Census: Americans in ‘Poverty’ Typically Have Cell Phones, Computers, TVs, VCRS, AC...

Americans who live in households whose income is below the federal “poverty” level typically have cell phones (as well as landline phones), computers, televisions, video recorders, air conditioning, refrigerators, gas or electric stoves, and washers and dryers and microwaves, according to a newly released report from the Census Bureau.

In fact, 80.9 percent of households below the poverty level have cell phones, and a healthy majority—58.2 percent—have computers.

Fully 96.1 percent of American households in “poverty” have a television to watch, and 83.2 percent of them have a video-recording device in case they cannot get home in time to watch the football game or their favorite telephone show and they want to record it for watching later.

Refrigerators (97.8 percent), gas or electric stoves (96.6 percent) and microwaves (93.2 percent) are standard equipment in the homes of Americans in "poverty."

Interestingly, the appliances surveyed by the Census Bureau that households in poverty are least likely to own are dish washers (44.9 percent) and food freezers (26.2 percent).

However, most Americans in “poverty” do not need to go to a laundromat. According to the Census Bureau, 68.7 percent of households in poverty have a clothes washer and 65.3 percent have a clothes dryer.

The estimates on the percentage of households in poverty that have these appliances were derived by the Census Bureau from its Survey of Income and Program Participation. The latest report on this survey, released this month, published data collected in 2011.

Here are the percentages of households below the poverty level that the Census Bureau estimates had the following appliances:

Well to be fair, if you rent even a cheap apartment, you are likely going to have a fridge, dish washer, stove, maybe a shared washer and dryer.

An old CRT TV can be had for free. I’ve seen plenty out on the side of the road with Free signs.

A decent garage sale hunter can get a computer, DVD or microwave for a few bucks. Phones too if you are willing to pay for the service.

But then again there is a difference between poor, and thrifty and those that are leeches shopping at Best Buy.

So while a low-income person in the U.S. has nothing on real poor people around the world, I don’t see it as weird that someone considered “poor” here would have any of those things.

What this shows is that advertising works - these people have been sold, all of us have, on buying crap they don’t need and that has helped to impoverish them.

I mean, if you are poor, who needs a refrigerator for Pete’s sake! Or a washer and dryer?! Pay the long term costs of going outside.

Too...

TV’s use so much electricity, sell it to your rich neighbor.

Cell phone’s - you’ll never get a second job and no one will rob you walking too and from your flipper job, so why own one?

Poor people should stick with steak and fresh squeezed juice so they don’t get fat like cheap pop and cheaper fatty foods do.

All those unemployed for the last 4 years...what losers in their nice houses. They should build a manufacturing plant and work there like the rest of uh...

no such thing as “poor” in the USA...none zero nada...

people defined as “poor” are the tools of federal programs to justify the employment of affirmative action employees to maintain the “poor”...

I live in a third world country year round and can testify that even the POOR here...F*C*ING WORK to feed themselves...they WORK, the first thing they do DAILY is to tend to their small gardens...and second they do WHATEVER for a small fee to get money for the other basics...they collect wood for their wood burning stoves and may barter wood for eggs, ground corn, cheese or milk...

People here go road side and pick wild mangoes, coconuts and eat their humble meals and proudly share with those who are worthy...the lazy worthless here are left in the streets to die and serve as a reminder to children to DON’T do THAT!

HERE the government doesn’t employ the lame to redistribute money...the government instead takes the tax dollars and builds infrastructures to transmit power, supply water and sewer to EVERYONE so we can all work together while standing on the same playing field...

Water and sewer is needed for the small family farmer all the way up to the larger farms...which employs people with BASIC farming skills...also Most here have a family member that FISHES for their weekly protein, most families have a few chickens for eggs and each year (an extended family will all chip in) to buy a piglet which will grace their table at CHRISTMAS...

Quite simply we here live as most hard working Americans did before and after the depression...when US citizens relied on our own skills and bartered their talents to get ahead before DEMANDING a paycheck and WORST credit...

I recently hired a young man to build a piece of furniture...he told me his dream to own a a lithium battery cordless drill...very expensive here (twice as much here)...so we bought one online and had a friend bring it down to us...THAT bartered situation ENSURES his future success in building a business that he HAS TO WORK at to break the cycle of just living to getting by and to also help his children educated to held them move forward!

School here...all kids in uniforms, all kids in school at 700 AM ALL kids go home at 12 for lunch and CHORES and at 2pm are back in school until 5PM...

F*c) the so called poor in the USA...they are just worthless and lazy MADE that way by their own volition and expectation that they have a safety net...

F*cc% the lazy and worthless in the USA they all deserve to die of starvation...and be sneered upon while lying in the streets...

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