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Aug. 27th, 2004 05:02 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
weaktwosThis is interesting. Neal Boortz, who seems to be a bitter man, is discounting the poverty report from the Census Bureau.
He says:
Actually, the truth is, there is no poverty in America. If you get beyond the biased media's hysterical headlines, let's apply a little common sense. First of all, according to the government, you could have a net worth of over ten million dollars, own two houses, have three cars and because you only earned a few thousand dollars in income last year, you would be living in poverty. Does Terreeeeza Heinz-Kerry draw a salary? Maybe she's living in poverty too.
It's a fact, folks. When the government measures poverty they're only concerned with paychecks, not with what you have already earned. The government doesn't look at your bank accounts, your balance sheets or that jewelry hanging around your neck. Only your paychecks.
Is it really a fact?
According to the Census Bureau, the factors that contribute towards income are:
That strikes me as a lot more than paychecks. I'm thinking in the examples he gives in his article, those people are getting interest income, dividents, etc. from their investments. I doubt they are in the poverty universe. I suppose if you sell every investment you have, and just don't put it in the bank, collect no interest or dividends on investments, maybe then you would be considered in the poverty level. That strikes me as a very rare situation, though. And ultimately, that person would be impoverished. It's just a matter of time.
And remember folks, Neal Boortz says, "Poverty is a choice. It's a behavioral disorder. Poverty, my friends, is a mental disease."
Yes, I'm sure all those children born into poverty agree that it's a choice. Surely they are able to choose the parents they are born from.
What an ass. And be sure to smack the lips off anyone who tries to use this twit as a source in their debate against the Census Bureau.
He says:
Actually, the truth is, there is no poverty in America. If you get beyond the biased media's hysterical headlines, let's apply a little common sense. First of all, according to the government, you could have a net worth of over ten million dollars, own two houses, have three cars and because you only earned a few thousand dollars in income last year, you would be living in poverty. Does Terreeeeza Heinz-Kerry draw a salary? Maybe she's living in poverty too.
It's a fact, folks. When the government measures poverty they're only concerned with paychecks, not with what you have already earned. The government doesn't look at your bank accounts, your balance sheets or that jewelry hanging around your neck. Only your paychecks.
Is it really a fact?
According to the Census Bureau, the factors that contribute towards income are:
- Includes earnings, unemployment compensation,
workers’ compensation, Social Security, Supplemental
Security Income, public assistance, veterans’ payments,
survivor benefits, pension or retirement income, interest,
dividends, rents, royalties, income from estates, trusts,
educational assistance, alimony, child support, assistance
from outside the household, and other miscellaneous
sources.
- Noncash benefits (such as food stamps and housing
subsidies) do not count.
- Before taxes.
- Excludes capital gains or losses.
- If a person lives with a family, add up the income
of all family members. (Non-relatives, such as
housemates, do not count.)
That strikes me as a lot more than paychecks. I'm thinking in the examples he gives in his article, those people are getting interest income, dividents, etc. from their investments. I doubt they are in the poverty universe. I suppose if you sell every investment you have, and just don't put it in the bank, collect no interest or dividends on investments, maybe then you would be considered in the poverty level. That strikes me as a very rare situation, though. And ultimately, that person would be impoverished. It's just a matter of time.
And remember folks, Neal Boortz says, "Poverty is a choice. It's a behavioral disorder. Poverty, my friends, is a mental disease."
Yes, I'm sure all those children born into poverty agree that it's a choice. Surely they are able to choose the parents they are born from.
What an ass. And be sure to smack the lips off anyone who tries to use this twit as a source in their debate against the Census Bureau.
