I READ THIS ARTICLE ON CLEVELAND.COM THIS MORNING AND WONDERED WHY OUR GOVERNMENT IS LOOKING THE OTHER WAY

Submitted by jerleen1 on Tue, 09/28/2010 - 11:20.

"Cleveland's poverty is second among big cities; gap between rich and poor grows nationally

Published: Tuesday, September 28, 2010, 10:47 AM     Updated: Tuesday, September 28, 2010, 11:03 AM
Rich Exner, The Plain Dealer Rich Exner, The Plain Dealer
homeless-dayton.JPGPlain Dealer fileThe Census Bureau released new poverty estimates on Tuesday.

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- One out of every three Clevelanders lives in poverty -- making the city one of the poorest big cities in the country -- according to new estimates released today by the Census Bureau.

The 2009 poverty rate for Cleveland was estimated at 35 percent, up from 30.5 percent in 2008.

That ranks Cleveland second in the country behind Detroit (36.4 percent) among major cities and 12th nationally among places of at least 65,000 people.  Estimates were not made available for smaller places.

Among Ohio's larger cities, Youngstown's poverty rate is 35.7 percent, followed by Cleveland, Lorain (33.7 percent), Dayton (30.9 percent), Cincinnati (25.7 percent), Akron (24.6 percent), Toledo (23.8 percent), Columbus (22.6 percent) and Parma (8.8 percent).

The highest poverty rate nationally is in the college town of College Station, Texas, at 39.7 percent.

Nationally, gap grows between rich and poor

The Associated Press reported that the income gap between the richest and poorest Americans grew last year to its widest amount on record as young adults and children in particular struggled to stay afloat in the recession.

The top-earning 20 percent of Americans -- those making more than $100,000 each year -- received 49.4 percent of all income generated in the United States, compared with the 3.4 percent earned by those below the poverty line.

At the top, the wealthiest 5 percent of Americans, who earn more than $180,000, added slightly to their annual incomes last year, census data show. Families at the $50,000 median level slipped lower.

"Income inequality is rising, and if we took into account tax data, it would be even more," said Timothy Smeeding, a University of Wisconsin-Madison professor who specializes in poverty. "More than other countries, we have a very unequal income distribution where compensation goes to the top in a winner-takes-all economy."

Among the 2009 findings, reported by the AP:

• The poverty gap between young and old has doubled since 2000, due partly to the strength of Social Security in helping buoy Americans 65 and over. Child poverty is now 21 percent compared with 9 percent for older Americans. In 2000, when child poverty was at 16 percent, elderly poverty stood at 10 percent.

• Safety nets are helping fill health gaps. The percentage of children covered by government-sponsored health insurance such as Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program jumped to 37 percent, or 27.6 million, from 24 percent in 2000. That helped offset steady losses in employer-sponsored insurance.

 
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Not For Profits Depend on these needy folks!!!!

Submitted by ANGELnWard14 on Tue, 09/28/2010 - 13:48.

As the CYNICS walk our streets...I will keep praying for them because many of them have held their ground against the corruption for several generations while being treated like criminal tools for a system of quotas driven by a corrupt government! 

Without needy folks, our local government and funded NFP's wouldn't be in business! Why would they work to empower the regular citizens if they'd lose quotas? 

If a needy person goes to 15 different federally funded assistance programs, how come he has to fill out 15 different applications? It's so redundant....The technology should be able to filter through qualifying programs and automatically help the needy person on the spot...at one location... not sending them all over town and through uncountable processes! Yet, we don't want these administrators to be "JOBLESS", Now do we???? Ha! 

Last night, a couple was walking past my house. I said hello and asked how they were doing? (Being neighborly..) The lady said, "surviving!" I said, "I know what you mean!" and we smiled. Two steps later, the lady turned back and came to explain her meaning...."We've been on the streets homeless for two nights," she said.  I said, "I told you I know what you mean, they stole my plumbing and we don't even have a hot water tank!" She was amazed....and after a few more comments, they went back on their walk-a-bout! I felt horrible for them and so many others who are aimlessly walking around our city...It's getting cold out here and so many are without heat, homes, or healthy food to eat.... (IT'S TIME FOR EXTRAORDINARY MEASURES...THERE IS A CRISIS IN CUYAHOGA COUNTY! BRING IN THE TROOPS!) 

Well, the leadership was so helpful in these matters...I am greatful for their work to make beautiful housing for the yuppies...but they have failed the low income, elderly, and needy again and again by devouring their American Spirit with their corruption! 

UNITED WE STAND TO TAKE BACK OUR GOVERNMENT!

FOR THE CORRUPT PEOPLE: 

THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CORRUPT FOR GENERATIONS NEED TO GO AWAY! TAKE YOUR INSIDERS, YOUR INTERCEPTORS, AND YOUR PALS WITH YOU! THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE LEFT BEHIND TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ETHICS ARE....NEED TO GET IT FIGURED OUT REALLY SOON.... BECAUSE THE CITIZENS OF NORTHEAST OHIO ARE TIRED OF YOUR CORRUPT WAYS! YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN RUSSO IF YOU CONTINUE HIS GARBAGE WAYS UPON OUR COMMUNITY AT LARGE! YOU ARE SCUMBAGS WHO VIOLATE THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS AND THERE'S NO ROOM FOR YOU IN OUR GOVERNMENT. YOU DO NOT DESERVE LEGITIMATE JOBS TO PRETEND TO BE OUR REPRESENATIVES... YOU, THE CORRUPT, ARE A BUNCH OF SUPERFICIAL, SELFISH, GODLESS, EGO MANIACS WHO HAVE LEARNED REPULSIVE BEHAVIORS. YOU SHOULD WALK IN SHAME FOR THE ENDURANCE OF YOUR LIVES. MAYBE YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE TO WEAR PARTY PLATES THAT ARE BLACK WITH WHITE LETTERS SO THAT WE THE CITIZENS CAN "BLACKBALL" YOU FROM OUR WORLD.... JUST AS YOU'VE DONE WITH THE LEGITIMATE CITIZENS!!!

FOR THE NON CORRUPT...REMAIIN UNITED AGAINST THESE EVILDOER CORRUPT PEOPLE...LET'S ERADICATE THEM FROM OUR COMMUNITY!