These politicians, their campaign coffers overflowing with corporate contributions, have regularly slashed corporate taxes. One could certainly argue that if the big corporations and banks were paying taxes at the same rate as then, the government would be able to expand, not cut, education, health care, childcare, job training, housing, and other programs. Those demonstrating outside the Summit are insisting that poverty is neither preordained nor inevitable. Poverty is not the result of a character flaw among the poor. This demonization of the poor, colored by a strong strain of racism, has created the political climate that has made possible this anti-people legislation.
Poverty appears to be endemic to the political and economic system inside the United States.
We are not in the throes of a recession and yet one of out every four children live in poverty. The figure is one out of every two African-American children. The United States stands number one in the world in spending on military technology. It ranks first in it's number of millionaires and billionaires. But it is 18th in the gap between rich and poor children.