My word, this is just terrible!
Yet for a growing number of working families,
economic security is out of reach. Between 2007
and 2011, the share of working families that are
low-income—below 200 percent of the official
poverty threshold—increased annually and rose
from 28 percent to 32 percent nationally (see
figure 1). About 11 percent of working families
were below the official poverty line in 2011
($22,811 for a family of four with two children).
Note that these numbers are before any help or aid from the state that poor familes get. You know, tax creidts, housing vouchers or food stamps or anything.
But it\’s still a terrible condemntaion of the american system. Median houshold income is around and about $50k this past year. That makes the poverty level some 46% of median income. That\’s wquite low by international standards: but do note that it\’s before benefits.
200% of poverty level is thus 92% of median household income. And isn\’t it just appalling, a crime that cries out for vengenance from the heavens, that 32% of working families make less than 92% of median household income.
Someone really should have a word with Garrison Keilor.
Fingers a bit cold, Tim?
America: where the extreme poor are obese.
“low-income” is $45.622 or less for a family of four, which means more than the average GDP/head for 70% of the countries in the world.
What would be the point of having a word with unfunny lefty Garrison Keillor?
Because in his fictional town Lake Wobegon “all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Wobegon#The_Lake_Wobegon_effect
Tim adds: Thank the Lord that someone got it……