The Disaster Behind the Disaster: Poverty - New York Times
The Disaster Behind the Disaster: Poverty - New York Times: "N the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, people watching images of poverty along the Gulf Coast may have wondered, 'How many poor places like this are there in this country?' The easy answer is, quite a few.
But why poverty persists in certain areas is a complex problem, and what can be done to help isn't always clear.
The Census Bureau defines poverty using a formula based on a family's age profile and its ability to buy a standard basket of necessities. Prices differ across regions, meaning that a family just above the poverty line and living in, say, San Diego may have a harder time making ends meet than one that is just below that line and living in Pascagoula, Miss. Also, not everyone who is poor at one point in a year is poor for the whole year.
Accepting the Census Bureau's measure, there were about 37 million poor people in the United States last year - about one of every eight Americans. The share is only slightly higher in rural areas than in urban areas, according to the Agriculture Department, and these figures have been converging over time.
Poverty tends to be concentrated in certain places, some of which, like Appalachia, are very large; others are no bigger than a few city blocks. To fight poverty, one has to understand its source. Were these places always poor? Did they become collecting bowls for poor people? Or do they make people poor?"
But why poverty persists in certain areas is a complex problem, and what can be done to help isn't always clear.
The Census Bureau defines poverty using a formula based on a family's age profile and its ability to buy a standard basket of necessities. Prices differ across regions, meaning that a family just above the poverty line and living in, say, San Diego may have a harder time making ends meet than one that is just below that line and living in Pascagoula, Miss. Also, not everyone who is poor at one point in a year is poor for the whole year.
Accepting the Census Bureau's measure, there were about 37 million poor people in the United States last year - about one of every eight Americans. The share is only slightly higher in rural areas than in urban areas, according to the Agriculture Department, and these figures have been converging over time.
Poverty tends to be concentrated in certain places, some of which, like Appalachia, are very large; others are no bigger than a few city blocks. To fight poverty, one has to understand its source. Were these places always poor? Did they become collecting bowls for poor people? Or do they make people poor?"
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