what is poverty?

The argument addressed in the American statesman titled Bumper Sticker- No Way to Fight Poverty on September 26, 2011 is that we, Texas, need to find a better way to handle and contain our poverty levels. In the past three years we have seen these levels increase. This argument was previously brought up in the American Statesman by Juan Castillo, stating that Austin leads Texas in the amount of people living in poverty. This article gives both numbers and statistics about who actually is in poverty. These are not who you think they are, and are not always homeless or jobless.  Knowing that the person sitting next to you in class or a co-worker could be living in these conditions makes the reader more aware of what is happening in their very own surroundings. The numbers of people with jobs applying for help is growing. These people either make minimum wage or are being paid below average.

People who help these companies produce jobs within itself don’t solve money troubles. Poverty may never end. Policy makers need to be able to work better at helping to create these jobs, we also need to work on better educating our students so that later in life they will be able to fulfill these jobs which have been provided. We need a better variety of housing for all levels of income. These poverty numbers are a sign of a problem that needs to be addressed seriously and soon. To Texas it’s a family of four making under $22k a year, yet to live comfortably in Austin a family of four needs to make $56k. LBJ first brought up the decision to fight poverty roughly forty years ago and we are still fighting.  Austin, following Texas’ exceptionalism believes itself to be recession proof, which we are not. People every day are looking for ways to make it to the next paycheck, where his/her next meal is coming from, or even just where can I find a job. A little less than 20 percent of Travis County falls below the poverty line.

This article convinced me from the beginning that our government needs to find a solution on helping people in poverty. People who are above the poverty line struggle with the same things and just a little help from our government would go a long way. Sometimes help to get through the rough patch of extra bills and extra mouths to feed, and I think this is what everyone is looking for, a little help to make it up the hill, to make it to the next paycheck without starving.