Sinking Below the Poverty Level

Currently, the poverty threshold for the United States is an annual income of $22,314 for a family of four.  I can't imagine living on that today.  That was an income I earned in the 60s and 70s when I first married.  My rent then was $75.00 per month, a car cost around $3000, and hamburger was twenty-nine cents a pound. Gasoline wars were prevalent, and fuel was sometimes as little as nineteen cents a gallon.

  In whose mind can a family of four survive on such a pittance?  Unless you live in a cardboard box or a shelter, rent is going to take the lion's share of that money, and food will take the rest. Where do utilities, clothing, personal items, shoes, and the always, elusive fund for future education come in? I guess getting one's hair done in a salon once in a while is out.  How about haircuts for the men and boys?  Gasoline to get to and from the grocery store?  Car repairs?  Insurance?

A survey, released on Tuesday by the advocacy group Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW), found that 45 percent of U.S. residents live in households that struggle to make ends meet. The Census Bureau reports  that one out of every seven Americans is “living in poverty” in the United States. I think someone needs to seriously rethink what constitutes a fair wage, and to the new people, looking to get elected, how about remembering what a large percentage of our population need help.  Yep, these people definitely need to be fined for not purchasing health insurance as mandated by Obamacare.  What's wrong with this picture?