Crush Liberalism

It depends on the meaning of the word “poor”

Our own government can get Clintonesque with words, too. From Neal Boortz:

Today the Census Bureau will release its annual report on poverty in America. Let’s take a quick glance at the people who are classified as “poor” in this country, thanks to an article by the Heritage Foundation’s Robert Rector:

• 46 percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.
   
• 80 percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, in 1970, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
   
• Only six percent of poor households are overcrowded; two thirds have more than two rooms per person.
   
• The typical poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
   
• Nearly three quarters of poor households own a car; 31 percent own two or more cars.
   
• 97 percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions.
   
• 78 percent have a VCR or DVD player.
   
• 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.
   
• 89 percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a more than a third have an automatic dishwasher.

In other words … it’s all a fraud. Aren’t you surprised?

Also, consider this: you can have a massive amount of wealth and still be “living in poverty”! How? Simple.

Let’s say you have invested in yourself wisely over the years. You got a good education, you lived within your means, didn’t have kids prematurely, didn’t do drugs, made sound money moves and investments, etc. By age X, you amassed a few million bucks and decided to retire early. Your beachside house and luxury cars are paid in full, you have no debt, and you no longer pull a paycheck or have any income (except for some modest investment income to pay for food, utilities, property taxes, etc.). According to the feds, you live in poverty because you no longer have income!

I’d say it’s time to change how they calculate “poverty”, whatsay?

August 29, 2007 - Posted by crushliberalism | big government, economic ignorance