Over 48 million people, or about 15 percent of America’s population, live in poverty (Gillespie). This is the blunt reality of the society we live in. These people can barely pay for their housing, electricity, heat or even their food. Although people immediately imagine a homeless person as living in poverty, in reality, anyone could be living in poverty and have it not be too obvious to the world. Often, these people will qualify for government assistance programs such as welfare or food stamps, however this rises up a very important question. Does everyone who applies for government assistive programs deserve it? Simply put, no. Many times, the government will grant someone assistance mainly based off their income without consideration of …show more content…
Sure, people want to survive, but people also want objects. These objects, such as the newest iPhone, gaming systems, workout gear, cars and much more, have one thing in common; they cost money. In order to buy these materialistic goods, one must first obtain the money for them by working a job. This is what keeps the economy running. Now, when one doesn’t have enough money for the simplest of goods, such as food and electricity, they can apply to the government for assistance. In the short term, there is nothing wrong with this, however, many people take advantage of these programs for the long run. According to Rector and Bradley, half of the aid given by food stamps go to families who have already reaped the benefits of assistance for eight and a half years or more. That’s almost twelve percent of a lifetime for many people. It’s highly unlikely that over those eight and a half years there have been absolutely no job openings available to those people which only leave one explanation. These people who live their life depending on food stamps and other government assistance programs eventually lose motivation to contribute to the workforce because money is automatically thrown at them by the
Linda Gordon's article is thoughtful, insightful and highly relevant. As governments slash poverty relief programs at all levels and as welfare-bashing reaches an all-time high, it is instructive to take a step back and look at how the current system developed.
Poverty in America is a very complex issue that can be looked at from many directions. There are a plethora of statistics and theories about poverty in America that can be confusing and at times contradicting. It is important to objectively view statistics to gain a better understanding of poverty and to wade through the stereotypes and the haze of cultural views that can misrepresent the situation.The official poverty line in America begins with a person making at or below $12,060. To calculate the poverty line for a family, an additional $4,180 is added to the base of $12,060 for each additional member(“Federal Poverty Level Guidelines”). According to the last U.S. census, over 45 million or 14.5% of Americans are at or below the poverty line(Worstall). At this level, the U.S. poverty level has not changed much from the 1970s when the government began a “War on Poverty.” However,
In order to be radical about poverty, we need to understand the difference between wealth and income. Income is a transfer of money by working or by gifts. On the other hand, wealth is more of a total of accumulated assets that has been stored for a period of time (Conley, pg. 253). Wealth is not distributed equally among the public. (NCH, 2016, http://nationalhomeless.org/about-homelessness/). Declining wages has also caused a lot of stress and increase people’s inability to pay for their housing or other needs. If there are affordable housing, it’s usually in an unsafe and polluted environment or it’s extremely overcrowded that people have a higher chance of being homeless or inadequate housing arrangements than getting their applications accepted (Why Are People Homeless Research, 2016, NCH). Also, privatizing housing will increase the accumulation of wealth of the power elite or those that own property and lands by their pricing in rents. Most people go through depression because of loss of home, jobs, or a sense of self. Often times, the lack education about health and they don’t receive adequate support for medical care if they are homelessness. Poverty is also treated as a criminal offence and if people were to ask for public assistance, they have to prove their eligibility. If they have a criminal record, they are
Since poverty affects a wide array of people, poverty has evolved into a very complex issue. And even though the government has passed legislature to try to ameliorate the situation, many of these means-tested measures like food stamps, have only been able to help the surface of poverty and fails to rip out the long roots poverty has grown throughout history. Poverty’s deep effects are seen especially in minorities as they struggle much more to leave a current situation that has been created by historical process. Even though government assistance like food stamps do help alleviate some of poverty’s burden, these measures fail to recognize the reality that many of the impoverished minority have undervalued homes or no homes at all and even if they can rent, that rent can be high enough to take up more than fifty-percent of their paychecks. Overall, poverty in America is a vastly complicated issue rooted throughout history. And even though the government has attempted to pass legislature to help provide relief from poverty, America still has yet to provide measures that target the roots of poverty and until then, the government assistance it does provide will only be superficial and fail to provide long-term solutions to a complicated
Food stamps came about during the era of the Great Depression where the government would issue a voucher for people with low income to trade in the voucher for food. Food stamps do have regulations such as how much food a person can obtain based on how many people are in the household. These regulations help the government decide who needs assistance and how much they can obtain each month. Food stamps are specifically designed for food and nothing else such as paper products, medicines, or alcoholic beverages. Even though food stamps benefit a multitude of people, there are also some people who abuse the system and commit food stamp fraud. Food stamps are beneficial to low-income families who may also have malnourished children and who cannot
The reality that exists for these individuals is different than that which is assumed by many. People assume that recipients are lazy and that they do not want to work, or that they are very promiscuous women who have children in order to continue receiving help from the government. The realities for these...
Homeless individuals are known for taking hand outs and they prefer to plead for money rather than to go work for it. People assume most of the the money that is given to homeless people they spend it on drugs and alcohol because of the fact that many homeless people have drug and alcohol addictions. It is not uncommon to come across homeless youth and older homeless population that are known to abuse substances like drugs and alcohol. Because of the fact that homeless people have substance abuse problems, they tend face illnesses and infections. Many hard working Americans ask themselves “why don’t homeless people just get jobs?” The assumption is they are just lazy and unmotivated. Homeless people choose to live the life they live. Everyone goes through problems but not all people take the path homeless people do. The problems homeless people face is not an excuse for them to be helped and maintained by other hard working people. Although homelessness might be a choice to some, no one knows the hardships these people have gone through. Some assume these people are just lazy but in reality a lot of these homeless people have jobs of their own, they just can’t afford housing and a decent life. Everyone has their own opinion on homeless people, but that does not change the fact that one should still serve the homeless. Not because homeless people need help but because we are
In this story, poverty and homelessness is the underlying problem. However another problem discussed is whether or not the potential loss of funding sources to help the homeless justify not standing up against policy that negatively affects the homeless population by causing unjust criminalization (Pg. 100). In my heart, and in a perfect world, I would never want to sacrifice my beliefs of fighting for the greater good of all people, but I understand that it is more complicated than this in real life. There is no doubt that we are all born with different opportunities. Our text explains some of the personal factors that determines who is homeless. Some of the contributing causes of homelessness include addiction, disability, mental illness,
Most Americans are unaware of the problems of the poor, it is hard to imagine the challenges of poverty, the daily fears of victimization or the frustration of not being able to provide for a child. These central ideas along with many others have plagued the United States’ economy for most of its history. What do we do with the poor? Who are they and what can we do to help them? Well the answer is a mix between individuality with a strong relativity to the central government. It is here that we find our argument and it is here that we find ourselves at bay with many sensitive subjects. I believe that it is the government’s responsibility to provide for the nation, but it is up to the individual whom is given to, to make a difference with what is given to them. With such problems as minimum wage, unemployment and little to no affordable housing it is hard for the poverty stricken individual to gain some if any ground at all in their quest to rise up out of the bonds of destitution. There needs to be a “battle plan” if you will to attack this issue of poverty head on. It is here that my plan comes into effect. Many propose simply giving them some sort of aid in food or money and being done with it, what I propose is that you give a little and they take it much further than what was originally thought possible. It is not simply the act of supporting them for the rest of their lives, it is the act of providing a strong foundation for which they can build upon. An outstanding quote from a man by the name of William McDonough states (chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York), “Issues of equity and social cohesion are issues that affect the very temperament of the country. We are forced to face the question of whether we will be able to go forward together as a unified society with a confident outlook or as a society of diverse economic groups suspicious of both the future and each other.”(Collins, Leondar and Sklar 280)
Welfare benefits are provided by the Government to help those who are unemployed or receive a low income. These benefits are there to provide families or individuals with enough money to survive. Unfortunately sometimes surviving just is not enough. Due to lack of work, idleness, disabilities and a number of other reasons people turn to benefits. A minority of these people are classed as or class themselves as living in poverty. Poverty comes in a range of forms. It has been suggested that there are two main types of poverty relative, people who are considered 'poor' compared to those around them, however can afford the basics. Where as those in absolute poverty do not have enough money to survive. People who live in poor conditions often claim benefits resulting in them becoming trapped and reliant on the benefit system.
With the rise of food stamps being used by americans by 58.5 percent over only three years is the reason why, “17% of americans - more than 50 million people live in households that are ‘food insecure’.”(what food says about class in america by lisa miller) meaning that they don't know if they will even eat the next day. But why does this even happen, “‘Essentially,’ he says, ‘we have a system where wealthy farmers feed the poor crap and poor farmers feed the wealthy high-quality food’” this means that the farmers that work so hard to get money eat stuff that's worse than what they work on while the make high quality food they are given food that is essentially
Do the poor in this country have a choice not to be poor? Do the less fortunate have the same access to opportunities as the middle and upper classes? Do government programs designed to help the impoverished actually keep them in the lower ranks? These are all difficult and controversial questions. Conservatives and Liberals constantly battle over these issues in our state and federal governments. Local and national news media provide limited insight to the root causes and effects of the nation’s poor. There is obviously no simple solution to resolve the plight of these often forgotten citizens. Most of us associate poor as being in a class below the poverty line. In fact there are many levels of poverty ranging from those with nothing, to those with enough to survive but too little to move up. I believe many of our nation’s poor are so by their own doing. I will share observations and personal experiences to support the argument that being poor often is a result of individual choice. One needs merely inspiration and perspiration to move up the socio-economic ladder in the United States. We live in the land of opportunity where anyone with the drive and determination to succeed often can.
Poverty is an undeniable problem in America. In 2014, 14.8 percent of the United States was in poverty (“Hunger and Poverty Fact Sheet”). There are more people in the United States than it seems that do not have their basic necessities. In an
In the world today, not everyone is fortunate enough to have a place to relax, sleep, or simply live. These people are considered homeless. What is it like for these people to live on the streets every day? Or to live in and out of shelters? Most government officials seem to think that shelters are the most reasonable solution, next to government assistance programs. However, the current government assistance programs are basically all messed up. The government have people with luxury cars, smart phones, and designer clothes in Section 8 housing, but have people without food, water, and no clothes living under a bridge. That is the world that we live in today. How is that in any way fair? Obviously, the system that the government is running
In the article “America’s Wandering Families”, I discovered how the two females being interviewed not only had children to care for that were also going hungry but they were uneducated. According to Schwartz-Nobel, “Our politicians don’t have the political will to help these by changing the system or even the minimum wage, at least not nearly enough. They rather pretend that the people had problems instead of admitting the system did”(254). Thus meaning, the government is not doing enough to acknowledge the difference in socioeconomic classes. One of the women was being helped and got the opportunity for a better life but was being treated unfairly. She was taken off the government help system and was back at square one in shelters. She states,” they hooked me up with a job and my stamps were cut” (Schwartz-Noble 260). Prime example, the system does try to help out, but they are not screening individuals job resources for legitimacy instead they just cut off all tides. It’s poor resource allocation and the consequences come to life when cases like these