And now.....for the good news.....

[Hello_Kitty]

Great, huh? Robust economy...adding jobs....uh huh. :eyes:

Poverty Rate Rises to 12.7 Percent
Changes Marks Fourth Consecutive Increase
By JENNIFER C. KERR, AP



WASHINGTON (Aug. 31) - Even with a robust economy that was adding jobs last year, the number of Americans who fell into poverty rose to 37 million - up 1.1 million from 2003 - according to Census Bureau figures released Tuesday.


Overall, the nation's poverty rate rose to 12.7 percent of the population last year. Of the 37 million living below the poverty level, close to a third were children.

The last decline in overall poverty was in 2000, during the Clinton administration, when 31.1 million people lived under the threshold. Since then, the number of people in poverty has increased steadily from 32.9 million in 2001, when the economy slipped into recession, to 35.9 million in 2003.




http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050830111109990013&_ccc=4&cid=842

[lvx35]

1. Wow, republicans s-u-c-k

I never REALLY understood it till this president...but wow, its rainbows and fireworks now, its so freaking clear how much they suck. $7/hr jobs for everybody but them. Screw that.

[Name removed]

2. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Sugarbleus]

3. Something I don't get...why

when poverty stats are posted, it's always mentioned that there are MORE children in poverty than others???????? Are these children living all alone? Are they street urchins? Are they in foster settings? Where are they that they make up one third but aren't included along with the adults one might assume are their parents? Are the parents well heeled but they've left their children to suffer? OR is the stat meant to mean the children AND their parents?

I don't get this? Help me out.

I HATE when statusticians and politican/activists USE the issue of "children" to get attention when adults are eating shit sandwiches right along with every other poverty striken individual...

[Hello_Kitty]

4. I don't know why either

The only thing I can think of is that a lot of them are in families of 3 or more with a single parent as the head.

Also, I'm totally with you on making it about the children. The analogy of airline oxygen applies. Parents are instructed to put their own masks on before the children, the idea being that if you can't breathe then you are ineffective at helping someone else. Similarly, I think it's back ass-wards thinking to focus on children while leaving adults in their midst, whether they are their actual guardians or not, to flounder.

[Sugarbleus]

5. Thanks cc, for that affirmation...

It's not that I don't care about our children..heaven forbid; it's just that I notice a trend and I don't get it. I feel "used" and coerced into giving when they bring up the children the children...what about mom and dad..what about grandma? When I ask certain fund raisers and activists about the adults needing healthcare and housing ALSO..I can acutally "hear" the AIR, it goes so quiet.

I'm hoping these stats DO reflect the fact that the children and the parents/guardians are included as a unit.

As insidious as it may sound (tinfoilhat), maybe "they" aim to take the children AWAY from poor families? yikes! This country did do that in the last mid-century era.. :shrug: