US Poverty Rate Expected to Post a Record Increase- 1 in 7 Americans In Poverty

[Panaconda]

US poverty rate expected to post a record increase
Overall number could reach 15%, demographers say
By Hope Yen
Associated Press / September 12, 2010


WASHINGTON — The number of people in the United States who are in poverty is on track for a record increase on President Obama’s watch, with the ranks of working-age poor approaching 1960s levels that led to the national war on poverty.

Census figures for 2009 — the recession-ravaged first year of the Democrat’s presidency — are to be released this week, and demographers expect grim findings.

It’s unfortunate timing for Obama and his party just seven weeks before midterm elections in which control of Congress is at stake. The anticipated poverty rate increase — from 13.2 percent to about 15 percent — would be another blow to Democrats struggling to persuade voters to keep them in power.

...

Demographers also are confident the report will show:

■ Child poverty increased from 19 percent to more than 20 percent.

■ Blacks and Latinos were disproportionately hit, based on their higher rates of unemployment.

...

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2010/09/12/us_poverty_rate_expected_to_post_a_record_increase/

1 out of 7 Americans in poverty: report


Despite President Barack Obama's pledge to fight the problem, US poverty is on track to post a record increase for 2009, with the ranks of working-age poor approaching 1960s levels.


Census figures for 2009, to be released in the coming week, are expected to show a significant increase in poverty rates among US citizens to the range of up to 15 percent, AP reported on Saturday.

That means some 45 million in the United States, or more than 1 in 7, were poor last year on Obama's watch.

Should those figures hold true, the US will see its highest single-year increase in the poverty rate since the government began calculating poverty figures in 1959.

...

http://www.presstv.ir/detail/142154.html

[unhappycamper]

1. Mission Accomplished!

[athenasatanjesus]

2. Being in poverty is un-American.

Making this report an impossibility.

[TexasObserver]

3. It's the result of 8 years of Republican rule this century.

They didn't mess it up in two years and it can't be fixed in two years.

We need a jobs program and another Stim package.

[Panaconda]

7. It's far more complex

and systemic than that.

[Lyric]

13. This has roots going back a lot further than 8 years

and has just as much to do with a complacent, enabling Democratic party as it does with out-of-control Republican greed.

I agree absolutely that Republican/conservative policies are largely to blame. But it wasn't a Republican president who signed PRWORA (basically eliminating welfare as we knew it), and we've had Democratic Congresses that have completely ignored the plight of the poor because supporting poverty programs is politically unpopular. Average voters from BOTH parties have been brainwashed by the unopposed right-wing to equate poverty relief with "lazy welfare queens getting a handout", and unions (which help keep people working) as "bastions of lazy workers who want more than they've earned".

The Republicans did it, but we let it happen. We gave cover to Democratic politicians who did nothing substantial to stop them, because we wanted to support "the lesser of two evils" instead of a real pro-labor, pro-social-justice progressive.

We made a deal with the devil and we lost. That damage is already done, and there's little point in arguing about it if we want to repair what's been broken. The question now is, what are we going to do about turning it around and solving the problems? I can say this much: until we mount a substantial campaign to reverse the idea of poor people as "lazy" and "undeserving", we'll never be able to do much. Until we spend political capital to put an end to that ugly, right-wing false narrative, we flat-out will NOT have the voter support to take the drastic actions needed to implement solutions. You can't convince people to care about a group that's been demonized constantly for 30-odd years. First you have to reverse the ugly narrative. THEN you can start working on poverty relief.

And the first thing we should do is to reverse the FAILED welfare reforms. I did research on that topic, if you're interested in statistics and research:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/9/6/899478/-A-National-Disaster:-Examining-a-Welfare-System-Broken-by-Reform

[Mimosa]

4. Jobs need to be the number 1 focus. n/t

[Starry Messenger]

5. recommend

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

6. I call BS on this.

Our president cares more about poverty than anyone ever has. If there was any truth to this hit-piece the president would have done much more to prevent such a development.

[ShamelessHussy]

23. you forgot your sarcasm smiley

;)

[SammyWinstonJack]

25. heheh

:evilgrin:

[G_j]

8. a small sacrifice for endless war

:-(

[OhioChick]

9. K&R n/t

[Odin2005]

10. The Shock Doctrine.

[maryf]

11. How many aren't counted too...K&R nt

[SOS]

12. And that's using the absurd federal poverty level

An individual who earns $11,000 a year is not in poverty according to the federal guidelines.

Minus 7.5% payroll tax = $10,175.

$195 a week? No help for you!

[maryf]

14. Would barely cover rent...

How much does Gates make an hour? sick society...

[OhioChick]

15. Hater! LMAO

[maryf]

17. love your sig line "Some days, it's not even worth chewing through the restraints." I can relate...

Where's my pies when I need them...

[maryf]

16. wrong place

doing that a lot lately???

[OhioChick]

20. Just one of those days, Mary?

:hug:

[maryf]

22. first week teaching...

and the kids are getting poorer each year, :(

[OhioChick]

24. Oh, I believe you...

I've heard stories from teachers in the family. :scared:

[Fumesucker]

18. I have a cunning plan to solve this..

We pass a law mandating that everyone have a good paying job or else they will be fined by the IRS.

Hey, it worked for healthcare, right?

[maryf]

19. +1

right on.

[leftstreet]

21. That would cure homelessness, too

Mandatory housing purchase

Heck, why not just mandate wealth!

[SammyWinstonJack]

26. *snort*

:spray: