Poverty in America?
Posted: Monday, August 06, 2007
Nostradamus is considered by many to be the greatest visionary the world has known. There is one better. Not surprisingly, it is Jesus. In addition to being a great visionary, he has one other notable entry on his resume (besides messiah) -- social critic. He once remarked that the poor we will always have with us. Over 2,000 years later, it still holds true.
This presidential campaign cycle finds us returning to an issue that has gotten scant attention in recent campaigns -- the issue of poverty.
Barak Obama addresses it and, a few weeks ago, John Edwards made a swing through some southern states speaking about it as a central tenet of his "Two Americas" theme. Hillary Clinton, seeing the traction other candidates are getting on the matter, has joined the fray and is giving the topic more time in her stump speeches.
The Republican candidates are staying the course by adhering to Ronald Reagan's principle of a rising tide lifts all boats and trying to give opportunity to all by letting the private sector work its magic -- rather than relying on federal bureaucracy and yet another failed government program.
Leave it to politicians to overstate an issue and assign it near crisis status in the interest of political expediency. I'd like to present for your consideration some information compiled in a report by the Heritage Foundation and found at their Website.
-- Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage and a porch or patio.
-- Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
-- Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded.
-- The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
The report also adds, "As a group, America's poor are far from being chronically undernourished. The average consumption of protein, vitamins and minerals is virtually the same for poor and middle-class children and, in most cases, is well above recommended norms."
What does this data tell us? It simply confirms what most of us see as we look around our world. Yes, poverty does exist. And yes, the subject is being overstated and exploited for political gain. Individuals have a greater chance of rising above the poverty level by doing it themselves as opposed to waiting for the federal government to do it.
Because the federal government has a poor track record when it comes to correcting most anything, politicians should be held accountable when they promise to deliver a solution to an ill (in this case poverty) through higher taxes. Just say no. Because the federal government doesn't own the solution, we would be well advised to remember Jesus' words of "Render unto Caesar."
Michael McNeil is a free-lance writer from Dakota City. You can write to him in care of the Journal or at lvrcomments@hotmail.com.
This presidential campaign cycle finds us returning to an issue that has gotten scant attention in recent campaigns -- the issue of poverty.
Barak Obama addresses it and, a few weeks ago, John Edwards made a swing through some southern states speaking about it as a central tenet of his "Two Americas" theme. Hillary Clinton, seeing the traction other candidates are getting on the matter, has joined the fray and is giving the topic more time in her stump speeches.
The Republican candidates are staying the course by adhering to Ronald Reagan's principle of a rising tide lifts all boats and trying to give opportunity to all by letting the private sector work its magic -- rather than relying on federal bureaucracy and yet another failed government program.
Leave it to politicians to overstate an issue and assign it near crisis status in the interest of political expediency. I'd like to present for your consideration some information compiled in a report by the Heritage Foundation and found at their Website.
-- Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage and a porch or patio.
-- Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
-- Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded.
-- The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
The report also adds, "As a group, America's poor are far from being chronically undernourished. The average consumption of protein, vitamins and minerals is virtually the same for poor and middle-class children and, in most cases, is well above recommended norms."
What does this data tell us? It simply confirms what most of us see as we look around our world. Yes, poverty does exist. And yes, the subject is being overstated and exploited for political gain. Individuals have a greater chance of rising above the poverty level by doing it themselves as opposed to waiting for the federal government to do it.
Because the federal government has a poor track record when it comes to correcting most anything, politicians should be held accountable when they promise to deliver a solution to an ill (in this case poverty) through higher taxes. Just say no. Because the federal government doesn't own the solution, we would be well advised to remember Jesus' words of "Render unto Caesar."
Michael McNeil is a free-lance writer from Dakota City. You can write to him in care of the Journal or at lvrcomments@hotmail.com.
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JG wrote on Aug 14, 2007 4:24 PM:
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