Overall, the typical American defined as poor by the government has a car, air conditioning, a refrigerator, a stove, a clothes washer and dryer, and a microwave. He has two color televisions, cable or satellite TV reception, a VCR or DVD player, and a stereo. He is able to obtain medical care. His home is in good repair and is not overcrowded. By his own report, his family is not hungry and he had sufficient funds in the past year to meet his family's essential needs. While this individual's life is not opulent, it is equally far from the popular images of dire poverty conveyed by the press, liberal activists, and politicians.
Via Reason Magazine here
4 comments:
Not surprising, really - what we define as poverty in this country may not be opulent, but by third world standards it would seem so. From the article, only 10% of those considered living in poverty are actually suffering from hunger and lack of amenities, but apparently (also from the article) for many of those it's a temporary circumstance. That's still a lot of people, but not as dire as some would have us believe. Also, having lived below the poverty line myself, I have to wonder how many of them are young people and college students, who are actively working to improve their situation in the future?
So many variables here, that don't get covered but are just as relevant.
What a right on observation....poverty sure ain't what it used to be!
Bob, I had a blogaster last week and got shut, probably permanenetly out of my blog. Can no longer post or publish comments there. After repeated efforts to get help from Blogger, I decided to put up a new site, with the same name, Webutante, but with a new URL.
Please note for your links, my new URL is now: Webutante07.blogspot.com.
I will be linking to you soon too.
Best wishes.
There is real poverty in America but it is relatively rare. Most of the poor are poor only for political expediency and to guilt trip the middle class.
I'd like to see Rector's sources.
Yes...over 40% of the poor are homeowners, butr about 50% are paying 40% or more of their income for housing. Does that sound like comfort?
AC? I don't have recent data and don't know where Rector gets 80%. But in 2001about 70% of the poor had AC, but only about 30% had central air. So Rector is going to elevate out of poverty someone living in MIssissippi or New Mexico with one or two room air conditioners?
The south has highest rate of AC in general. So the south is the most affluent part of the country, using Rector logic.
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