Trump Wants to Lower Poverty Line

A scheme to make it look like people are being lifted out of poverty. Only on paper. You can just hear Trump in his next State of the Union bragging about it.

Trump Administration Seeks to Redefine Formula for Calculating Poverty - The New York Times

 

The poverty line - ha!

Americans with a two bedroom luxury apartment with cable TV, a swimming pool, two cars, a garage, cell phones, x-boxes, PlayStations, etc.

I've seen them get $1,800 per month apartments for $600 per month ... a "poverty" discount, subsidized by the Feds (you and me).

 

I think you mean he wants to RAISE the poverty line (make fewer people legally "poor").

 

By raising the poverty line it increases the number of people in poverty. The poverty line is established based on where someone lives and how the number of family members who are eligible to be claimed as dependents.

https://apps.irs.gov/app/vita/content/globalmedia/teacher/Poverty_guidelines_aca_4012.pdf

 

Trump hates the non-rich.

 

He doesn't get any hefty campaign contributions from them.

 

A lot of Thrump's campaign contributions came from working class people

 

the lower the poverty line the easier to sweep it under the rug

 

You mean he wants to do it like the rest of the world, and include government subsidies in computing their income.

The nerve of the man.

 

Good. The First World concept of 'poverty' is an outrage and an insult - to all of those who live in involuntary (ie, genuine) poverty.

 

Tell yourself whatever you need to so you can feel better about ignoring the poor.

 

On the contrary, most of the conservatives here want very much to help the poor. They're the ones saying the poor should be encouraged and enabled to stand on their own two feet. It's the Progressives who want to keep the poor on their knees by keeping them dependent.

 

Yeah, because keeping minim wage at $7.50/hr while giving corporate handouts and attacking worker unions totally helps the working man.

 

Like I said, they don't believe in enabling dependence.

 

If you are poor in this country, there is a 99% chance you put yourself there.

Obviously the above statement doesnt apply to those with a physical or mental handicap that doesnt allow them to work.

 

Exactly that.

 

I suppose I've got the terminology wrong, I figure what Trump would favor is reducing eligibility for public assistance, so making fewer people qualify as "below the poverty line" would be his aim.

If now the "poverty line" makes those earning $12k/year (minimum wage part timers earning $230/wk) eligible for public assistance, then Trump would seek to lower the amount required to qualify (make only people earning less than whatever the current eligibility amount is) eligible for public assistance.

It could be that Trump seeks to raise the amount people could earn before deemed eligible for public assistance, so that maybe someone earning $35k/year would still qualify for government help, but I think most would agree this would be a good thing.

 

The “poor”. That’s funny.

 

As my link pointed out the poverty line varies depending on where one lives and how many dependents they have. So where is Trump pushing to lower the line? That's just a rhetorical question.

 

Well under Obama, the government was creating a system where poor and lower class people were completely reliant on government handouts. It seems Trump is trying to get people to be more self reliant now that the economy is booming and more jobs are available. I see more minorities being successful now more than at any other time in my life.

 

unless they are selling drugs, the poverty line is 12,770. if they are paying 600 a month for their apartment that gives them 5000 a year for everything else or 100 a week.

yeah, there are some nice apartments, but most are places where you would not want to live. Section 8 housing is almost impossible to come by up here in Mass. Where do you live that there is enough section 8 housing? I think the wait time now is 3 years unless you want to move to an area where someone is shot once a week.

And what does owning a play station or an x box have to do with it. I can by a x box and 10 games for $100 on craigslist.

 

I tried to rent a nice apartment here in Dallas for the advertised price of $600-$700. That told me the rent would be $1,800 based on my income, for the same apartment.

Poor people are pampered and coddled. And no one earns $12,000 per year.

 

You don't know this, but in the US there exists a class of working poor. These people work 40-80 hours per week and struggle to make ends meet.

 

And they live like royalty compared to people in other nations.

Their situation should not require a penny of my income.