Poverty grows in Rick Perry's Texas

[Eugene]

Source: CNNMoney

Poverty grows in Rick Perry's Texas

By Tami Luhby @CNNMoney September 18, 2011: 5:43 PM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Texas Governor Rick Perry likes to brag that his state is an economic powerhouse.

But don't tell that to the nearly one in five Texans who are living below the poverty line.

-snip-

Texas ranks 6th in terms of people living in poverty. Some 18.4% of Texans were impoverished in 2010, up from 17.3% a year earlier, according to Census Bureau data released this week. The national average is 15.1%.

And being poor in Texas isn't easy. The state has one of the lowest rates of spending on its citizens per capita and the highest share of those lacking health insurance. It doesn't provide a lot of support services to those in need: Relatively few collect food stamps and qualifying for cash assistance is particularly tough.

-snip-

Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/18/news/economy/poverty_perry_texas

[Ilsa]

1. I was explaining to a friend that I didn't want my brother to

become homeless in Texas because it would be almost impossible for him to pull out of it. She is a CA resident and started telling me about all these great social programs to help the homeless and get him help for his diabetes. I reminded her that Texas government is stingy enough with Texas kids, much less middle-aged single men.

We also have a niece that is living on poverty with her husband, infant, and his two kids. We've helped as much as we can, but we have two kids to support, too, one of which is disabled.

[Ilsa]

2. I just want to add:

Our legislature doesn't want to do shit for people in need. They won't go into debt when times are hard, they won't raise taxes on corporations here, even though the kids are going to school in very old, dilapidated buildings with too many kids in classrooms.

[Vogon_Glory]

3. Some of The Wing-Nutz Comments Are Not Only Appalling But Hilarious

Some of the wing-nutz comments are not only appalling but hilarious. One of them is that Rick Perry is a "closet liberal." :rofl: Another common comment not only attacks Perry's only-less-appalling-than-most opinion on illegal immigration, but seems to imply that Texas would tilt white and permanently conservative if all those "Mexicans" were sent home, despite the fact that the majority are not only US citizens, but were actually BORN HERE IN THE US. :crazy:

Regardless and after Mitt-sie loses the primaries, there'll be plenty of wing-nutz for Perry next autumn. :puke: