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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe GOP-Controlled South Is Essentially A Solid, Grim Block Of Poverty
The South Is Essentially A Solid, Grim Block Of PovertyBy Mark Gongloff
The Great Recession and Not-So-Great Recovery have been bad news for most Americans, but some people have suffered more than others. We call those people "Southerners."
North Carolina and a handful of other Southern U.S. states saw the biggest increases in the number of people living in what are known as "poverty areas" between 2000 and 2010, according to a new Census Bureau report. Poverty areas are places where more than 20 percent of the people live below the federal poverty line, which varies by family size. For a family of four, the poverty line in most states is an annual income of $23,850.
Today, 25.7 percent of all Americans live in such areas, up from 18.1 percent in 2000, according to the report. Having a quarter of the nation living this way is a problem: Poverty areas are typically marked by "higher crime rates, poor housing conditions, and fewer job opportunities," the report points out.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/02/poverty-increase-map_n_5548577.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics
Rosa Luxemburg
(28,627 posts)they vote for issues that mostly hurt them
Bandit
(21,475 posts)I would think the rest of America should realize though that states controlled completely by Republicans have the largest portion of poor and unemployed. That alone should tell people about Republican economics..
Rosa Luxemburg
(28,627 posts)Viva_Daddy
(785 posts)n2doc
(47,953 posts)Not the cities.
onehandle
(51,122 posts)Lochloosa
(16,019 posts)Pushing the 20% mark.
n2doc
(47,953 posts)It has one of the largest footprints of any city I know (San Antonio is another). Maybe it gets a lot of rural poor?
Urban poor tend to vote D. That's one reason why Atlanta proper (and Savannah) is a big D stronghold. But I see a lot of prosperity in the cities, mostly, and rural areas that still look like they did 50 years ago, except more stores are closed. Maybe that's just me.
liberal N proud
(60,302 posts)I have been for a long, long time trying to figure out why people vote against their own best interest.
n2doc
(47,953 posts)Keep people stupid, fearful and angry, and you can manipulate them into anything. In the south, that mean making sure all problems are blamed on 'lazy blacks' and 'immigrants'. Since those two groups are always present, the lack of progress is always blamed on them. And on Obama, which for t-baggers means the same thing.
It's in uneducated people's nature to strive to be better than at least some other group. This will never change unless people are educated. Sociology 101 really.
Puzzledtraveller
(5,937 posts)the Appalachia areas are some of the poorest in the nation, a major factor also is a declining coal industry. Many large job creators pass up states like mine, education is a very big part of these decisions. I do casework for the state.
napkinz
(17,199 posts)KamaAina
(78,249 posts)as is liberal New York.
Puzzledtraveller
(5,937 posts)Cali_Democrat
(30,439 posts)It's GOP bashing.
Big difference.
Also, if you look at the 'Poverty On The Rise' graph at the link, you will see that poverty is increasing at a MUCH slower rate in New York and California while poverty is increasing at a very fast pace in much of the GOP-controlled the South.
Just the facts.
Puzzledtraveller
(5,937 posts)was not directed at you. It was the possible bashing that follows things like this.
ck4829
(34,977 posts)cerveza_gratis
(281 posts)I would much rather be just below the poverty cutoff in one of the blue Southern states than just above it in a green Northeast state, financially speaking anyway.
Edited to add: On second thought, even though income goes farther in the South, a lot of those states don't have the same healthcare etc. So, maybe not.