Poverty Measures

[Bigerik]

Originally Posted by Wasillaguy

How about this. You hold your breath until I deliver that report.

In other words, it never happened.

[Twodogs]

Let's face it folks, there are genuine poor people who have had a rough go through no fault of their own, and there are the parasites who have handed down the ways to play the system through generations. In the first group I would include people that would rather work for 200 a week, than draw 300 unemployment. In the second I would include people that will draw the 250 a week welfare, WIC, food stamps, 90% rent paid housing, and sit at home with kids running all over while they watch Springer. I've seen it first hand several times. Sometimes there is a "boyfriend" involved who either hangs in the hood, or sells drugs. That's where the SUVs come from. They are just now talking about a law that will make cell phones a right!

I count myself and the Missus in the first group. While Obama was crying about housing having the worst year since records were kept, my wife was hiring a third paperwork person for her Real Estate team. I can still (and do) outwork any young buck in my trade, which keeps me busier than I want to be. When I get home I work on Audio gear most nights, which doesn't pay much but it is work.

I don't know about the rest of the country (obama says Detroit is finally booming again) , but there are plenty of jobs around the KC area, you just have to make the effort and be willing to work your way up. I think with this 99 week UE BS, too many folks are holding out for management positions.


I gave quite a bit of money to "the poor" last year as did my wife (we gots separate monies) but they won't be seeing a penny this year. All my charity from now until I croak is going to "No Kill" dog shelters. Humans surely have more of a leg up on fending for themselves than do dumb animals I'd hope.


Edit, Ha no pun intended on the leg up. Now back to audio work.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by d-ray657

Why don't you provide us with a log of your observations. Be sure to quantify, with comparisons with those who used public transportation to get to the aid offices; make sure you have observed that all of the telephones being used are iphones; that the people receiving the aid were driving the SUV's and were not being provided a ride. Don't forget that when gas prices skyrocketed, some of the cheapest vehicles available were used SUV's. Let's see if your stereotype survives against hard data.

Regards,

D-Ray

Public transportation? Here in the US of A? Surely you jest.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by Wasillaguy

How about this. You hold your breath until I deliver that report.

How about this;

Hold your breath until the world actually represents your view of it.

Dave

[bhunter]

Originally Posted by merrylander

If you believe all that horse hockey you will be interested to know that we are running a special in the Chesapeake Bay Bridge this weekend.

Do you think the the lowest quintile is materially better off today or, say, half a century ago? The left (and Gingrich) is always referencing outliers in their wealthy versus poor assertions. Given the unpopularity of his policies, I'll bet Obama has no place to go, but to wage a class warfare campaign. Personally, I like wealthy people and would like more of them rather than government bureaucrats.

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by bhunter

Do you think the the lowest quintile is materially better off today or, say, half a century ago? The left (and Gingrich) is always referencing outliers in their wealthy versus poor assertions. Given the unpopularity of his policies, I'll bet Obama has no place to go, but to wage a class warfare campaign. Personally, I like wealthy people and would like more of them rather than government bureaucrats.

Hell I have met a few wealthy people that were likeable, but that still does not mean that they should be given a nearly free ride. And no I don't believe people are better off. The only reason we are better off is that Wall Street's shenanigans have screwed the dollar so that now the $CDN is higher than the $US, so we got a raise. Considering where we live I know quite a number of civil servants and we have been better served by them than most of the private enterprise folks we deal with.

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by bhunter

Do you think the the lowest quintile is materially better off today or, say, half a century ago? The left (and Gingrich) is always referencing outliers in their wealthy versus poor assertions. Given the unpopularity of his policies, I'll bet Obama has no place to go, but to wage a class warfare campaign. Personally, I like wealthy people and would like more of them rather than government bureaucrats.

50 years ago? Sure, they are. We all are. And, I'd like to keep it that way. But, I've been fighting a losing battle since we started focusing our efforts on improving the condition of those whose condition needs no improving. That really got rolling about, oh, I'd say 1981 or so.

Dave

[piece-itpete]

Bh, my completely unscientific and unverifiable method - my own eyes - agrees completely with your original post.

All the old timers here are groaning

Back when I lived in the hood, mid 80s, there were very very few that had a/c, were lucky to have one car, NO cable...

Now when it's hot the streets are darn near empty (of people anyway), most have a car, most have cable and a few tvs ....

Not to say there isn't any poor but the bar has definately moved.

Pete

[merrylander]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Bh, my completely unscientific and unverifiable method - my own eyes - agrees completely with your original post.

All the old timers here are groaning

Back when I lived in the hood, mid 80s, there were very very few that had a/c, were lucky to have one car, NO cable...

Now when it's hot the streets are darn near empty (of people anyway), most have a car, most have cable and a few tvs ....

Not to say there isn't any poor but the bar has definately moved.

Pete

Did they actually have cable run down the street? Don't forget that because AT&T and Verizon lobbied the government all the lower channels were stolen for their cellphone use so folks really don't have much choice but to get cable. Even with those mahvellous converter boxes I can reliably get less than half the channels previously available.

What did a window A/C cost in 1980 compared to 2010, what has happened to the price of TV sets?

You both are using flawed data in not taking into account changes in the environment.

[piece-itpete]

Have cars gotten cheaper? And now after cash for clunkers used parts can be hard to come by. My favorite place to car watch is in the hood.

On the 'fringes' here, now with digital broadcast, I get many many more stations than previously (5 additional PBS stations, 2 old sitcom rerun stations, a weather station, 2 hobby stations, a black station, a gospel station, a hispanic station, a cartoon station, and a b movie station).

Agreed about the tvs themselves though, they are getting pretty cheap.

Pete