Hooray! Poverty Rates Down by .3%

The Census Bureau just reported that levels of poverty in the US declined last year from 12.6% to 12.3%. This clearly is a victory for the Bush’s tax cuts imposed in the first year of his first term. Everyone knows if you cut the taxes of the wealthiest in the country, everyone benefits. Its obvious to any reader of the Weekly Standard, the Wall Street Journal and the National Review that cutting taxes leads to wealth building for everyone. It may have taken 5 and half years, but those tax cuts are paying big dividends now! A .3% decline is a clear example of the positive affects of trickle down economics.

For those who don’t know, the poverty line in this country is operationally defined as a family of four living on less than $20,444 a year. Low unemployment was linked to this modest decline. Unfortunately, those who live without health insurance increased last year from 15.3% to 15.8%. Folks living on the margins may have found some minimum wage jobs but without health coverage. In real terms, grinding poverty in this country still affects 1 out of every 10 families and 1 of every 4 children. And 47 million Americans cannot afford health insurance.

Maybe we need another tax cut for wealthiest in this country and we can bring poverty levels down another .3%!

Who speaks for the poor? They don’t write checks to political candidates. They don’t have lobbyists. And they don’t vote. And Bush’s fellow travelers in the Justice Dept. and in many states run by Republicans made every attempt to discourage poor people from voting in the past Presidential election.

Few Democrats and no Republicans are discussing this issue. To his credit, John Edwards is at least reminding the electorate about the two Americas-those with and those without. When will a candidate, any candidate running for congress, the senate or the Presidency ever focus our attention on trying to tackle the grinding poverty that continues unabated in this wealthy country? It took Bush's tax cuts 5 and half years to cut poverty by .3%! How shameless!