The Poverty Plea (Guess Who...)

[Revolution]

bobbolink  (1000+ posts)        Fri Sep-17-10 05:11 PM
Original message
Poverty is Not a Dirty Word
 bold mine

Poverty is Not a Dirty Word
by Jim Wallis 09-17-2010
Just a few years ago, I remember how often people would be surprised when I told them that one in six children lived in poverty in America. In the richest nation in the world, how could more than 16 percent of our nation’s children be poor?

Well, it just got worse. The new census numbers just came out and we should not be surprised to learn that in 2009, the numbers grew to one in five children who live in poverty (that’s 15 million children). This, of course, is a national average, meaning that the reality for many of the country’s poorest urban and rural areas is much worse.

Now, 43.6 million Americans live in poverty, more than at any point in the last 51 years. And yet, poverty is still considered a four-letter word in Washington, D.C. Political consultants would probably advise candidates for higher office to let loose a string of expletives before they advised them to start talking about “the poor.” Poverty is a dirty word in every branch of government because all the polling suggests that people don’t want to hear about it and, of course, poor people don’t generally vote or contribute money to political campaigns.

It might just be time for people in poverty to get a better PR firm. Maybe a few focus groups and some market testing could really help with their image and make them a sexier issue for this year’s campaign cycle. Maybe instead of “poor” we could use the term: “wealth impaired.” That might sound better to the ears of policy makers. The middle class gets talked a lot about in D.C. and on campaign trails these days, so how about “lower, lower middle class”? What about “not middle class yet”?

But, a makeover isn’t going to change the reality for all of the families living in poverty in this country. And since the official “poverty level” hasn’t been adjusted for four decades, the number of poor people is actually much higher. These new numbers should be offensive to all of us, but especially to the faith community since the Bible says that a nation’s “righteousness” will be judged by how the poorest and most vulnerable are doing. Ouch! The new census numbers should make politicians uncomfortable. The word “poverty” should be on the lips of every White House or Congressional staffer and should unabashedly be repeated at the press conferences of both parties until these numbers are turned around.
http://blog.sojo.net/2010/09/17/poverty-is-not-a-dirty-... /

Note to mods.... sojo is fine with their stuff being posted all over...its what they want. Thanks.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9153487

 

Christ...

If this woman died tomorrow morning, would any of you feel bad? I honestly would sleep better knowing the world is much better off. May be harsh, but that's how I feel.

[Celtic Rose]

Bible says that a nation’s “righteousness” will be judged by how the poorest and most vulnerable are doing

I don't remember this particular verse, but if it is true, then America is doing quite well indeed.  Our poor have it a thousand times better than the poor in most countries.  Our impoverished live better than the middle class in many countries. 

[DefiantSix]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x9153487
If this woman died tomorrow morning, would any of you feel bad? I honestly would sleep better knowing the world is much better off. May be harsh, but that's how I feel.

If this turd was scraped up by the Waste Management truck tomorrow, I'm just about an hour north of Denver, and I'd drive down personally, to host the official "Ding Dong, Bobo the Hobo's Dead" block party on the Denver Public Library front steps.

[NHSparky]

I don't remember this particular verse, but if it is true, then America is doing quite well indeed.  Our poor have it a thousand times better than the poor in most countries.  Our impoverished live better than the middle class in many countries. 

I'd love to throw Bobo into some of the shitholes I had the "privilege" of visiting in my time.  See how much she bitches then.

[jukin]

Of the one in five children living in poverty 88% of them live in donk controlled cities.

That's because democrats care more about making you poor...er..ahh...um.. care more about the poor.

[true_blood]

Yeah, you can thank the imposter piece of garbage occupying the White House for the rising poverty levels. That "stimulus" package?!?!? Lots of good that did with all the pork barrel spending. (And there was A LOT of it!) Did they really think that crap would stimulate the economy?!? Get a ****in' clue!

[Freeper]

Yeah, you can thank the imposter piece of garbage occupying the White House for the rising poverty levels. That "stimulus" package?!?!? Lots of good that did with all the pork barrel spending. (And there was A LOT of it!) Did they really think that crap would stimulate the economy?!? Get a ****in' clue!

It's all Bush's fault!!!!1111111

[DumbAss Tanker]

If your definition of 'Poverty' is people in the lowest quintile (For example) of income, then 20% of the country is always going to be living in 'Poverty.'  This sort of self-licking ice cream cone is the paradigm and lifeblood of Democrat social welfare 'Reform' (cough, spit), notwithstanding what percentage of these 'Poor' may have cars, iPhones, iPods, cable/satellite TV, or home internet connectivity. 

[DefiantSix]

I'd love to throw Bobo into some of the shitholes I had the "privilege" of visiting in my time.  See how much she bitches then.

It's Bobo we're talking about here.  The CHW tanks would never get cleaned if you assigned her to it.

[Revolution]

Yeah, you can thank the imposter piece of garbage occupying the White House for the rising poverty levels. That "stimulus" package?!?!? Lots of good that did with all the pork barrel spending. (And there was A LOT of it!) Did they really think that crap would stimulate the economy?!? Get a ****in' clue!

Actually, I saw a report yesterday (Special Report, I think it was) that California created a grand total of.........

7 JOBS with their "stimulus.

[true_blood]

^^Ha ha!!

[AllosaursRus]

Anyone believe 1 child out of 6 is living in poverty? Where the hell does she get this shit? She says it's 16%.

Hmmmmmmmm the latest figure I can find is 12.6%!

Anyway, lets look at poverty since the "Cocksucker in Chief" hit the avenue!

This one is overall poverty..........

This one is by age group............

This is only til' 2008, I'll try to find the current stats, which I'm sure are much worse! From 2007, when the Dems took over, ya sure as hell can see a spike!

This is a report from 2009........

Highest Poverty Rate since the 50's!!!!

The proportion of people living in poverty climbed to 14.3 percent from 13.2 percent, according to a Census Bureau report released today. The number of people classified as poor rose to 43.6 million, the largest number in the 51 years for which the figures have been published.

[NHSparky]

It's Bobo we're talking about here.  The CHW tanks would never get cleaned if you assigned her to it.

I was thinking more like some of the slums outside Manila, or a few in Thailand.  Village with running water and electricity?  Fughedaboutit...but dumbass tourists flock to places like that because it's "quaint".

[Mr Mannn]

America is a place where the poor are...fat. they eat too much food. The poor in this country have flat screen TVs, drive cars, have radios and music. The poor here own guns! The poor own computers.

There are the homeless, yes. But the vast majority of poor Americans are the working poor: and they live rather well.

[Airwolf]

I saw some real poor in Panama back in 83 when we were there for training at the jungle school there. If Bobo had to live like that she'd off herself.

[DefiantSix]

I saw some real poor in Panama back in 83 when we were there for training at the jungle school there. If Bobo had to live like that she'd off herself.

That's good enough for me. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

That's good enough for me. 

Sounds like a win-win to me, too!

[BlueStateSaint]

Sounds like a win-win to me, too!

When do we send her there?

[Taxman]

I, too, have seen how the poor live in rural Mexico, in the flavellas of Sao Paulo Brazil, in the shanty towns of Capetown and then again in the bush of rural Africa.  Those people are what I call poor.  The poor in the US would be looked upon as wealthy in a lot of the places.

The Biblical reference caused a smile to spread across my face.  Funny how they can use the Bible to support their views but if you show portions of Scripture to show them that abortion or homosexuality do not exactly jive with the Bible, the Bible suddenly becomes irrelevant.  Duplicitous DUmmies. 

[Airwolf]

When do we send her there?

I bet we could FedEx her there cheaper then letting her sit in Coach.

[DefiantSix]

I bet we could FedEx her there cheaper then letting her sit in Coach.

Maybe if we welded shut the doors of her Buick, and traded the rear diff for a prop, we could give her enough for a tank of gas and point her in the right direction?

[BlueStateSaint]

Maybe if we welded shut the doors of her Buick, and traded the rear diff for a prop, we could give her enough for a tank of gas and point her in the right direction?

Use a rocket engine . . . 

[DefiantSix]

Use a rocket engine . . . 

We have some closed down Minuteman silos around here.  Maybe they have an extra 1st stage booster lying around...