Why are the number of poor people increasing?

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Is it worse than waiting months or years on a list in Canada for a transplant. Or, worse than being told your too old to receive a heart transplant in Brition?
No, I am comparing performance among relative peers.
They work because they still teach the old R R R. They don’t spend half of the day teaching little Johnny why he has two daddy’s and the other half teaching him to pretend to be muslim for a day.
Again, false. The curriculum is more extensive in private schools. Public shools offer fewer extra curricular activities and fewer esoteric courses like World Religion.
I agree here. Unfortunately they do not have the means to accomodate special needs. However, if the church could spend the money it has paid out in lawsuits over the last few years on catholic education, maybe the accomadations could be handled.
Not likely. Follow IDEA funding since 1990.
The tuition at my childrens’ catholic elementary school is $2700 per year, and it’s worth every penny.
Quite likely, but wait for Catholic High School. Still, your cost is no lower than most state’s. First, does your parish subsidize the school (most do)? Second, is the school listed as school property or parish property (almost always parish property)? And you quite likely do mandatory fund raising and have mandatory service hours. When you add it all up, you are quite likely spending more than the public school nearby, but saving money isn’t why most of us choose Catholic school.
Health Care is on everybody’s mind for a reason, I agree. However, nationalizing health care is not the answer. I don’t want the government telling me what doctor I can go to, what tests I can have done, what proceders are warrented. How long I have to wait. Let’s start with tort reform and auditing the FDA that would get things going.
That is the problem with US politics, we listen to garbage so often we can’t listen to each other. If you are in a PPO or an HMO, you already have someone telling you who you can go to and what tests you can have. Canada has no such restriction, you go to the doctor, he/she tells you what you need. Yes, they have problems with overall availability of services, but that is because they are a small country with a relatively small population.
I’ll say it again, the US citizenry gives more money to charity than any other nation.
A nice thought, but per capita, it is no longer true.
If you grant the government the power to give you everything, than you grant it the power to take everything from you.
Sorry, you have it backwards. I’m tired of the shredding that the constitution has taken the last six years. I’ve bled for my rights, I’d like to keep them. I just don’t think that spending a nickle of every dollar I make for someone to push health care paper for profit is very smart. We manage fiscal policy, markets, etc. This is as it should be - see the Catholic teachings on an acceptable democracy.

The US government has done plenty of good, everything from rural electrification to saving the free world. The key is to not let greedy, dishonest, stupid people run it.
 
We also spend too little on general infrastructure. I employ several disabled individuals. They are incredibly loyal and love their jobs. But they have a horrific time simply getting to work on time because we have no serious transportation infrastructure for people who are too poor (or otherwise unable) to drive.
Have you thought about offering transportation to these employees as a benefit? I don’t know how large your business is, but I’m sure it would benefit them and you.
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SoCalRC:
Which reminds me that our treatment of the mentally ill is also just appalling. We quite literally dump them on the streets. Very sad, and not something I am going to enjoy answering for when the Son of Man comes into his reign… 😦
I agree with you. I think a lot of the homelessness problem is due to mentally ill on the street. We traded in terribly run mental hospitals for a homeless problem. 😦
 
Blestone’s story, and others here, have pointed up a truth that was reported in Consumers Reports a few years ago on the causes of poverty and homelessness. Their conclusion was that unexpected, uninsured medical expenses were the most prevalent cause of formerly middle class families slipping below the poverty line. the other huge factor is the irresponsibility of men who father children but fail to support them, a national disgrace, which casts doubt on the true virility and masculinity of a large proportion of US males (such male is not a real man, IMO, he is an overgrown adolescent).
 
Blestone’s story, and others here, have pointed up a truth that was reported in Consumers Reports a few years ago on the causes of poverty and homelessness. Their conclusion was that unexpected, uninsured medical expenses were the most prevalent cause of formerly middle class families slipping below the poverty line. the other huge factor is the irresponsibility of men who father children but fail to support them, a national disgrace, which casts doubt on the true virility and masculinity of a large proportion of US males (such male is not a real man, IMO, he is an overgrown adolescent).
I think that any unexpected expense on top of a lifestyle funded mostly on debt causes just as many of these cases. I would be interested to know how many of these families had debt issues to begin with, e.g. car loans, credit cards, student loans, second (third, ad inf.) mortgages, etc. And also, how many of these households had any money saved away (3-6 months of expenses). A life built on debt incurs considerable risk. A life with debt and no savings is financial suicide in the making. You might as well open up a guest bedroom 'cause Murphy is moving in!

IMO, if middle class America would simply do these 3 things it we would see vast improvement: 1) Live on less than you make 2) Don’t borrow money and 3) Save.

Divorce and single-parent households are also a concern, but the fact of the matter is that the leading cause of divorce is money issues (debt).
 
lots of good points on this thread. I imagine for every case of poverty there is a different story.

My only personal experience with poverty is my sister. She is partially supported by my parents. Her husband works erratically and they received foodstamps. She is a SAHM–partly due to a geniune desire to be home with her kids, partly due to her dh refusal to “babysit,” and partly due to laziness.

My BIL works erratically. Again, a hodge podge of factors: he’s under educated.disability. He doesn’t have good interpersonal skills. And, he’s kind of lazy. For example, last winter when they were living on food stamps and no income was coming in–my dad visited and found him working on an intricate paint by number instead of job hunting. It took him several weeks to finish it. He didn’t get a job until he was arrested for nonpayment of child support. He lost that job within a couple of months due his inability to take orders from his boss. He works for himself now. Fortunately, my retired dad pushes him to work by working alongside him. My dad has tried to mentor my BIL, but my BIL seems to be unteachable.

For my sister and my BIL, they have legitimate challenges in their lives. Neither is well educated (both have learning disabilites), neither is able to cope very well with the complexities of life. Both would perfer not to work due to sloth and dealing with the stresses of daily work. (You should see their house–ugh.) But, they do much better when they are forced to work. Getting arrested was a great thing for my BIL.

For Blest One, her poverty was due to divorce. For my sister and BIL, it’s a lack of skills and laziness. For those in poverty, you have to consider their cases independently. For a single mom struggling with debt and daily expenses, she will really benefit from a helping hand. For people like my sister, a handout actually hurts them.

We have to attack poverty at many different levels–intervening with trouble marriages, helping single moms, holding people to a standard of work, providing health coverage to the underinsured as well as lowering healthcare costs over all.
 
lots of good points on this thread. I imagine for every case of poverty there is a different story.
Your father is a good man, a saint maybe!

So what to do with those who are lazy or refuse to function in society. We had several family members like this (most have already presented themselves to St. Peter…). What is our obligation as Catholics, and even as those in extended families? Maybe especially as those in extended families.
 
Going back to the parish problem of the lady in Houston. I don’t know anything much about Houston, but what you might really have is a lack of proper screening. There are lots and lots of people who will take anything free. Look at all the lottery tickets that get sold all over the place, and all the casinos. Getting something for nothing is practically a national disease.

Unfortunately, our parishes are undermanned. At one time, our parish had two resident priests and five sisters. They had time to figure out who was really in need and who was not. Now, our parish has one priest who is almost impossible to find for any purpose, and no sisters at all. In some neighboring parishes, the only sisters are those “civilian nuns” who actually act as pastors, or want to, and priests are itinerant.

Unless your parish has the ability to have someone who really works with poor people enough to learn who is really in need and who isn’t, within a particular territory, you are likely to be victimized by people who will take anything free. And, they’ll come miles to do it.

Might be your parish needs a deacon who will spend most of his time working with the poor, and within the parish only. Otherwise, I don’t know how you will ever know whether you are really helping the unfortunate or not.
 
The reason there are more people coming to the parish food bank is simple: It dosn’t limit people to one visit a month.

Open it every day, and even more people will come. Open it 24 hours per day, and even more will show up. This has nothing to do with an increasing number of poor. It simply reflects the fact that if you offer something for free, and offer it often, more people will take advantage of the offer.
 
There have been a lot of reasons given here for the increasing number of poor people. One I have not seen addressed … it was briefly mentioned … is the lack of JUST WAGES!!! So many people work and still cannot afford to live. My husband is a Corrections Officer. His pay is barely enough to get by. We rent a house for $600.00 that has bad water. So we put out another say $200.00 a month on water for drinking and cooking. The water destroys our clothing but we cannot afford to take the laundry out. We pay electric, cable, internet, phone ($151.00 - those 3 all in one), car payment $226.00, insurance ($87.00 - car and renters) and trash ($49.00 every three months). Then we have some hospital bills from when we had no insurance. We also are raising our 11 year old granddaughter and pay $15.00 a month for state insurance for her healthcare. None of this includes school supplies, lunches for school, clothing for all 3 of us, etc. … whoops … forgot food.

With my husbands Gross income and a small retirement from another state, we are about $2,000.00 above the federal poverty guidelines. This is not a sob story … it is the truth. We struggle from one pay to the next. There is nothing … ever … left to save. People using food stamps eat very well compared to our little family. I am not complaining for I am a true Franciscan at heart and material goods mean very little to me. I probably would not even have cable if not for my granddaughter. This is just meant to show you that my husband has an honorable and good decent job and we barely make it. In fact it is one of the best paid jobs in the area besides the health workers and attorneys … etc.

Now think of those who are working and making less. They would not be able to pay that rent or those bills, much less afford food. It is simply horrifying that people can work and still be out on the street.

I work with our Church charity and I see that we are giving them help but we are not feeding their souls. If these people were to actually begin to understand the gospels they may be able to improve their lives. I am hoping eventually to show the people I work with here that we need to feed the souls of the poor. We need to love them not just give them a box of food or a voucher to help with a utility bill. People need God to make it in this life and here in America God is being banned in far too many places.

Yes there are all of the other factors there but lets face it … a lot of employers are getting rich and living the good life while those that work for them struggle to make ends meet.

There is barely a middle class any longer. I remember around 1980 that $20,000.00 a year was considered middle class. Guess what it is 2007 and my husband has barely passed that amount for this year and we only have two months to go!

We must consider the loss of God in our society. If people had God in their lives then they would be more motivated to do the right thing. Employers would pay decent wages instead of caring only for themselves. Employees would work harder if paid better and more people would be less lazy if they thought they could actually make it on what they could earn. I know many people stuck on welfare because as soon as they go to work their medical is taken from them and their food stamps and what they earn can’t replace those two things … so they are trapped … quite litterally trapped.

This government … and the states … also stop people who have talents from earning money with those talents. I have talents I know could bring me income but before I can sell I must have a city license, a county license, pay a fee to get started with a name for my little business and file tax forms every month. I also must look around my home and see what I use to do my work. if I use my kitchen table it will be taxed. Anything used to make my saleable items will be taxed once a year. I know … I tried it. So here I sit and cannot make anything on my talents. If I want to sell I am at the federal and states mercy. So I donate instead. I could be helping my family but nope … I am not rich enough to do that!

Lots of things to think about folks. Loss of God in our lives first … It covers it all!

Pax et bonum,
Winger
 
Families don’t seem to help each other. The government is blamed for everything.
 
There have been a lot of reasons given here for the increasing number of poor people. One I have not seen addressed … it was briefly mentioned … is the lack of JUST WAGES!!! So many people work and still cannot afford to live. My husband is a Corrections Officer. His pay is barely enough to get by. We rent a house for $600.00 that has bad water. So we put out another say $200.00 a month on water for drinking and cooking. The water destroys our clothing but we cannot afford to take the laundry out. We pay electric, cable, internet, phone ($151.00 - those 3 all in one), car payment $226.00, insurance ($87.00 - car and renters) and trash ($49.00 every three months). Then we have some hospital bills from when we had no insurance. We also are raising our 11 year old granddaughter and pay $15.00 a month for state insurance for her healthcare. None of this includes school supplies, lunches for school, clothing for all 3 of us, etc. … whoops … forgot food.

With my husbands Gross income and a small retirement from another state, we are about $2,000.00 above the federal poverty guidelines. This is not a sob story … it is the truth. We struggle from one pay to the next. There is nothing … ever … left to save. People using food stamps eat very well compared to our little family. I am not complaining for I am a true Franciscan at heart and material goods mean very little to me. I probably would not even have cable if not for my granddaughter. This is just meant to show you that my husband has an honorable and good decent job and we barely make it. In fact it is one of the best paid jobs in the area besides the health workers and attorneys … etc.

Now think of those who are working and making less. They would not be able to pay that rent or those bills, much less afford food. It is simply horrifying that people can work and still be out on the street.

I work with our Church charity and I see that we are giving them help but we are not feeding their souls. If these people were to actually begin to understand the gospels they may be able to improve their lives. I am hoping eventually to show the people I work with here that we need to feed the souls of the poor. We need to love them not just give them a box of food or a voucher to help with a utility bill. People need God to make it in this life and here in America God is being banned in far too many places.

Yes there are all of the other factors there but lets face it … a lot of employers are getting rich and living the good life while those that work for them struggle to make ends meet.

There is barely a middle class any longer. I remember around 1980 that $20,000.00 a year was considered middle class. Guess what it is 2007 and my husband has barely passed that amount for this year and we only have two months to go!

We must consider the loss of God in our society. If people had God in their lives then they would be more motivated to do the right thing. Employers would pay decent wages instead of caring only for themselves. Employees would work harder if paid better and more people would be less lazy if they thought they could actually make it on what they could earn. I know many people stuck on welfare because as soon as they go to work their medical is taken from them and their food stamps and what they earn can’t replace those two things … so they are trapped … quite litterally trapped.

This government … and the states … also stop people who have talents from earning money with those talents. I have talents I know could bring me income but before I can sell I must have a city license, a county license, pay a fee to get started with a name for my little business and file tax forms every month. I also must look around my home and see what I use to do my work. if I use my kitchen table it will be taxed. Anything used to make my saleable items will be taxed once a year. I know … I tried it. So here I sit and cannot make anything on my talents. If I want to sell I am at the federal and states mercy. So I donate instead. I could be helping my family but nope … I am not rich enough to do that!

Lots of things to think about folks. Loss of God in our lives first … It covers it all!

Pax et bonum,
Winger
Very true. Just wages are crucial. Employers need to understand that have moral responsibilties to provide decent wages for work.👍 Loss of God in government, business, and our homes is creating the problems we see.
 
The #1 reason why the number of poor people are growing, is because they keep having children. That may be hard for some folks to read, but it is the truth.

You can always find some exceptions to every rule – how someone lost their job, or became sick. These things do occur and are terrible; but they do not account for the bulk of poor people.

The real question is, as a Christan, how do we assist the poor?
 
Food has increased in price a lot over the past few years.

I am amazed at people claiming that people with food stamps are eating well. With $21 per month, you can’t afford to feed yourself without finding another source of income, or you will face serious vitamin deficencies.

You will gain weight with the junk you can afford to eat, but your body’s cells are struggling with malnutrition… and the problems with decisionmaking, energy, lethargy that come along with not eating a well balanced diet. Getting fat from cheap empty calories doesn’t equal eating well, people.

Sorry for the rant. It happened to my dad recently after he retired two years ago. He was too proud to admit that he couldn’t afford nutritious food. He went in the hospital two weeks ago and is recovering from a vitamin deficiency and malnutrition… and we took his weight gain as a good sign, I can’t believe we were so naive.

My $0.02,
SR
 
A society that does not encourage just wages that can and will support a family is a society that needs to be overthrown. Society is, or should be, all about families.

It’s hard to understand how a Catholic would hold such a view that the poor just shouldn’t have children. How exactly as a Catholic would someone assume 25% of the population at or near poverty do that? Birth control? Abortion?

Consistent unjust wages/lack of benefits are the major contributors. Most of our poor are working. That’s why they call it the working poor. 😉 The elderly from the class that was chronically underpaid never had a chance to save or invest for retirement so that’s part of it too.

People say the stock market creates wealth, but it doesn’t. Money comes from somewhere. Where it comes from is from other people. If a company can increase it’s profits and drive stock up by underpaying, hiring illegals, outsourcing jobs, offshoring their offices to avoid taxes, closing plants, cutting benefits, blah blah blah, then their CEO is under OBLIGATION to that for the stockholders for profit. The profit the investors enjoy was made off the misery of the workers.

Please read this. Please.

thenation.com/doc/20061218/mosley

When companies can profit by turning out shoddy goods, and stores can profit by selling lead-filled imported toys (fill in your pet peeve) then the investors are, yet again, profitting off the misery of others.

Greed is truly the root of all evil. The number of poor people are increasing because the greed of rich powerful people, who can and do affect legislation to get more for themselves, is increasing and they play off those who work hard against each other by making them fight over a smaller and smaller amount of leftover crumbs. Too much is never enough for our current elite.

The parasite who kills the host is a parasite that won’t live long.

The rich are currently sucking too much of the lifeblood of the general economy and out of the average American. This country is due for a recession/depression and until people have what Dorothy Day would call “a revolution of the heart”, things will only get worse.

Ultimately you get what you wish for others. If you decide some huge segment of the population doesn’t deserve a decent life because they, en masse, have ‘bad character’, don’t be surprised when it’s your turn to get chewed up and spit out because you have ‘bad character’. That is why this country is spiralling down now.

People calling the working class ‘bad’ human beings because they are poor while those next-to-be-poor people support policies which make and keep the poor poor, are simply people who are too stingy to want to pay taxes for goods and services they receive from the government (and the rich and middle class get most of government transfers). Wanting to pay less taxes than necessary for the public good of your own nation is a form of theft, my opinion.

Stating that people’s character can and should be defined by their income+assets is truly a grotesque and disturbing vision of oneself to present to the world. It doesn’t say anything about poor people but it says loads about the person who advocates such a concept.
 
The government is part of the problem right now, not part of the solution. Want to avoid being poor? Follow these initial steps:
  1. Graduate from high school.
  2. Don’t have sex with anyone you’re not married to.
  3. Don’t get divorced.
  4. Don’t drink, smoke, or do drugs.
– Mark L. Chance.
 
you are very brave. 🙂

I agree that there is less chance of poverty if people were all perfect/sinless and could follow those rules (which the rich are clearly above having to follow because they can afford to ‘sin’ or make mistakes or whatever you wish to call it).

I agree that we are happier the closer we can live up to those ideals. However that does nothing about people being underpaid because of immigration artificially forcing wages down, underemployed, laid off because of outsourcing, having a medical condition, becoming disabled by an auto accident (some 50% of bankruptcies are caused by medical bills), etc etc.

I think worrying about the morality of the people who are already suffering as a result of other people’s acts of immorality is perhaps a case of attacking the victim because it’s easier and they can’t fight back.
 
Food has increased in price a lot over the past few years.

I am amazed at people claiming that people with food stamps are eating well. With $21 per month, you can’t afford to feed yourself without finding another source of income, or you will face serious vitamin deficencies.

You will gain weight with the junk you can afford to eat, but your body’s cells are struggling with malnutrition… and the problems with decisionmaking, energy, lethargy that come along with not eating a well balanced diet. Getting fat from cheap empty calories doesn’t equal eating well, people.

Sorry for the rant. It happened to my dad recently after he retired two years ago. He was too proud to admit that he couldn’t afford nutritious food. He went in the hospital two weeks ago and is recovering from a vitamin deficiency and malnutrition… and we took his weight gain as a good sign, I can’t believe we were so naive.

My $0.02,
SR
I found this thread interesting (especially the responses from SoCalRC and WonderfulLife). You have totally sundered my stereotype about members of this forum being a throng of people who advocate the stolid and impassible neoliberal policies of the Republican Party while mainly focusing on abortion. Domo arigato.

Now to segue on to food…I do not know if poverty causes horrible health, but remember your body isn’t impervious to what you eat and this myth must be dispelled from the younger generations.

Here is a discussion on Randall Parker’s blog from someone responding to the argument that healthy food is more expensive than unhealthy food:
Here is another rub.
Healthy food IS actually CHEAPER than unhealthy food.
Go to any modest ethnic grocery store, or a place like Costco, etc. The mainstream fruits and vegetables are so cheap that I think most people will have trouble consuming more than $4/day. Note that this is a diet consisting of the staples like onions, potatos, carrots, celery, lettuce, cucumbers, apples, bananas, beets, etc. Sure, blueberries are expensive, but the mainstream fruits and vegetables listed above are so cheap that I think most people would have to really try to consume more than $4/day worth of these fruits and veggies at Costco/ethnic store prices.
Compare that with frozen dinners at $4/unit.
Yes, the healthy food is actually the cheaper food.
Tomatos : 80 cents/pound
Bananas : 50 cents/pound
Apples : 60 cents/pound
Potatos : 50 cents/pound
Sweet Potatos : $1/pound
Onions : 50 cents/pound
Carrots : 80 cents/pound
Mangos : 50-100 cents each, in season
Radishes : $1/pound, but a pound can last a long time
Beets : $3/pound, but a pound can last a long time
Garlic : 20 cents/unit
Lettuce : $1/head
Cabbage : 50 cents/head
Cauliflower : $1/head (a head is huge, BTW)
Broccoli : $1/head
Ginger : $1/piece (can last a month)
Turmeric : $1/piece (can last a month)
Corn on the Cob : 50 cents/unit
Pineapple : $3/unit
Kiwis : 50 cents/unit
Plums : 70 cents/pound
Avocados : $3/pound (a pound can last a long time)
Mushrooms : $1/pound
Green Beans : $1/pound
Green Bell Peppers : $1/pound
Truly, who can consume more than $3 or at the most $4/day? Go buy $20 worth of the above items and see how long it takes you to eat them, even if you eat only these items in each meal. I promise you, $3-$4/day max per person.
That healthy food is expensive is the biggest hoax of them all. The barrier is cooking skills (as you will quickly become bored with just salads), NOT cost. If anything, poverty should result in health, due to the very poor being limited to eating only these items!
"My main point: cheap foods, in general, are unhealthy. "
Wrong. You obviously have not bought fresh fruits and vegetables very often. The healthiest foods are the cheapest foods. McDonalds, etc. is far mroe expensive than buying fruits and vegetables from a grocery store.
The ‘cheap foods are unhealthy’ myth is just another lie that socialists use to try and mask their sinister agenda. I do suspect, however, that socialists are too lazy to learn how to cook, and thus don’t know how to eat the cheapest and healthiest foods of all.
futurepundit.com/archives/004758.html

I really do not know if one can afford healthy food is correct. But I can guarantee you the 100% fruit juice is much more expensive that fruit juice which was liberally sweetened using high-fructose corn syrup. Also, there is a plethora of unhealthy food on the dollar menu at McDonalds. Yeah, I like to sweeten my salads with balsamic vinegar (somewhat expensive) as I cannot cook, but it is an easy way to make a low calorie meal healthy without cooking skills.
 
Ribozyme, thx for the (name removed by moderator)ut.

I agree with you on food. I think it’s habit and eating well and relatively cheaply is possible.

However, I think food isn’t really the problem. It’s the doubling of rent, the 50% increase in utilities and the increased cost of gasoline and medical expenses which is driving more people into poverty and pushing the already poor into what they call “deep poverty”. Too bad none of that shows up as inflation because of the way we choose to measure it.

We do a funny thing in the U.S. If the cost of living increases, it’s profit for someone so we call it “growth”. If wages try to catch up to keep people from falling into poverty, we call it “inflation” and fight it to the bitter end.

It’s pathological in my opinion.
 
Hey Guys and Gals-
I am not a gloom & doom prognosticator, but I can tell you that this stuff has been going on way before us.
I used to teach school in Western PA, and it was heartbreaking what I saw. Yes, many of my students came to school hungry because, for the most part, their parents were struggling to survive.We lived in an area where it was rural; not too many jobs. It was a 1.5 hr drive to Pittsburgh on a good day if you could find a job worth the drive.
I now live on Long Island and I do not know how these people do it even on two salaries, let alone why they stay here to try to eak out a living. I cannot wait until my husband and I can get out of here!!!
I am not much of a history buff, but I stumbled onto some interesting sites. Check out the information provided by a David Pedry, and also search “the money masters.” It makes me sick to know that these people think they can go unscathed by what they propagate, mainly, Communism and Free Masonry principles. And the good people suffer…
Thanks,
JeanTereseMarie

You guys are the best!
 
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