Poll on Poverty 2

[Ken Burch]

"Do you believe that poor, especially people on public assistance, could get themselves out of poverty right now if they wanted to, but just don't want to ?"

Corollary questions:

"If you do believe that, what real-life experiences with the poor led you to that conclusion?"

"If you do not believe that, what do you believe keeps poor people in the condition of poverty?"

6 votes, 0 passes | Time left: Unlimited
	Yes, I believe that absolutely
	0 (0%)
	Yes, I believe that to some degree
	0 (0%)
	I'm not sure if I believe that or not
	0 (0%)
	No, I reject that belief to some degree
	0 (0%)
	No, I reject that belief absolutely.
	6 (100%)
	0 DU members did not wish to select any of the options provided.
Show usernames Disclaimer: This is an Internet poll

[NYC_SKP]

1. It doesn't take much to live in poverty

In California, a minimum wage full time employee with one child or a spouse is living below the poverty level.

Poverty is caused by an unjust economic system with corrupt oversight by the government.

[JDPriestly]

2. My experience: My dad was a social worker and minister who worked with poor people.

And, I worked for a homeless shelter for close to eight years.

I also used to visit Juvenile Halls to make sure the incarcerated children were receiving good care.

I was poor myself at times in my life.

The very poor need a lot of help to improve their lives. There is no way they can do it on their own.

And what is more, most of us will never get very far beyond the level of poverty of wealth of our parents. A few of us may get beyond that level. But there may be a bit of a level.

[Ken Burch]

3. Thanks for that post. n/t.

[linuxman]

4. I voted "To some degree"

The final option was too simplistic and concrete for my liking.

There are always exceptions.

I made some choices in my early adult life which took me out of poverty. Not everyone can do that, but some can.

[Tsiyu]

5. Let's put it another way

If you live in a desert, you probably won't find the ingredients to make vegetable soup.

If I throw you in the desert, and insist that you could make vegetable soup if you really wanted to, and if you tried hard enough, would you go in search of potatoes and carrots and celery? Would you get up right away and start searching the sand dunes for peas and tomatoes?

The truth is, no matter how hard I shame you, demonize you, criticize you or starve you, you cannot make vegetable soup when you're in the middle of the desert.

[quaker bill]

6. I read the statement as general

for the most part people cannot escape poverty once they are in it. The opportunities do not exist in this economy. There are rare exceptions and the census data shows this, but economic mobility is the exception not the rule.

I was once poor and am not poor now, but my parents were middle class and I am now middle class. I own a different house, but in the same neighborhood where I grew up.

I have worked with the poor at shelters for 20 years. Some do move up to the point of being in a house or cheap apartment, living check to check, and this is considered success.

[MohRokTah]

7. No, I reject that belief mostly

There will always be some who game the system, but for the most part you are correct.

I cannot say I reject it absolutely because such a statement rejects the fact that there will always be some who game the system.