Should the US raise Poverty Level?

Question

http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/poverty/threshld/thresh04.html
According to the US Census Bureau, a family of four with three children under 18 years of age should be able to survive on $19,223 per year. A family of EIGHT, with six children under 18 years of age is supposed to be able to survive on $31,082 per year.

Anyone here think they could do it?

Answer 1

America is now a nation only for the rich!!!!!

Nothing like when it was started.

Abraham Lincoln must be turning in his grave.

It's all going very wrong!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Answer 2

The census is based on the aggregate average of the polling of the general population of the country. The numbers are added then divided by the number polled to find that average. Consider that in some states the "standard of living" is much lower because the pace is much slower like in West Virgina many people have family properties that have been handed down which automatically brings down their cost of living. In some states like California the cost of living can vary wildly from the northern region to the southern and living on 19,223 in Redding is more doable than the same income in Santa Monica. The number is off-putting because it is an average based on a sampling of the population as opposed to an exact count and income grade of the entire population (which would include illegals, those here on visa and other transient residents.) Hope this helps.

Answer 3

The poverty level is increased every year.

The government cannot guarentee everyone a comfortable life style.

People have to assume some responsibility for themselves.

If a family decides to have six children, when thier income will not support such a family, do you really think it is the governments job to bail them out ?


What about a familiy that decided to have 25 children ?

Should they be considered in poverty when making under $150,000 a year ?

Answer 4

Yes, it's obvious that the poverty guidlines are not accurate. However, there are some good points being brought up about not having chidren until you are prepared to take care of them.

But I think the real issue of Poverty is that we don't want to address it at all except to blame poor people for being poor. Poverty is a cycle and will continue to repeat itself in families unless a person makes a consious decision to break the cycle. It's true, some Americans feel that the Government owes them a comfortable living. The Goverment does not owe them a comfortable living, the Goverment owes them the opportunity to achieve a comfortable living. The current minimum wage does not allow a person to dig themselves out of poverty.

For those of you that rant about poor people being baby factories....I bet many of you are the same ones that don't want sex education taught in the schools. I bet that many of you are the same people that don't think affordable education is an important step to giving hope to the poor so they see an alternative future. I bet many of you don't understand that providing afforable Health Care to the poor is important for the same reason.

Poverty is an issue that affects all of us, the rich the middle class and the poor. Solving that issue will be a benefit to all of us, not just the poor.

Open your eyes, open your mind, and not just your big mouth.

Answer 5

what a joke! Do the kids get home schooled because they surely couldn't wear the same clothes all year. Food what do they eat a cup of rice on that? If a single person that makes 19000 a year can't do it paying rent in the ghetto 400. gas to heat the joint 250. a month gas for the car 200. a month insurance is 600. a year, electric 100. a month,phone land line it's cheaper than cell 40.00 a month then find money for food and doctors if you have to really go! Please it's a third world coming and they care not

Answer 6

I think the poverty level should be lowered!

Basically, if you have a roof over your head, hot and cold running water, heat, enough food on the table and clothes on your back, you should not be considered "in poverty."

"Poverty" evokes those images of third world countries where families live in 1 room mud huts, hauling water from a village well, with a hole for a toilet and an open sewer running down the dirt street.

This poverty level thing has gotten all out of whack? At that income level families also receive gov't benefits like food stamps, section 8 housing, welfare payments, gov't paid medical care, EIC tax payments, etc. Was the value of those things added into that $19,223 number? I think not!

Answer 7

60

Answer 8

Hello,
LOL no, however they do.

Do you notice that $19,223 is over the minimum wage here in Oregon? So to make that much a year a person would have to be making over minimum wage (by a buck or more).
How many kids of 18 are making over minimum wage? How many parents of children are making over minimum wage?

These days two people have to be working to make this 19,000 a year. Having kids just means one of these parents income is going to go straight to these kids care. Hopefully these people have healthy kids, if one of the kids has medical problems.......

Those figures are not reality, at least not here in America where jobs are going, going, gone!

Answer 9

It's not possible with wages being decreased thanks to companies leaving the US, and having the illegals help lower our wages. Also the min wage needs to changed to a "living wage". That amount of money sounds like they are barely making it. I doubt a single person or even a family could make it on that.

Answer 10

let me calculate for alabama

700 for a cheap apt in a poor school district
200 food living off ramen noodles
200 gas living 5 miles from work
400 utilities avg
150 car insurance
200 each car payment 2 cars
+200

2050 a month

and

24,600 a year