Drowning in Poverty

In 2006, the poverty threshold for a family of four was $20,444. That works out to $1703/month or $425 per month for each person. That $425 is supposed to provide food, shelter, clothing, and medical care. Keep in mind that a family of four right at the poverty level is not going to be saving for college or retirement. Indeed, the parents will most likely be working until they are physically unable to work anymore. Any family earning under $30,666/yr is still considered low-income and eligible for services such as food stamps. However, there are various requirements for the food stamps program such as mandatory enrollment in a work program for any family member between the ages of 16 and 60 that is not currently employed. This requirement brings forth the question of whether it is useful or healthy for the people on the ends of this age requirement to participate in a training and employment program. If someone is older and not currently in the work force there may very well be a health reason they are not currently employed. What about the teenager end of this requirement? Most teenagers lives are kept occupied by high school and for a family in this situation, most likely helping with younger siblings or around the house. When do they have time for an employment program?

The poverty threshold is a cut-off line that is the same across the entire U.S. However, a family in a small town in Oklahoma is going to be able to provide more for their family on much less than a family in Miami. Essentially, while the government threshold for poverty stays the same no matter where you are, the actual threshold for poverty varies by location. Even a family that does not meet the low-income requirement ($30,666 for a family of four) may have a hard time making ends meet if they are living in a high cost area such as New York City, Los Angeles, or Miami. In these high cost areas, many of those in poverty aren't eligible for benefits because their income is too high. It seems that the poverty level should be determined more on a case-by-case basis and less by an overreaching rule. Ideally it would be decided by individual counties or cities, however, that can be impractical for small cities with limited resources to figure out the figures. Perhaps the best step would be to leave it up to the states to determine what the threshold of poverty is.

It is my belief that poverty afflicts many more than the government gives credit too. Many people who are considered "middle class" are drowning in debt. Some of this debt is "good debt" such as a mortgage, however, much of it is due to other private loans and credit cards. Many low-income families feel it absolutely necessary that they go into debt because they have no other way to pay for food, utilities, or their child's education. Many people view debt accrued from loans or credit cards as simply irresponsible living. However, many times, these families have no other choice. These days with the cost of tuition and room and board college students are graduating with thousands of dollars in loans. How is a freshly minted graduate supposed to land on their feet if they can barely afford their loan payments on their entry level salary? The United States is drowning in poverty. Debt is essentially being taught to every college student. There are dozens of newspaper articles on how to be debt free and how to be a responsible college student. But there is simply no way to be responsible when you simply can't afford the inflated cost of tuition.