POVERTY IN 21st CENTURY AMERICA

Peter Edelman, co-chair of the Center for American Progress's Poverty Task Force, previews some of the findings and recommendations of their forthcoming report, FROM POVERTY TO PROSPERITY. The report which sets a goal of reducing poverty in the United States by 50% in 10 years, will be released Wednesday April 25, 2007. www.AMERICANPROGRESS.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• poverty
• poor
• homeless
• hunger
• health
• american
• progress
• debt
• wage
• money
• finance
• work
• unemployed
• children

[Frederiknshansen]

I am a young danish student - I recently travelled across America and I found your country and its people to be warm and welcoming - be it north or south, eastcoast or westcoast - and I cannot see why this people, this country, so broadly ignores how powerty destroys society. This is not a difficult theoretical discussion on how society should be - this is a moral choice. I can not see how the misery of others can ever be defended - even if it improves my life. All human life is of equal worth.

[anyname666]

Wow chickie

I never thougth anyone else would ever see this vid. BUT I was right huh?? Even though you do not like me I was right about poverty in America.

[GrenadeChick99]

Ahhhh, you live in LA, then? Long Beach. Very familiar territory (sort of). Close enough anyway.

[anyname666]

BTW the poverty level in the USA is designated as $14,000 for 2 people Plus $3,600 for each additional person in the family.

It is easy to see that a married man with no children working 40 hours a week 52 weeks a year at $7 per hour is not under the poverty line. With his first child he slips below that line but gets assistance via EIC from the Feds. As well as food stamps and etc.

It is hard to really be poor in America. You may not have as much as the next guy but you are not starving.

[anyname666]

In Los Angeles County a person on minimum wage ($7 here) can live well on $14,560 a year. You can rent an apartment for $500 to $600 a month in Long Beach. (6 to 7 thousand per year) with the remaining $600 or $700 a month you can pay utilities, buy plenty of food (you are also eligible for Food Stamps). Buy cloths and live a nice life. Use public transportation. If you have a spouse who can also work your income is double. But not if you smoke and use dope and drugs.

[commonpurposecon]

Corporations never gave the people the return on their investment in education, and adding value to its business. Today many with degrees cannot find employment. I was just let go of a temp assignment at a major corp. They could not afford to pay me but fed me great gourmet food.