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.

[Iowanian]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

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

That's a damn good question.....he wasn't and isn't a farmer. The land was sold and he has the acreage now. I'm pretty sure he'd been "doing something for cash" along and bought it on a contract is my guess.



This thread is making me angry and I probably shouldn't be, or I might find myself throwing a paper airplane tomahawk at the fat hobo chic who is about due to walk by the office with her backpack and pull behind luggage.


I do have genuine empathy for people who have no options....who are destitute and they exist. I donate plenty of time, effort and funding on their behalf, because I know what it's like to have a duct taped shoe as a kid. I'm just lucky my folks worked their asses off and taught us pride and hard work instead of the easy road.

But the "I can't afford to mow our yard, could you do it as a gift" card, when you're sitting in your 65degree house watching a 60" flatscreen..............F that.

[Backwards Masking]

Originally Posted by vailpass

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?

That's very true, but I'd still be harnessed to a desk 40 hours a week watching all the deadbeats leave early or just not show up like I do now. Granted, I'd have a higher salary, but I'd still get shafted when it comes to Free Time. I have pride now, but sometimes I wonder if it's worth it!

I'd consider it for the Free Time alone, but I'd be piss poor. Not many safety nets for single people 18-60. Believe me I've looked!

[NewChief]

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.

Smoker's entitlement pisses me the **** off. It was always like that in the restaurant industry. Smoker's were constantly going out back to take a smoke break or some shit while all the non-smokers had to keep on working.

As I've gotten older, this has shifted over into the parenting realm. We have a large group of friends, most with kids. Some of the parents still smoke when we get together socially (though they don't want their kids to know). So this group of smokers are constantly sneaking off outside to smoke cigarettes, leaving the rest of us inside to watch their ****ing kids and run cover for them when they kids come asking where their parents are. They'll disappear for 20 minutes at a time.

I flipped the hell out on them the other night. Everyone was at my house. There were about 20 kids running around inside. I'm trying to get dinner ready, and all the other ****ing adults scrammed outside to smoke. On top of that, some dumb twunt (a smoker) started preheating the oven for some shitty casserole she wanted to throw in, not realizing that my pork loin was resting in there, wrapped in foil.

I came barreling out of the house and unloaded with both barrels. "Alright, folks. I'm coooking you dinner already. I'm not babysitting your kids, too. Plus, you almost ****ed up my pork loin, and that's a crime I won't forgive."

For some reason, people were walking on eggshells around me the rest of the night.

[Backwards Masking]

Originally Posted by KC Fish

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

Nah, I'm not outdoorsy enough for the Full Time Hobo Life, I can ride bikes and take walks and occasionally camp, but fuck living outside permanantly.

[Molitoth]

Smoker's entitlement pisses me the **** off. It was always like that in the restaurant industry. Smoker's were constantly going out back to take a smoke break or some shit while all the non-smokers had to keep on working.

So true. WTF?

[Backwards Masking]

[QUOTE=NewChief;7757177]Smoker's entitlement pisses me the **** off. It was always like that in the restaurant industry. Smoker's were constantly going out back to take a smoke break or some shit while all the non-smokers had to keep on working.
(QUOTE]

I've heard people claim watching others take smoke breaks when they couldn't motivated them to smoke and kept them that way for life.

[MOhillbilly]

Originally Posted by vailpass

Plus you can have pride and not hate yourself and be embarassed by who and what you are.

im convinced some of these folks dont have souls much less pride.

[Backwards Masking]

Originally Posted by MOhillbilly

im convinced some of these folks dont have souls much less pride.

I had a lady who makes 35k a year and a husband making 65k a year (he works there too) bragging a year ago about she's getting WIC to help pay for grocery bills. Two people making 100k a year getting help paying for their groceries? it used to be the people accepting this stuff were the pathetic dumbasses, now it's the people NOT accepting this stuff that are the dumbasses.

[ToxSocks]

Originally Posted by NewChief

I flipped the hell out on them the other night. Everyone was at my house. There were about 20 kids running around inside. I'm trying to get dinner ready, and all the other ****ing adults scrammed outside to smoke. On top of that, some dumb twunt (a smoker) started preheating the oven for some shitty casserole she wanted to throw in, not realizing that my pork loin was resting in there, wrapped in foil.

I came barreling out of the house and unloaded with both barrels. "Alright, folks. I'm coooking you dinner already. I'm not babysitting your kids, too. Plus, you almost ****ed up my pork loin, and that's a crime I won't forgive."

For some reason, people were walking on eggshells around me the rest of the night.

It's called keeping it real. I have that same problem. When you don't take other people's shit and you stand up for yourself it makes you an asshole.

I am an asshole because I told my SIL (who I rent a room out too) that when she uses our kitchen she needs to clean up her mess.

Or when it's 2 am and I want everyone outa my house...apparently telling everyone its time to go makes me an asshole. Or when some low life friend wants to invite her low life boyfriend over to my place, saying "no" makes me an asshole.

I don't wanna air too much of my personal life, but yeah, I am an asshole for many reasons just like that. I'm pretty much known as an asshole though.

[Hydrae]

As a smoker I have to say something here. I work at a call center where I am tied to the phone all day. I have an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon where I am covering the inbound e-mail portion of the job and am not on the phone. This is when I take my smoke breaks (2 15 minute breaks, 1 60 minute lunch). This way I am not negatively impacting call coverage and if e-mails get backed up, I can complete them between calls during the rest of the day.

BTW, I learned to smoke when the opportunity arose while working fast food. I agree with many, people who smoke all the time and thus do less work suck. My point is that, as with most things, there are exceptions to the rule that are missed when the big brush is used to paint a segment of society.

[NewChief]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

It's called keeping it real. I have that same problem. When you don't take other people's shit and you stand up for yourself it makes you an asshole.

I am an asshole because I told my SIL (who I rent a room out too) that when she uses our kitchen she needs to clean up her mess.

Or when it's 2 am and I want everyone outa my house...apparently telling everyone its time to go makes me an asshole. Or when some low life friend wants to invite her low life boyfriend over to my place, saying "no" makes me an asshole.

I don't wanna air too much of my personal life, but yeah, I am an asshole for many reasons just like that. I'm pretty much known as an asshole though.

My tolerance for people's bullshit has decreased with age. At one time, I think most of our circle of friends were like, "NewChief is such a nice guy. He's like a saint or something. Always kind and sweet to people." Over the years, I think it's become, "NewChief is kind of a dick."

[mlyonsd]

Originally Posted by NewChief

My tolerance for people's bullshit has decreased with age. At one time, I think most of our circle of friends were like, "NewChief is such a nice guy. He's like a saint or something. Always kind and sweet to people." Over the years, I think it's become, "NewChief is kind of a dick."

We've all been saying that here anyway.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by Detoxing

It's called keeping it real. I have that same problem. When you don't take other people's shit and you stand up for yourself it makes you an asshole.

I am an asshole because I told my SIL (who I rent a room out too) that when she uses our kitchen she needs to clean up her mess.

Or when it's 2 am and I want everyone outa my house...apparently telling everyone its time to go makes me an asshole. Or when some low life friend wants to invite her low life boyfriend over to my place, saying "no" makes me an asshole.

I don't wanna air too much of my personal life, but yeah, I am an asshole for many reasons just like that. I'm pretty much known as an asshole though.

You are also the one they respect and whose house they will respect. Continue to handle business where you are in the right. the more they whine at you the more you know you are right.

[Kyle DeLexus]

Originally Posted by Backwards Masking

I had a lady who makes 35k a year and a husband making 65k a year (he works there too) bragging a year ago about she's getting WIC to help pay for grocery bills. Two people making 100k a year getting help paying for their groceries? it used to be the people accepting this stuff were the pathetic dumbasses, now it's the people NOT accepting this stuff that are the dumbasses.

When I was a kid, we lived next to a Brazilian family that bragged to my mom that they got a divorce so they could get on all those gov assist programs. My mom was a mid-20's single mother with 3 kids and no car working minimum wage at the time and she had too much pride to accept "government charity". She still holds a grudge against that family because she worked extremely hard to provide for her kids on her own.

[vailpass]

Originally Posted by NewChief

My tolerance for people's bullshit has decreased with age. At one time, I think most of our circle of friends were like, "NewChief is such a nice guy. He's like a saint or something. Always kind and sweet to people." Over the years, I think it's become, "NewChief is kind of a dick."

Your house your rules. Those that don't like it won't come back meaning the only people who still come over are the people you want there anyway.
I know that's how I like it.