1 in 8 Americans In Poverty

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the world's biggest economy, one in eight
Americans and almost one in four blacks lived in poverty last year,
the U.S. Census Bureau said on Tuesday, both ratios virtually unchanged
from 2004.

The survey also showed 15.9 percent of the population, or 46.6 million,
had no health insurance, up from 15.6 percent in 2004 and an increase
for a fifth consecutive year, even as the economy grew at a 3.2 percent
clip.

In all, some 37 million Americans, or 12.6 percent, lived below the
poverty line, defined as having an annual income around $10,000 for
an individual or $20,000 for a family of four.
The total showed a decrease of 90,000 from the 2004 figure,
which Census Bureau officials said was "statistically insignificant."

Some 17.6 percent of children under 18 and one in five of those under
6 were in poverty, higher than for any other age group.


SOURCE:
Reuters

How sad, we're the most powerful country in the world, and yet we
have not only a poverty level that is in my opinion unacceptably hugh,
but we have so amny children in poverty as well.

Perhaps it's time we stop giving money to everybody and there brother
around the world, and stop this useless war on terror, and use the billions
of dollars to solve this.

I live far below the poverty line - I'm currently about $5,000 a year due to a disability.

But I also CHOOSE to live a highly disciplined and non-materialistic lifestyle, picking my purchases with care and thoughtful consideration and shopping almost exclusively at thrift stores.

I cannot speak for families who choose to have children when they cannot afford all the needs of that child, nor can I speak for those who flit their money away on un-nessecary purchases (although the majority of people in my neighborhood are always seeming to equate money and possessions with happiness at the expense of their already limited budgets).

Perhaps a re-evaluation of values before just throwing money at the lower incomes? Most of the people in my neighborhood already waste what little they have on "bling", attempts at social staus, drinking and drugs to compensate.

This does not apply to everyone in my area, but it does constitute the majority. There are several lower income families here who take pride in their homes and lives enough to consciously make ends meet and keep their values intact.

For families in GENUINE need, there are several solutions and assistance programs out there - it's just that so many abuse the system to avoid work that throwing more money into the system would create more of a dependance on it than anything else.

It's a sad state of affairs, but in a system such as ours, where educational and job opportunites are so readily available for those who are willing to put their own amount of effort into them, why should we expect the Federal Government to shell out additional compensation for a large percentage of a socio-economic class that has already PROVEN it doesn't want any degree of personal or social responsibility?

1 in 8 Americans living in poverty, huh, I bet the real numbers are more like 1 in 7 maybe. These kinds of statistics are often under reported.