Today's US Census report on poverty in the United States is a clarion call to our nation and our elected leaders.
We in the United States possess the greatest resources and wealth ever known to humankind. So to have over 44 million people -- 14% of our population -- and 20% of our children living in poverty strains the soul of America. That fully one in four Americans -- 72 million people -- are "near poor" (officially, a family of four earning just $32,634 in 2009) should call us into action. It's a moral disgrace.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is credited with saving or creating 1.4 million to 3.3 million jobs, and kept more than 6 million additional people from falling into poverty. Despite these efforts, it is unfathomable to think that poverty continues to grow in America: three million more in 2009, and more poor people living in poverty now than 50 years ago when data was first published.
These realities are devastating. In 2009, poverty jumped to 14.3 percent, and the number of people without health-care insurance broke 50 million for the very first time. The unemployment rate swelled from 7.7% at the beginning of the year to 10%. The unemployment rate of African-Americans and Latinos is nearly double and sometimes even triple the national average.
The middle class continues to sink. Major cities around the country are losing public transportation jobs, public school teachers, public housing and home foreclosures are on the rise. The effect of such devastating poverty is undercutting excellence in public education and it is overwhelming American families.
I just spent a week on a bus tour meeting and with congregations, students, and workers at plant gates in Michigan. Astonishingly, Detroit has 90,000 vacant homes and/or lots and not one national chain grocery store or retailer. While Detroit faces mounting hardships, we bailed out General Motors, a company whose number one market for Buick is China, and new manufacturing plants are being built there and in Mexico.
The cries of babies in Appalachia, the tears of mothers in the rural South, and the frustration of workers laid off in cities across America -- is this the face of America in 2010?
As people of conscience, as elected leaders of the greatest democracy in the world, we ask ourselves, is there not a need for a new War on Poverty or a Great Society plan similar to that enacted by President Lyndon B. Johnson? Dr. King's cry for a Poor People's Campaign has come full circle.
There must be a sense of urgency to address this moral and economic crisis. In Stimulus I, we have watered the leaves. We need Stimulus II to water the roots.
In Iraq and Afghanistan, we had a plan for security, stability, investment, reconstruction, and rebuilding infrastructure. Our people, our cities, our nation deserve nothing less.
The Poverty Report is a call to Congress to create a FY 2011 budget that expands funding to "war on poverty" programs supporting employment, education, and basic human needs. Focus on the least of these, and extend the TANF Emergency Fund -- not the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans -- to expand subsidized jobs programs. Extend the reforms to the earned income tax credit, or EITC, and the child tax credit, or CTC. Focus on extending programs that support the least of these, not those with the most.
Expand the weatherization program -- and enact a modern-day urban homesteading program where the urban unemployed can reclaim lost homes, learn carpentry, plumbing and green job skills to rebuild America. We can begin to work our way out.
Congressional leaders, take the bold step of committing to reducing poverty by 50% over the next ten years -- half in ten!
America, give us a listening ear. The people are restless and rising up. America, please hear our plea. There is not time to waste. It's time for a change.
Follow Rev. Jesse Jackson on Twitter: www.twitter.com/revjjackson
It is hard to be sympathetic, when they have kids and then complain the government is not giving them enough. Focus on a couple of generations of abstinence and birth control and we will never hear of another family of four living on minimum wage.
Yes there are highly educated people needing jobs now, THANKS BARNY, THANKS DODD. and lets not forget, THANKS OBAMA, REID, PELOSI, they have been throwing money at this problem untill there is none left and it dont stick. They have not created a single job, OHHHH they claim many but they are masters of number manipulation and just outright lying.
Until the day kids actually go to school and learn while there, you will have poor uneducated and un hireable people who will live on gov hand outs. Blame parents, teachers and UNIONS for all that. Get rid of Unions, Hire the best teachers and make class room disruption a serious offense and you MIGHT see some change. It took years to create this uneducated welfare state, it will take many more to fix. But in the mean time lets just blame the war effort, Bush and Reagan and Republicans, OKKKKK. That make you feel better?
JJ has troubled himself in the past by association with causes of lesser importance but
right here - - right now - - he is spot on and I wish him the widest circulation of these facts possible.
A vigorous economy is what really helps eradicate poverty the most. People pull themselves out of poverty - if they want to.
And, what supports the economy to produce jobs? Low taxes and minimal government intrusion in free enterprise.
Johnson declared war on poverty and reduced poverty to its lowest level. So much for governmental impotence. When Reagan changed the war on poverty into a war on the poor, the rich got richer. Again, so much for governmental impotence. What government does, matters.
Your notions on taxes and government are naive. There is no such thing as free enterprise in the way you pretend. Corporations could not exist without government. Their "life" comes from governmentally-granted limited liability. Since "government intrusion" is needed to protect the existence of corporations, government has full right to regulate them in the public interest.
We agree that a vigorous economy is needed most. But you get that by encouraging demand. The Reagan supply-side methods have failed. Your ideas have been tried and they failed. Get over them. An economy needs people who can buy things. How do you fix that? You do what Dr. Jackson suggests-- put people to work anyway you can. If that means governmental help, then so be it. If that means the rich have to forgo tax breaks, then so be it. Lowering taxes on working people is a great idea, but lowering taxes on the wealthy will hurt, not help, the economy.
Dr. Jackson is exactly on track.
http://theendisalwaysnear.blogspot.com/
Thanks for the letter. I'm in agreement with everything you've presented. However, I would like to take this opportunity to express my desire for you to run for Mayor of Chicago! Please run. You are the only qualified person to run to lead this city....and you know this. Chicago is in bad shape, and you're the only one who can fix it. Seriously give this some consideration. Your sons and daughter-in-law are not qualified. They will waste time and money. This is not their time....IT's YOURS!
Congress can always open up the economy measures of FDR for facts and procedural directions; a basis to start.
However the nation is need of a stronger economic measures to counter market forces. The nation's citizenry will have to perceive and confront the Administration's hostility to its' survival, let alone the population's suffering of their lowered standard of living. The citizenry must confront the Congress' communication, through chaos and perfidy, "that this is as good as it gets, don't expect anything." Pick yourself up.
Crisis economy formation measures must be implemented now, or this great nation is doomed.
President Obama and his entire cabinet, dedicated servants of Wall St. cabal, the International Financiers, must resign or removed from office. Put the Fed into bankruptcy protection, recover the bailout trillions, reinstate Glass-Steagall in US banking. Stop the Perpetual War Policy, Expand Social Security and Medicare.
The United States must stabilize itself by increasing the productive platforms of the national economy: Expand the NASA space programs, Start the Nuclear Fueled Energy Economy, Construct the interstate maglev rail system, Construct the continental water distribution system proposed in the NAWAPA plan. These measures would employ 5 million Americans, reversing our crisis.
The United States must commit itself to the redevelopment of the North American continent to counterattack market forces, activate actual economic recovery and restore the national security.
NASA is the source of the nation's strength. Tell your Senator and Representative to stop Obama's misguided deficit cutting measures that threatens NASA space programs. The nation must invest 5 trillion dollars for the redevelopment of the nation, the population's physical economy. The money will come back to us 30 fold. This is the type of investment needed now, not trillions in bailouts, not trillions for the MIC. The nation and the general health of the population is the imperative priority.
This will prove economically disastrous; much like gov't healthcare. ~~~Weiters~~~
$7000 earned income credit--5 months work/year.
2 unemploy checks--me, wife.
food stamp
medicaid
mortgage modific--we last make mortgage pay August 09
wife get $650/mo. childsupport prior marriage.
me think there's more stupid, instead of more poor.