Each year the U.S. Census Bureau releases its data on poverty. And each year the news seems even worse than the year before. This year is no different, with Census informing us in its annual report that some 43.1 million Americans, or about 13.5% of us, were officially poor in 2015.
The number of poor fell during the year as the nation continued to climb out of the economic crater left by the economy's financial implosion in 2008...
...contrary to the rhetoric of the left and the misleading data from the government, the 43 million in poverty number is vastly exaggerated.
...15 facts about poverty...
For every $1 in income reported by Census, poor households spend $2.40. Most poor people live in adequate housing. Not only is it in good shape, but... 85% of the poor have air conditioning. Nearly three-quarters own a car or a truck, and 31% have more than one. Two-thirds have cable or satellite TV. Half have a PC, and 43% have internet. Two-thirds own a DVD player. More than half of poor families with kids own a video game system. A third have a big screen plasma or LCD TV...
...what about things like hunger? Hasn't that come back with a vengeance?
In a word, no.
Just 4% of poor parents report that their children were hungry... Only 4% of poor people become homeless in any year, and usually it's temporary. ...they spend $25 for every $1 in income the left claims they have...
...the left uses the poverty data as a bludgeon...
...But instead of just throwing more money at our perceived problem of poverty, our efforts should focus on opportunity, education, training and lifestyle changes.
And while we're at it, maybe we should throw out the government's badly measured poverty gauges...
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
