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US Poverty Rates Decline


The Census Bureau reported Tuesday that 36.5 million Americans, or 12.3 percent -- were living in poverty last year. That's down from 12.6 percent in 2005.

The median household income was $48,200, a slight increase from the previous year. But the number of people without health insurance also increased, to 47 million.

The last significant decline in the poverty rate came in 2000, during the Clinton administration. In 2005, the poverty rate dipped from 12.7 percent to 12.6 percent, but Census officials said that change was statistically insignificant.

What's interesting to me is how do they come up with income numbers to determine poverty. The article states an annual income of $20,444 for a family of four to be "living in poverty". But I don't believe this consists of tax free benefits such as food stamps, Earned Income Credit, WIC, subsidized housing, school lunches, etc. all of which a family of four with this income would be eligible for.

So I believe income is a bad determination of poverty.

I believe a better indication of measuring poverty is measuring the assets people own. For instance, if you own a TV, a VCR, a cell phone and a car you are not living in poverty. And my guess would be that many of these families own some if not all of these assets.

America has the fattest poor people in the world and if you are poor & fat are you may be living in poverty, but only in poverty of the soul.