 by Sam SederStory of the Week, Up w/ Chris Hayes |
At the Values Voters Summit on Friday, Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan whose budget was approved by the House with sweeping cuts to aid for the poor responded to new figures from the Census Bureau this week showing that 46.2 million Americans were living below the poverty line last year—a rate basically unchanged from the year before—but a rate not seen in this country in nearly 20 years.
Here's what Ryan had to say about Obama's record on poverty:
"The Obama economic agenda failed, not because it was stopped, but because it was passed. And here is what we got: Prolonged joblessness across the country. Twenty-three million Americans struggling to find work. Family income in decline. Fifteen percent of Americans living in poverty. Here we are, after four years of economic stewardship under these self-proclaimed advocates of the poor, and what do they have to show for it? More people in poverty, and less upward mobility wherever you look."
It's not the first time this election cycle that we've seen the right raise the specter of the poor. But poverty is raised not to offer prescriptions or remedies but to be used as a cudgel, as a means of playing on middle class fears of losing ground by suggesting not so much that they, too, could become impoverished but that the threat to their economic stability is the poor themselves, who are taking that ground from them.
Calling President Obama the "food stamp President" is not bemoaning the plight of those Americans who, in the wake of a devastating financial crisis have lost the means to put food on the table for their families, but rather, to imply that some "other" is living large, while the rest of "us" struggle. That said, we do know something about the people Romney relies on and what they believe about poverty.
Remember those Romney ads claiming that President Obama was gutting work requirements for welfare eligibility? Putting aside the point that as a policy consideration, work requirements should be loosened for welfare recipients—the claim was simply a lie.
But take a look at the source they gave for that claim. The Heritage Foundation from July 12th. As Mother Jones magazine reported the day before Ryan spoke, that July 12th Heritage post was co-authored by a senior research fellow at Heritage named Robert Rector. Who is Robert Rector? An opposition research group called the Bridge Project—affiliated with the liberal SuperPAC American Bridge—dug into Rector's past writings, and it turns out that this false claim that welfare recipients are somehow getting away with living an envious life of leisure was developed by a man, who has claimed welfare does not lift people out of poverty, that no one who owns a refrigerator should even be considered poor, and who once told the Washington Post, quote: "Is poverty harmful for childhood? I think not."
If you watched the Republican or Democratic conventions this year, you might be forgiven for believing poverty isn't harmful to childhood for there, we were regaled with stories of parents and grandparents, who overcame childhood poverty, lifting themselves out of it with nothing but hard work and dedicated effort. In few instances, did these stories even hint that these ancestors had any luck or help from their community that contributed to their success. Nor did we hear of how social mobility has diminished in this country since those grandparents supposedly pulled themselves up by their bootstraps.
The fact is it's increasingly harder in the United States to lift yourself and your family from poverty now than it was fifty years ago. And yet, in the midst of a Presidential Campaign where the economy is ostensibly the central issue of contention, we rarely hear poverty mentioned by either candidate. And according to a new report by Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting, less than one percent of the media's campaign coverage has addressed poverty in any way. That is, at least directly.
Consider this week's teacher's strike in Chicago. More than 25,000 Chicago teachers went on strike over a myriad of issues not the least of which are the teaching and learning conditions in Chicago Schools.
The strike exposed the battle lines between the corporate driven school reform movement and educators, fighting against high stakes testing and advocating for a more contextual approach to measuring school performance. Driving this battle is a desire to improve educational outcomes, which will supposedly improve economic opportunities for low income kids. To the extent that poverty and joblessness are mentioned in our political discourse it is always education, which is first—and often only, mentioned as the cure.
That prescription sounds intuitive, but what if its premise is wrong? What if Robert Rector is wrong, and poverty does, in fact, harm childhood? A study in 1995 found that the average low income child enters kindergarten with a listening vocabulary of 17,000 fewer words than that of a child of middle income. She can recognize only 9 letters of the alphabet as compared to the 22 recognized by middle income children
So if it's possible that the proposition that education fixes poverty is actually backward and that resolving poverty actually fixes many of our education issues then we have to consider whether our remedies for both are upside-down. We have to consider whether asking teachers to improve achievement in schools is even possible without first addressing the disadvantages poor children face on the first day of their school careers. And if no amount of privatizing education can fix our poverty problem, we also have to look at the actual impact on poverty that our other policies have.
So while the media largely ignore the implications of poverty in stories like the Chicago teachers strike, our political establishment has adopted an approach toward dealing with our jobs crisis, which is sure not to alleviate poverty, but to create more of it. Austerity plans and the potential of a grand bargain which may cut medicare and social security will certainly add to the ranks of the poor. Yet, we hear virtually no dissent to these policy proposals from the quarters of so-called serious thinkers in Washington.
How is this possible? How is it that with record numbers of people living in poverty and many more people rightfully anxious that they are on the verge of falling into poverty we as a society are providing no response, not even a rhetorical one?
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A whole program on poverty without one person who says (not that I agree with it) that poor people are lazy/irresponsible/drug dealing or other undeclared income generators? Not one person to challenge the "financial meltdown" canard by pointing out that the poor increased in numbers during the boom as well? Not one person to point out that all the "programs" advocated by the panel have failed for decades??
Shameful program - slogans and platitudes of like minded people. And I'm a lefty Democrat!
Is that you Mitt? The only thing you left out was black.
I'm Mad As Heck --- Since you like spiking on your Bro DrDov, Then give us your solution? Let's see some Brains, I'm a Tea Bagger.
I'm sorry to hear that, take two doses of reality and call me tomorrow
Obviously you need to research "Supply Side Economics" and how it has impacted the middleclass. Over 30 years of "trend" and "research" and they all say the same thing ... even George Bush Sr said Supply Side Economics was Voodoo Economics.
Only way to FIX the country's situation is to put those lazy, useless bums in Washington under the same programs they want for the average American. No more Washington PERKS ... same social security, same pension retirement, same health and medicare program. Once their decisions impact THEM, they'll fix it. Coincidently our Congress has worked a total of 106 days for the American people ... only 106 days, yet they've received FULL salary for only working 3 days out of 7 work days for the country. Aren't you proud of them?
You mean they have been is session for 106 days, and most of that time has been a focus in the house on abortion and reproductive rights, and obstructing Obama's ideas to help the situation by his job's bill. Why anyone would vote Republican is beyond me.
Kathy, the reason why the out and out lies work is because too many of us are guilty of lazy reading/thinking. It's always important to question everything, including those you agree with, because too often we don't get the total story.
Problem is that takes a lot of time, and most people are struggling to survive, and just don't have the means or the time to fact check.
Here's link to a fairly good article on lazy thinking. It's an abstract of studies done at three universities. The full studies are out there, if anyone is interested:
http://psp.sagepub.com/content/38/6/808
I wish for once someone would speak up and state the obvious that for the most part the deficit doesn't matter. We need to fix our financial house first - pass a jobs bill, tax reform back to the 1995 levels, improve our roads, schools and work on educating all Americans. Only then when we are working again should we look at deficit reduction.
The reason so many programs have not succeeded is only a shadow of the proposed programs were passed with the hopes that the remainder of the proposed programs would be passed. Unfortunately, as all too often happens - that didn't happen.
So how do you propose raising the money, without printing it. Small Jobs Bill ACt was kicked out of the House 8 months ago.
Because there is never any money for the programs. The Feds always have grand plans but never any money. They are going to have to prioritize, do what is the absolute most important first, get their deficits reduced and then continue from there. NO program can be implemented with no money. Families have to prioritize, but government doesn't want to do that. In these scary time, defense must be a top priority, then probably job creation to get the tax base up and going, and then work from there. Entitlements MUST be addressed as they are the largest areas of spending. Until a party is very, very willing to take a risk of being voted out andmove forward with entitlment reform, we will never, ever get out of this hole and move forward. At our pace of spending, we are fast losing ground in our world standing.
jes33 - Entitlements must not happen period. QE3 is making it worse. This should have never happen. 40 billion each month into the housing is insane. Inflation will be crazy in two months. Now here's the real bomb nobody has realize. Russia has signed oil agreements with China without the Petro Dollar (USD). This will drive our dollar value down even more. People wake up, your about to see Hell. I can tell you the solutions, but will you listen. Way to much Liquidity.
@Hemi - How to raise the money? Stop engaging in endless wars, cut the bloat out of the defense budget, implement a single payer system of healthcare payments, cut corporate welfare, raise taxes on ultra-short term capital gains and put a premium on long-term investment through a sliding scale taxation system. And yes, borrow if we have to because global investors are dying to park their money here.
We will NEVER pay down the debt through spending/tax cuts. We can only eliminate it through economic growth, which will require investment in infrastructure, labor and technology.
jes33 - Europe is following your advice and their economies are in the tank. Macro and micro-economics are NOT the same thing.
hemi, i suppose china will quit trading with us as well, right? what do you think china is going to do with all the u.s. dollars that they hoard from selling us their goods? take a loss? i dont think so. with so much unemployment do you really think inflation from "money printing" is going to happen? do you seriously bthink that we have too many dollars in our economy? all money comes from government spending.
The "programs" did not fail per se, the change of rules and policies have altered. First we create programs for people to bring themselves out of poverty, these program help enormously for years, then when people have worked their way into the middle class over a 15-25 years span, have and improved their lives, then without any warning someone comes into office and changes everything pushing these people back down into poverty again. Politicians play with the populous like they are toys or unworthy just to fit into their extremism agenda.
Take a look want the unemployment rate was under Clinton and just how many people were consisted to be living in poverty, things and programs were working
Great show Sam. You should have your own show. Maybe after Melissa's. I would have liked to have heard more about Senior Services, Inc., but I'll try to find it on my own. Tell Chris I saw him on Bill Mauer and he was good, but don't let him get a big head over it.
Second that. The format for Up! is so great, but it really challenges the moderator, who has to find a time and place for everyone to contribute, not to mention finding that point to break for a commercial. Tough to do when there is a spirited conversation.
Good work, Sam!
I agree the format for UP is great, very informative, and I gain info from each show. I do like the way commercial breaks seem to occur whenever the debate gets so spirited it falls into chaos. :} Perfect way to handle that! There's nothing worse than trying to listen to a discussion where everyone is talking at the same time.
Poverty to the Romney/Ryan campaign is just another one of their footballs. They do not intend to make an improvement in the numbers in fact, Ryan's budget makes the poverty in this country worse. But, it is something they feel they can blame Obama for and their reasoning is flawed and they have no solutions. They are like someone trying to find they keep throwing stuff at the wall to see what if anything will stick.
Yeah and if Obama had acted sooner Pompeii might have been saved, why not according to the right he's to blame for everything bad that's ever happened.
Sally ... absolutely ... these ReThuglicans will make their rich buddies "happy", the corporations happy, and the military happy, by passing on big bucks to them while at the same time cutting programs to help the middle or poor class. And Ryan wants to cut taxes on investment income to ZERO ... hahaha! Same old "trickle down" they've used for 3 decades. And ReThuglicans can't understand why voter polls show the President way ahead and increasing his lead. I just hope the HOUSE gets cleaned out as well of these lying SOBs.
I'm still waiting for Romney's 2-full years of tax returns for 2010 and 2011. He obviously thinks Americans have forgotten about it ... nope! And don't you ReThugs say he gave his 2010 already ... only a partial copy ... not the full tax return. Romney is a "fiscal fraud" and he knows it.
Oh, dear. The mechanical errors in this article hurt's my educator's heart. But I'll overlook it, because you have some great points.
By now it would have been an old and dead issue , if the GOP would have passed THE Presidents job act which after a year in Congress still sits, waiting to be heard.
Along with everything else he's proposed
Isn't it a good thing most Americans and voters don't put a lot of stock in what Lying Paul Ryan has to say? The polls say that Loud & Clear! It's already been proven that over 30 years of Trickle Down Economics has destroyed the middle class, yet this bozo, with the big Dumbo ears, and his thoughtless leader Mitt Romney only promise a continuation of the same Republican failed strategies. They don't mention that over 2/3 of the Nat'l Debt (counting principle & interest) was created by sitting Republican presidents, or that the Republican House made a open vow to stop any plans the President laid out to create job growth ... holding the President hostage to their "tax cut extensions for the wealthy".
The voters have had their bellies filled with these ReThuglican Obstructionists and the votes will prove it in 7 weeks. They can try and rig the voting booths all they wish, but the public is quite aware of these lying, cheating, misleading SOBs. Hopefully they'll vote out those House Obstructionists, starting in Virginia & Wisconsin.
AGREE COMPLETELY! Someone predicted that Obama will win by a landslide. Maybe a bit too over the top, but Elizabeth Warren is now leading Scott Brown by 6 points. All but about 1-2 % have not made up their minds and some pundits say those undecided might not even vote. Early voting begins soon in NC and I will be there. I have seen enough of Romney and Ryan, and heard them lie repeatedly. I, along with many others tune out political ads at this point. All of Romney's money friends may have wasted their money on this pair.
If Romney wins & GOP retain house & don't get at least 59 sen. seats, I'm looking forward to "Obstruction the sequel"
GilGSJ ... never happen. Think back to 1984, but in reverse. As the debates, and judges in the various states regarding voting restrictions, catch wind of the fraud of this party ... the Republicans are going to get beat by a landslide. Their worst days are YET TO COME!
The Affordable Care Act: Strengthening Medicare, Combating Misinformation and Protecting America's Senior
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/affordable-care-act-strengthening-medicare-combating-misinformation-and-protecting-
Paul Ryan’s Fairy-Tale Budget Plan
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/14/opinion/paul-ryans-fairy-tale-budget-plan.html?_r=1&ref=opinion
FACTS .... FACTS .... ReThuglicans say "We don't need NO STINK'N FACTS! We got our own FACTS. We just say it loudly, and repeat it often enough that we convince ourselves and the voters our FACTS are the REAL FACTS" ... lol
Republicans ... what jokes!
It is obscene the republicans are proposing more tax breaks for rich people during this time of tremendous need. Obama should stop talking in grand metaphors and start talking in plain language about rebuilding this country. Who really thinks if you give a billionaire a tax cut the person that invests that money for the billionaire will invest it in the US: they will invest it wherever they can get the best return (i.e. some emerging market). If the person managing the rich person’s money doesn’t get the biggest return on investment, they will lose that rich person’s business.
Great show - an intelligent discussion of the interaction of education and poverty, and why the former is not a cure-all for the latter. This is especially true now, when high school and college graduates alike face unemployment and underemployment in record numbers. The statistics don't tell the real story when half of college graduates are underemployed in jobs that don't require a college degree (e.g. waiting tables to pay off student loans).
Mitt's campaign slogan is "believe in America"...it should be "believe in tax breaks for me and my pals"
gone are the days when people in government used to get together to solve, the country problems. where is the love of people gone?
One of the main causes for poverty is a of lack of a decent living wage, and the changing global economic situation that not we, or other players were prepared for. There are 1 million job opening right now that workers do not have the skills for. There is discrimination against older workers. Fifty years old is no longer "old" but companies dump them often because health premiums go up for businesses. We need to get health care out of business.
We, the people of the United States of America, have reduced poverty when we tried. Johnson's War on Poverty was immensely successful. Poverty was reduced from 20% to 12% in the years 1964 to 1969 and fluctuated between 12% and 11% between 1970 to 1979. This means that it poverty reduction worked under democrats for 8 years and republicans for 8. Including Nixon!
Now, what happened between 1980 - 1992 to cause it to go back up and cycle between 13.5% and 15%? Reagan / Bush's supply side voodoo economics, that's what!
By the way, it went down under Clinton and back up under Bush, just in case some of us didn't notice.
So we have real evidence, proof, that poverty can be reduced when and if we try.
Now of course it will be much more difficult since our manufacturing base has been soo decimated. When we ship 60,000 factories (yes, factories, NOT JOBS) to Asia, it makes it harder to grow manufacturing jobs. Fiscal policy to rebuild infrastructure at zero interest would be a good start, but that won't happen with the current set of traitorous right wing radicals that call themselves republicans.
I am really not convinced that QE3 will help since we seem to be stuck in a liquidity trap and the Fed is just spending to buy more crappy assets from the banks, and they have shown NO interest in helping anyone but their greedy banksters selves!.