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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNow is not the time to cut back. Now is the time to provide.
If the current downturn has not mirrored the Great Depression, thats thanks to safety net programs that grew out of the Depression and other hard times. Breadlines have, by and large, been replaced by food stamps, while income from Social Security, unemployment benefits and the earned income tax credit has kept many people from falling irretrievably into the economic abyss.
Without those supports, conditions which are bad enough would be much worse, as is clear from the Census Bureaus latest poverty measures. According to the bureau:
Poverty among children, at 18 percent in 2012, would have been nearly 21 percent, but for food stamps; it would have been nearly 25 percent but for household income from tax credits like the one for earned income.
Poverty among the elderly, at 14.8 percent, would be nearly 55 percent, but for Social Security.
Poverty among non-elderly adults, at 15.5 percent, would be 16.4 percent, but for unemployment benefits.
Poverty among the elderly, at 14.8 percent, would be nearly 55 percent, but for Social Security.
Poverty among non-elderly adults, at 15.5 percent, would be 16.4 percent, but for unemployment benefits.
Now is not the time to cut back. Now is the time to provide.
MORE:
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/26/breadlines-return/?hp&rref=opinion&_r=1
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Now is not the time to cut back. Now is the time to provide. (Original Post)
kpete
Nov 2013
OP
Scuba
(53,475 posts)2. Kick. Thanks kpete.
kpete
(71,996 posts)4. Peace, Love & Thanksgiving!
CFLDem
(2,083 posts)3. Laying down like everyone else
just makes one another corpse. Much better to use this time to invest so we can ride the next opportunity as far as it will go.