What is the definition of "POOR" in America?

Ok, so theres been alot of debate around the state of the economy and the affects on the "poor". I guess it would be cool to see what peoples perspective are on what it means to be "POOR" in this wonderfull country we reside.Is "poor" a state of mind? Is "poor" when you have no money and they shut off the cable? Is "poor" a family value? Is "poor" due to religion, or lack there of?Is "poor" lack of education or institutions that provide it? Who determine how to measure "poor"?Is freedom the best antidote to "poor", can people decide what "poor" is for themselves and decide what to do about it ?...I guess to me, "poor" is an economy where I cant see the usual 4 ATF,s per month and have to cut it down to 1

When I can't afford a thousand dollar lady, I'm poor.

There is no agreed upon definition of poverty and it not only depends on what agency is defining the term, but also the geographical location the person is in as well as the number of people living in the household.

However, anyway you slice it, the number of people living in poverty has been climbing.

If you can afford to see only one ATF per month instead of four consider yourself fortunate.

. . . You are not poor, just spoiled!

In America poor is when you have to drive a Corolla instead of an Escalade. Our poor live like fat cats compared to real poor people. In rural Zimbabwe, poor means that not all of your kids are going to live through the next crop season. That's right. In some countries, poor means you are in danger of death from starvation. American poor people are generally obese.

As a resident of Las Vegas, most of us claim to be "poor" here. However, many of us who say this still own our homes or at least aren't upside down on them, have health insurance, have virtually no debt. The difference is that 5-7 years ago the economy here was SLAMMING HOT so we compare our current situation to the past.

We smart ones saved and invested. Others did not.

Regardless, most of us use the term "poor" to describe our current situations. I avoid this as I realize I'm truly blessed/lucky/insert whatever word you wish to have a home, my health, etc... Just no more Neimans or Whole Foods on a daily basis.

Shame on me.

I have been poor on paper (making about 400/week at an office job) and poor in (US) reality (living on around 500 calories a day, selling everything in my apartment for cash to pay bills, buying food with pennies).


But at the end of the day, I have never taken government money (no welfare/foodstamps/medicaid/unemployment). There is always a way to survive. You just have to be willing to work. And work unpleasant jobs. 10 hours a day in a dishpit in a busy restaurant for less than $80 a day can be a shitty job but it is still a job. And it is better than having nothing.

If you are legitimately hungry in this country you can find a way to live. If you are just cranky because you are broke at the end of the week and have to buy a case of Natty Light instead of Budweiser well.......you don't get to play the poor card.

Ok, so theres been alot of debate around the state of the economy and the affects on the "poor". I guess it would be cool to see what peoples perspective are on what it means to be "POOR" in this wonderfull country we reside.Is "poor" a state of mind? Is "poor" when you have no money and they shut off the cable? Is "poor" a family value? Is "poor" due to religion, or lack there of?Is "poor" lack of education or institutions that provide it? Who determine how to measure "poor"?Is freedom the best antidote to "poor", can people decide what "poor" is for themselves and decide what to do about it ?...I guess to me, "poor" is an economy where I cant see the usual 4 ATF,s per month and have to cut it down to 1 Originally Posted by JONBALLS

I have read your post several times now and cannot tell if you are serious or not. I suspect you are not because you ask a serious question but mostly give platitude type politician speak answers and seem to avoid serious answers. But at the risk of giving a serious answer to what was intended to be a joke I will toss some thoughts on the pile.

First, "poor" is ill defined and over used in my mind. Many claim to be poor who I do not think are by a definition I would use for myself, so in that case, to a limited degree, I think "poor" is a self-inflicted state of mind for some.

But to think that is true for all who get labeled (by themselves or others) as "poor" is not true. I can't define it but I know some of the symptoms:

--Poor is not being able to afford the medicine that would cure your sick 70 year old mother, and stay up all night hoping she will be alive the next morning (lots of people I see in the free clinic I do some volunteer work for)

--Poor is listening to your children cry themselves to sleep because they are hungry and haven't eaten that day (a former provider and friend of mine who was dumped/robbed/kicked to the curb by her former husband-pimp when he found a younger, hotter chick)

--Poor is walking 8 miles to and 8 miles from work because you have no car and the bus doesn't run early enough or late enough (the Vietnam Vet who sweeps/mops the auto repair shop I go to)

--Poor is having to live in the tenement where your kids pass drug deals and filth each day as they return from the school bus (the block I grew up on)

--Poor is going to a job interview clean and in your best clothes, but being told you weren't hired because your clothes have holes and your shoes don't match (the man down the road from me who then killed himself out of hopelessness)

--Poor is living with two kids in a cardboard box because the minimum wage jobs you can get wouldn’t cover the child care you’d need to work (way too many single moms who were disowned by their bible-thumping families for being a slut—so much for actually READING their bibles occasionally)

--Poor is a 90 year old former manual laborer who has outlived his savings and whose company “redefined” his pension after he had given them 50 years of his life (my uncle)

Freedom doesn't "cure" poor in far too many cases, though it may for some. Liberals don't cure "poor" by giving them handouts. Conservatives don't cure "poor" by telling them they are lazy. In fact, most who debate how to "cure" being poor have never been to an Appalachian town whose one job provider closed its doors two years ago, or to a Navajo village 4 hours down a dirt road to the nearest semi-proficient clinic, or spend several nights in a project wondering if a stray bullet will go through their wall each night.

Sorry for the downer post, but it’s a downer topic that both ends of the news media and politicians treat as a political posturing topic instead of actually fixing anything. It will be curious to see how this thread evolves, though sadly it will probably turn into a Left/Right food fight. I hope not.

But at the end of the day, I have never taken government money (no welfare/foodstamps/medicaid/unemployment). There is always a way to survive. You just have to be willing to work. And work unpleasant jobs. 10 hours a day in a dishpit in a busy restaurant for less than $80 a day can be a shitty job but it is still a job. And it is better than having nothing. Originally Posted by SillyGirl

SG-First of all, unemployment is not a government handout. It is insurance that you have qualified for through your work history. It is an earned benefit.

Second, there may always be a way for you to survive. But that is not true of everyone. Tell me how a quadriplegic with no family and no trust fund and no job is going to get a job in a dishpit? Or any other job? Most persons with severe disabilities need assistance. Or, maybe you would propose that we drown them as they do in other cultures/countries?

I don't think unemployed is a necessary condition to be poor. There are many who are working, do want to work, but are still poor by any reasonable definition of what they have/don't have.

I guess it would be cool to see what peoples perspective are on what it means to be "POOR" in this wonderfull country we reside. Originally Posted by JONBALLS

I have read your post several times now and cannot tell if you are serious or not. I suspect you are not because you ask a serious question but mostly give platitude type politician speak answers and seem to avoid serious answers. But at the risk of giving a serious answer to what was intended to be a joke

First, "poor" is ill defined and over used in my mind. Many claim to be poor who I do not think are by a definition I would use for myself, so in that case, to a limited degree, I think "poor" is a self-inflicted state of mind for some. Originally Posted by Old-T

long and short is that I am intreseted in everyones perspective as the posters on this site have taught me alot and I value the opinions.It is not intended as a joke, but as the OP, it is fine with me if we can mix humor and tongue and cheek into the mix to break things up. I mentioned the provider refrence as tongue in cheek to show that humor can be inserted and appreciated. I appreciate and agree with portions of your post and thanks...I give permission as the OP for this thread to go into whatever direction the intresting people of this site want to take it.. Thanks to all...... and great to see some WOMEN responding..

maybe you would propose that we drown them as they do in other cultures/countries? Originally Posted by charlestudor2005

Ohhh Come on, you had me agreeing with you to apoint and then, this towards her...?...now your just being "SILLY"...I totally agree with helping the severe disability.I have a neighbor that is in need of a kidney transplant. Medicare takes care of dialisis, but they wont put him on the transplant list untill he can set up the correct perscription plan, he currently is self employed and is working to get that accomplished. I also know of an able bodied 22 yr old female that gets enormous assisstance for a child she had with a gang banger that is currently serving time for murder. The State suppliments her living enough to where a job is not beneficial so she doesnt enter the workforce, and the state also pays for the boyfriends encarceration. Maybe there is a way to restructure the system a bit. Just a thought..If someone is young, in great health maybe a litttle less sent there and a litttle more to the physically unable, or is this just a symplistic and unrealistic view?

Looking at the graft, while the number of people living in poverty compared to 1959 is higher (after all there are about 100 million more people now) the percent has dropped from 22-23% to 14%. What does that say. A lot more people of getting money from the government.

SG-First of all, unemployment is not a government handout. It is insurance that you have qualified for through your work history. It is an earned benefit.

Second, there may always be a way for you to survive. But that is not true of everyone. Tell me how a quadriplegic with no family and no trust fund and no job is going to get a job in a dishpit? Or any other job? Most persons with severe disabilities need assistance. Or, maybe you would propose that we drown them as they do in other cultures/countries? Originally Posted by charlestudor2005

You seem to have been taking lessons from some of the boys in Kansas City.

First of all...........unemployment is insurance that I am forced by my government to buy and which, when I really fucking needed it, I was denied. Also, I never said "handout" but way to illuminate your own prejudices regarding those social programs.

In what part of my post did I say anything about quadrapeligics, trust funds, etc? And I only support the drowning of lazy puppies. I feel like you tried to extrapolate all sorts of silly things in order to what? Try to make me look mean? El oh freaking el.

I feel that most Americans live in a bubble and can be very apathetic towards others' current situation because in their eyes, it doesn't affect them directly, so there's no need for concern.

Today, there are 44.3 million people on food stamps, which is an all-time record. The shelters are overflowing. The housing market is in disarray. The manufacturing sector if this country is almost nonexistent. (Just try finding a label on anything produced that says, "Made In the USA".) Social security is a joke. Unemployment is officially at 9.1% but after 99 weeks, you run out of the dole and are no longer counted as unemployed. Real unemployment is around 18%. Check out shadowstats website, if you don't believe me, because the govt fudges the numbers to keep the dumbed down masses in line. The dollar is being destroyed systematically and you immediately feel it when you pay for gas or food. The moral decay of the citizens is increasing in this country, ranging from our corrupt leaders to the flash mob rob common folk commit in Chicago, Washington DC, and Miami, for starters. The govt is so broke that they have been stealing the pensions of govt employees. In May of this year, they took $50 Billion from the pensions from their accounts to cover the spending so that they wouldn't have to raise the debt ceiling for the 8th? time (idk I'm starting to lose count). And this, my friends, is the beginning of the end of our standard of living in this country and by not speaking up, we will have achieved a new low for "poor" and poverty. God willing, they won't stop that gubermint check coming to appease the mASSES. Because all Hell will break loose.

when the chips are really down, I believe the women actually have more intestinal fortitude and a higher tolerance for pain. Lets face it, they give birth.Men for the most part are physically stronger, but lets face it, at some point after working so many hours, I know ,I, will just physically and mentally shut down and check out for the night . Not women that I have noticed .