Poverty in the USA
Mar 1st 2012, 12:54 am
#121
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Joined: Dec 2006
Location: WA
Posts: 18,831
Re: Poverty in the USA
The common misconception is healthcare in the UK is free and housing is free, someone pays the taxes for these things. You are paying for it one way or another in taxes. So the difference is when and who you pay and your service. Also, this idea of "poverty" differs regionally and nationally, just a couple of facts from the US Census Bureau 2011:
-80 percent of poor households have air conditioning. In 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
-92 percent of poor households have a microwave.
-Nearly three-fourths have a car or truck, and 31 percent have two or more cars or trucks.
-Nearly two-thirds have cable or satellite TV.
-Two-thirds have at least one DVD player, and 70 percent have a VCR.
-Half have a personal computer, and one in seven have two or more computers.
-More than half of poor families with children have a video game system, such as an Xbox or PlayStation.
-43 percent have Internet access.
-One-third have a wide-screen plasma or LCD TV.
-One-fourth have a digital video recorder system, such as a TiVo.
-96 percent of poor parents stated that their children were never hungry at any time during the year because they could not afford food.
-83 percent of poor families reported having enough food to eat.
-82 percent of poor adults reported never being hungry at any time in the prior year due to lack of money for food.
-Over the course of a year, 4 percent of poor persons become temporarily homeless.
-Only 9.5 percent of the poor live in mobile homes or trailers, 49.5 percent live in separate single-family houses or townhouses, and 40 percent live in apartments.
-42 percent of poor households actually own their own homes.
-Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
-The average poor American has more living space than the typical non-poor person in Sweden, France, or the United Kingdom.
-The vast majority of the homes or apartments of the poor are in good repair.
-80 percent of poor households have air conditioning. In 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
-92 percent of poor households have a microwave.
-Nearly three-fourths have a car or truck, and 31 percent have two or more cars or trucks.
-Nearly two-thirds have cable or satellite TV.
-Two-thirds have at least one DVD player, and 70 percent have a VCR.
-Half have a personal computer, and one in seven have two or more computers.
-More than half of poor families with children have a video game system, such as an Xbox or PlayStation.
-43 percent have Internet access.
-One-third have a wide-screen plasma or LCD TV.
-One-fourth have a digital video recorder system, such as a TiVo.
-96 percent of poor parents stated that their children were never hungry at any time during the year because they could not afford food.
-83 percent of poor families reported having enough food to eat.
-82 percent of poor adults reported never being hungry at any time in the prior year due to lack of money for food.
-Over the course of a year, 4 percent of poor persons become temporarily homeless.
-Only 9.5 percent of the poor live in mobile homes or trailers, 49.5 percent live in separate single-family houses or townhouses, and 40 percent live in apartments.
-42 percent of poor households actually own their own homes.
-Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
-The average poor American has more living space than the typical non-poor person in Sweden, France, or the United Kingdom.
-The vast majority of the homes or apartments of the poor are in good repair.
Last edited by kimilseung; Mar 1st 2012 at 12:57 am.
Mar 1st 2012, 12:55 am
#122
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 862
Re: Poverty in the USA
I admit it's sad... but I've got to question how they ended up homeless. If the parents decided a nothing-down 100%-financed mortgage was the way forward, then this is clearly the parents' fault. If the parents lost their jobs because of corporate downsizing, then this is clearly the parents' fault for not having a backup plan when the writing was clearly on the wall. I blame the parents... but it's still sad.
Ian
Ian
Just for the record I have a username that depicts a fair degree of cynicism. I fully accept that some have little to no idea how to manage their lives;-that is not a Federal offence btw.
I also know that there are those who live their lives believing they are 'owed'. They exploit systems as much as they can;-they exist everywhere.
Why I refuse to engage in your continual exercise of blaming the victim, is that you simply do not acknowledge that there are so many thousands of people who have become victims of the delightfully named 'market forces'.
People are humiliated and degraded by what has happened to them-through no fault of their own.
Frankly I am sick to death of the kind of rationale you repeatedly espouse. It is that rationale that has led to this! It is nothing more than the survival of the fittest,-and if you can't keep up-it's your fault;-you're a loser'.
Pernicious and vile! I hope I will live to see a change in that-but I doubt it.
Mar 1st 2012, 1:05 am
#124
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Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 862
Re: Poverty in the USA
Welfare/health system generally good. Every cloud.....!
The common misconception is healthcare in the UK is free and housing is free, someone pays the taxes for these things. You are paying for it one way or another in taxes. So the difference is when and who you pay and your service. Also, this idea of "poverty" differs regionally and nationally, just a couple of facts from the US Census Bureau 2011:
-80 percent of poor households have air conditioning. In 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
-92 percent of poor households have a microwave.
-Nearly three-fourths have a car or truck, and 31 percent have two or more cars or trucks.
-Nearly two-thirds have cable or satellite TV.
-Two-thirds have at least one DVD player, and 70 percent have a VCR.
-Half have a personal computer, and one in seven have two or more computers.
-More than half of poor families with children have a video game system, such as an Xbox or PlayStation.
-43 percent have Internet access.
-One-third have a wide-screen plasma or LCD TV.
-One-fourth have a digital video recorder system, such as a TiVo.
-96 percent of poor parents stated that their children were never hungry at any time during the year because they could not afford food.
-83 percent of poor families reported having enough food to eat.
-82 percent of poor adults reported never being hungry at any time in the prior year due to lack of money for food.
-Over the course of a year, 4 percent of poor persons become temporarily homeless.
-Only 9.5 percent of the poor live in mobile homes or trailers, 49.5 percent live in separate single-family houses or townhouses, and 40 percent live in apartments.
-42 percent of poor households actually own their own homes.
-Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
-The average poor American has more living space than the typical non-poor person in Sweden, France, or the United Kingdom.
-The vast majority of the homes or apartments of the poor are in good repair.
-80 percent of poor households have air conditioning. In 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
-92 percent of poor households have a microwave.
-Nearly three-fourths have a car or truck, and 31 percent have two or more cars or trucks.
-Nearly two-thirds have cable or satellite TV.
-Two-thirds have at least one DVD player, and 70 percent have a VCR.
-Half have a personal computer, and one in seven have two or more computers.
-More than half of poor families with children have a video game system, such as an Xbox or PlayStation.
-43 percent have Internet access.
-One-third have a wide-screen plasma or LCD TV.
-One-fourth have a digital video recorder system, such as a TiVo.
-96 percent of poor parents stated that their children were never hungry at any time during the year because they could not afford food.
-83 percent of poor families reported having enough food to eat.
-82 percent of poor adults reported never being hungry at any time in the prior year due to lack of money for food.
-Over the course of a year, 4 percent of poor persons become temporarily homeless.
-Only 9.5 percent of the poor live in mobile homes or trailers, 49.5 percent live in separate single-family houses or townhouses, and 40 percent live in apartments.
-42 percent of poor households actually own their own homes.
-Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
-The average poor American has more living space than the typical non-poor person in Sweden, France, or the United Kingdom.
-The vast majority of the homes or apartments of the poor are in good repair.
Frankly, your lengthy presentation here says more about you than what you are attempting to show!
Mar 1st 2012, 1:06 am
#125
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Poverty in the USA
Mar 1st 2012, 1:06 am
#126
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Joined: Jun 2010
Posts: 2,847
Re: Poverty in the USA
SATX John points out that it's not free in the UK - somebody pays the tax to pay for these services. Correct. it's largely free at the point of use... With universal coverage...
Here in the US, by the time I take into account co-pays, deductible payments etc, on top of the lower taxes I pay here compared to the UK, it works out to cost the same. I am very fortunate that I work for a very forward thinking US company. They pay all medical bills after the deductible, so a heart attack etc isn't going to bankrupt me like it might do others. They have a clinic on site, free, no co-pays etc. so if I didn't work at this employer my costs would be higher... Much, in the case of major illness. So the US, on this basis, is not cheaper. The quality of health care I have experienced is very good. I note that at the national level the US has slightly worse health and pays overall 50-100% more as a portion of GDP than the UK does... The US system is incredibly inefficient.
For a country that is more 'church going' than the UK, the philosophy of 'I am my brother's keeper' seems to be very thin on the ground in comparison... Many suggesting that to be semis evil/socialist/communist and just downright dangerous.
Go figure, as they say...
Here in the US, by the time I take into account co-pays, deductible payments etc, on top of the lower taxes I pay here compared to the UK, it works out to cost the same. I am very fortunate that I work for a very forward thinking US company. They pay all medical bills after the deductible, so a heart attack etc isn't going to bankrupt me like it might do others. They have a clinic on site, free, no co-pays etc. so if I didn't work at this employer my costs would be higher... Much, in the case of major illness. So the US, on this basis, is not cheaper. The quality of health care I have experienced is very good. I note that at the national level the US has slightly worse health and pays overall 50-100% more as a portion of GDP than the UK does... The US system is incredibly inefficient.
For a country that is more 'church going' than the UK, the philosophy of 'I am my brother's keeper' seems to be very thin on the ground in comparison... Many suggesting that to be semis evil/socialist/communist and just downright dangerous.
Go figure, as they say...
Mar 1st 2012, 1:07 am
#127
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 41,518
Re: Poverty in the USA
How keen are poor parents to admit to authorities that their kids go hungry or their house is in poor repair?
Mar 1st 2012, 1:12 am
#128
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Joined: Dec 2006
Location: WA
Posts: 18,831
Re: Poverty in the USA
Well now! What a fascinating array of lovely stats. Interesting that you've gone to such trouble to prove that the perception of poverty in the US is totally erroneous.
Frankly, your lengthy presentation here says more about you than what you are attempting to show!
Frankly, your lengthy presentation here says more about you than what you are attempting to show!
Mar 1st 2012, 1:21 am
#129
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Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Purgatory (PU, USA)
Posts: 860
Re: Poverty in the USA
International businesses see Australia as the rrrrsend of the World!! They see it as fair to charge extra for everything because of the distance. They've admitted to that.
Welfare/health system generally good. Every cloud.....!
Well now! What a fascinating array of lovely stats. Interesting that you've gone to such trouble to prove that the perception of poverty in the US is totally erroneous.
Frankly, your lengthy presentation here says more about you than what you are attempting to show!
Welfare/health system generally good. Every cloud.....!
Well now! What a fascinating array of lovely stats. Interesting that you've gone to such trouble to prove that the perception of poverty in the US is totally erroneous.
Frankly, your lengthy presentation here says more about you than what you are attempting to show!
"Hey bro, I own a VCR, so I guess I'm rich, biatch!".
Mar 1st 2012, 1:22 am
#130
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Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Purgatory (PU, USA)
Posts: 860
Re: Poverty in the USA
Mar 1st 2012, 1:23 am
#131
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Location: Purgatory (PU, USA)
Posts: 860
Re: Poverty in the USA
They make the average Daily Mail reader look like intellectuals!
Last edited by Ethelred_the_Unready; Mar 1st 2012 at 1:36 am.
Mar 1st 2012, 1:25 am
#132
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Re: Poverty in the USA
Nice one!
Mar 1st 2012, 1:26 am
#133
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Posts: 18,831
Re: Poverty in the USA
The Heritage Foundation claims to love Margaret Thatcher, I was no fan of Thatcher, but Thatcher and Heritage are a million miles apart. I would love to know the Heritage Foundation view on Thatchers policy of giving free homes to the poor (imagine if Obama did that).
Mar 1st 2012, 1:35 am
#134
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Joined: Feb 2012
Location: Purgatory (PU, USA)
Posts: 860
Re: Poverty in the USA
The Heritage Foundation claims to love Margaret Thatcher, I was no fan of Thatcher, but Thatcher and Heritage are a million miles apart. I would love to know the Heritage Foundation view on Thatchers policy of giving free homes to the poor (imagine if Obama did that).
Last edited by Ethelred_the_Unready; Mar 1st 2012 at 1:47 am.
Mar 1st 2012, 1:44 am
#135
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Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 83
Re: Poverty in the USA
Worse than selling council homes off to council tenants she sold flats off to single people in the inner city areas for next to nothing! Consequently, whole areas like Nottinghillgate were sold off for next to nothing and made people millions!! When I lived there back in the 70's taxi drivers wouldn't take you there!!