Living in Poverty
Talk with your
kids about poverty
If you are a parent who doesn’t often worry about putting food on the table or having a warm place for your child to go to sleep, wrapping your arms around this conversation may be quite difficult. But without a clear explanation, kids may not understand why some kids get free lunch at school or why there’s a homeless person asking for money. And they may make inaccurate assumptions about people living below the poverty line. Why You Should Talk About Poverty At some point, your child will notice that some people don’t have as much money as others, and he’s likely to have some questions about it. It’s estimated that one in five children in the United States lives in poverty. Many of those children have working parents, but low wages and unstable work leave them living below the poverty line. There’s a good chance some of your child’s classmates struggle with issues like food insecurity and homelessness. You might be tempted to say to your child, “Eat your broccoli. There are starving children in other parts of the world who would love to eat that." But talking about people who live on another continent may be too far removed from your child's world for him to grasp. There are plenty of people struggling with poverty much closer to home. Talking about real-life situations in your community may help him gain a better understanding of what poverty is. Children living in poverty may experience lifelong consequences. Poverty affects families in the following ways:
Holding conversations about poverty can be an opportunity to educate your child as well as a time to foster compassion for others. When your child understands a little more about why some people live differently, he may have more empathy for people who experience poverty. Look for Opportunities to Address the Subject Rather than bring up the subject of poverty out of the blue, look for opportunities to bring it up naturally. Then, you can talk about it more concretely. When there’s a Thanksgiving food drive at school, talk to your child about why you’re donating canned goods. Or, when there’s a gift drive over the holidays, explain that some families may not have enough money to buy presents. Be Prepared for Tough Questions At some point, your child will notice that his peers or people in the community are living in poverty. Be prepared for questions such as:
When your child asks questions, it’s a sign he’s ready for more information. It's important to give him age appropriate answers. Give Simple Explanations to Elementary School Children Kids don’t understand money or economics. A commercial about child hunger may spur innocent questions to like, “Why don’t their parents go to the grocery store and buy them more food?” Between the ages of 5 and 8, kids are ready to learn simple explanations about poverty. Try saying something like, “Some people aren’t able to earn enough money to buy food or a home to live in.” At this age, you don’t need to give lengthy explanations about the factors that may prevent someone from earning a livable wage. Conversations about disabilities, substance abuse, and a poor economy can wait until the tween or teen years. Talk to Tweens and Teens About the Underlying Causes Tweens and teens have the ability to begin understanding some of the reasons why poverty exists. Talk about the factors that contribute to poverty, such as:
In addition to talking about the causes of poverty, discuss the effects. Provide a simple explanation of the government services and the resources put into place to help people, but also talk about how difficult it can be for people to get out of poverty. Pay Attention to the Messages You Send The things you do, as well as the things you don’t do, will send your child messages about people living in poverty. For example, if you walk past a panhandler without making eye contact, your child may assume homeless people are beneath you, so it’s important to explain why you don’t give strangers on the street cash. Say something like, “I don’t give people money because I’m not sure how they’ll spend it. But I might buy them some food sometimes.” Or, explain that you donate money to programs that help homeless people have food to eat and shelter to stay in. It’s also important to avoid sending a message that implies hard work always prevents poverty. If you say things like, “I work hard so we can live in a nice house,” your child may conclude people living in poverty must be lazy. Get Your Child Involved in Helping Donating cash to a charity may not teach your child much about helping others. But, involving him first-hand in helping people in need could help him gain a better understanding of how he can address poverty. Get your child involved in donating some of his toys or unused clothing to others. Ask him to choose which items to give and talk about how it can help other children whose parents may not be able to buy toys or clothing. Bring your child with you to the store to buy food for a food drive. Ask him to pick out canned or dry goods that you could give to families who may not be able to afford food. When children see that they can take steps to make a difference, they may feel inspired to perform more acts of kindness in the future. Discuss the Safeguards You Have in Place Talking about poverty may cause your child to become a little anxious. He may worry that you will run out of food or that you might be homeless someday. So it’s important to talk about any safeguards you might have in place. If you have a friend or relative who might help you if you were down on your luck, say something like, “We could always live with Grandma if we didn’t have our own home." Or explain that there are government programs in place that help people who can't afford food. Of course, as an adult, you know that even the best safeguards are not foolproof. You may never have to confront a turn in luck that leaves your family in great need, but we all face that possibility. that you’re always there to love and protect them. Remind them that regardless of where
your circumstances take you, you always will. Sharing
anything beyond that, especially with young children, may be
too much for them to handle. US
wealth gap between young and old is widest ever
The wealth gap between younger and older Americans has stretched to the widest on record, worsened by a prolonged economic downturn that has wiped out job opportunities for young adults and saddled them with housing and college debt. The typical U.S. household headed by a person age 65 or older has a net worth 47 times greater than a household headed by someone under 35, according to an analysis of census data released Monday. While people typically accumulate assets as they age, this wealth gap is now more than double what it was in 2005 and nearly five times the 10-to-1 disparity a quarter-century ago, after adjusting for inflation. The analysis by the Pew Research Center reflects the impact of the economic downturn, which has hit young adults particularly hard. More are pursuing college or advanced degrees, taking on debt as they wait for the job market to recover. Others are struggling to pay mortgage costs on homes now worth less than when they were bought in the housing boom. The report, coming out before the Nov. 23 deadline for a special congressional committee to propose $1.2 trillion in budget cuts over 10 years, casts a spotlight on a government safety net that has buoyed older Americans on Social Security and Medicare amid wider cuts to education and other programs, including cash assistance for poor families. Complaints about wealth inequality, high unemployment and student debt also have been front and center at Occupy Wall Street protests around the country. "It makes us wonder whether the extraordinary amount of resources we spend on retirees and their health care should be at least partially reallocated to those who are hurting worse than them," said Harry Holzer, a labor economist and public policy professor at Georgetown University who called the magnitude of the wealth gap "striking." The median net worth of households headed by someone 65 or older was $170,494. That is 42 percent more than in 1984, when the Census Bureau first began measuring wealth broken down by age. The median net worth for the younger-age households was $3,662, down by 68 percent from a quarter-century ago, according to the Pew analysis. Net worth includes the value of a person's home, possessions and savings accumulated over the years, including stocks, bank accounts, real estate, cars, boats or other property, minus any debt such as mortgages, college loans and credit card bills. Older Americans tend to hold more net worth because they are more likely to have paid off their mortgages and built up more savings from salary, stocks and other investments over time. The median is the midpoint, and thus refers to a typical household. The 47-to-1 wealth gap between old and young is believed by demographers to be the highest ever, even predating government records. In all, 37 percent of younger-age households have a net worth of zero or less, nearly double the share in 1984. But among households headed by a person 65 or older, the percentage in that category has been largely unchanged at 8 percent. While the wealth gap has been widening gradually due to delayed marriage and increases in single parenting among young adults, the housing bust and recession have made it significantly worse. For young adults, the main asset is their home. Their housing wealth dropped 31 percent from 1984, the result of increased debt and falling home values. In contrast, Americans 65 or older were more likely to have bought homes long before the housing boom and thus saw a 57 percent gain in housing wealth even after the bust. Older Americans are staying in jobs longer, while young adults now face the highest unemployment since World War II. As a result, the median income of older-age households since 1967 has grown at four times the rate of those headed by the under-35 age group. Social Security benefits account for 55 percent of the annual income for older-age households, unchanged since 1984. The retirement benefits, which are indexed for inflation, have been a consistent source of income even as safety-net benefits for other groups such as low-income students have failed to keep up with rising costs or begun to fray. The congressional supercommittee that is proposing budget cuts has been reviewing whether to trim college aid programs, such as by restricting eligibility or charging students interest on loans while they are still in school. Sheldon Danziger, a University of Michigan public policy professor who specializes in poverty, noted skyrocketing college tuition costs, which come as many strapped state governments cut support for public universities. Federal spending on Pell Grants to low-income students has risen somewhat, but covers a diminishing share of the actual cost of attending college. "The elderly have a comprehensive safety net that most adults, especially young adults, lack," Danziger said. Paul Taylor, director of Pew Social & Demographic Trends and co-author of the analysis, said the report shows that today's young adults are starting out in life in a very tough economic position. "If this pattern continues, it will call into question one of the most basic tenets of the American Dream - the idea that each generation does better than the one that came before," he said. Other findings:
U.S.
Hunger
Nearly one in four children live in households that struggle to put food on the table. That's 16.7 million children. The most direct way to reduce hunger in the U.S. is through national nutrition programs. But while food assistance to hungry people is vital, it is not enough. Hunger and Poverty Facts Did you Know? Most
Americans (51.4 percent) will live in poverty at some point
before age 65. Read
more
Causes of Hunger in the U.S. Hunger is rooted in
poverty. Parents earning low wages struggle to make ends
meet and feed their children. Read
more
How to End Hunger in the U.S. The fastest, most
direct way to reduce hunger is through nutrition programs.
But long-term progress requires broader efforts to reduce
poverty. Read
more
U.S. Food Insecurity Food insecure
households are those that struggle to put food on the table
at some point during the year. Read
more
Injured
Iraq Vets Come Home to Poverty
Army Spc. Tyson Johnson III of Mobile, Ala., who lost a kidney in a mortar attack last year in Iraq, was still recovering at Walter Reed Army Medical Center when he received notice from the Pentagon's own collection agency that he owed more than $2,700 because he could not fulfill his full 36-month tour of duty. Johnson said the Pentagon listed the bonus on his credit report as an unpaid government loan, making it impossible for him to rent an apartment or obtain credit cards. "Oh man, I felt betrayed," Johnson said. "I felt, like, oh, my heart dropped." Pentagon officials said they were unaware of the case until it was brought to their attention by ABC News. "Some faceless bureaucrat" was responsible for Johnson's predicament, said Gen. Franklin "Buster" Hagenbeck, a three-star general and the Army's deputy chief of staff for personnel. "It's absolutely unacceptable. It's intolerable," said Hagenbeck. "I mean, I'm incredulous when I hear those kinds of things. I just can't believe that we allow that to happen. And we're not going to let it happen." The Department of Defense and the Army intervened to have the collection action against Johnson stopped, said Hagenbeck. "I was told today he's not going to have a nickel taken from him," he said. "And I will tell you that we'll keep a microscope on this one to see the outcome." 'Not So Good' Hagenbeck also pledged to look into the cases of the other soldiers ABC News brought to the military's attention, including men who lost limbs and their former livelihoods after serving in Iraq. "When you're in the military, they take good care of you," said the 23-year-old Johnson. "But now that I'm a vet, and, you know, I'm out of the military -- not so good. Not so good." Johnson had been flying high last September, after being promoted from Army private first class to specialist in a field ceremony in Iraq. Inspired by his father's naval background to join the military after high school, Tyson planned a career in the military and the promotion was just the first step. But only a week after the ceremony took place, a mortar round exploding outside his tent brought him quickly back to Earth. "It was like warm water running down my arms," he said. "But it was warm blood." In addition to the lost kidney, shrapnel damaged Johnson's lung and heart, and entered the back of his head. Field medical reports said he was not expected to live more than 72 hours. With the help of exceptional Army surgeons, Johnson survived. As he recuperated, however, Johnson faced perhaps an even greater obstacle than physical pain or injuries -- the military bureaucracy. Part of the warrior ethos, the soldier's creed of the U.S. Army, is to "never leave a fallen comrade." "And it doesn't just pertain to the battlefield," Hagenbeck said. "It means, when we get them home they're a part of the Army family forever." But Johnson now lives in his car. It is where he spends most of his days, all of his nights, in constant pain from his injuries and unwilling to burden his family. Better Off Dead? Stories like Tyson Johnson's are not unique. Many of the severely wounded soldiers returning from Iraq face the prospect of poverty and what they describe as official indifference and incompetence. "Guys I've met, talking to people, they'd be better off financially for their families if they had died as opposed to coming back maimed," said Staff Sgt. Ryan Kelly, who served as a civil affairs specialist for the Army while in Iraq. On July 14, 2003, the Abilene, Texas, native had been on his way to a meeting about rebuilding schools in Iraq when his unarmored Humvee was blown up. A piece of shrapnel the size of a TV remote took his right leg off, below the knee, almost completely, Kelly said. Kelly attests to receiving excellent medical care at Ward 57, the amputee section of Walter Reed, but said he quickly realized that the military had no real plan for the injured soldiers. Many had to borrow money or depend on charities just to have relatives visit at Walter Reed, Kelly said. "It's not what I expected to see when I got here," he said. "These guys having to, you know, basically panhandle for money to afford things." No Answer Perhaps as a sign of the grim outlook facing many of these wounded soldiers, Staff Sgt. Peter Damon, a National Guardsman from Brockton, Mass., said he is grateful for being a double amputee. "Well, in a way, I'm kind of lucky losing both arms because I've been told I'll probably get 100 percent disability," he said. Damon, a mechanic and electrician, lost both arms in an explosion as he was repairing a helicopter in Iraq. He initially woke up in the hospital worried and anxious to learn that both forms of livelihood were taken away from him. "Now what am I doing to do?" Damon said, faced with the prospect of supporting his wife, Jennifer, and two children. "I can't do either, none of those, with no hands." The military fails to provide a lump sum payment for such catastrophic injuries. And Damon still has not heard from the military about what they plan to give in terms of monthly disability payments. The last time Damon asked about the payments, he was told by the military that his paperwork had been lost. "And then when I went to go back to inquire about it again, just to ask a question, I just wanted to see if they had found my paperwork, I was told I had to make an appointment and to come back five days later," he said. A thick book of federal regulations specifies the disability rate based on how many limbs were amputated and precisely where. The percentage rates were set during World War II. Jennifer Damon said the shock of her husband returning with no arms has been replaced by the fear of destitution, as well as a frustration over her husband's final discharge. Like his disability benefits, Peter's release is being held up by the lost paperwork and unanswered phone calls. "It's hard to understand," she said. "I mean, I need him more than they need him right now. It's been a long time. You've had him for a long time. I want him back." A Failing System? Staff Sgt. Larry Gill, a National Guardsman from Semmes, Ala., wonders whether his 20 dutiful years of military service have been adequately rewarded. Last October, Gill injured his left leg when on patrol during a protest outside a mosque in Baghdad. A protester threw a hand grenade which left Gill, a former policeman, with leg intact, though useless. He received a Purple Heart from the military, but no program, plan or proposal of how to make a living in civilian life. "It's not fair, and I'm not complaining," Gill said. "I'm not whining about it. You know, I just, I just don't think people really understand what we're being faced with. Gill expects he will have to sell his home, the dream house he and his wife, Leah, designed and built, where they raised their children. "I've never questioned my orders," he said. "I've slept with rats and stood in the rain and wondered why I was standing in the rain, and, you know, for my children to have to do without based on a lack of income from me, it's frustrating." Leah Gill agreed. "I just don't feel we should have to uproot because of an injury that he received while he was serving the country," she said. "It shouldn't come down to that." Gill and the others in Ward 57 have had their pictures taken frequently with visiting politicians. "Where are the politicians? Where are the generals?" he asked. "Where are the people that are supposed to take care of me?" Help and care will be forthcoming, promised Hagenbeck. "There in fact was a plan," he said. "But again, it was not integrated in a seamless fashion that it needed to be. And that was not even, really, to be honest with you, recognized probably until sometime about a year ago. And these soldiers actually brought it to our attention about the transition problems." The military would do a better job of taking care of their own, Hagenbeck said, though the system in place was often unwieldy, outdated and inadequate. "Oh, there absolutely has been problems in the past," Hagenbeck said. "And they're in -- even with some of our soldiers today. Some missteps have been made. And they have not been taken care of the way they should have been taken care of." Loyal Soldiers To help these neglected soldiers, Hagenbeck said, the military created an advocacy program this past April called Disabled Soldier Support System, or DS3. The network is set up to fight for a soldier's benefits and entitlements, ease transition to civilian life, and deal with any other problems facing a disabled soldier, according to Hagenbeck. But still there are soldiers like Johnson who fall through the cracks. His mother, Willie Jean Johnson, worries her son may hurt himself. "He's not going to say anything bad about the Army," she said. "I have never heard him say anything bad about it. But you can see the hurt in his eyes. You can see the hurt from his heart in his eyes." Johnson said he usually keeps to himself, preferring to protect his son from seeing him in his current state. "I'd rather be to myself than to flare at somebody else and, you know, and hurt someone that I know I really love," he said. One year after nearly being killed in combat, the Pentagon has yet to send Johnson his Purple Heart medal. The Pentagon collection notices, however, arrive without fail. As to Kelly's discovery that he and his wounded comrades had to beg and borrow to pay for their loved ones to visit while they recuperate, Hagenbeck said a new policy went into effect this weekend to alleviate part of the problem. "There was no system in place to support them in their needs. And I'll be honest with you, until it came to our attention, to people that were paying attention, and then those that wanted to help, that obstacle was there," Hagenbeck said. Incredibly, these soldiers remain dedicated to the military despite all they have endured. "Even though the way I'm being treated, you know, as a vet, I'd still go back in," Johnson said. "I would." "I love being a soldier," Kelly said. "I don't regret what happened. If I had to go back to Iraq knowing that there was that chance of losing my leg, I'd do it. Because that's what the nation asked me to do." Update: Following the airing
of this report on PrimeTime Live, Congressman John Dingell
(D-MI), a former infantryman, wrote a letter to the Pentagon
demanding a progress report on the recently implemented
Disabled Soldier Support System and further assurance that
all wounded and disabled vets would be financially and
otherwise assisted in making the transition to civilian
life. "I am astonished by this story and disappointed,"
Dingell wrote, "that we are failing to fulfill our nation's
duty to care for our injured veterans." Veterans
and Poverty: Gender and age matter
According to the Census Bureau, poverty is low among veterans. Only 5.6 percent of veterans lived in poverty in 1999 – or about half the rate for all adults, which was 10.9 percent. However, our youngest veterans, those who served in August 1990 or later, were among the most likely to be poor, with a poverty rate of 6.2 percent. And, according to this story from the Boston Globe, the VA says that the number of homeless women veterans is on the rise. An estimated 6,500 female veterans end up homeless. While that’s a relatively small number, it is twice was it was a decade ago. Again, younger veterans are more at risk: One out of every 10 homeless vets under the age of 45 is now a woman. And many are single moms. More from the Globe: “Some of the first homeless vets that walked into our office were single moms,’’ said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director and founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “When people think of homeless vets, they don’t think of a Hispanic mother and her kids. The new generation of veterans is made up of far more women.’’ Overall, female veterans are now between two and four times more likely to end up homeless than their civilian counterparts, according to the VA, most as a result of the same factors that contribute to homelessness among male veterans: mental trauma related to their military service and difficulty transitioning into the civilian economy. I will be thinking
about these women and their children when I give thanks to
all the women and men who fight and fought for our
country. U.S.
Poverty Quiz
"I am convinced that if we are to get on the right side of the world revolution, we as a nation must undergo a radical revolution of values. We must rapidly begin the shift from a "thing" oriented society to a "person-oriented" society. When machines and computers, profit motives and property rights are considered more important than people, the giant triplets of racism, materialsim and militarism are incapable of being conquered. A true revolution of values will soon vause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies" Martin Luther King, Jr. 4/4/67 Q: What is the Federal poverty line for a family of 4 in 2012? A: $22,350 Q: The number of people in the U.S. in 2011 ws the largest number in the past ___ years. A: 15.1%, the largest number in the past 52 years. Q: How many low incomes Americans had housing problems in 2010? A: 16 million low income Americans had housing problems (such as living in overcrowded conditions, paying more than 1/2 of their income for housing, lving with a lack of hot water, electricity or other necessities for decent living) in 2010. Q: Who are the "extreme poor" living in the U.S.? A: Those making less the 1/2 the federal poverty line. Q: How many Americans live in extreme poverty? A: 20.5 million Americans. (Less than $11,000 a year for a family of 4) Q: Who are those living in extreme poverty in our global community? A: Extreme Poverty is a daily reality for over 1 billion people or 1 out of every 6 people on Earth. The extreme poor earn less than $1 a day. The vast majority of those living in poverty in both the developing and industrialized world are women and children. Q: What does "absolute poverty" mean? A: Absolute Poverty is defined as "a condition characterised by severe deprivation of basic human needs including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information. It depends not only on income but also on access to services. Q: How many chlidren live in households struggling with hunger in the U.S.? One in six. One in five. One in four. One is three. A: According to
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, nearly one in four
children, or 23.3 percent, live in households struggling
with hunger. (How much do you really know about
poverty? halfinten.org/issues/articles/how-much-do-you-really-know-about-poverty/
Q: Who is eligible for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program commonly known as food stamps)? A: Households may have
no more than $2,000 in countable resources, such as a bank
account and their net income must be below the Federal
Poverty Line. www.fns.usda.gov/snap/faqs.htm#2
Q: What was the average daily benefit per household in 2009? $109 $59 $29 $9 A: Households receiving SNAP benefits in 2009 only received about $9 per day to meet their hunger and nutrition needs. Q: Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to receive Food Stamp (SNAP) benefits? A: Although you
need a SS# and must be seeking work if able bodied, certain
non-citizens, those admitted for humanitarian reasons or
permanent residence, many children, elderly immigrants and
individuals who have been working in the U.S. for certain
periods of time, are eligible for SNAP even if other
familh members are not eligible. http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/faqs.htm#2
Q: How many Americans received Food Stamp assistance in 2011? A: A record 46 million in 2011, up from 32 million in 2008. Q: How much assistance per month do the oor get from food stamps? A: $100 per month per person. Q: How many people did "Feed America's Second Harvest" (Santa Clara County CA) feed per month in 2009-2010? A: An average of 231,311 people per month. That was an 11% increase over the previous year. The majority of people served are seniors and low-income families with children. Q: Poverty and Race. Which racil-ethnic group has the largest numbr of people living in poverty? White/Causasian African America, Asian American, Latino A: The white/Caucasian group makes up the largest racial ethnic group living in poverty today despite common (and inaccurate) stereotypes about the demographics of those in poverty. Following this group are Latinos, African Americas, and Asian Americans. African Americans and Latinos, however, suffer disproportionate rates of poverty. Q: What percentage of children in the U.S. lived in families below the poverty line in 2011? A: More than one in five children (22 percent of all chidren) lived in families with incomes below the poverty line. Almost 50 percent of these children, 7 million, live in extreme poverty. Q: What percent of children living in single mother families were poor and what percent of children living in married-couple families were poor in 2009? A: .44 percent of children living in single-mother families wre poor compared to 11 percent living in married couple families. http://www.childtrendsdatabank.org/?q=node/221 Q: Who is more likely to live below the poverty line: children under 5 or children 5-17? A: Children under 5 (24 percent versus 19 percent. Q: What would happen to poverty rates if women received the same wages as men who work the same number of hours, have the same education and union status, are the same age, and live in the same region of the country? A: Poverty rates would
be cut in half. Working families would gain an astounding
$200 billion in familhy income annually. www.now.org/issues/economic/factsheet.html
Q: How many low-income working families have a parent with some post-secondary education? A: 42% Q: The working poor often eat in soup kitchens. Define the term "Working Poor". A: Working poor -
people who are economically disadvantaged despite the fact
that they are fully employed. www.allbusiness.com/glossaries/working-poor/4943503-1.html#axzz2C3ZqwWkK
Q: What percentage of jobs in the U.S. provide income below the poverty line? A: 22 percent of all jobs provided income below the poverty line in 2010. Q: How many of the jobs in the U.S. won't keep a family of four above the poverty level and provide few or no benefits? A: 20 percent. Q: In 1968 the minimum wage was $1.60 per hour. How much should the minimum wage have been in 2004 if it had kept pace with inflation? A: $8.70 across the U.S. Q: The richest 1% of the world receive as much income as what percentage of the poorest as of 2002? A: 57 percent Q: In 1965, CEOs in major companies made 24 times more than the average worker. In 2003, CEOs earned how many times more than the average worker? What about in 2005? A: 185 times. In 2995, an average CEO was paid 821 times as much as a minimum wage earner, who eared just $5.15 per hour. An average CEO earns more before lunchtime on the very first day of work in the year than a minimum wage worker earns all year. Q: In 2010, what was the tax bill for General Electric, a company that reported worldwide profits of $14.2 billion and said $5.1 billion of the total came from its operations in the U.S. A: Zero. In fact, G.E.
claimed a tax benefit of $3.2 billion. www.nytimes.com/2011/03/25/business/economy/25tax.html?_r=1
Q: Since owning a home can stabilize families and increase income over time, what was Wells Fargo accused of doing to black homeowners in a lawsuit filed in 2007? A: Wells Fargo was 10 times more likely to sell African-American borrowers subprime loans in Minnesota, regardless of income. There are many cities across the U.S. now suing Wells Fargo for this having happened to their citizens. Q: What did Wells Fargo agree to do on April 9, 2010, so the discrimination sit against them would be dropped? A: They agreed to "develop fair loan programs for minorities". Q: The U.S. poverty rate has never fallen by more than a third. True or False? A: False: It fell
by more than 40 percent between 1964 and 1973. By rebuilding
our economy, creating good jobs, investing in families, and
ensuring economic security we can replicate this success and
move millions in the middle class. A 2007
CAP report shows that just four public policies would
cut the U.S. poverty rate by 26 percent in 10 years.
halfinten.org/issues/articles/how-much-do-you-really-know-about-poverty/
Q: As protestants and catholics, what are we called to do when we recognize structures and systems that create and sustain poverty? A: We are challenged to change those structures and systems. We are called, as were the Israelites, to remember our covenant with God. By being in solidarity with the poor and marginalized, we are in solidarity with God and honor our covenant responsibility. Poverty is not the absence of wealth. It's the absence of dignity.
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