NY Times: 33% of Americans in Poverty, or Just Above It

[bobbyw24]

Source: New York Times

They drive cars, but seldom new ones. They earn paychecks, but not big ones. Many own homes. Most pay taxes. Half are married, and nearly half live in the suburbs. None are poor, but many describe themselves as barely scraping by.
http://ts4.mm.bing.net/images/thumbnail.aspx?q=1309093465903&id=a6071ac5d6c1c505bbcb2b3220b5cedd&url=http%3a%2f%2fi168.photobucket.com%2falbums%2fu 168%2fthekazzes%2fpoverty.jpg

Down but not quite out, these Americans form a diverse group sometimes called “near poor” and sometimes simply overlooked — and a new count suggests they are far more numerous than previously understood.

When the Census Bureau this month released a new measure of poverty, meant to better count disposable income, it began altering the portrait of national need. Perhaps the most startling differences between the old measure and the new involves data the government has not yet published, showing 51 million people with incomes less than 50 percent above the poverty line. That number of Americans is 76 percent higher than the official account, published in September. All told, that places 100 million people — one in three Americans — either in poverty or in the fretful zone just above it.

http://goo.gl/nwe86

[Philhelm]

And how many Americans are on food stamps? Wasn't the number something like one out of seven, or something absurd like that? I'm not surprised, but what bothers me is when people dismiss my assertion that the U.S. economy is going down, and that this isn't about recessions, double-dips, or whatever the idiot box says in the morning. The writing is on the wall, clear as day.

[oyarde]

The most troubling part of this is this , it is only getting started , there is nothing in place that would allow recovery , but many things in place that hinder recovery ...

[Travlyr]

The most troubling part of this is this , it is only getting started , there is nothing in place that would allow recovery , but many things in place that hinder recovery ...
Very troubling indeed. Bankers are throwing more and more families out of their homes into shelters and in the streets. And that is on top of the bailouts. What a deal eh? What a scam.

First create an economic boom, easy credit, and piled high debts. Then pull the rug out from under the economy and get the taxpayers to ante up with trillions in bailouts. Then send the blood sucking debt collectors to confiscate the property from the deadbeats who can't find good paying jobs. Then destroy their credit rating ... sue them for the difference between the price a private auction determines the property is worth and what was "owed". Then kick the families into the streets because a few $billion is just barely enough money for the banker to count. The bankers own the world... at least they think they do.

[oyarde]

Very troubling indeed. Bankers are throwing more and more families out of their homes into shelters and in the streets. And that is on top of the bailouts. What a deal eh? What a scam.

First create an economic boom, easy credit, and piled high debts. Then pull the rug out from under the economy and get the taxpayers to ante up with trillions in bailouts. Then send the blood sucking debt collectors to confiscate the property from the deadbeats who can't find good paying jobs. Then destroy their credit rating ... sue them for the difference between the price a private auction determines the property is worth and what was "owed". Then kick the families into the streets because a few $billion is just barely enough money for the banker to count. The bankers own the world... at least they think they do. I like that anti counterfeiter thing

[kylejack]

Income disparity is splitting. People at the top make a bad investment and the government bails them out, but who is bailing out the pensions that were victimized, or the average investor, or the homeowner that was defrauded? Nobody. Systems of privilege are being built and reinforced that protect only the rich.

Unemployment is at the highest since the Great Depression, other than a brief hiccup in 1982. It's no wonder there's anger in the streets at what is going on.

[oyarde]

Income disparity is splitting. People at the top make a bad investment and the government bails them out, but who is bailing out the pensions that were victimized, or the average investor, or the homeowner that was defrauded? Nobody. Systems of privilege are being built and reinforced that protect only the rich.

Unemployment is at the highest since the Great Depression, other than a brief hiccup in 1982. It's no wonder there's anger in the streets at what is going on. Technically , unemploymt is worse than the depression , then , there were five people for each job becoming available , now , there are six.

[Keith and stuff]

The Census is trying to make it look like more Americans are power. The is a deliberate effort. It claims that in this new, alternative measure of poverty, how much aid (welfare) a state gives to people for doing nothing is now a factor in poverty. It is trying to tell the states, increase welfare and we will make it look like there is less poverty in your state.

I am sorry. If you work, own a car and a house, you are not poor! If you are above the poverty line, you aren't in poverty! This whole alternative measure is nothing more than politically correct crap. No thank you federal government. Please keep your social engineering away from me! Please stop trying to pressure my state government to spend more money. Please stop trying to increase my taxes!

[Anti Federalist]

Meh, spending more money (that you don't have) on cheap imported consumer goods will solve this.

/s/


Very troubling indeed. Bankers are throwing more and more families out of their homes into shelters and in the streets. And that is on top of the bailouts. What a deal eh? What a scam.

First create an economic boom, easy credit, and piled high debts. Then pull the rug out from under the economy and get the taxpayers to ante up with trillions in bailouts. Then send the blood sucking debt collectors to confiscate the property from the deadbeats who can't find good paying jobs. Then destroy their credit rating ... sue them for the difference between the price a private auction determines the property is worth and what was "owed". Then kick the families into the streets because a few $billion is just barely enough money for the banker to count. The bankers own the world... at least they think they do.

[Pericles]

Good progress on the destruction of the middle class.

[Travlyr]

Meh, spending more money (that you don't have) on cheap imported consumer goods will solve this.

/s/

Sure, and junk food too ... as long as the Masters will keep raising the credit limit debt ceiling... everything will be fine ... just not too much too fast ... okay?

Or Elect Ron Paul in 2012 and let the healing begin.

[Philhelm]

Good progress on the destruction of the middle class.

It's catchin' on, I'm tellin' ya!

[Democrat4Paul]

The Census is trying to make it look like more Americans are power. The is a deliberate effort. It claims that in this new, alternative measure of poverty, how much aid (welfare) a state gives to people for doing nothing is now a factor in poverty. It is trying to tell the states, increase welfare and we will make it look like there is less poverty in your state.

I am sorry. If you work, own a car and a house, you are not poor! If you are above the poverty line, you aren't in poverty! This whole alternative measure is nothing more than politically correct crap. No thank you federal government. Please keep your social engineering away from me! Please stop trying to pressure my state government to spend more money. Please stop trying to increase my taxes!
you are playing politics with this

in America a family of 4 making $22,000 a year is poor. so the same family of four at 50% above is at around $33,000 max with ALL the bills and expenses that go with maintaining a growing life in America. and that doesn't sound poor to you? will people have to live in shacks and stand in bread lines while others ride by in Rolls Royce's to be considered poor? and some of those same people riding by having earned all their money by ill gotten gains, all the while

its not "politically correct crap" its a scientific measure of what constitutes poverty in THIS country of milk and honey. no matter if you make $30,000 a year. lose that job and don't find another one to maintain your life here in this country and you are homeless.

so, can you be working or middle class in this country, do the best you can, not be poor by YOUR measure, and be out of your home and living in a shelter the very next month? yes, it happens. and that is poverty

its not how much money you have, but how much it costs to live, raise a family, and your proximity to having no home, job, income, or enough food to eat

that is poverty

social engineering? look at the corporations NOT hiring right now helping to create all this. they are doing it, its happening, we knew it would under Obama (which says nothing of HIM and his own screw ups) and the fix is in from all sides, left and right

to solve this we need to cut party politics and the old way of thinking and doing business of blaming others. if we need to "aid" some out of this mess, we will until real reform comes. but what you must understand is under the current system of government and finance this NEVER stops. you can bitch and moan all you want about taxes and welfare but the more you do, the more you play into the hands of both sides of the same coin. they love it when they can divide and concur. both "sides" get power. but a guy like Paul puts an end to all this

remind yourself once in awhile that we can't "pick and choose" what is the problem with this country and just hack away at bits and pieces. it doesn't work (its what they in DC have been claiming to do for years) and it hurts the average American. we must hack, cut, and bring down the entire tree and allow a new one to grow

btw unless we get Paul YOUR taxes are going up, anyway. thats what taxes do one way or another. and the conservatives will blame the libs and the poor and the libs will blame the conservatives and wealthy and you'll be stuck without a real voice just as you are now

you are here at the Ron Paul forum. time to loosen up a little :)