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I'm old enough to remember the non-stop news reports during Reagan's presidency, homelessness and poverty, and hunger were on the TV almost nightly.
So here we are in our fifth year of a stagnant economy and even with a 50 year high in poverty in the US, the media is staying away from reporting of those struggling in poverty.
Are Americans going about their busy lives, oblivious to the plight of the poor? Or do we mollify our concerns by throwing cake crumbs at the poor with unemployment extensions and expanding Medicaid, Food Stamps, SSDI and ACA subsides?
Have we made it permissible to ignore plight of the poor, because we provided enough of a social welfare subsistence, so that the poor can hang out there on the ragged edge, sort like a person in a comma on life support?
Nationally, median household income decreased by 1.3% between 2010 and 2011, from $51,144 to $50,502. While the majority of states reported a decrease in median household income, 14 states reported increases.
Between 2010 and 2011, the national poverty rate increased from 15.3% to 15.9%. This represents an almost 5% increase in the number of persons living in poverty; more than 48 million people were living in poverty in 2011.
In 2011, more than 6.5 million households were spending more than 50% of their income for housing expenses, which was a 5.5% increase from 2010.
Median income from 2010-2011 decreased by 1.3% but we were spending 5.5% more on housing expenses. Total median income since 2008 has fallen by 4.1%.
The media doesn't talk about this because it would make the democrats and Obama look bad.
Just as how we never hear about the war protestors after 2008 or closing gitmo, or repealing the patriot act etc.
It is just further proof that democrats and republicans are cut from the same cloth and both sides inact the same policies and the lemmings on both side follow their party leaders and bash the other party without a single critical thought of their own.
I'm old enough to remember the non-stop news reports during Reagan's presidency, homelessness and poverty, and hunger were on the TV almost nightly.
So here we are in our fifth year of a stagnant economy and even with a 50 year high in poverty in the US, the media is staying away from reporting of those struggling in poverty.
Are Americans going about their busy lives, oblivious to the plight of the poor? Or do we mollify our concerns by throwing cake crumbs at the poor with unemployment extensions and expanding Medicaid, Food Stamps, SSDI and ACA subsides?
Have we made it permissible to ignore plight of the poor, because we provided enough of a social welfare subsistence, so that the poor can hang out there on the ragged edge, sort like a person in a comma on life support?
Nationally, median household income decreased by 1.3% between 2010 and 2011, from $51,144 to $50,502. While the majority of states reported a decrease in median household income, 14 states reported increases.
Between 2010 and 2011, the national poverty rate increased from 15.3% to 15.9%. This represents an almost 5% increase in the number of persons living in poverty; more than 48 million people were living in poverty in 2011.
In 2011, more than 6.5 million households were spending more than 50% of their income for housing expenses, which was a 5.5% increase from 2010.
Median income from 2010-2011 decreased by 1.3% but we were spending 5.5% more on housing expenses. Total median income since 2008 has fallen by 4.1%.
In 2012, 46.5 million people (15.0 percent) were in poverty.
In 2012, 26.5 million (13.7 percent) of people ages 18-64 were in poverty.
In 2012, 16.1 million (21.8 percent) children under the age of 18 were in poverty.
In 2012, 3.9 million (9.1 percent) seniors 65 and older were in poverty.
The overall poverty rate according to the Supplemental Poverty Measure is 16.1%, as compared with the official poverty rate of 15.1%
The same thing happened in the Clinton administration. The homeless problem seemed to just evaporate from the media, only to reappear when Bush II was president.
Don't worry- they will start reporting again if and when there is a conservative in the White House.
The anti-war protesters also wake up during conservative administrations and start protesting again.
The media doesn't talk about this because it would make the democrats and Obama look bad.
Just as how we never hear about the war protestors after 2008 or closing gitmo, or repealing the patriot act etc.
It is just further proof that democrats and republicans are cut from the same cloth and both sides inact the same policies and the lemmings on both side follow their party leaders and bash the other party without a single critical thought of their own.
Then again, this forum does not really give poverty much discussion either.
Our congress and president seem to wash their hands of the issue after some band-aid legislation, like extending unemployment or proclaiming K-12 schools should serve breakfast.
The homeless and destitute don't have enough money to support the advertisers sponsoring the news shows or papers. These people have no commercial value and can be ignored.
The same thing happened in the Clinton administration. The homeless problem seemed to just evaporate from the media, only to reappear when Bush II was president.
Don't worry- they will start reporting again if and when there is a conservative in the White House.
The anti-war protesters also wake up during conservative administrations and start protesting again.
I don't remember Romney running on a platform to specifically battle homelessness and poverty either.
Creating jobs and growing the economy do go hand in hand with driving down poverty, so maybe the politicians should phrase their agenda that way.
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