America Losing the War on Poverty

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

US poverty on track to rise to highest since 1960s

The ranks of America's poor are on track to climb to levels unseen in nearly half a century, erasing gains from the war on poverty in the 1960s amid a weak economy and fraying government safety net.

Census figures for 2011 will be released this fall in the critical weeks ahead of the November elections.

The Associated Press surveyed more than a dozen economists, think tanks and academics, both nonpartisan and those with known liberal or conservative leanings, and found a broad consensus: The official poverty rate will rise from 15.1 percent in 2010, climbing as high as 15.7 percent. Several predicted a more modest gain, but even a 0.1 percentage point increase would put poverty at the highest level since 1965.

The predictions for 2011 are based on separate AP interviews, supplemented with research on suburban poverty from Alan Berube of the Brookings Institution and an analysis of federal spending by the Congressional Research Service and Elise Gould of the Economic Policy Institute.

The analysts' estimates suggest that some 47 million people in the U.S., or 1 in 6, were poor last year. An increase of one-tenth of a percentage point to 15.2 percent would tie the 1983 rate, the highest since 1965. The highest level on record was 22.4 percent in 1959, when the government began calculating poverty figures.

Poverty is closely tied to joblessness. While the unemployment rate improved from 9.6 percent in 2010 to 8.9 percent in 2011, the employment-population ratio remained largely unchanged, meaning many discouraged workers simply stopped looking for work. Food stamp rolls, another indicator of poverty, also grew.

Demographers also say:

—Poverty will remain above the pre-recession level of 12.5 percent for many more years. Several predicted that peak poverty levels — 15 percent to 16 percent — will last at least until 2014, due to expiring unemployment benefits, a jobless rate persistently above 6 percent and weak wage growth.

—Suburban poverty, already at a record level of 11.8 percent, will increase again in 2011.

—Part-time or underemployed workers, who saw a record 15 percent poverty in 2010, will rise to a new high.

—Poverty among people 65 and older will remain at historically low levels, buoyed by Social Security cash payments.

—Child poverty will increase from its 22 percent level in 2010.

Analysts also believe that the poorest poor, defined as those at 50 percent or less of the poverty level, will remain near its peak level of 6.7 percent.

The 2010 poverty level was $22,314 for a family of four, and $11,139 for an individual, based on an official government calculation that includes only cash income, before tax deductions. It excludes capital gains or accumulated wealth, such as home ownership, as well as noncash aid such as food stamps and tax credits, which were expanded substantially under President Barack Obama's stimulus package.

An additional 9 million people in 2010 would have been counted above the poverty line if food stamps and tax credits were taken into account.

Robert Rector, a senior research fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, believes the social safety net has worked and it is now time to cut back. He worries that advocates may use a rising poverty rate to justify additional spending on the poor, when in fact, he says, many live in decent-size homes, drive cars and own wide-screen TVs.

Outside of Medicaid, federal spending on major low-income assistance programs such as food stamps, disability aid and tax credits have been mostly flat at roughly 1.5 percent of the gross domestic product from 1975 to the 1990s. Spending spiked higher to 2.3 percent of GDP after Obama's stimulus program in 2009 temporarily expanded unemployment insurance and tax credits for the poor.

http://www.sanduskyregister.com/washington/news/us-poverty-track-rise-highest-1960s

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

Well you can only pay people to not work and have babies, just so long before you run out of other peoples money and you have more taking than giving. Then it starts imploding.

We got about 8 million working illegals in this country doing OK and about 12 million Americans not working... It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out why that's a problem. It's so simple even a liberal should be able to figure it out.

In my area, the local peach farmers can legally bring in a quota of migrant workers to pick peaches and work in the process plant. They can do this because they have been able to prove the can not hire enough local labor. Over 50% of the 18-26 demographic in my area are unemployed and are beneficiaries of some from of means tested benefits. Once again it's so simple a liberal could figure it out. I get it they don't want to pick peaches, it's hot hard work. However if their stomach was grumbling they would go pick peaches, and then maybe they would hate it so bad they would better themselves. Regardless providing them food and shelter, when there are jobs available, should be a no no.

It should go like this.. applicant- .I need food stamps... Case worker-sir there are peach picking jobs available, I can refer you.. Applicant--I can't do that ...Case worker--- Then I guess you are going to starve to death.. end of story.

[JohnR! 5,495]

It should go like this.. applicant- .I need food stamps... Case worker-sir there are peach picking jobs available, I can refer you.. Applicant--I can't do that ...Case worker--- Then I guess you are going to starve to death.. end of story.

:thumbs:

[rika60607 215]

It should go like this.. applicant- .I need food stamps... Case worker-sir there are peach picking jobs available, I can refer you.. Applicant--I can't do that ...Case worker--- Then I guess you are going to starve to death.. end of story.

"As you wish, my dear Sir"

Later that evening, the case worker gets clubbed on his head while leaving his workplace after the shift. His wallet was picked and $21 is missing. Why, but this is worth 4 hours of peach picking and sure did not take quite as much time.

Luckily, case worker only misses couple of days of work and his medical bills ($12K) are covered by his medical insurance. Police investigation leads nowhere (too many cases like this one) but costs a pretty sum of taxpayer's money. Increases in street crime lead to more guns purchased, so at least someone is making profits.

What kind of world do you want to live in, seriously?

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

"As you wish, my dear Sir"

Later that evening, ...

Are you sure you don't want to rephrase what follows?

[Danno 1,228]

Could you imagine spending trillions to achieve a certain outcome and decades later you have not only not solved the problem or accomplished the promissory outcome but in fact things are got worse.....

and the only group who has done remarkable well (Gov't employees) asks for more... and we consider the same course of action?

The only course of action gov't never entertains is to"STOP"

even when failure is finally admitted, the answer is expansion into another program.

[The Nature Boy 4,224]

"As you wish, my dear Sir"

Later that evening, the case worker gets clubbed on his head while leaving his workplace after the shift. His wallet was picked and $21 is missing. Why, but this is worth 4 hours of peach picking and sure did not take quite as much time.

Luckily, case worker only misses couple of days of work and his medical bills ($12K) are covered by his medical insurance. Police investigation leads nowhere (too many cases like this one) but costs a pretty sum of taxpayer's money. Increases in street crime lead to more guns purchased, so at least someone is making profits.

What kind of world do you want to live in, seriously?

Actually in my world the law abiding case worker would pull his well oiled Glock 29 , from his fast draw holster and put a well placed 10mm .180 grain hollow point between the eye of the assailant and there would be one less piece of human garbage for the taxpayers to support.

Seriously you advocate paying people to sit on their butts instead of working becuse they might, commit crime for which we will not punish them.... Dear God you libs have created a perfect mess and somehow seem to think it's good.

[lostinblue 1,989]

Just another failure of the great society. One of the worst mistakes imposed on the american people.

[del-2-5-2014 1,339]

"As you wish, my dear Sir"

Later that evening, the case worker gets clubbed on his head while leaving his workplace after the shift. His wallet was picked and $21 is missing. Why, but this is worth 4 hours of peach picking and sure did not take quite as much time.

Luckily, case worker only misses couple of days of work and his medical bills ($12K) are covered by his medical insurance. Police investigation leads nowhere (too many cases like this one) but costs a pretty sum of taxpayer's money. Increases in street crime lead to more guns purchased, so at least someone is making profits.

What kind of world do you want to live in, seriously?

Actually in my world the law abiding case worker would pull his well oiled Glock 29 , from his fast draw holster and put a well placed 10mm .180 grain hollow point between the eye of the assailant and there would be one less piece of human garbage for the taxpayers to support.

Seriously you advocate paying people to sit on their butts instead of working becuse they might, commit crime for which we will not punish them.... Dear God you libs have created a perfect mess and somehow seem to think it's good.

I like both scenarios.

[X Factor 1,112]

It seems that "war on poverty" was not designed to be won.

[^_^ 5,021]

It seems that "war on poverty" was not designed to be won.

If it was, we'd be shooting poor people.

If there were no poor people left, there would be no poverty. It's actually quite simple.

[Saddle Bronc 124]

Not news -- this was known even in 1986 that poverty won "fair/square" LBJ's declared war-on-poverty!

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Some estimates put the total bill for the "War on Poverty" at 15 trillion dollars since LBJ started this in 1964. I wonder, if we had used that money to create jobs, trained workers and built infrastructure where the poverty rate would be now? There is an old adage that rings true, "give a man a fish and he eats for a day, teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime".

Simply giving out money and foodstamps without limits only encourages people to not work. That much has been brutally proven. Prez Clinton reformed welfare and at least started to get people off the idea of living on the government dole for a lifetime. Today prez Obama, though executive order wiped out most of the gains that Clinton gave us in turning back that mentality. Today, more workers are going onto disability than are taking jobs. We are running at full speed towards a cliff and this administration is spreading grease on the track in front of us. Really guys, I don't begrudge helping people in need but what is happening now is one half of the country is supporting the other half. We just cannot sustain this much longer.

[^_^ 5,021]

We just cannot sustain this much longer.

Even if we could, we shouldn't.. unless we want to look like Europe. Europe is a mess. Third world conditions. Angry and poor people. Mass civil unrest. Infant mortality rates are through the roof. It's crazy.

[rika60607 215]

I like both scenarios.