Air Conditioning, Cable TV, and an Xbox: What is Poverty in the United States Today?

[Deberg_1990]

Fascinating..


http://www.nationalreview.com/corner...k-ken-mcintyre



When Americans think of poverty, we tend to picture people who can’t adequately shelter, clothe, and feed themselves or their families.

When the Census Bureau defines “poverty,” though, it winds up painting more than 40 million Americans — one in seven — as “poor.”

Census officials continue to grossly exaggerate the numbers of the poor, creating a false picture in the public mind of widespread material deprivation, writes Heritage Foundation senior research fellow Robert Rector in a new paper.

“Most news stories on poverty feature homeless families, people living in crumbling shacks, or lines of the downtrodden eating in soup kitchens,” Rector says. “The actual living conditions of America’s poor are far different from these images.”

Congress is tying itself in knots figuring out how to cut spending and bring down a $14 trillion national debt. Lawmakers might well take a much closer look at the nearly a trillion dollars spent each year on welfare even though many recipients aren’t what the typical American would recognize as poor and in need of government assistance.

What is poverty? Americans might well be surprised to learn from other government data that the overwhelming majority of those defined as “poor” by the Census Bureau were well-housed and adequately fed even in the recession year 2009. About 4 percent of them did temporarily become homeless.

Data from the Department of Energy and other agencies show that the average poor family, as defined by Census officials:

● Lives in a home that is in good repair, not crowded, and equipped with air conditioning, clothes washer and dryer, and cable or satellite TV service.

● Prepares meals in a kitchen with a refrigerator, coffee maker and microwave as well as oven and stove.

● Enjoys two color TVs, a DVD player, VCR and — if children are there — an Xbox, PlayStation, or other video game system.

● Had enough money in the past year to meet essential needs, including adequate food and medical care.

[4th and Long]

Originally Posted by noonan

I don't have an Xbox. Maybe I should go down to the Salvation Army.

Me neither.

Hey, if they'll let you, grab one for me too!

[Bump]

man, maybe I should see if I can get me some foodstamps. I could just save the money that otherwise would have been used on food.

[Iowanian]

I'm not even telling the entire story again about the family who lived in a rental we managed, for over 17 years, on full ride welfare, HUD paying rent, utility assistance, food stamps.....and the grown ass man who watched me build a deck on that house in mist,sleet and snow while he sat inside for 3 days......and my friends we somewhere warm getting drunk.......and then came out and had the nerve to bitch about the way I was building the railings, because he wanted the uprights closer together "In case him n the lady wanted to romance out there he he he he".....

...and then after I finish college, get a career, start paying my loans and working up the ladder.....

A farm adjacent to my parents, That I'd had sights on owning since I was a boy, and the nice old man who lived there had said wanted one of us to have it......dies. His son gets greedy, raises the price and I can't afford it.

Guess who owns it now? Thats' right.....Mr On welfare for 20 years, deck construction watching Futhermucker. That's who.


ooops...guess I did.

[The Bunk]

Originally Posted by ElGringo

Oh, and living poor in the U.S. is living like a king here. In my house I have a window A.C. unit in my bedroom that never gets used (even though the highs here are almost always above 90), 1 color T.V. (once again, never gets used), and a water heater (most people only have cold water here). I only have Internet at work, because I run an internet cafe. To top this all off, with my house, my internet, I am said to be living like a king with all my creature comforts, and I am very happy with how little I have.

This is an excellent point. 99.9% of people in the US have no clue what being poor really is.

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I'm not even telling the entire story again about the family who lived in a rental we managed, for over 17 years, on full ride welfare, HUD paying rent, utility assistance, food stamps.....and the grown ass man who watched me build a deck on that house in mist,sleet and snow while he sat inside for 3 days......and my friends we somewhere warm getting drunk.......and then came out and had the nerve to bitch about the way I was building the railings, because he wanted the uprights closer together "In case him n the lady wanted to romance out there he he he he".....

...and then after I finish college, get a career, start paying my loans and working up the ladder.....

A farm adjacent to my parents, That I'd had sights on owning since I was a boy, and the nice old man who lived there had said wanted one of us to have it......dies. His son gets greedy, raises the price and I can't afford it.

Guess who owns it now? Thats' right.....Mr On welfare for 20 years, deck construction watching Futhermucker. That's who.


ooops...guess I did.

he got the gold mine and you got the....

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by The Bunk

This is an excellent point. 99.9% of people in the US have no clue what being poor really is.

shut up noob.

[4th and Long]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

and then came out and had the nerve to bitch about the way I was building the railings, because he wanted the uprights closer together "In case him n the lady wanted to romance out there he he he he".....

I'm not sure I would have been able to restrain myself fron shoving one of those rails up his ass he he he he ....

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I'm not even telling the entire story again about the family who lived in a rental we managed, for over 17 years, on full ride welfare, HUD paying rent, utility assistance, food stamps.....and the grown ass man who watched me build a deck on that house in mist,sleet and snow while he sat inside for 3 days......and my friends we somewhere warm getting drunk.......and then came out and had the nerve to bitch about the way I was building the railings, because he wanted the uprights closer together "In case him n the lady wanted to romance out there he he he he".....

...and then after I finish college, get a career, start paying my loans and working up the ladder.....

A farm adjacent to my parents, That I'd had sights on owning since I was a boy, and the nice old man who lived there had said wanted one of us to have it......dies. His son gets greedy, raises the price and I can't afford it.

Guess who owns it now? Thats' right.....Mr On welfare for 20 years, deck construction watching Futhermucker. That's who.


ooops...guess I did.

Where'd he get the money? Or was he participating in some Federal "convert the poor to farmers" program?

[4th and Long]

Originally Posted by MOhillbilly

shut up noob.

Keep it up and people will soon start calling you SKIP.

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by 4th and Long

Keep it up and people will soon start calling you SKIP.

The hell you say.

[Lzen]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I'm a charitable person, probably to a fault.

Here is an example of what happens when you help the poor.
I've been mowing a couple of yards since 07-08 for up to 3 elderly people.
One who lives across the street knocked on my door and asked me to do it "as a gift" because they couldn't afford it. I wanted it mowed, so I've been doing and have received a grand total of 1 thank you in 3 summers.

Last week my home phone started getting messages from the guy, and one from his wife whom I've never seen in 4 years(Gilbert Grape's mama). "Our daughter is moving home to help my sick wife and you, our dear friend, said you would help, so come and help move her stuff into the house saturday"....8 days in a row of messages, of which I've never agreed to do. Progressively more demanding..."so be here at 8am, because our daughter will be tired". The old man says, as the wife bellows 1000wpm in the background on the messages.....

I'm out in a poker game until 3am saturday morning, but get up at 7 because I've got a long list of things to do at my home and the family is gone. 8am, not there, 9am, not there......so I begin on my projects, new light fixtures, interior door, fixing the odds and ends stuff I can't do when the family is home.

It's hot...12:30 I look out, and it's not a pickup, but a Uhaul van truck backed up to their house. I go over and find one other sucker, sweating trying to unload this truck. Guilt kicks in, and I tear into a pile of boxes to pack up the stairs(everything goes to 2nd floor).

I get to the top of the stairs and have 3 choices of rooms. I hear conversation and step to the room to find 2 fat hogs who look like bullfrogs sunning themselves stretched out on their backs on a bed. One points to the other room without saying a word.

The other man and I unload the entire truck, while the old man attempts to help but physically can't....and the entire time, via a hallway, I can see Gilbert Grape's mama's Arm hanging off of a chair with a soda and her leg....and a 60" big screen. She's bitching about 500mph because the truck isn't unloaded fast enough, we're letting air out because I had to take the door off to get the F'ing sofa indoors and up the stairs.

Eventually we get everything unloaded in the sweltering heat......not 1 box..not a single box was carried by the 2 sows who now live across the street with the old people.

I'm pissed, have the truck unloaded and am putting the door back on, when one of the bullfrog twins trots to the door and starts in about how I need to put in the window AC in her room and switch headboards and on....and I finally have my fill and say "you know what, you are rested up enough to handle that shit yourself.

4 people in that home....not 1 thank you.

I've been mowing their yard for free for 3 years, they've got a bigger TV than I do. Ask for help, but bitch while I litterally do it all.


In short....This guy, is NOT feeling very sympathetic to the plight of people who don't take care of themselves.

And yes....Their AC was running to keep that house cooler than I can keep mine.

I wouldn't have lasted that long. You must be a better man than I.

I've been helping my sister with odds and ends stuff (including moving) for many years. I finally got tired of her not appreciating my efforts and decided I wouldn't help her any longer. The only reason I helped my brother roof her garage last Fall is because my mom guilted us both into it. She called the other day and asked if i was busy that weekend. I said "yes". She asked "all weekend?" I replied "yes, all weekend". And then she said I didn't have to sound so happy about it. Of course, I wasn't busy all weekend and I'm pretty sure she knew it.

[Backwards Masking]

Originally Posted by Iowanian

I'm not even telling the entire story again about the family who lived in a rental we managed, for over 17 years, on full ride welfare, HUD paying rent, utility assistance, food stamps.....and the grown ass man who watched me build a deck on that house in mist,sleet and snow while he sat inside for 3 days......and my friends we somewhere warm getting drunk.......and then came out and had the nerve to bitch about the way I was building the railings, because he wanted the uprights closer together "In case him n the lady wanted to romance out there he he he he".....

...and then after I finish college, get a career, start paying my loans and working up the ladder.....

A farm adjacent to my parents, That I'd had sights on owning since I was a boy, and the nice old man who lived there had said wanted one of us to have it......dies. His son gets greedy, raises the price and I can't afford it.

Guess who owns it now? Thats' right.....Mr On welfare for 20 years, deck construction watching Futhermucker. That's who.


ooops...guess I did.

I'm single with no kids and I work 40 plus hours a week just to pay my bills and if I don't show to work i'm fired and then shortly after out on the street. I work around people with 3-5 kids who get FMLA for minor back problems, depression, and being over weight, who can call in or go home early anytime they want cause they "don't feel well". They're guaranteed to keep their jobs, get to keep all their Vacation Time and buy their kids any and everything they want.

I don't want to be a deadbeat, but damn am I jealous. Doing things the honest way just doesn't seem to be working when I compare myself to people proud of playing the sytem. And as the years go by it just seems like more and more "safety nets" for the "poor families" pop up, and the total numbers on my paychecks go down to help fund these safety nets. If it gets to the point where I'm better off living off the system, when is it OK to say "can't beat 'em, join em"?

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Backwards Masking

I'm single with no kids and I work 40 plus hours a week just to pay my bills and if I don't show to work i'm fired and then shortly after out on the street. I work around people with 3-5 kids who get FMLA for minor back problems, depression, and being over weight, who can call in or go home early anytime they want cause they "don't feel well". They're guaranteed to keep their jobs, get to keep all their Vacation Time and buy their kids any and everything they want.

I don't want to be a deadbeat, but damn am I jealous. Doing things the honest way just doesn't seem to be working when I compare myself to people proud of playing the sytem. And as the years go by it just seems like more and more "safety nets" for the "poor families" pop up, and the total numbers on my paychecks go down to help fund these safety nets. If it gets to the point where I'm better off living off the system, when is it OK to say "can't beat 'em, join em"?

You can do so much better for yourself by getting better jobs/higher income than you ever could by living off the system. Plus you can have pride and not hate yourself and be embarassed by who and what you are.

Why would you ever consider becoming what you now dislike and disrespect?

[Fish]

Originally Posted by Backwards Masking

I'm single with no kids and I work 40 plus hours a week just to pay my bills and if I don't show to work i'm fired and then shortly after out on the street. I work around people with 3-5 kids who get FMLA for minor back problems, depression, and being over weight, who can call in or go home early anytime they want cause they "don't feel well". They're guaranteed to keep their jobs, get to keep all their Vacation Time and buy their kids any and everything they want.

I don't want to be a deadbeat, but damn am I jealous. Doing things the honest way just doesn't seem to be working when I compare myself to people proud of playing the sytem. And as the years go by it just seems like more and more "safety nets" for the "poor families" pop up, and the total numbers on my paychecks go down to help fund these safety nets. If it gets to the point where I'm better off living off the system, when is it OK to say "can't beat 'em, join em"?

Next thing you know, you'll be a hobo in the park, forcing people to find private parks to take their kids to....

[Molitoth]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I've had a gal working for me for a while. She wanted a raise so I told her that would be no problem... Then I asked her how much she spent on cigs a week. $40 she says, which is a conservative estimate. I tell her that she takes a lot of smoke breaks - that she could easily earn a raise by quitting smoking. She'd be more efficient and effective on the job. I told her that if she quit smoking that I'd match the $40 she was saving a week for a net $4000 a year raise. Guess how long that lasted.... not one moment. Didn't even try. So, I figure she doesn't really need a raise very bad at all.

lol, Awesome!