Extreme Poverty Is Now At Record Levels (HOPEY-CHANGEY!)

Zero Hedge- ^ | 11-05-11 | Ilene

[tcrlaf]

The extreme the wealth disparity in the U.S. keeps on widening. We already know that people at the higher percentage levels are doing well, particularly at the highest, while the middle class is shrinking rapidly. Here, Michael Snyder presents some handy statistics on the growth at the lowest levels of poverty.

Extreme Poverty Is Now At Record Levels – 19 Statistics About The Poor That Will Absolutely Astound You

Courtesy of Michael Snyder of Economic Collapse

[Extreme Poverty Is Now At Record Levels - 20 Statistics About The Poor That Will Absolutely Astound You] According to the U.S. Census Bureau, a higher percentage of Americans is living in extreme poverty than they have ever measured before. In 2010, we were told that the economy was recovering, but the truth is that the number of the "very poor" soared to heights never seen previously.

Back in 1993 and back in 2009, the rate of extreme poverty was just over 6 percent, and that represented the worst numbers on record. But in 2010, the rate of extreme poverty hit a whopping 6.7 percent. That means that one out of every 15 Americans is now considered to be "very poor".

For many people, this is all very confusing because their guts are telling them that things are getting worse and yet the mainstream media keeps telling them that everything is just fine.

[tcrlaf]

So just how bad are things right now?

The following are 19 statistics about the poor that will absolutely astound you....

#1 According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the percentage of "very poor" rose in 300 out of the 360 largest metropolitan areas during 2010.

#2 Last year, 2.6 million more Americans descended into poverty. That was the largest increase that we have seen since the U.S. government began keeping statistics on this back in 1959.

#3 It isn't just the ranks of the "very poor" that are rising. The number of those just considered to be "poor" is rapidly increasing as well. Back in the year 2000, 11.3% of all Americans were living in poverty. Today, 15.1% of all Americans are living in poverty.

#4 The poverty rate for children living in the United States increased to 22% in 2010.

#5 There are 314 counties in the United States where at least 30% of the children are facing food insecurity.

#6 In Washington D.C., the "child food insecurity rate" is 32.3%.

#7 More than 20 million U.S. children rely on school meal programs to keep from going hungry.

#8 One out of every six elderly Americans now lives below the federal poverty line.

#9 Today, there are over 45 million Americans on food stamps.

#10 According to the Wall Street Journal, nearly 15 percent of all Americans are now on food stamps.

#11 In 2010, 42 percent of all single mothers in the United States were on food stamps.

#12 The number of Americans on food stamps has increased 74% since 2007.

#13 We are told that the economy is recovering, but the number of Americans on food stamps has grown by another 8 percent over the past year.

#14 Right now, one out of every four American children is on food stamps.

#15 It is being projected that approximately 50 percent of all U.S. children will be on food stamps at some point in their lives before they reach the age of 18.

#16 More than 50 million Americans are now on Medicaid. Back in 1965, only one out of every 50 Americans was on Medicaid. Today, approximately one out of every 6 Americans is on Medicaid.

#17 One out of every six Americans is now enrolled in at least one government anti-poverty program.

#18 The number of Americans that are going to food pantries and soup kitchens has increased by 46% since 2006.

#19 It is estimated that up to half a million children may currently be homeless in the United States.

Sadly, we don't hear much about this on the nightly news, do we?

[Dallas59]

Almost all the wealthiest are Dems in blue states.

[cripplecreek]

Its so bad that I am forced to use a tracfone and don’t even have an Ipad.

[eyedigress]

It’s all going out. My rock-solid company is leaving throughout the course of next year. They found it wiser to be in Canada than Nashville. Thanks Obama.

[econjack]

Uhh...let's see. While you're the President, create business uncertainty relative to taxes, raise the cost of doing business with threats of things like cap and trade, increase the cost of hiring employees with things like the Obozo health care plan, and then ask yourself: “Why doesn't business hire more people so unemployment rates fall?” And with fewer people employed, be stupid enough to wonder why income inequality rises.

[ully2]

All a result of believing in government instead of self.

[tcrlaf]

“Its so bad that I am forced to use a tracfone and don’t even have an Ipad.”

Don’t even get me started on that.
Food Stamp Recipients get a FREE Cell Phone, and 250 Free minutes a month, paid for by my Phone Bill.

They can add unlimited texting for $5 a month, and Unlimited Data for $10.

The wife and I pay well over $100 a month for almost the exact same plan.

I’ve almost reached the point that I think being a PRODUCTIVE member of society means you must be an idiot.

[beebuster2000]

42% of single mothers are on food stamps. what does this tell us about being a single mother? should the govt bail you out if you have a child out of wedlock with no means of support? i guess so according to the article.

other thought, if 6% are in poverty, than 94% (check my math there) are not. how does that compare historically? has there ever been a society with greater than 94% non poverty?

[driftless2]

The whole liberal-driven poverty question, like everything else driven by libs, is suspect. If we check that facts, according to Mark Levin in his book “Liberty and Tyranny” the greatest increase in the poverty rate comes from Mexican immigrants...legal and illegal. Of course, if Obama is re-elected, we’ll see millions more non-immigrants thrust into poverty.

[ronnie raygun]

Ah....... more fodder for the rat party, caused by encouraged by and supported by. Don’t look here look over there they are the cause of your poverty.

[FlingWingFlyer]

The extreme poor brought this on themselves by helping to elect a Chicago Marxist thug to run the country. They should have known that the standard of living is always in the toilet in Marxist banana republics. You can’t have a prosperous America AND Marxism/communism too. It just doesn’t work that way.

[Arrowhead1952]

The comments there are not too kind to Ø bummer. Looks like the hope and change crowd is getting angry.

[Mr Rogers]

Sorry, but this is a crock. I can remember people living in tar-paper shacks in the south in the 60s. My Mom wasn’t allowed to wear shoes to school until the first frost...then that afternoon, they would break out the shoes and try to figure out who could wear what.

Food stamps are a scam, run by government to justify their existence. I’ve never been on food stamps, but I can remember eating some mighty tough venison because that is what was left...and don’t get me started on the ‘food insecurity’ BS!

The poor have it great in America.

[A_perfect_lady]

I got so mad at AT&T, I canceled my cellphone and was fully prepared to go phone-free. My little sister added a phone to her family plan for an extra 10 bucks a month and sent it to me. Otherwise I’d just go without. I hate phones. I hate phone companies.

[cripplecreek]

I personally think our real problem is that we’ve raised at least two generations that don’t know the meaning of the word “no”. People no longer consider the possibility that they should live within their means.

I consider myself lucky to have grown up poor and learned to go without. If not, I would be so depressed by my lack of crap I want that I would probably be suicidal. Instead, I just shrug at the things I don’t have.

[Chode]

[Mr Rogers]

When they have camps for CCC workers, living without air conditioning in southern Arizona, doing manual labor and sending money home to their families, I'll believe we're getting BACK to record levels of poverty.

[A_perfect_lady]

What gets me is how much people spend on electronic toys. Most of their expenditures are entertainment-related. I mean, plasmas, cable, iPods, iPads, texting, games, music, stupid movies... they resent paying for their own eye-glasses but they'll drop just as much a laptop so they can cruise eBay looking for more crap they don't need.

I'm so glad I grew up with things like "books" and "libraries."

[DTogo]

"...But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

The solution has been right in front of us for 235 years.

[tbw2]

Agreed. The pictures of poor single mothers with big screen TVs and kids with designer shoes gall me, since I don’t waste my money on those things.
The solution for part of this could be mandatory Norplants or IUDs for women collecting welfare. No more kids until you can support them. No abortions needed, no relying upon someone to take birth control pills, no more children born that society and the mothers cannot afford.
And before anyone screams, I am both a woman and a mother.