Even Further Progress On Poverty(Bad news for the left)

IBD ^ | August 28, 2007

[Kaslin]

Statistics: We've never been fond of the government's poverty data, believing they grossly overstate the problem. The latest data, however, show the poverty rate off sharply — which means it's even better than it looks.

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It probably won't get much play (seeing that it happened on George Bush's watch), but it's worth noting nonetheless: The U.S. poverty rate dropped from 12.6% in 2005 to 12.3% in 2006. (The 12.3%, by the way, is below the 12.9% average under President Clinton, but you probably won't see that mentioned much either.)

Just two years ago, the media were full of stories about how poverty had risen in America despite a global economic boom. This, it was repeatedly suggested, showed that the U.S. suffered from gross economic inequality — capitalism's cardinal sin.

Which, of course, was utter nonsense. By any real measure, Americans — including the poor — are better off than the rest of the world. Moreover, the poverty data capture only one aspect of our economic existence: income. Study after study shows that Americans routinely consume well above their incomes, thanks in large part to government subsidies, aid, pensions and outright welfare.

[SandRat]

Heard from the Dems

NO! NO! NO! NO!


BUSH did Better Than KlinTOON in the War On Poverty!!!

[EGPWS]

The latest data, however, show the poverty rate off sharply — which means it's even better than it looks.

To a democrat politician it can only mean one thing...WE ARN'T DOING ENOUGH and we need a panel to investigate as to why we aren't doing enough.

[rb22982]

A few years ago, a buddy of mine who was making around $20k a year as a meat cutter had a kid out of wedlock. Then got hitched in like late december. I was making around 30k at the time as a department mgr. I ended up paying something around $3500 in state/federal taxes that year. He paid nothing and actually got back an additional $6,000 through credits and EITC and such. I remember he took his tax rebate check of something around $8500 and bought a Kia Rio outright. Couldn’t believe it on someone making $20k a year to get a rebate check from the gov’t of $8500. I think I ended up having to pay an addl $500. Plus, almost all of his kids expenses were paid for by the gov’t. I doubted most ‘poverty’ statistics since then.