View Full Version : Define Poor
American poor that is.
With few, very few, exceptions being poor in America is a state of mind more than a state of hunger.
This argument, or one similar, has been presented before & people think I'm some kind of cold-hearted bastard. (which is mostly true) because I don't think we need so many safety valves. You want to eat, get a job. You can't feed your kids, quit procreating. It really is that simple. Well, somebody who gets paid to look for this stuff has made my argument that much easier.
Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes.
Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning.
The average 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; 30 percent own two or more cars.
Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television;
Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player
a third have an automatic dishwasher.
Let's review
This (http://www.projectmercy.net/images/project%20mercy/poverty.jpg) is poor
and this (http://www.rootsweb.com/~pollubel/store3/wien12.jpg) means you need to make better choices.
The Heritage Foundation (http://www.heritage.org/Research/Welfare/bg1713.cfm)
*raises hand* I'm poor - but we eat, and have a home and heat *knockwood* so we're ok
I'm poor. And i'd have it no other way.
if you were rich you'd have wear a tie out to dinner :eek5:
Ties suck...especially ties with red eye gravy stains on them
Thulsa Doom
1/23/04, 11:30pm
Let's review
This (http://www.projectmercy.net/images/project%20mercy/poverty.jpg) is poor
I dont know Gonz. Looks like they are eating to me. Better scratch them off the poor list. Plus they have clothes! What is this Beverly Hills!!
What a softie you are TD. Apportioning home ownership & food stamps. Care to buy me a new car? I'm a little short this week.
Thulsa Doom
1/23/04, 11:44pm
What a softie you are TD. Apportioning home ownership & food stamps. Care to buy me a new car? I'm a little short this week.
well ok but youll have to wait till Bush gives us another $200 tax break so I can afford the type of porshe you like.
Count your blessings Gonz...I've had friends die protecting them for you...
Hmm, out of curiosity I typed in "British Poor" on google image search.......this was one of the first things it found.
http://www.system-concepts.com/images/lottery.jpg
'Nuff said.
I count them every day.
I also know how to share them.
And how everybody can get some, if they please.
freako104
1/24/04, 02:16am
its a nice thought that they can all get it if they please but is it possible.
BeardofPants
1/24/04, 03:23am
Since when do poor people have both computers, and access to the internet? :confused:
I think we'd have to classify it into poor, broke and lower class. Because they'd all consider themselves to be poor but only one of them are actually really poor.
Since when do poor people have both computers, and access to the internet? :confused:
FINALLY! Someone who gets it.
I think we'd have to classify it into poor, broke and lower class.
There ya go. Keep breaking it down until we have everybody into a sub-sect of a group :rolleyes:
.03% is classified as destitute. Does that help?
BeardofPants
1/24/04, 10:32am
Egads, Gonz is agreeing with me. :eek: ::thud::
Well, it goes to show you that you can make sense & it does snow in hades :D
define poor having NO chocolate in the house :mope:
Crust of bread, glass of water? :D
AlphaTroll
1/27/04, 08:38am
Damn, I wish I were a poor woman living in the US :rolleyes:
Poor definately is a state of mind. My family doesn't have a lot of money, and we're in debt (which is worse than being poor, in my opinion), but we have what we need and live somewhat comfortably.
Tell you what, though, I'd take poor over owing The Man anyday. :s
Professur
1/27/04, 10:06am
Today's poor can't afford Nintendo.
paul_valaru
1/27/04, 10:55am
poor is not having proper shelter, proper food or proper clothing.
If you have all of those, you are not poor.
poor is not having proper shelter, proper food or proper clothing.
If you have all of those, you are not poor.
Allow me to redefine that. ...and not having the resources to maintain such a lifestyle for an extended period of time.
There are some people who currently have a place to live, cheap food on their plates in enough abundance to not get sick, and live fairly close to the salvation army that they can walk over when their third-hand pants wear out again.
There are some that live paychek to paycheck, counting their pennies and their food-stamps and working 3 jobs just to stay afloat. Some might have a tv or an old shitbox of a car to get them to those jobs on time, but the $200 that they borrowed from their folx to pay for it isn't going to go that far.
I've seen 'poor' folk who live in run down trailer homes and manage to own a $40k 4x4 truck, satelite tv dishes on their leaky roofs, and play XboX all night. They made bad financial choices.
I know one guy with 3 kids, who keeps getting fired from his job for being late, who can't afford the $1.75 bus fare to go to a contracted gig giving him $75 cash because he is too lazy to do it. Guy still has a cel-phone, two tvs, each with a game station, has cable-tv, has internet etc... is he poor? Judgement call...I'd say no. Is he ever going to step away from his current conditions? Not likely.
Professur
1/27/04, 05:20pm
My truck's not a 4x4, and I don't own an X-box.
My truck's not a 4x4, and I don't own an X-box.
Wasn't talking about you Prof. I was talking about the people that I drive by on my way to the cabin.
Though you should've...ah nevermind. I'm not going to mess with your life. It's yours.
Where was I...oh yes, people other than Prof who live in trailers and own expensive vehicles and/or numerous vehicles (all new) and still claim being poor.
Professur
1/27/04, 05:34pm
And my satelite dish is mounted on a south facing wall, not the roof.
And my satelite dish is mounted on a south facing wall, not the roof.
Which reminds me...we still havn't fixed that roof of yours, or the leveling of the trailer. Spring?
There are some that live paychek to paycheck,
*Proudly waves his working class hand*
Professur
1/27/04, 05:44pm
I was hoping for some warmer winter weather. The ground's too soft in spring, but my jack's frozen solid now. And I'm still trying to get an electrician that won't fall terminally ill the moment I call him. I've put 2 in hospital so far. I'm afraid to call another.
*Proudly waves his working class hand*
:wave: Right there wit'cha. 2 1/2 jobs, several thou in the hole, no cable, no satellite and no friggin Xbox either.
I don't think that you call yourself poor though...neither do I. I'm more lower-middle class, or upper-lower class, mostly because I have a house from when I was making more cash and I can still kinda make the payments...if I don't splurge on takeout or a rented movie.
Satelite
Cable internet
3 computers (all homebuilt)
4 TV's
Dolby Digital sound system
PS1, PS2, Nintendo 64
Snow blower
2 cars
stay at home wife
tiny house
a billion dollars on the cards
Middle class (exactly where I feared as a know it all teen)
From Gonz's ranking, I think I'm low middle class. :s Which is extremely good for what it could be.
What does define poor? How much you have in terms of NEEDS ... how much you have in terms of expendable cash ... how much you have in terms of not owing any debt ...
We make up for all the goodies by going nowhere & doing nothing :D
We make up for all the goodies by going nowhere & doing nothing :D
*lol* Same at my house. 'Cept our goodies consist of smoke and drink, mostly.
I'm just hoping I can continue to build on this $5/day jury thing...I'm really optimistic about it..:tardbang:
Jury pay & foodstamps....damn you're living large
Satelite
Cable internet
3 computers (all homebuilt)
4 TV's
Dolby Digital sound system
PS1, PS2, Nintendo 64
Snow blower
2 cars
stay at home wife
tiny house
a billion dollars on the cards
Middle class (exactly where I feared as a know it all teen)
I'm not starving anymore, but I'm not exactly making the government salivate at the tax harvest either.
DSL
1 computer, homebuilt
2 TVs, with basic cable
One VCR, one DVD player
Stereo with parts dating back to 1977, 1996, 2000 and 2003 (the receiver is one of the 1977 parts)
Some CDs
Car with no payments unless you coult $83 a month for just the cheapest liability insurance the state allows
One card with around $1000 on it
Digital Camera
One-bedroom apartment with working heat and A/C (but not central A/C)
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