Romney, the poor, and the safety net
Here’s Romney’s famous statement—”I’m not concerned about the very poor. There’s a safety net there, and if it needs repair I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich, they’re doing just fine. I’m concerned about the heart of America, the 95% of Americans who are right now struggling.”
First of all, his definition of “very poor” begs much clarification. How poor does one have to be in order to be called “very poor?”
Secondly, what is his definition of “the heart of America?” Does he mean the middle class? If so, the middle class takes up 95 percent of the U.S. population. This leaves only 4 percent who are poor after you take out the 1 percent who are very rich.
However, according to the Census Bureau and based on their classification, in 2010, 15.1 percent of all persons lived in poverty, the highest poverty rate since 1993. You can see a complete list on the Census Bureau’s website (www.census.gov).
The thresholds for 2010 poverty are based on family types – Single Individual Under 65 years $11,344; 65 years & older $ 10,458; Single Parent One child $15,030; Two children $17,568; Two Adults No children $14,602; One child $17,552; Two children $22,113; Three children $26,023
Thirdly, what does he mean by “safety net?” Is it food stamps plus medicaid plus all the welfare programs at the federal and state levels? And prison cell?
What about some high school with over half of their graduates who fail standardized tests upon graduation? What about their inability to get decent jobs? What about their being poverty-driven and hopeless? What about their adding to the prison population? What about the cost of fixing schools like this Central Falls High School in Rhode Island? What about the cost of not fixing such a school?
One might ask — what’s the connection between bad schools and prison and poverty? According to Carlos Garcia, San Francisco Unified School District Superintendent, in an interview he gave in March 2008, “Twenty-two of our country’s states use third grade test results to determine how many prison cells to build for the future.” Well, if education holds the key to something, that something could be the prison cell door. Now it will be interesting to count those who fail at third grade level, eventually end up in prison cell and are luckily not considered to be very poor.
Google+
Share
Tweet
Mark Hastert
3 months, 1 week ago—”I’m not concerned about the very poor. There’s a safety net there, and if it needs repair I’ll fix it. I’m not concerned about the very rich, they’re doing just fine”
Read more here: http://voices.kansascity.com/entries/romney-the-poor-and-the-safety-net/#storylink=cpy
Well then the first thing he needs to fix is his our policy proposals that will weaken the safety net cut taxes even more for the rich who by his own admission are currently doing “just fine”
Then he can go out and get a clue about what being poor really is. Anybody who can say that the $350,000 he earned in speaking fees is “not much” doesn’t know what not much really is.
It’s not that he’s insincere but he was born to wealth and grew up with all the benefits of wealth and then accumulated even more wealth. He’s earning $55,000 per DAY on his investments, Swiss and Cayman accounts. He simply doens’t know anything else.
George Hunsucker
Northland
3 months, 1 week agoOne might ask what in the Hell is the point of this column?
Matt Melena
3 months, 1 week agoromneys comment is taken completely out of context. you cannot hold it against him if somewhere between 4% and 15.1 % of america is very poor.
i’m more concerned about the struggling 95% in the middle (or the struggling 86%…who CARES which it is!) my own self…since i’m IN that struggling majority.
hurray for romney for being bold enough to say we need to stop focusing on the poor and the rich and fix what needs fixing: namely the whole damn middle part of that group of what makes up america!
Brandon Lewis
3 months, 1 week ago—”I’m not concerned about the very poor. There’s a safety net there, and if it needs repair I’ll fix it.”
What bothers me most about his statement is there is no mention of rising out of poverty. He realizes that there is a safety net for the poor to wallow in with no steps nor plan to help move them out. He’s not worried about the poor living in the net where they can remain without any further consideration from Romney.
“if it needs repair I’ll fix it” Seriously?!
Brandon Lewis
3 months, 1 week agoRomney was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and been sucking on it to this day. He does not have a clue what being poor is. Not a clue.
However, our current president raised by a single mother with financially struggling grandparents, I’m pretty sure President Obama and his family experienced some level of poverty. It’s been reported that his mother was on food stamps and housing assistance while raising now President Barack H Obama.
So let’s not try and confuse the two, Romney can relate to the poor? Seriously?!
Sam Woods
3 months, 1 week agoThere were several truths that came out of this statement: Romney doesn’t know how many Americans live in poverty. Romney knows there is some sort of “safety net”, but he doesn’t know what that is, if it’s broken, or how to fix it. Romney actually cares very much about the very richest Americans as he would give them tax breaks amounting to billions.
Romney 2012 - no thank you.
Mark Hastert
3 months, 1 week ago“$4 million of OUR money that the Obamas just spent on a Hawaiian vacation”
Read more here: http://voices.kansascity.com/entries/romney-the-poor-and-the-safety-net/#storylink=cpy
Compared to time and expense we incurred to shuttle W back and forth to the ranch it is a pittance.