General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: 80% of the US Population is at or below the POVERTY line - WHY is this NOT a National Emergency??? [View all]llmart
(15,583 posts)You are citing the "official" government designation of the poverty line which in most thinking people's estimation is much, much too low to define as the poverty level. I believe that for a single person like myself it's somewhere around $11,000 a year. Now please tell me where you can live in the US and be middle class on just $11,000 a year?
I live very frugally and I can tell you that if I didn't get my small monthly pension of $630 plus a part time job where I bring home less than $900 a month (total of $1530 per month "extra money" I have), I would be living on my Social Security of $1,000 a month. That would be $12,000 a year and I can tell you from personal experience that there is no way I could afford to pay for my utilities, my home, health insurance, car insurance, telephone, electricity, gas for heat and still eat. If I ever had to see a doctor, my copay is $40 (luckily I'm still healthy) and if something breaks down on my old car, then what?