implies significant material deprivation, an inability to provide a family with adequate nutritious food, reasonable shelter and clothing. The actual living conditions of America's poor are far different from these images. - According to the government's own survey data, in 2005, the average household defined as poor by the government lived in a house or apartment equipped with air conditioning and cable TV. - The family had a car (a third of the poor have two or more cars). - For entertainment, the household had two color televisions, a DVD player and a VCR. - If there were children in the home (especially boys), the family had a game system, such as an Xbox or PlayStation. - In the kitchen, the household had a microwave, refrigerator, and an oven and stove. - Other household conveniences included a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone and a coffeemaker. The home of the average poor family was in good repair and not overcrowded. In fact, the typical poor American had more living space than the average (non- poor) European. The poor family was able to obtain medical care when needed. When asked, most poor families stated they had had sufficient funds during the past year to meet all essential needs, say Rector and Sheffield. Although the overwhelming majority of the poor are well housed, at any single point in time during the recession in 2009, around one in 70 poor persons was homeless. Nonetheless, sound public policy cannot be based on faulty information or misunderstanding. An effective antipoverty policy must be based on an accurate assessment of actual living conditions and the causes of deprivation.
Post Comment Private Reply Ignore Thread
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
#1. To: jwpegler (#0)
- Other household conveniences included a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone and a coffeemaker. How dare they accumulate such worldly possessions!!! {{{chuck}}}
Never swear "allegiance" to anything other than the 'right to change your mind'!
- Other household conveniences included a clothes washer, clothes dryer, ceiling fans, a cordless phone and a coffeem All bought on credit. The USA is an empire. In the olden days that mean the tributaries would send gold back to Rome and the Roman poor had their lifestyle supported by the tribute (cheap food and entertainment). The USA's empire takes tribute in the form of cheap and easily affordable credit and a favorable exchange rate for the dollar and the dollar being the currency of choice for reserves overseas.
"Keep Your Goddamn Government Hands Off My Medicare!" - Various Tea Party signs.
. Spoken as the truly stoopid libTURD "Hate America FIRST!" fuckwad we all know YOU to be gooberloserton. Only a fucking MORON such as YOU would see credit as an evil thing when it comes to the lives of everyday people. You TRY to turn this thread on it's head you piece of shit. You gibbering libTURD whore, the FACT that the "poor" in America today lead lives more comfortable than the VAST majority of this world's people, is a DIRECT result of the prosperity that US capitalism, (even in it's current gooberment dominated state), has generated, (Well up until the messiah "king" obammy turned the presses on 24/7/365 anyhow). Because YOU and your politics/philosophy are anti-individual and anti-liberty. YOU are a collectivist statist whore. YOU, (et. al.), are wannabe TYRANTS. YOU want to tell each and every individual American HOW to live every instant of OUR lives. YOU are the enemy of America, of ALL decent Americans, and of LIFE and LIBERTY. YOU were born to be a subject or slave, NOT a freeborn citizen. YOU are what is wrong with today's America. Begone gooberloserton, and may history forget that you ever claimed to be OUR countryman. AMEN!
Spoiled, stupid and ignorant, brain dead phuckwads, libTURD fools, tools, and idiots, are the real sickness; the messiah "king" obammy and his regime are only the symptoms.
and still whine about being "poor". That's the point that only a shit-for-brains libtard wouldn't get.
So why are you right wing kooks against the govt raising credit?
"Keep Your Goddamn Government Hands Off My Medicare!" - Various Tea Party signs.
That's an insult to shit . . .
Assuming that you are addressing me gooberloserton, I could easily explain the difference to you bitch, but bitch you don't actually care. YOU are nothing but an anti-AMERICAN, anti-LIBERTY, pro-statist, wannabe tyrant piece of libTURD shit. There is no rational honest person who can defend the messiah "king" obammy's outrageous spending. Of course I'm not talking about YOU gooberloserton, you are nothing but a libTURD whore/shill/tool/fool. You don't actually have an opinion, your masters tell you what and when to "think". FOOL.
Spoiled, stupid and ignorant, brain dead phuckwads, libTURD fools, tools, and idiots, are the real sickness; the messiah "king" obammy and his regime are only the symptoms.
What is missing from this story is the Godsend of government assistance in the form of food and energy stipends and other goods and services. I guess the problem comes up when someone decries a 'poor' child having the 'luxury' of an X-box. Who is so mean-spirited that they would begrudge a child, poor or otherwise, some measure of pleasure in an otherwise bleak existence. The majority of 'poor' are white rurals and it would break my heart to force them into a Dickensian nightmare. The inner city poor already lead a dangerous existence and the combination of poverty and drug abuse only worsens the fate of innocent children. There is abuse of the system, so lets get rid of that before we kill off what little kindness there is left in this world.
I guess the problem comes up when someone decries a 'poor' child having the 'luxury' of an X-box. Who is so mean-spirited that they would begrudge a child, poor or otherwise, some measure of pleasure in an otherwise bleak existence. The majority of 'poor' are white rurals and it would break my heart to force them into a Dickensian nightmare. The inner city poor already lead a dangerous existence and the combination of poverty and drug abuse only worsens the fate of innocent children. There is abuse of the system, so lets get rid of that before we kill off what little kindness there is left in this world. Gooberment "assistance" is never a "godsend". It is the final act of subjugation by an individual to an un-Constitutional, out of control, feral gooberment. Which will then RULE your life in detail, and feed or not feed you and yours at it's mere whim. No "poor" child has a "X-box". None of us begrudges anybody anything. Being "poor" is a state of being "crippled" hence the need for "assistance". But, giving a hungry man a fish is OK only until you teach that man how to fish. Because treating humans as cattle is not acceptable, no matter what you call it. Historically the white rural population is the MAJORITY population segment IN this country, so it follows that the majority of the population would have the majority of most aspects of a nation containing such a population. Statistically the rural white population leads a MORE dangerous life than their urban fellow citizens do. Jesus told us that the "poor" would ALWAYS be with us. Innocent children can be helped much more by OUR PRIVATE sector than by un- Constitutional feral gooberment "assistance". You don't get grace for your "care" and "charity" from spending other people's money taken by force. Get gooberment 100% OUT of the "assistance" business and WE AMERICANS will take care of OUR friends and neighbors. Get the feral gooberment et. al. out of the way of the kindness that is at the heart and center of most Americans. EXCESSIVE gooberment IS the problem! NOT the solution.
Spoiled, stupid and ignorant, brain dead phuckwads, libTURD fools, tools, and idiots, are the real sickness; the messiah "king" obammy and his regime are only the symptoms.
Omg, do you ever just shut that fucking yapper? You have nothing to say.
------------------------------------- LOL! Looking into the mirror are we biffette? What a useless whiny little pussy you are biffette. Po little biffette. I feel your pain biffette. Let it all out wittle gurl. There there wittle biffette, be a good wittle gurl. LMAO!!!!!!!
Spoiled, stupid and ignorant, brain dead phuckwads, libTURD fools, tools, and idiots, are the real sickness; the messiah "king" obammy and his regime are only the symptoms.
We're from the government and we're here to help you. Head for the hills!!!!!
And electronics! Computers! OMG! Actually I would put together the parts of my new They are trying to take my worldly posessions! I don't have the time for this tyranny! I mean - how the heck ELSE will I be able to acquire
In the kitchen, the household had a microwave, refrigerator, and an oven and stove.
#2. To: Brian S, jwpegler (#1)
In the kitchen, the household had a microwave, refrigerator, and an oven and stove.
#3. To: Godwinson (#2)
(Edited)
#4. To: Brian S (#1)
How dare they accumulate such worldly possessions!!!
#5. To: Mad Dog (#3)
Only a fucking MORON such as YOU would see credit as an evil thing when it comes to the lives of everyday people.
#6. To: Happy Quanzaa (#4)
That's the point that only a shit-for-brains libtard wouldn't get.
#7. To: Godwinson (#5)
#8. To: Mad Dog, Godwinson (#7)
#9. To: harrowup, Godwinson (#8)
(Edited)
What is missing from this story is the Godsend of government assistance in the form of food and energy stipends and other goods and services.
#10. To: Mad Dog (#9)
Why don't you make like a tree and get out of here?
#11. To: Biff Tannen (#10)
#12. To: Mad Dog (#9)
Gooberment "assistance" is never a "godsend".
To preserve our independence, we must not let our rulers load us with perpetual debt. We must make our election between economy and liberty, or profusion and servitude. — Thomas Jefferson
#13. To: Brian S (#1)
How dare they accumulate such worldly possessions!!!
OH the sinfulness of it all!
computer and build a new computer if I hadn't
had to clean the computer parts off of the dining
room table to make room for the financial paperwork
needed to do my and my mother's taxes since my
father passed away last year. (What a financial
nightmare.)
The Bastards!
I have to build a new computer and stuff!
MORE worldly posessions? Eh?
Top • Page Up • Full Thread • Page Down • Bottom/Latest
[Home] [Headlines] [Latest Articles] [Latest Comments] [Post] [Mail] [Sign-in] [Setup] [Help] [Register]