What keeps people in poverty, generation after generation, decade after decade?

[futureshock]

Despite the best efforts of policy makers, poverty is still a problem in the U.S.  Efforts like the "War on Poverty" have not been effective in ridding the nation of poverty.

So why does it persist?  What causes people to not be able to climb out of poverty, and then what causes their children to also not be able to climb out of poverty, and so on?

[Redwall]

I think poverty is partly a "learned" thing.  If you see your mom and dad not working and not even trying to get a job, I think you'll do the same...and on and on and on.  I knew a family years ago that was beyond dirt poor.  They had 6 kids and dad was an alcoholic, and mom didn't work.  Their oldest son was smart as a whip and got a full scholarship to Harvard.  After he left the majority of the family was killed in a horrific car accident.  I think one girl survived.  She worked really hard to NOT be like her mom and dad.

[survivorinohio]

Quoting Redwall:

I think poverty is partly a "learned" thing.  If you see your mom and dad not working and not even trying to get a job, I think you'll do the same...and on and on and on.  I knew a family years ago that was beyond dirt poor.  They had 6 kids and dad was an alcoholic, and mom didn't work.  Their oldest son was smart as a whip and got a full scholarship to Harvard.  After he left the majority of the family was killed in a horrific car accident.  I think one girl survived.  She worked really hard to NOT be like her mom and dad.

My parents both worked and I have always worked till the last few yrs My husband is the hardest working man i know..  My children all work.

[hopealways4019]

Can you answer, your own question?

[Ziva65]

Quoting Della529:

Not sure what you mean. We are not agricultural, we have very large buildings on large properties, middle of large cities. property tax here is huge. It's mostly from bond measures. No green zones here, it's value and asset based.

[Daeraelle]

http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-5-stupidest-habits-you-develop-growing-up-poor/

[Aspirel]

Laziness. 

[Daeraelle]

Sure, if you have the brainpower, you can go to college, get a good job, and pull yourself up out of poverty. Unfortunately, not everyone in America has the brainpower to go to college, even though standards are slipping. Those that do make it through college, have to compete with a hoarde or other people with their same degree that are also unemployed. Our unskilled labor jobs have all been moved out of the country. Now, someone without a college degree and no job experience, no matter where they apply, will start out at minimum wage. According to the real estate market in your area and the cost of rent, working for minimum wage can. make having electricity living above your means. I know college graduates who make minimum wage and live at home with their parents at 24 years and older just to make their student loan payments for the degree they got that never got them a job. Those college educated people are filling up the minimum wage jobs, which leaves the unskilled and uneducated labor force unemployable.

The ONLY thing that will change, is if world wide policies change, so that corporations who move their factories and offices to undeveloped countries to take advantage of cheap and over worked labor have to comply with US labor laws because they are a US company. That is the only thing that will bring industry and jobs back to this country and fix the issue of our disappearing middle class.

[Daeraelle]

Our call centers wouldn't be in India and our factories wouldn't be in China if the US companies couldn't work their employees there 7 days a week without paying overtime for pennies on the dollar. What if companies had to pay employees our federal minimum wage regardless of what 3rd world country they move to? We wouldn't have the high level of unemployment we have now. There would be jobs out there. Sure, there are jobs out there now. However, making $7.45 an hour and only getting 18 hours a week doesn't pay the bills. It's sad to think, but I see people fighting for those jobs. I believe if we had jobs in this country, we have the workers. No one WANTS to be poor, but sometimes it just happens and you get stuck.

[Tanya93]

And we would pay a hell of a lot more than we do for stuff.

Can you afford it?   Can the poor afford it?

Quoting Daeraelle:

Our call centers wouldn't be in India and our factories wouldn't be in China if the US companies couldn't work their employees there 7 days a week without paying overtime for pennies on the dollar. What if companies had to pay employees our federal minimum wage regardless of what 3rd world country they move to? We wouldn't have the high level of unemployment we have now. There would be jobs out there. Sure, there are jobs out there now. However, making $7.45 an hour and only getting 18 hours a week doesn't pay the bills. It's sad to think, but I see people fighting for those jobs. I believe if we had jobs in this country, we have the workers. No one WANTS to be poor, but sometimes it just happens and you get stuck.

[Sisteract]

Quoting Tanya93:

And we would pay a hell of a lot more than we do for stuff.

Can you afford it?   Can the poor afford it?

Quoting Daeraelle:

Our call centers wouldn't be in India and our factories wouldn't be in China if the US companies couldn't work their employees there 7 days a week without paying overtime for pennies on the dollar. What if companies had to pay employees our federal minimum wage regardless of what 3rd world country they move to? We wouldn't have the high level of unemployment we have now. There would be jobs out there. Sure, there are jobs out there now. However, making $7.45 an hour and only getting 18 hours a week doesn't pay the bills. It's sad to think, but I see people fighting for those jobs. I believe if we had jobs in this country, we have the workers. No one WANTS to be poor, but sometimes it just happens and you get stuck.

Half the crap most people have is unnecessary-