What is the poverty rate in your state?

There is not much to explain. Read my statement again...

The "Poverty Rate" is an arbitrary term used by governments, normally in a politically advantageous way, to make decisions which profit their beliefs and ideologies. Only in America do we consider living in multi-room homes, owning multiple cars and iPhones, and eating out every day to be poverty. I have no idea what the poverty rate is in my state because there is no actual definition for the term.
As palides2021 shows above, the federal poverty rate for a single person is
  • Household Size of 1: $15,060
Since my Social Security is less than that and is my only source of income considered in the federal poverty equation, I live in poverty, but before you feel bad and send me baked goods, we should look at the actual facts.
1. I own my home and car and by virtue of my age pay no taxes on the property
2. I have no loans, no credit card balances, and no bills other than the normal essentials: food, utilities, clothing, insurance, etc.
3. I have enough in savings to live comfortably for another 15+ years.
4. I have other investments that nicely supplement my lifestyle which also are not considered in the federal poverty equation
I could go on but the point I'm making is that "Poverty Rate" is an arbitrary term used by the government (especially in election years) for its own benefit.

The second point I made was that the definition is actually insulting to those in other countries who actually live in poverty.
And third, I have no Idea where the poverty line actually is because the government only takes into account one's income.

At no point did I suggest "the poor need to be even more poor for them to deserve help", and I can't understand how you got that from my post.
 
There’s many government programs to help people if they know they exist and are capable of doing the paperwork or have a advocate to assist them.

However, the waiting lists for affordable or low income housing for everyone that needs it is years long. In many places housing has skyrocketed and more people are becoming homeless including the working poor.

Some people could take the money they have and move to a cheaper area but often give up their support system which may provide free daycare. Some are too poor to move.

If I was really poor I would move to Wichita Kansas because it’s a decent size town that’s very cheap to live in. I lived there twice because of jobs. Luckily I don’t have to make that choice.
 

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VisualBrian said:
There is not much to explain. Read my statement again...

The "Poverty Rate" is an arbitrary term used by governments, normally in a politically advantageous way, to make decisions which profit their beliefs and ideologies. Only in America do we consider living in multi-room homes, owning multiple cars and iPhones, and eating out every day to be poverty. I have no idea what the poverty rate is in my state because there is no actual definition for the term.
As palides2021 shows above, the federal poverty rate for a single person is
  • Household Size of 1: $15,060
Since my Social Security is less than that and is my only source of income considered in the federal poverty equation, I live in poverty, but before you feel bad and send me baked goods, we should look at the actual facts.
1. I own my home and car and by virtue of my age pay no taxes on the property
2. I have no loans, no credit card balances, and no bills other than the normal essentials: food, utilities, clothing, insurance, etc.
3. I have enough in savings to live comfortably for another 15+ years.
4. I have other investments that nicely supplement my lifestyle which also are not considered in the federal poverty equation
I could go on but the point I'm making is that "Poverty Rate" is an arbitrary term used by the government (especially in election years) for its own benefit.

The second point I made was that the definition is actually insulting to those in other countries who actually live in poverty.
And third, I have no Idea where the poverty line actually is because the government only takes into account one's income.

At no point did I suggest "the poor need to be even more poor for them to deserve help", and I can't understand how you got that from my post.
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So the major difference between you and many others living on $15,060 is that you own your own home, free and clear I'm guessing, and you have a lot of cash in savings.

If you were ever to apply for SNAP or Section 8 housing they DO ask you about assets on the forms.

So, you are angry and upset over and issue that is not really happening out there for millions of Americans. Millions are just plain poor, they rent, they may have a car but if they got a loan it was from Bill's Loan Shark Place and they are paying 18% interest, or they are driving a junker that cost $2,000 cash, and they have a FREE PHONE from the gov't.

Then another horrible gov't. aid program gave them discounts on their Internet service so they could look for jobs and job training online like the middle class.

I can tell you some TOWNS to visit on your next vacation if you want to see and meet some poor people. You sound like you think "poverty" is all a giant scam. I can give you a list of places to visit if you want to see those strange and exotic creatures.
 
VintageBetter said:
So the major difference between you and many others living on $15,060 is that you own your own home, free and clear I'm guessing, and you have a lot of cash in savings.

If you were ever to apply for SNAP or Section 8 housing they DO ask you about assets on the forms.

So, you are angry and upset over and issue that is not really happening out there for millions of Americans. Millions are just plain poor, they rent, they may have a car but if they got a loan it was from Bill's Loan Shark Place and they are paying 18% interest, or they are driving a junker that cost $2,000 cash, and they have a FREE PHONE from the gov't.

Then another horrible gov't. aid program gave them discounts on their Internet service so they could look for jobs and job training online like the middle class.

I can tell you some TOWNS to visit on your next vacation if you want to see and meet some poor people. You sound like you think "poverty" is all a giant scam. I can give you a list of places to visit if you want to see those strange and exotic creatures.
Click to expand...
As stated in my explanation, no, they do not ask about anything other than income. I know this because I have helped others to get assistance.
I am not angry or upset about anything. I was simply stating the facts about the "poverty line", I made no comments or insinuations about poor people.

Again, you have misinterpreted my post, and I can't understand where your issue is with me but from here on, I will leave you with your "holier than though" attitude.
 
Teacher Terry said:
I have been to some of the Caribbean islands and the poverty there is much worse than here. It’s incredibly sad.
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Many parts of Mexico and Central America, too. Honduras and Belize, for instance. Many African nations, too.

This isn't meant to be whataboutism, just pointing out that most on this board don't live in grinding poverty.

Nearly all Americans have automobiles, cell phones, internet, access to food (including SNAP benefits and food pantries), access to shelter (perhaps not in the preferred town or state), and so forth.
 
My parents both lived as children thru the Great Depression. There's a great book, "Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression", written by Studs Terkel. It's a compilation of interviews of folks who actually experienced it.
 
My parents were born in 1920. Only one family on the block had a phone or car. In an emergency they let others use their phone.

My mom had one dress for school and one for home. She hand washed her school dress every night. For entertainment the neighbors gathered outside and her grandfather played the accordion while others sang. They also played cards.
 
VisualBrian said:
As stated in my explanation, no, they do not ask about anything other than income. I know this because I have helped others to get assistance.
I am not angry or upset about anything. I was simply stating the facts about the "poverty line", I made no comments or insinuations about poor people.

Again, you have misinterpreted my post, and I can't understand where your issue is with me but from here on, I will leave you with your "holier than though" attitude.
Click to expand...
I am sorry I have misunderstood your post.

You know, our gov't. now has easy access to our taxes. It's been that was for at least 10 years now. All the E-filing that happens each year. If they want to know all about our finances they have a system in which they can type in our Social Security or Naturalized Citizen number and see what we earned last year.

With that much data kept on all of us, maybe it's long past time that they stopped asking us to SELF-REPORT and just use our tax returns to determine our eligibility for Federal help?

Of course, when a person loses a job then they need updated info and that must be self-reported. But I just don't understand, with all this data-collection and storage on each of us why the Federal gov't. can't update its self-reporting methods.

FYI, interesting chart and reading on whether or not Welfare programs actually help reduce poverty. The U.S. only spends 2.3% of its GDP on such programs.

Welfare's effect on poverty - Wikipedia
 

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