From: PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu (David Veal)
Subject: Re: Marian Wright Edelman Statement on Child Poverty Increase
Organization: The University of Tennessee, Knoxville
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 23:32:31 GMT

In article <1992Sep13.080753.1581@Princeton.EDU>
niepornt@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (David Marc Nieporent) writes:

>
>In article <1992Sep12.014353.10986@oakhill.sps.mot.com> pjm@anegada.sps.mot.com(Patrick J. McGuinness) writes:
>>In article <1992Sep9.011934.13561@samba.oit.unc.edu> Nigel.Allen@bbs.oit.unc.eu (Nigel Allen) writes:
>>>Here is a press release from the Children's Defense Fund.
>
>>>   WASHINGTON, Sept. 3 /U.S. Newswire/ -- Following is a statement
>>>of Marian Wright Edelman, president, Children's Defense Fund, on the
>>>child poverty increase in 1991 to the highest level since 1965; CDF
>>>calls for immediate enactment of initiative to combat childhood
>>>hunger and strengthen families:
>
>>>   Due to the leap in the number of poor children in 1991 reported by
>>>the Census Bureau today, America now has more children living in
>>>poverty than in any year since 1965 -- a fact that demands immediate
>>>action and long-term and comprehensive plans to combat child poverty
>>>from candidates from all parties at all levels of government.
>
>>Bogus statistic report: These numbers do NOT include in-kind
>>subsidies like food stamps, housing benefits, WIC, and other
>>non-cash benefits.
>
>>Scratch the surface and you will find that the percentage
>>of people in poverty has, although with dips and rises,
>>pretty much bottomed out since 1970.
>
>>Essentially, it only proves that there are large numbers of people
>>which do not support themselves sufficiently with their own income.
>
>>James J. Kilpatrick had a good column on this. Something like half of
>>all "poverty" families own their own homes; many have substantial
>>household assets. cars, boats, pools, etc. The image of destitution does not
>>apply to all those in "poverty". (Although it certainly applies to some.)
>
>Ah, another welfare queen "fact."  Many welfare families with their own
>swimming pools.  As to home ownership, so?  Homelessness and poverty are
>not equivalent, and no one claimed they were.

     You'll note above that welfare was not being discussed.  What
was being discussed was Children's Defense Fund definition of
poverty.  Check their figures.  Their "below the poverty line"
and the welfare numbers don't come anywhere near to matching up.
     Unfortunately, while every couple of months somebody prints
a "poverty is rampant" story, most don't bother to tell you
the criteria they used to determine who is "impoverished."

>>When we end our stupid welfare policies. (see below).
>
>You forgot to mention all those people who *love* being on welfare.

     Whether or not people *love* being on welfare has no bearing on
whether or not our policies are stupid (and that's a debate for
another message.)

>
>>>         Table 1: Poverty status of persons younger than 18
>>>                       (Numbers in thousands)
>
>>>           TOTAL         POOR            RATE
>>>
>>>   1991    65,918        14,341          21.8%
>>>   1990    65,049        13,431          20.6
>
>>>   1989    64,144        12,590          19.6
>>>   1988    63,747        12,455          19.5
>>>   1987    63,294        12,843          20.3
>>>   1986    62,948        12,876          20.5
>>>   1985    62,876        13,010          20.7
>>>   1984    62,447        13,420          21.5
>>>   1983    62,334        13,911          22.3
>>>   1982    62,345        13,647          21.9
>>>   1981    62,449        12,505          20.0
>>>   1980    62,914        11,543          18.3
>>>
>>>   1979    63,375        10,377          16.4
>>>   1978    62,311         9,931          15.9
>>>   1977    63,137        10,288          16.2
>>>   1976    64,028        10,273          16.0
>>>   1975    65,079        11,104          17.1
>>>   1974    66,134        10,156          15.4
>>>   1973    66,959         9,642          14.4
>>>   1972    67,930        10,284          15.1
>>>   1971    68,816        10,551          15.3
>>>   1970    69,159        10,440          15.1
>>>
>>>   1969    69,090         9,691          14.0
>
>>Note that this is where progress stopped ... just when
>>welfare spending took off. hmmmm.
>
>So what you're saying is that this is all Richard Nixon's fault?
>I'll buy that.

     There must be a name for this syndrome where people in the United
States forget *THE WHOLE LEGISLATIVE BRANCH OF THEIR REPUBLIC!*

[Long list of figures showing poverty rate decreasing until 1969
or so deleted.]

>>PS Children's Defense Fund:
>>A liberal group using a misleading label to promote their agenda
>>of greater Government involvement.
>
>As opposed to "Moral Majority," which was neither?

     Who *cares* what the Moral Majority's problems were!?  Whether or not
they had their own agenda means *nothing* in this discussion.  "They started
it," isn't much of a debate tactic.

========================================================================
| David Veal  PA146008@utkvm1.utk.edu                                  |
|             University of Tennessee Division of Continuing Education |
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