More than 1 in 5 kids live in poverty

[Hannah Bell]

The rate of children living in poverty this year will climb to nearly 22%, the highest rate in two decades, according to an analysis by the non-profit Foundation for Child Development. Nearly 17% of children were living in poverty in 2006, before the recession began...

The recession could wipe out virtually all economic progress for children since the Foundation for Child Development began analyzing data in 1975, says foundation president Ruby Takanishi. The U.S. Census Bureau says nearly 19% of families with children had incomes below the federal poverty level of $22,025 for a family of four in 2008, the latest year available...

But the conservative Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector says the index offers little new information. He says the report doesn't mention that poor children's family incomes are supplemented by programs such as food stamps and housing assistance. "Most of the report is an advertising tool for more government programs and spending, which are pretty ineffective in increasing child well-being," he says...

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-06-08-1Achild08_ST_N.htm

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. And Rector's solution would be....?

[Hannah Bell]

2. lower their taxes, of course! and send them to church.

kind of funny -- he implies they're not really so poor because they get food stamps & housing subsidies -- then in the next breath says government programs are ineffective.

which is it, rector?

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. I think he's more in favor of lowering the rich guy's taxes

He's not interested in actually helping the poor.

[tango-tee]

3. Children facing an "insecure source of food".

From the article: "...The report projects that the percentage of children living in families with an "insecure" source of food has risen from about 17% in 2007 to nearly 18% in 2010..."

On the one hand, words want to tumble from my mouth in anger, lashing out... but then again, this travesty in all its ramifications renders me speechless, helpless.

So many no-account wanna-be celebrities living it up somewhere, executives ruining companies, taking along hundreds of thousands of livelihoods and receiving golden parachutes for their "efforts", children going hungry.

Hannah, what *can* we do? There has to be a way... we can't let this continue.

[Scuba]

4. Meanwhile, Paul Allen's yacht has TWO helicoptors....

...can't we just tax the obscenely wealthy until they're only fabulously wealthy?

[Hannah Bell]

5. no, if they're only fabulously wealthy it gives them no incentive to continue

doing whatever it is they do -- & then we would all be doomed.

because only the hard work of the obscenely wealthy keeps us from penury.

they are so much smarter than us, you know.

i'm glad i'm a gamma.

[Scuba]

9. How long are we gonna fall for that 'trickle down' story?

Hasn't it been proved false enought times yet?

[oldgrowth]

6. Limbaugh's solution to childhood hunger: Kids should 'dumpster dive

Link
http://crooksandliars.com/karoli/rush-limbaugh-thinks-hungry-children-should

[madmax]

11. What kind of woman

would marry a guy with this mindset?

:eyes:

[Jkid]

12. ...and risk being jailed?

No, thanks.

[Ichingcarpenter]

7. Don't Worry the Mega Billionaires are creating foundations

to send them to charter schools, while supporting BP at the same time and
pay no taxes.

[Hannah Bell]

8. more foundations! just the thing. let them eat money.

[Scuba]

10. The children will starve but the Symphony will get a new concert hall.

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. And the symphony isn't going to pay any taxes on that hall either

So those children living in poverty are guaranteed an education in a cash starved school district.

[Scuba]

15. Critical thinking. Excellent. Thanks.

[proud2BlibKansan]

16. First hand experience

No critical thinking necessary.

[Catherina]

17. Plus ca change

[Honeycombe8]

18. We need more workhouses for the poor!

Oh, wait, we don't have any workhouses now.

So I guess we need to START workhouses for the poor!

And feed them cake, if the little whippersnappers don't have bread!

:sarcasm:

[Ichingcarpenter]

19. .What We need more is more American Blues and Consciousness

I'm am the the backdoor slam

[William Z. Foster]

20. much worse than it may appear

"$22,025 for a family of four." Think about that.

A single person making $20,000 is struggling, let alone a family of four.

The response to this is a terrible and damning indictment of this community. It would be bad enough it were only a matter of disinterest. But beyond that there is often open hostility directed at those speaking out about poverty. Worse yet, so few see this as a "canary in the coal mine" - as an indicator that something is very seriously and profoundly wrong, and that this therefore is a cause that belongs to all of us.

What difference does it make if a person claims to "believe" in "progressive" or liberal "values," when they have the same haughty and disconnected view, the same arrogance and gentrified and aristocratic attitudes, the same callous indifference and outright cruelty as any among the right wingers? What else could explain the indifference and hostility?

[Starry Messenger]

21. Heritage foundation.

"Hating poor people since 1973"© I'd like to see any one of the assholes on their Board of Trustees try to raise a family of four on $22,000.