If you are poor, it's likely your fault

The Pike County Journal-Reporter

If you are poor, it's likely your fault

Posted by

Walter Geiger

in Opinions

Monday, July 26. 2010

Comments (17)

By Walter Williams, syndicated columnist

If you're a poor adult in America, for the most part, it's all your fault. That's true, at least today, whether you're black, white, brown or polka dot.

According to the definition the U.S. Bureau of Census uses, a family of four with an income over $18,244 is not poor. The poverty cutoff for a single-person household is $9,359, and that for a two-person household is $12,000. With those definitions, the poverty rate was 11.7 percent, or about 33 million Americans living in poverty in 2001.

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#1 David Rawlins on 07/26/10 at 11:30 AM

Once again a brilliant article from this man and I couldn't agree more with what he has to say.

#2 DMG on 07/26/10 at 11:57 AM

Outstanding article! There is a great deal to be said about statistics.

#3 Anonymous on 07/27/10 at 07:22 PM

This man has a very limited perspective. He seems to think that everyone operates on the same level of consciousness and have the same life experiences that form the basis of good decision making. Some people are dealt a crappy hand of cards. Some dont know anything else other than living off the system because they were raised in the system.
If the system was properly funded, perhaps there would be more programs with emphasis on job training and parenting, which could help break the cycle of generational welfare dependence without allowing small children to starve by proving a point to the parents.

#4 you're pulling my leg on 07/27/10 at 08:43 PM

Spoken like a true Democrat.

#5 Concord Resident on 07/27/10 at 09:37 PM

How old is this article? It's been a while since minimum wage was that low, hasn't it?

#6 fat bass tard on 07/28/10 at 05:46 AM

or, if the system funding was cut completely, they would be forced out of the system and forced to think more about their decisions and forced to make good choices (like no kids till I can afford them).

#7 Sheila Tolley on 07/28/10 at 10:34 AM

Most employees in Georgia are entitled to the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, although the state minimum wage is only $5.15 per hour, for companies with less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

#8 Donna Jo on 07/28/10 at 12:11 PM

I used to believe I had as good a chance as anybody around here.

I discovered that I showed up to work to often and literally did the job. I've never failed a drug test, the reason being I've never liked drugs. Nor could I afford to go to a doctor just for the heck of it.

One thing in the story I noticed is minimum wage jobs and the assumption that these people working them get raise's. In most case's wrong. They are worked short hours so they are considered part time. I've saw people worked 40 hours a week all the time till almost 6 months. Then just before the law would say they are full time they get laid off or on short hours. That way they stay part time. They may make a little better than minimum wage but they never get the benefit of full time employment.

Also some places have high turn overs. In other words you make just enough money to get there every day. I had a manager come to me and say none of the people working for you have a phone! I told him, "We pay them minimum wage, So we're lucky they find a way to get here!"

A education or training is a good thing for anyone to have. But this being Georgia it's who you know or who you are related to.

#9 Anonymous on 07/28/10 at 02:49 PM

Force someone to make good choices?..following your logic, third world countries would have stopped having children long ago.

#10 fat bass tard on 07/28/10 at 06:09 PM

third world countries are beginning to utilize more and more contraceptives in order to stem the population explosion and prevent starvation

in the US, everyone is educated enough to know that having children you can't afford is self defeating.

the major reason it continues here is the government check

#11 Anonymous on 07/28/10 at 09:22 PM

what is meant here is that if the gov't would stop giving welfare, food stamps, etc to the people who DON"T need it, they would then have to get off their butts and get a job. And if they STILL have babies, well whadayaknow? They will have to pay for them THEMSELVES like the rest of us do.

#12 Sheila Tolley on 07/29/10 at 11:07 AM

What is the down side of that?

#13 fat bass tard on 07/29/10 at 08:32 PM

My father dug ditches for a living and only had a high school education. I am not kin to anyone at my job, nor did I know them before getting my job.

I got an education. I worked for 24 years and I now make a decent living.

Don't tell me that I am succesful because of who i'm related to or who I know.

I am succesful because I WORKED for it!!

If everyone else will work, they will be successful too.

#14 Concord Resident on 07/29/10 at 08:34 PM

2003 is when it was written, though. I thought I remembered seeing this before. It was right on then, and is right on now.

#15 Donna Jo on 07/30/10 at 10:41 PM

You must be male.....

I think they have different rules for them. I know people who are in jail. They are male, and they have jobs waiting on them to get out.

#16 Anonymous on 07/31/10 at 07:11 AM

Damn Lucky, Do You really hate all Men...

#17 fat bass tard on 07/31/10 at 08:24 AM

of course the feminist approach...

if you aren't racist, then you must be sexist.

what level of education do you have? what degree did you obtain?

my wife is educated. has a master's degree. she has no trouble finding work and in fact had she not stopped working when we had kids, would be making much more than me.

btw, she also worked in a job with people she didn't know before she went to work there.

it's not about who you know, it's about what you are willing to achieve.

just as this article says, people who are willing to work for what they want, get it. that includes taking the time to get an education and doing the job no matter what it takes.

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