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Since the 1960s, we (the same we Obama speaks of) have spent $11 trillion fighting the war on poverty. That's the total for government spending. That does not include the millions and millions and millions of dollars and hours of donated time that the private and non profit sector have invested towards helping the poor.
Now, a country that invests that kind of money and time in a 40 year battle isn't just letting something happen. The efforts might not be successful, but at least there are efforts.
Perhaps the reason our efforts to end poverty are not successful because we don't have everyone at the table. We have the government sitting there with a big old checkbook. We have private and non profit groups eager to make life better. What we don't have is a committed effort on the part of those the war on poverty aims to save.
Why? Well, a lot of those people don't know they are poor. Counted among the statistics of those living in poverty are people who are doing just fine. They have jobs, homes, families and while money might be tight, they are living a good life. In fact, they would probably be awfully insulted if someone told them they were poor. I don't blame them.
They certainly don't qualify for any programs, but they still get the label.
But, the federal government has a poverty index and it defines how much money a family of one, two, three, etc. should be making. So many people who don't even know it are being labeled as living in poverty.
Then, we have people who have learned to live off the system and to have quite a comfortable lifestyle doing so. They certainly aren't going to bring effort to the table. They don't need to.
Maybe we need to toss the poverty index out the window. Maybe we need to toss everything out the window and instead of trying to solve poverty on a national level, get back to the community level. Rules made in Washington by people who think money solves everything aren't ever going to work.
Unfortunately, I don't think we'll ever live in a country where personal responsibility is the norm. It was until we began the war on poverty. Now, for some, being dependent is much more lucrative.
How could we let this happen? I don't know, but I certainly don't think voters are the one to ask that question. I don't think voters created the problem, at least not the tax paying ones.
Obama asked the wrong question to the wrong people. He should ask, "How do we stop this?" Until politicians no longer benefit from people being labeled poor, nothing will change.
Price tag for poverty | www.earlycountynews.com | Early County News
11 trillion dollars and the poverty rate has risen, doesn't that teach anyone a lesson? You can't throw money at a problem and have it disappear.
I agree. End all wefare. Corporate and individual.