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Nearly 50 Million Living in Poverty in US

Don1

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 22, 2005
Messages
1,166
Nearly 50 Million Living in Poverty in US


My note the Jewing of American keeps on rolling. These Jews have been kicked out of 84 nations 109 times.

The Jewish bankers hold on America:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JoSNewsletter/message/275
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JoSNewsletter/message/276

The Jew Talmud states:

. "All property of other nations belongs to the Jewish nation, which, consequently, is entitled to seize upon it without any scruples. An orthodox Jew is not bound to observe principles of morality towards people of other tribes. He may act contrary to morality, if profitable to himself or to Jews in general." - Schulchan Aruch. Choszen Hamiszpat 348.




----------------------------



Nearly 50 Million Living in Poverty in US

http://www.globalresearch.ca/nearly-50- ... us/5312028

The number of people living in poverty in the United States rose last year to 49.7 million, based on a new measure that provides a fuller picture of poverty than that previously reported by U.S. Census Bureau data. The revised poverty rate of 16.1 percent is up more than a percentage point from the 15 percent figure reported by the government in September.

Coming a little more than a week after the 2012 elections, the news that nearly one in six Americans is living in poverty received little attention in the media or from the Obama administration. Neither big-business party has any policies to alleviate growing poverty, which is exacerbated by entrenched unemployment and a sluggish economy.

The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), devised a year ago, factors in expenses for food, clothing, shelter, utilities, health care and other essentials beyond what the previous official formula took into account. It includes in its income measure such government-provided benefits as Social Security, unemployment benefits and nutrition assistance.

The SPM figures released by the Census Bureau on Thursday show that while some households may have incomes above the poverty line, factors such as medical expenses are pushing increasing numbers into poverty. The new figures also indicate that the tepid job growth in the more than four years since the financial crisis has come mostly in the form of low-wage jobs that in many cases are not able to lift families out of poverty.

More than 15 percent of working-age adults, aged 18-64, lived in poverty in 2011. Among those with some form of employment, 9.4 percent fell below the poverty line. Those working less than full-time, year-round, saw an 18.5 percent poverty rate. A third of those working less than one week in the course of the year—16.2 million, or 33.5 percent—lived in poverty last year.

Based on the SPM, the poverty rates were dramatically higher for several segments of the population. The share of people 65 years and older living in poverty was 15.1 percent, nearly double the 8.7 percent figure according to the official measure. The single biggest economic burden on seniors is medical expenses that must be paid out of pocket.

The poverty rate among Hispanics stood at 28 percent in 2001 using the SPM, significantly higher than the 25.4 percent rate using the older measure. This difference is attributed to limited access by immigrants to government programs, as well as the concentration of Hispanics in regions of the country that have seen big cutbacks to government programs.

According to the new measurement, more than a quarter of all African-American households were living in poverty in 2011. Poverty in households headed by a single female stood at 30 percent. Among households renting their homes, 29.3 percent were poor.

Also hard-hit are people living in urban areas where living expenses are higher and assistance from government programs has not kept pace with growing need. Under the newly devised standard, California saw the highest poverty rate of any state. A staggering 8.8 million people—23.5 percent—of Californians are living in poverty, a figure largely driven by the state's high cost of living and sharp budget cuts to social programs.

Following closely behind California is the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., where 23.2 percent lived in poverty last year according to the SPM. The next most impoverished state was Florida, at 19.5 percent.

Use of the new census measurement also showed a significant shift in poverty among the various regions of the country. In the West, 20 percent of households were living in poverty in 2011, compared to 16 percent in the South, the region of the country historically more impoverished. This is undoubtedly largely influenced by factors such as the assault on social programs in California and the collapse of the housing market in Nevada.

The new Census measurement also reveals that Social Security is by far the most important program contributing to a reduction in poverty. According to the SPM, when calculating the effects of benefits and expenses on overall poverty rates in the American population, poverty was reduced by more than 8 percent due to Social Security benefits, while medical expenses increased poverty by about 3.5 percent.

The SNAP food stamp program and unemployment insurance benefits also provide significant protection against poverty. But it is precisely these programs—along with Medicare and Medicaid—that are being targeted for cuts as part of the bipartisan assault on social programs being prepared in the wake of the 2012 elections under the cynical pretext of averting a looming "fiscal cliff."

Coming just more than a week after the presidential election, the new poverty figures put the lie to claims by the Obama administration that significant gains have been made on the way to recovery. Also on Thursday, the Labor Department released initial claims for state unemployment benefits, which rose 78,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 439,000.

This was the biggest one-week jump since the spike in claims caused by Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. The number has been significantly impacted by last month's Hurricane Sandy, which left millions of homes and businesses without power, paralyzed transportation and caused widespread damage in the Northeast US.

But the rise points to a more general trend of slow job growth. Economists polled by Reuters before Thursday's jobless claims were released said they expected the pace of job growth to slow to an average 144,000 jobs per month in the fourth quarter, down from 174,000 in the third quarter.

Long-term unemployment remains entrenched. According to the new Census report, about 16.4 million Americans of working age worked less than one week in all of 2011. Of these, fully a third are living in poverty, according to the new SPM measurement. Federally funded extended unemployment benefits are set to expire in January, threatening to deprive more than 2 million jobless workers of cash assistance and plunging more American households into poverty.
 
It really abominational and dirty, disorted and fucked up. How the kikes just see numbers. Well the purpose here is not to see the kike crap minds, but this is at the very least very sad. I wish there was a Satanic Goverement and none was hungry, unemployed, sick and without rights. 50 million is a huge number. This made me extremely sad, not kidding. Being poor is something severely fucked up. Those who have been know this. It really destroys the Soul, the confidence, the health of people. This is why people need Satan this time and those times, more than any other time. The fucked up state and the pile of shit has reached the peak.

Wish I had a way of eliminating them all until tommorow. They need to be wiped off. Its like in my town, you will see Gentiles wearing the same shoes every day. Kikes going around with 800$ phones and only one or two Gentiles have wealth. While Gentiles are fighting for their very survival, kikes only have problems as to which 5000$ pc they will buy, or where they will be going for clubbing. This is seriously fucked up. I have so much hate for them, I would kill them all alone given if I could. No Gentile Soul deserves this. They eat in the fucking Golden fork and most if not all of us, have problems because of this. And the key point is, there is enough wealth for anyone. Their fucked up psyche wants it all for them. I would stomp them all until nothing remained from them.

There was no unemployment, no suffering, no bullshit, no perversion in Nazi Germany. In due time, nothing of these will be existing in the World ruled by the Satan's Anti-Christ. Until them, they all have to be brought down and ripped to shreds. Its really disgusting to see a 85 year old kike really fighting his last breath to make their race far more rich and further the decrees of their reptilian musterds. Its really disgusting. About time we take everything that is ours back.

--- In [url=mailto:[email protected]][email protected][/url], "Don" <mageson6666@... wrote:

Nearly 50 Million Living in Poverty in US


My note the Jewing of American keeps on rolling. These Jews have been kicked out of 84 nations 109 times.

The Jewish bankers hold on America:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JoSNewsletter/message/275
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JoSNewsletter/message/276

The Jew Talmud states:

. "All property of other nations belongs to the Jewish nation, which, consequently, is entitled to seize upon it without any scruples. An orthodox Jew is not bound to observe principles of morality towards people of other tribes. He may act contrary to morality, if profitable to himself or to Jews in general." - Schulchan Aruch. Choszen Hamiszpat 348.




----------------------------



Nearly 50 Million Living in Poverty in US

http://www.globalresearch.ca/nearly-50- ... us/5312028

The number of people living in poverty in the United States rose last year to 49.7 million, based on a new measure that provides a fuller picture of poverty than that previously reported by U.S. Census Bureau data. The revised poverty rate of 16.1 percent is up more than a percentage point from the 15 percent figure reported by the government in September.

Coming a little more than a week after the 2012 elections, the news that nearly one in six Americans is living in poverty received little attention in the media or from the Obama administration. Neither big-business party has any policies to alleviate growing poverty, which is exacerbated by entrenched unemployment and a sluggish economy.

The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), devised a year ago, factors in expenses for food, clothing, shelter, utilities, health care and other essentials beyond what the previous official formula took into account. It includes in its income measure such government-provided benefits as Social Security, unemployment benefits and nutrition assistance.

The SPM figures released by the Census Bureau on Thursday show that while some households may have incomes above the poverty line, factors such as medical expenses are pushing increasing numbers into poverty. The new figures also indicate that the tepid job growth in the more than four years since the financial crisis has come mostly in the form of low-wage jobs that in many cases are not able to lift families out of poverty.

More than 15 percent of working-age adults, aged 18-64, lived in poverty in 2011. Among those with some form of employment, 9.4 percent fell below the poverty line. Those working less than full-time, year-round, saw an 18.5 percent poverty rate. A third of those working less than one week in the course of the year—16.2 million, or 33.5 percent—lived in poverty last year.

Based on the SPM, the poverty rates were dramatically higher for several segments of the population. The share of people 65 years and older living in poverty was 15.1 percent, nearly double the 8.7 percent figure according to the official measure. The single biggest economic burden on seniors is medical expenses that must be paid out of pocket.

The poverty rate among Hispanics stood at 28 percent in 2001 using the SPM, significantly higher than the 25.4 percent rate using the older measure. This difference is attributed to limited access by immigrants to government programs, as well as the concentration of Hispanics in regions of the country that have seen big cutbacks to government programs.

According to the new measurement, more than a quarter of all African-American households were living in poverty in 2011. Poverty in households headed by a single female stood at 30 percent. Among households renting their homes, 29.3 percent were poor.

Also hard-hit are people living in urban areas where living expenses are higher and assistance from government programs has not kept pace with growing need. Under the newly devised standard, California saw the highest poverty rate of any state. A staggering 8.8 million people—23.5 percent—of Californians are living in poverty, a figure largely driven by the state's high cost of living and sharp budget cuts to social programs.

Following closely behind California is the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., where 23.2 percent lived in poverty last year according to the SPM. The next most impoverished state was Florida, at 19.5 percent.

Use of the new census measurement also showed a significant shift in poverty among the various regions of the country. In the West, 20 percent of households were living in poverty in 2011, compared to 16 percent in the South, the region of the country historically more impoverished. This is undoubtedly largely influenced by factors such as the assault on social programs in California and the collapse of the housing market in Nevada.

The new Census measurement also reveals that Social Security is by far the most important program contributing to a reduction in poverty. According to the SPM, when calculating the effects of benefits and expenses on overall poverty rates in the American population, poverty was reduced by more than 8 percent due to Social Security benefits, while medical expenses increased poverty by about 3.5 percent.

The SNAP food stamp program and unemployment insurance benefits also provide significant protection against poverty. But it is precisely these programs—along with Medicare and Medicaid—that are being targeted for cuts as part of the bipartisan assault on social programs being prepared in the wake of the 2012 elections under the cynical pretext of averting a looming "fiscal cliff."

Coming just more than a week after the presidential election, the new poverty figures put the lie to claims by the Obama administration that significant gains have been made on the way to recovery. Also on Thursday, the Labor Department released initial claims for state unemployment benefits, which rose 78,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 439,000.

This was the biggest one-week jump since the spike in claims caused by Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. The number has been significantly impacted by last month's Hurricane Sandy, which left millions of homes and businesses without power, paralyzed transportation and caused widespread damage in the Northeast US.

But the rise points to a more general trend of slow job growth. Economists polled by Reuters before Thursday's jobless claims were released said they expected the pace of job growth to slow to an average 144,000 jobs per month in the fourth quarter, down from 174,000 in the third quarter.

Long-term unemployment remains entrenched. According to the new Census report, about 16.4 million Americans of working age worked less than one week in all of 2011. Of these, fully a third are living in poverty, according to the new SPM measurement. Federally funded extended unemployment benefits are set to expire in January, threatening to deprive more than 2 million jobless workers of cash assistance and plunging more American households into poverty.
 
Omg this is getting worse and worse. We have to change this. This has been said many times before but we have to KEEP fighting. Cobra, I understand how you feel. We all do :(. I too wish I could kill them and eradicate them! now!




------------------------------
On Sat, Nov 17, 2012 12:45 PM EST hoodedcobra666 wrote:

It really abominational and dirty, disorted and fucked up. How the kikes just see numbers. Well the purpose here is not to see the kike crap minds, but this is at the very least very sad. I wish there was a Satanic Goverement and none was hungry, unemployed, sick and without rights. 50 million is a huge number. This made me extremely sad, not kidding. Being poor is something severely fucked up. Those who have been know this. It really destroys the Soul, the confidence, the health of people. This is why people need Satan this time and those times, more than any other time. The fucked up state and the pile of shit has reached the peak.

Wish I had a way of eliminating them all until tommorow. They need to be wiped off. Its like in my town, you will see Gentiles wearing the same shoes every day. Kikes going around with 800$ phones and only one or two Gentiles have wealth. While Gentiles are fighting for their very survival, kikes only have problems as to which 5000$ pc they will buy, or where they will be going for clubbing. This is seriously fucked up. I have so much hate for them, I would kill them all alone given if I could. No Gentile Soul deserves this. They eat in the fucking Golden fork and most if not all of us, have problems because of this. And the key point is, there is enough wealth for anyone. Their fucked up psyche wants it all for them. I would stomp them all until nothing remained from them.

There was no unemployment, no suffering, no bullshit, no perversion in Nazi Germany. In due time, nothing of these will be existing in the World ruled by the Satan's Anti-Christ. Until them, they all have to be brought down and ripped to shreds. Its really disgusting to see a 85 year old kike really fighting his last breath to make their race far more rich and further the decrees of their reptilian musterds. Its really disgusting. About time we take everything that is ours back.

--- In [url=mailto:[email protected]][email protected][/url], "Don" <mageson6666@... wrote:

Nearly 50 Million Living in Poverty in US


My note the Jewing of American keeps on rolling. These Jews have been kicked out of 84 nations 109 times.

The Jewish bankers hold on America:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JoSNewsletter/message/275
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JoSNewsletter/message/276

The Jew Talmud states:

. "All property of other nations belongs to the Jewish nation, which, consequently, is entitled to seize upon it without any scruples. An orthodox Jew is not bound to observe principles of morality towards people of other tribes. He may act contrary to morality, if profitable to himself or to Jews in general." - Schulchan Aruch. Choszen Hamiszpat 348.




----------------------------



Nearly 50 Million Living in Poverty in US

http://www.globalresearch.ca/nearly-50- ... us/5312028

The number of people living in poverty in the United States rose last year to 49.7 million, based on a new measure that provides a fuller picture of poverty than that previously reported by U.S. Census Bureau data. The revised poverty rate of 16.1 percent is up more than a percentage point from the 15 percent figure reported by the government in September.

Coming a little more than a week after the 2012 elections, the news that nearly one in six Americans is living in poverty received little attention in the media or from the Obama administration. Neither big-business party has any policies to alleviate growing poverty, which is exacerbated by entrenched unemployment and a sluggish economy.

The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), devised a year ago, factors in expenses for food, clothing, shelter, utilities, health care and other essentials beyond what the previous official formula took into account. It includes in its income measure such government-provided benefits as Social Security, unemployment benefits and nutrition assistance.

The SPM figures released by the Census Bureau on Thursday show that while some households may have incomes above the poverty line, factors such as medical expenses are pushing increasing numbers into poverty. The new figures also indicate that the tepid job growth in the more than four years since the financial crisis has come mostly in the form of low-wage jobs that in many cases are not able to lift families out of poverty.

More than 15 percent of working-age adults, aged 18-64, lived in poverty in 2011. Among those with some form of employment, 9.4 percent fell below the poverty line. Those working less than full-time, year-round, saw an 18.5 percent poverty rate. A third of those working less than one week in the course of the year—16.2 million, or 33.5 percent—lived in poverty last year.

Based on the SPM, the poverty rates were dramatically higher for several segments of the population. The share of people 65 years and older living in poverty was 15.1 percent, nearly double the 8.7 percent figure according to the official measure. The single biggest economic burden on seniors is medical expenses that must be paid out of pocket.

The poverty rate among Hispanics stood at 28 percent in 2001 using the SPM, significantly higher than the 25.4 percent rate using the older measure. This difference is attributed to limited access by immigrants to government programs, as well as the concentration of Hispanics in regions of the country that have seen big cutbacks to government programs.

According to the new measurement, more than a quarter of all African-American households were living in poverty in 2011. Poverty in households headed by a single female stood at 30 percent. Among households renting their homes, 29.3 percent were poor.

Also hard-hit are people living in urban areas where living expenses are higher and assistance from government programs has not kept pace with growing need. Under the newly devised standard, California saw the highest poverty rate of any state. A staggering 8.8 million people—23.5 percent—of Californians are living in poverty, a figure largely driven by the state's high cost of living and sharp budget cuts to social programs.

Following closely behind California is the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., where 23.2 percent lived in poverty last year according to the SPM. The next most impoverished state was Florida, at 19.5 percent.

Use of the new census measurement also showed a significant shift in poverty among the various regions of the country. In the West, 20 percent of households were living in poverty in 2011, compared to 16 percent in the South, the region of the country historically more impoverished. This is undoubtedly largely influenced by factors such as the assault on social programs in California and the collapse of the housing market in Nevada.

The new Census measurement also reveals that Social Security is by far the most important program contributing to a reduction in poverty. According to the SPM, when calculating the effects of benefits and expenses on overall poverty rates in the American population, poverty was reduced by more than 8 percent due to Social Security benefits, while medical expenses increased poverty by about 3.5 percent.

The SNAP food stamp program and unemployment insurance benefits also provide significant protection against poverty. But it is precisely these programs—along with Medicare and Medicaid—that are being targeted for cuts as part of the bipartisan assault on social programs being prepared in the wake of the 2012 elections under the cynical pretext of averting a looming "fiscal cliff."

Coming just more than a week after the presidential election, the new poverty figures put the lie to claims by the Obama administration that significant gains have been made on the way to recovery. Also on Thursday, the Labor Department released initial claims for state unemployment benefits, which rose 78,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 439,000.

This was the biggest one-week jump since the spike in claims caused by Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. The number has been significantly impacted by last month's Hurricane Sandy, which left millions of homes and businesses without power, paralyzed transportation and caused widespread damage in the Northeast US.

But the rise points to a more general trend of slow job growth. Economists polled by Reuters before Thursday's jobless claims were released said they expected the pace of job growth to slow to an average 144,000 jobs per month in the fourth quarter, down from 174,000 in the third quarter.

Long-term unemployment remains entrenched. According to the new Census report, about 16.4 million Americans of working age worked less than one week in all of 2011. Of these, fully a third are living in poverty, according to the new SPM measurement. Federally funded extended unemployment benefits are set to expire in January, threatening to deprive more than 2 million jobless workers of cash assistance and plunging more American households into poverty.
 
<td val[/IMG]I hear you brother.Like I posted a month ago I have to be at this job day after day and watch these filthy kikes come to my gate to be let in to this gated community.Not only do I see the rats pull up to me in brand new 6000.00 cars but when I ask the fuckers to show me their license they have a wad of bills as pocket change that I could pay our bills and eat on for a fucking year.I know brother it gets old but that is why we are fighting behind closed doors.To stop this shit once and for all and to see every Gentile get what we deserve.


Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android [/TD]
From: hoodedcobra666 <hoodedcobra666@...;
To: <[email protected];
Subject: [JoyofSatan666] Re: Nearly 50 Million Living in Poverty in US
Sent: Sat, Nov 17, 2012 5:45:38 PM

<td val[/IMG]   It really abominational and dirty, disorted and fucked up. How the kikes just see numbers. Well the purpose here is not to see the kike crap minds, but this is at the very least very sad. I wish there was a Satanic Goverement and none was hungry, unemployed, sick and without rights. 50 million is a huge number. This made me extremely sad, not kidding. Being poor is something severely fucked up. Those who have been know this. It really destroys the Soul, the confidence, the health of people. This is why people need Satan this time and those times, more than any other time. The fucked up state and the pile of shit has reached the peak.

Wish I had a way of eliminating them all until tommorow. They need to be wiped off. Its like in my town, you will see Gentiles wearing the same shoes every day. Kikes going around with 800$ phones and only one or two Gentiles have wealth. While Gentiles are fighting for their very survival, kikes only have problems as to which 5000$ pc they will buy, or where they will be going for clubbing. This is seriously fucked up. I have so much hate for them, I would kill them all alone given if I could. No Gentile Soul deserves this. They eat in the fucking Golden fork and most if not all of us, have problems because of this. And the key point is, there is enough wealth for anyone. Their fucked up psyche wants it all for them. I would stomp them all until nothing remained from them.

There was no unemployment, no suffering, no bullshit, no perversion in Nazi Germany. In due time, nothing of these will be existing in the World ruled by the Satan's Anti-Christ. Until them, they all have to be brought down and ripped to shreds. Its really disgusting to see a 85 year old kike really fighting his last breath to make their race far more rich and further the decrees of their reptilian musterds. Its really disgusting. About time we take everything that is ours back.

--- [/IMG][email protected], "Don" <mageson6666@... wrote:

Nearly 50 Million Living in Poverty in US


My note the Jewing of American keeps on rolling. These Jews have been kicked out of 84 nations 109 times.

The Jewish bankers hold on America:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JoSNewsletter/message/275
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/JoSNewsletter/message/276

The Jew Talmud states:

. "All property of other nations belongs to the Jewish nation, which, consequently, is entitled to seize upon it without any scruples. An orthodox Jew is not bound to observe principles of morality towards people of other tribes. He may act contrary to morality, if profitable to himself or to Jews in general." - Schulchan Aruch. Choszen Hamiszpat 348.




----------------------------



Nearly 50 Million Living in Poverty in US

http://www.globalresearch.ca/nearly-50- ... us/5312028

The number of people living in poverty in the United States rose last year to 49.7 million, based on a new measure that provides a fuller picture of poverty than that previously reported by U.S. Census Bureau data. The revised poverty rate of 16.1 percent is up more than a percentage point from the 15 percent figure reported by the government in September.

Coming a little more than a week after the 2012 elections, the news that nearly one in six Americans is living in poverty received little attention in the media or from the Obama administration. Neither big-business party has any policies to alleviate growing poverty, which is exacerbated by entrenched unemployment and a sluggish economy.

The Supplemental Poverty Measure (SPM), devised a year ago, factors in expenses for food, clothing, shelter, utilities, health care and other essentials beyond what the previous official formula took into account. It includes in its income measure such government-provided benefits as Social Security, unemployment benefits and nutrition assistance.

The SPM figures released by the Census Bureau on Thursday show that while some households may have incomes above the poverty line, factors such as medical expenses are pushing increasing numbers into poverty. The new figures also indicate that the tepid job growth in the more than four years since the financial crisis has come mostly in the form of low-wage jobs that in many cases are not able to lift families out of poverty.

More than 15 percent of working-age adults, aged 18-64, lived in poverty in 2011. Among those with some form of employment, 9.4 percent fell below the poverty line. Those working less than full-time, year-round, saw an 18.5 percent poverty rate. A third of those working less than one week in the course of the year—16.2 million, or 33.5 percent—lived in poverty last year.

Based on the SPM, the poverty rates were dramatically higher for several segments of the population. The share of people 65 years and older living in poverty was 15.1 percent, nearly double the 8.7 percent figure according to the official measure. The single biggest economic burden on seniors is medical expenses that must be paid out of pocket.

The poverty rate among Hispanics stood at 28 percent in 2001 using the SPM, significantly higher than the 25.4 percent rate using the older measure. This difference is attributed to limited access by immigrants to government programs, as well as the concentration of Hispanics in regions of the country that have seen big cutbacks to government programs.

According to the new measurement, more than a quarter of all African-American households were living in poverty in 2011. Poverty in households headed by a single female stood at 30 percent. Among households renting their homes, 29.3 percent were poor.

Also hard-hit are people living in urban areas where living expenses are higher and assistance from government programs has not kept pace with growing need. Under the newly devised standard, California saw the highest poverty rate of any state. A staggering 8.8 million people—23.5 percent—of Californians are living in poverty, a figure largely driven by the state's high cost of living and sharp budget cuts to social programs.

Following closely behind California is the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., where 23.2 percent lived in poverty last year according to the SPM. The next most impoverished state was Florida, at 19.5 percent.

Use of the new census measurement also showed a significant shift in poverty among the various regions of the country. In the West, 20 percent of households were living in poverty in 2011, compared to 16 percent in the South, the region of the country historically more impoverished. This is undoubtedly largely influenced by factors such as the assault on social programs in California and the collapse of the housing market in Nevada.

The new Census measurement also reveals that Social Security is by far the most important program contributing to a reduction in poverty. According to the SPM, when calculating the effects of benefits and expenses on overall poverty rates in the American population, poverty was reduced by more than 8 percent due to Social Security benefits, while medical expenses increased poverty by about 3.5 percent.

The SNAP food stamp program and unemployment insurance benefits also provide significant protection against poverty. But it is precisely these programs—along with Medicare and Medicaid—that are being targeted for cuts as part of the bipartisan assault on social programs being prepared in the wake of the 2012 elections under the cynical pretext of averting a looming "fiscal cliff."

Coming just more than a week after the presidential election, the new poverty figures put the lie to claims by the Obama administration that significant gains have been made on the way to recovery. Also on Thursday, the Labor Department released initial claims for state unemployment benefits, which rose 78,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 439,000.

This was the biggest one-week jump since the spike in claims caused by Hurricane Katrina in September 2005. The number has been significantly impacted by last month's Hurricane Sandy, which left millions of homes and businesses without power, paralyzed transportation and caused widespread damage in the Northeast US.

But the rise points to a more general trend of slow job growth. Economists polled by Reuters before Thursday's jobless claims were released said they expected the pace of job growth to slow to an average 144,000 jobs per month in the fourth quarter, down from 174,000 in the third quarter.

Long-term unemployment remains entrenched. According to the new Census report, about 16.4 million Americans of working age worked less than one week in all of 2011. Of these, fully a third are living in poverty, according to the new SPM measurement. Federally funded extended unemployment benefits are set to expire in January, threatening to deprive more than 2 million jobless workers of cash assistance and plunging more American households into poverty.
[/TD]
 

Al Jilwah: Chapter IV

"It is my desire that all my followers unite in a bond of unity, lest those who are without prevail against them." - Shaitan

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