Poverty in America - Under Obama's Watch ...

[HMFIC]

- The poverty level in America is currently at around 46 million people or 15%. This has increased every year for the last 3 years and is at it's highest level since 1959 (first year measured).

- One in Seven Americans use Food Stamps (SNAP). All time record high level reported in June 2012.

- 21.9% is the current child poverty rate. This is over ONE FIFTH of American children that live in poverty. That's the second highest rate among developed nations in the world just after Romania.

- The average family currently spends 37.3 months on the welfare rolls.

- The government spent 770 billion dollars on Medicaid and Medicare last year. Medicare for the elderly cost 486 billion dollars while Medicaid for the poor came in at 323 billion dollars. Healthcare programs accounted for 21 percent of the federal budget, about as much as defense and Social Security.

 

[JB Books]

The average family should be thankful those Welfare rolls exist to get them through the tough times.

 

[HMFIC]

The average family should be thankful those Welfare rolls exist to get them through the tough times.

The fact that they are so high is the problem though...

I'm sure anyone who needs the help to get through a hard time is thankful, but we as a nation shouldn't be settling for an economy that causes so many to resort to it.

 

[DPI]

The average family should be thankful those Welfare rolls exist to get them through the tough times.

Too bad it's becoming a way of life for many.

 

[dennishoddy]

Too bad it's becoming a way of life for many.

Way too many.

 

[MLRyan]

I hate seeing national averages for stuff like this. How bad do some areas have to be to bring the average up that much? I don't know a single person on Welfare/food stamps, but apparently 1 in 7 use them. I'm not saying the numbers are bad, I'm just saying dang. If I don't know anyone on welfare, are there some areas where it's considered strange to NOT be on them?

 

[Mos Eisley]

And to think my office is seriously looking to hire people out of India right now because we can't find any qualified help here.

 

[Lurker66]

To bad we let bussiness ship jobs overseas. I think if your an american company, either make it here or it doesnt get imported.

 

[Mos Eisley]

Shipping jobs over there is one thing, it's quite a different thing when you have to bring them here because you can't find enough qualified Americans. Very prevalent in the Telecommunications field, as well as others.

 

[dowmace]

I don't get it, how can there be so many "unqualified" people out there? I've been turned down for at least 7 different job opportunities in the last 6 months because I was considered "overqualified" for the position.