U. S. Poverty Level Increasing to Levels of the 1960s
79Poverty Level is Increasing to Levels of 1960's
The November election is just around the corner and our president it hot on the campaign trail trying to convince every one of how things are improving, but unfortunately that isn’t true because the U. S. poverty level is increasing to levels of the 1960’s. The working poor are seeing an apparent poverty rate increase rise from13.2% to 15%. Obama states we are seeing “painfully slow” economic growth; but where is that growth because I don’t see it. Actually six demographers who tract poverty trends found wide consensus that 2009 figures likely show the poverty rate to increase to 14.7%-15%.
President Obama
In 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson launched his war on poverty which expanded federal programs role in social welfare programs but the result is we have never been free from poverty in our nation. Now it is rising again. Bigger government has never solved our problems.
Federal Jobs Double Wages of Private Sector
Obama still can’t quit talking about everything being all Bush’s fault. Do you remember that the last two years of the Bush presidency Democrats were in the majority in the Senate and the House? All tax and spending bills are initiated in Congress. Should Bush have vetoed some bills? I would have to say yes, and he also let government grow too large, but nothing compared to what we are living with now. Obama has had nearly 2 years to turn things around and is failing miserably.
Most of the jobs that Obama brags about are government jobs or union jobs. We all know that the unions raised massive amounts of money to get him elected, and I guess he owes them. Average full-time federal government jobs now exceeds $79,197 annually, which means the average federal worker compensation, including pay plus benefits, now exceeds $119,982 as compared to just $59,909 for the private sector. The government retirement program matches 5% if you put in 5% which is quite generous. Of course, the president wants to abolish all companies from matching saved wages for retirement.
Money Pile
Business thus Jobs are in Trouble
The Mom and Pop business owners are being hurt. Businesses in general are in a place where they cannot afford to hire and even though they need new equipment which would help other companies, but they can't afford the purchases.
People are generally afraid to spend any money they might have as they don’t know if Obama is going to let the Bush tax cuts run out. Plus he is requesting another $50 billion in new stimulus spending aimed at boosting the economy and avoiding layoffs. Even top Democrats are not enthusiastic about this plan. None of the previous stimulus money has solved many problems in the long term outlook, so why would he think more stimulus money is the answer now. Has the man taken Economics 101? We can’t keep spending money we just don’t have. Our national debt is $13+ trillion dollars!!! I can’t even imagine that much money.
Austan Goolsbee
Austan Goolsbee to Replace Chirstina Romer
Now that Christina Romer is leaving, Obama has chosen Austan Goolsbee, a longtime adviser and an architect of his campaign’s economic message to be Chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. He is another liberal, an economist at the University of Chicago’s business school and a current member of the council and executive director of the president’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board. So, he has chosen another friend from academia, a liberal who is already intimately involved in a failing policy. Does he never learn from his mistakes?
From a column in the New York Times earlier this year they revealed Goolsbee is the 15th wealthiest member of the Obama administration, with assets valued from $1,146,000 to $2,715,000. The University of Chicago salary is $465,000 and he receives additional wages and honor-aria worth $93,000 according to Washingtonian Magazine. This government research fellow and Obama campaign adviser was a champion of extending credit to the UN-creditworthy. He denied that those mortgages were irresponsible but called them “innovations in the mortgage market” to expand the number of home buyers
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton Speaks Concerning Debt
It is essential that we as Americans realize that we are in serious trouble. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton stated last week that this trillion dollar deficit is a “message of weakness internationally. She further said it poses a national security threat in two ways: it undermines our capacity to act in our own interest, and it does constrain us where constraint may be undesirable.” I may not agree with all her reasoning but I agree with her premise.
In Conclusion
It is time to make some big changes as we are headed in the wrong direction. We have to make this country into a place where small and big business can survive and grow. We do not want unions to run the country with Andy Stern at the helm. We need to feel some financial security. We need to feel more protection from terrorists and know that those that are caught will suffer the consequences. Why hasn’t the Fort Hood terrorist come to trial? They certainly have enough witnesses. I want to feel like the country I live in is reasonable safe. I don’t feel that way right now. We do not want the U. S. Poverty level increasing to levels of the 1960’s, so we all need to get out to vote and let our voices be heard!!!
The copyright to this article is owned by Pamela Oglesby. Permission to republish this article in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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Nicomp, I don't think that is funny as that was 46 years ago and much has happened with many ups and downs in the poverty level.
Pamela,
I agree with your position that Big Government doesn't solve problems. Big Government is THE PROBLEM!!!!!!!!
Good Hub!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This re-distribution of wealth is just redistributing it from our pockets to the congress's members pockets.
Keep on hubbing!
Tom, I agree that Big Government is the problem especially when we now know the poverty level is expected to rise.
Thanks for your comment.
Eovery I couldn't agree more. The disparity between government jobs and the regular worker is terrible. Thanks for your comments.
Keep plugging, Pamela. You're definitely on the right track!
i agree and disagree with this hub which i might add is interesting. it is true that the level of poor have increased. this took at least eight years to take place.wages remained flat for ten years and gov't turned a blind eye to report after report telling of the creative accounting that built the house of cards that would soon crumble. they did nothing while the right steadfastly screamed for even more de-regulation.
obama came into office while our economy was in a nose dive. first he had to put a stop to that. helping gm without taking it over as accused and gm is doing fine now. wall street reform that would discontinue the same threat from happening again and ending a ten billion a month pointless war.now the jobs are on the increase slightly but it had to start somewhere. projections are for there to be an upward trajectory through 2011. all you can do is plant grass seed , then you have to wait and it will grow.i think people thought that obama would come in and wave a hand and the next day everything would turn to normal. we have people that are standing over the planted seed saying " look no grass yet" next day they say "see still no grass, he doesn't know what he's doing"etc.(but bush did). people talk of big gov't as if it were bad. you have become complacent and to insulated to understand. the simplest of things come from gov't oversight water, medicine,food,housing.chemicals, labor etc. these are all and more regulated by gov't. it's these efforts that make us comfortable at home and makes us skeptical to drink or eat etc.in some other countries. unless you are the top 1% of income earners in america i don't see how anything but good will come to all americans.
what is more amazing to me is that the same people that caused this atrocity are fighting, scratching and preaching the most illogical things (removing all changes made to date by obama) to regain more control so that they can, do...it...all...over...again! scary!
If even Hillary Clinton as part of the administration is talking about the negative impact of our deficit in terms of a "message of weakness", there is something rotten in Danmark...
Diamond, Thanks so much for your comment.
Joe Barnett, I would also say I agree with some of what you say and not other parts. GM is doing better but the government owns 61% of the company now. I think the company should have gone into chapter 11 or 13 (I don't know which) and worked their way out of debt if possible. Ford survived without a handout. I don't think the government should own a private company.
The biggest complaint over the new programs is the health care with the latest poll showing 56% 0f the people wanting repeal of the bill and a new one written. As it stands, it is going to cost much more than estimated and most companies are going to have a problem affording it. Congress should have taken their time and they would have had a better result. I am most concerned about this ever growing debt and more stimulus money being spent. Thanks for your comment.
Petra, I was glad she spoke up because the debt is our of control. Thanks for your comments.
Finally, someone who thinks the way I do! There are so many welfare democrats down here I thought I was the only sane person left.
JY, Thank you for your comments. I want to see more jobs because there are a lot of people really trying to find a job and have looked for months.
I just read that in the middle east poverty is growing, too. Globalization is working - a few wealthy people to control the masses, everyone else 'peasants'.
Sheila, I guess that's not surprising. The whole world is changing and not for the better. Thanks for your comment.
To my feeble mind, the world has chosen its path toward self destruction. We have decided that God is a nuisance and we dismissed Him believing we could do better ourselves. What we see is the result and it is not a pretty picture and we have no reason to believe that it will get any better.
It seems, "Come, let us reason together" is inconsistent with today's mindset. Middle class seems to be phasing out and the next generation or two may only consist of the rich and the poor.
Great topic Pam,
Forever His,
Pamela, a good sobering look at the way things are shaping up. As little as I cared for the Clinton regime, I have to admit that it at least had some credibility and hind sight being what it is, the lot of voters would have better spent their votes blocking obama's bid for the white house, I just never believed he'd make the cut, as well I don't think the Democratic party as a whole thought he would beat Hillary either. I think we'll see Hillary as one of his opponents in 2012. I just am banking on a turn at the polls this fall to stop and repeal or at the least de-fund our greatest blunder, the so called health care bill.
As was stated above, your on the right track and keep the momentum to aid in the decisions made at the polls informed and beneficial to us all, Dusty
Rev Lady, I think the world has chosen the wrong path and we are paying the consequences. As always, I appreciate your comments. God Bless.
50 Caliber, My thought are running along the same path as yours. I never thought he would make the cut either. I hope some big changes come at election time and even then it wouldn't magically fix everything. Thanks for your comment.
This is a really good Hub Pam.
My attention was drawn to the part "People are generally afraid to spend any money they might have as they don’t know if Obama is going to let the Bush tax cuts run out."
The fact that people are waiting on government to make up it's mind has become a near constant problem. Hesitation has become the norm when the government declares an interest in an industry, with industry leaders tending to wait until after a law is passed so that their lawyers can tell them how to best take advantage of the new law, and hope that whatever loopholes they get advised on are not noticed by the government until after they have gained a competitive advantage in the industry.
Also, there is nothing new with the politicians fighting over who takes credit and who takes blame. In my opinion, that occurs because deep down inside they all know that what they've done is not in the best interest of the people they represent. My grandmother would have had no problem whatsover rubbing one pointed forefinger lengthwise across the other in the old gesture that said "for shame, for shame" at anyone of the lot who sought to cast blame on the other.
Your conclusion says it all so eloquently. I want what you want and I pray that November turns the tide in our direction.
Super hub Pam. It is frustrating to watch the mom and pop business going away. This is what our counrty was founded on. It sickens me to see how rich the government continues to get while the tax payers are fighting to simply pay the bills. US Poverty levels speak loudly and yet fall upon deaf ears.
Up and awesome Pam.
K9
FitnessJim, You added a great section to my hub and further explained exactly how people are having to leaved with their lives on hold. Thanks so much for your comments.
BPOP, Thanks so much for your comments and I guess we are on hold until Nov. also.
K9keystrokes, I hate what's happening to the mom and pop business too which is one of the reasons I wrote this hub. Middle class taxpayers are paying the tab and who know how we will ever dig out of a 13+ trillion hole. Thanks for your comment.
Well Pamela, your hub hit a sore spot with me, you see not only am I a senior citizen on a fixed income but this latest economic decline has clamined over two third's of my investements ( which was my retirement account) and entering the poverty level is not far away. You got the situation right. Pamela, I do hope you are feeling better.
Joe
Joe, My husband and I are in the same boat in losing much of our retirement income, then he had a stroke at 58. I was trying to show that the current policies are taking us further down and it is a very uncertain time. We must vote out anyone that voted for stimulus bills, etc.
I am feeling better. Thank you for your comments.
Pamela,
I bet that like me you were confused when BO ripped special interests when he was giving his speech in front of the union folks last week. All he had to do was turn around and he would have seen one of the largest special interest groups we have in America!!
Shari, Isn't that the truth! I was just talking to someone today about Gary, Indiana which used to be a robust town many years ago, a steel city. I remember traveling thorough there a copy of times. Now that the steel union has run the steel industry out of the country it is a ghost town. It is such a shame. Thanks for your comment.
PAMELA- Obama asked the republican party for help on the healthcare. romney was slated as the boy wonder for creating this program in his state. the republicans put in their input obama said ok lets take it to the vote. then they voted no on their own program. how can you overlook this or the fact that gm didn't fail but rather they were saved from failure. or the fact that the deficit as of today is down by 8%. i see people taking things out of context, extremely stretching the truth till there is no truth to it.discussing things that are irrelevant in hopes of confusing the issue. the strategy is to keep repeating misinformation and some will believe it.listening to crackpot radio hosts that use seditious garble in their desperation to mislead.
what has become more shocking to me now is to watch intelligent people be told that apples are oranges and then,them start to repeat it like little broken robots as though it were true or mattered and all patting eachother on the backs. i no longer have faith in the minds of mature Americans.i see that money and marketing have reached new levels, like a modern day pied piper and can make otherwise intelligent people angry cult-like followers. sad! very good hub!
Nothing I can debate here Pamela. The debt is crushing us. And it's time for Obama to man up and quit the blame game. I was realistic enough not to expect miracles. But I never in my wildest dreams envisioned he would make things 10 times worse.
"I don't think that is funny as that was 46 years ago and much has happened with many ups and downs in the poverty level."
We agree on the 'not funny' part, but facts tell us that the poverty rate hasn't changed much since 1964:
http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/data/histor
Using the government's numbers, poverty levels troughed in 1973 and trended upward since then.
Joe, I am not addressing all your points as I watched the sweetheart deals various Democrats received as they were pressured to vote. They didn't use the MA bill and that system is also now failing. Republicans wanted to debate the bill but it was rammed through congress in 48 house without compromise. I have heard several congressmen and women say they didn't read the bill before they voted.
This is today's news The Obama administration has released new deficit numbers, and they are not pretty.
"The deficit for fiscal year 2009, which ended Sept. 30, came in at a record $1.42 trillion, more than triple the record set just last year." And "Deficits of $1 trillion in a single year had never happened until two years ago. The $1.4 trillion deficit in 2009 was more than three times the size of the previous record-holder, a $454.8 billion deficit recorded in 2008."
We can''t keep spending money we don't have. That is the point of the article. Ford Motor Company saw the writing on the wall, made a plan and survived without being owned by the government. GM should have done the same or gone through bankruptcy reorganization.
Tony, Thanks for your comment. I feel the same way. I expected much more from him when he campaigned.
Nocomp, The only point is that the six demographers who tract poverty trends found wide consensus that 2009 figures likely show the poverty rate to increase to 14.7%-15%. Maybe that doesn't sound like much but we don't want the poverty level to increase any.
Wow, you are having 'some' followers. Very interesting to your hub and most of the comments but I couldn't possible comment because I don't know enough about American politics.
Hello, They are rather complex right now anyway. Thanks for your comment.
It would be so nice if we could put our political agendas aside and work together as communities to help fight poverty. I don't think either party has addressed it properly. I think that we as human beings, not democrats, not republicans, not independents need to come together to solve the crisis. I wish I knew how to make that happen, with just one agenda - poverty - with out the gun slinging of one party to another. Just humans working it out to find a resolution.
Pamela
Great hub; between Buffoon Biden’s ship wandering into the seas remark and Obama’s insistence that things are getting better in spite of what you read, see and hear this Regime has become downright laughable; if the economic crisis wasn’t so damned critical. You see in spite of what they keep telling you; Dorothy pay no attention to the man behind the curtain or Keynesian Economics or Karl Marx Socialism will work if given enough time the facts speak for themselves. This Regime’s self destructive policies have deepened the recession, exacerbated unemployment, stifled business growth and scared the hell out of any sane thinking American. Speaking of sane thinking Americans I see you have collected the antitheist of this term with the likes of Joe Barnett; esoterics like the good Mr. Barnett Will never extract their cranial from their posteriors in order to engage in the necessary critical analysis so as to accurately assess the situation.
Joe, hope you recover soon from you severe case of Cranial Rectal Inversion!
Jane, I think most of us would love to see the end to poverty and it would be great if we could work together. Thanks for your comment.
Patriot, You certainly didn't mince words with getting your point across, and I think you are exactly right. Things have gone down hill steadily since Obama took office. Thanks for sharing your words of wisdom.
You sure said a mouth full, do doubt the pain and struggle of this economy is not better, living in Ohio, where unemployment is at it's highests in this country I see it everywhere, people are downsizing on their homes, families are moving in under one roof and jobs a very few and far between, people are spending less and less as it seems to be the new way of life and not soon to change. Great article and thanks for the facts. Peace :)
Katiem, Thanks for your comment. Many people are in trouble here in FL also.
partisan patriot and other misguided citizens. the mom and pop businesses are increasing do to lack of employment. plumbers, ac, roofing, painting, dog walking etc. these are not the companies affected by the tax cuts. IT'S THE TOP 2% percent of earners. i would suspect you don't even know any.
pamela- you compare 2008 deficit when all the problems began to 2009 when this right wing pile of greed had to be paid for thus the numbers that you see.did you think what the ramifications of gm failing would have been. decisions require thought that goes beneath the surface something bush was never capable of. bush was strictly primary colors. basically i see now that most people here are just saying negatives without substance. the right is the only people to live in fear and lie to eachother.to them it's acceptable, it's the way they roll and when the truth smacks them in the face they deny it.(there are no weapons of mass destruction, hawii is in the united states etc.) there decisions are never for something,they're always against a perceived scary ghost and everyone on that side of the aisle just bobs their heads up and down in agreement. i'm not religious but i did pass over something a couple of weeks back that fits this perfectly, read it. it's proverbs 11-23. pam i enjoyed the hub and the debate,write another! thanks
Joe, Perhaps you found this pleasant but I did not. I do not want to watch my country turn to socialism and now the facts bear out the vast number of federal workers being hired at twice the wages of people doing similar jobs in the private sector. I'm through with you and won't print anything else from you on this hub.
Well written, Pamela99. It seems to be a pattern all over the world where people spend more than they can afford to, and this includes every single government. They tend to want to introduce 'stimulus packages,' but what the general public doesn't realise is that these funds have to come from somewhere, and inevitably, taxes will end up being raised to cover these so called 'stimulus plans.'
Every single government in the world could learn a lot from people who live frugally, and who only spend what they can afford to. If the general public can live that way, government should learn to operate that way as well. If that could be achieved, the world in turn could actually be debt-free. Wouldn't that be wonderful? :-) Voted up
Shona Venter, You are right. That would be a dream come true. I was raised to live below my means by my parents and it has served me well. Thanks so much for your comment.
Poverty, we've been fighting for it 4 decades ago or so and it is still one of the primary problem of the government. There are program implemented to improve the lives of every citizens like employment but there is still a lot of things to consider. Some of it are population growth, literacy level and unemployment or underemployment. Just be optimistic.
Joseph, I agree that there are a lot of things to consider and it is a complex situation. We really do need some solutions to help these people out of poverty. Thanks for your comment.
Without a doubt we are in a massive quagmire. That the Obama administration doesn't have a clue how to TRULY get out of this situation saddens me. It seems so obvious that spending is not the answer. Neither are social programs. What we need is CORPORATE INCENTIVES, plain and simple. Clear and direct aiming at the very core of where jobs come from. If I had my way, there'd be no corporate tax for anyone, big or small. Taxes would be collected when the workers produce goods (income tax), and when those goods are sold (sales tax).
As for the poverty numbers growing...well. That's simply the end result of giving handouts away instead of giving incentives out to excel and prosper.
It's George Bush's FAULT!!..BOY do I miss him
Springboard, We have some of the highest corporate tax in the world. I fully agree with your remarks and appreciate them. Thanks.
Angelmedic, I think a lot of us miss him. Thanks for your comment
.
We are sending our jobs overseas to allow our businesses to reduce costs but this just results in the people at home not being able to afford to buy the products as they don't have work! A self defeating principle!
LeanMan, It certainly it. Thanks for your comments.
To me Pamela, all a corporate tax does is penalize a corporation for its positive contribution to the economy. Besides, like we've all pointed out at one time or another, a tax on a business is a tax on you and I. All businesses pass their costs on to the consumer, and take the costs out against what they offer their employees in wages and benefits—and sometimes reduce their hiring as well, reducing overall jobs numbers. That just makes no sense to me.
BTW, my apologies for going somewhat off topic. :)
Springboard, I agree and we have the second highest corporate tax in the world. That hinders companies from hiring or buying new equipment. Thanks for your comments. I appreciate them.
I hope the unemployment level will decrease by December, As usual, I think you are also good in writing about politics, Keep it up! Maita
Hey Pamela, I wrote a hub about how to solve poverty, and the biggest part of it is based on knowledge. The fact that education is lacking within a lot of people and they really do not understand what the best path is for them. The government would rather keep people illiterate or dumb, so they can continue to manipulate them, while the greedy politicians reap the rewards. Unfortunately, since there are not enough small businesses to keep the economy growing, that is where everything is failing. The larger companies continue to buy up the smaller companies and then lay off people it doesn't need. Therefore, the workforce, regardless of what else is happening continues to increase in jobless. The ridiculous circle that continues to happen is because too many people do not understand the proper method(way of life) that America offers. It's lost in entitlements, programs, law(s) and misconceptions. Great hub. Thank you for sharing.
Miata, Thanks for your comments.
Cagsil, I see the salaries of the college administrator reaching ridiculous heights, yet tuition is rising so fast that many children are struggling to get an education, like my niece. Thank goodness she has a 75% scholarship, then will she get a job when she graduates? Big companies in many cases have moved out of the US as the corporate tax rate is the second highest in the world, I believe it is 32%. I know several small businesses that struggle because of taxes and the price of everything is going up. I agree with you that we need the small business and the rest of your comments about entitlement programs and misconceptions. I think are ever expanding government is much of the problem. Now they are going to start letting people buy house again with nothing down that they can't afford. Isn't that what started many of these problems?
"Nocomp, The only point is that the six demographers who tract poverty trends found wide consensus that 2009 figures likely show the poverty rate to increase to 14.7%-15%. Maybe that doesn't sound like much but we don't want the poverty level to increase any."
I don't know who 'we' is, but the federal government has no business whatsoever interfering in poverty levels as any level. The fact that a Washington bureaucrat defines a "poverty level" is sickening.
The 15% is what I wrote about which means 1 in 7 families are living at poverty level. I agree that any increase is bad and that is why I wrote the hub. I am sick of Washington bureaucrats interfering in most things in my life. Thanks for the comments.
Whichever political party one favors, all are looking for jobs. This 'problem' did not begin with Obama and he is not the only one who is talking about how things are 'getting better,' whether we see it or not. It took time for us to get to this point (even before Obama), and it will take time for it to be relieved. Voted/rated.
Support Med, I agree that this problem started long before Obama was in office. Thanks for your comment.
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nicomp Level 6 Commenter 20 months ago
It's interesting that President Johnson declared war on poverty in 1964. Several trillion dollars later, how's that working out?