The GOP-Controlled South Is Essentially A Solid, Grim Block Of Poverty

[Cali_Democrat]

The South Is Essentially A Solid, Grim Block Of Poverty
By Mark Gongloff

The Great Recession and Not-So-Great Recovery have been bad news for most Americans, but some people have suffered more than others. We call those people "Southerners."

North Carolina and a handful of other Southern U.S. states saw the biggest increases in the number of people living in what are known as "poverty areas" between 2000 and 2010, according to a new Census Bureau report. Poverty areas are places where more than 20 percent of the people live below the federal poverty line, which varies by family size. For a family of four, the poverty line in most states is an annual income of $23,850.

Today, 25.7 percent of all Americans live in such areas, up from 18.1 percent in 2000, according to the report. Having a quarter of the nation living this way is a problem: Poverty areas are typically marked by "higher crime rates, poor housing conditions, and fewer job opportunities," the report points out.

<...>



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/02/poverty-increase-map_n_5548577.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics

[Rosa Luxemburg]

1. It's weird how people vote against themselves

they vote for issues that mostly hurt them

[Bandit]

16. I think it is more a lack of voting more than it is voting against their own interests.

I would think the rest of America should realize though that states controlled completely by Republicans have the largest portion of poor and unemployed. That alone should tell people about Republican economics..

[Rosa Luxemburg]

18. Is it low turnout?

[Viva_Daddy]

2. Another "Mission Accomplished" by the GOP.

[n2doc]

3. The Rural South, maybe

Not the cities.

[onehandle]

5. Averaged by overall state population. nt

[Lochloosa]

7. I'm not sure I agree with that n2doc. I live in Jacksonville, FL and the poverty rate is 16.1%

Pushing the 20% mark.

[n2doc]

8. Jax is a strange place

It has one of the largest footprints of any city I know (San Antonio is another). Maybe it gets a lot of rural poor?

Urban poor tend to vote D. That's one reason why Atlanta proper (and Savannah) is a big D stronghold. But I see a lot of prosperity in the cities, mostly, and rural areas that still look like they did 50 years ago, except more stores are closed. Maybe that's just me.

[liberal N proud]

4. Why then do they keep voting for the one group that keeps them poor?

I have been for a long, long time trying to figure out why people vote against their own best interest.

[n2doc]

6. Because the Repubs appeal to their prejudices and fears

Keep people stupid, fearful and angry, and you can manipulate them into anything. In the south, that mean making sure all problems are blamed on 'lazy blacks' and 'immigrants'. Since those two groups are always present, the lack of progress is always blamed on them. And on Obama, which for t-baggers means the same thing.

[ALBliberal]

10. Yes

It's in uneducated people's nature to strive to be better than at least some other group. This will never change unless people are educated. Sociology 101 really.

[Puzzledtraveller]

13. Kentucky suffers from abysmal education

the Appalachia areas are some of the poorest in the nation, a major factor also is a declining coal industry. Many large job creators pass up states like mine, education is a very big part of these decisions. I do casework for the state.

[napkinz]

17. ...

[KamaAina]

9. Progressive* California is in the second tier

as is liberal New York.

[Puzzledtraveller]

11. yeah, but we can't south bash them

[Cali_Democrat]

14. My OP is not South Bashing

It's GOP bashing.

Big difference.

Also, if you look at the 'Poverty On The Rise' graph at the link, you will see that poverty is increasing at a MUCH slower rate in New York and California while poverty is increasing at a very fast pace in much of the GOP-controlled the South.

Just the facts.

[Puzzledtraveller]

15. I know that

was not directed at you. It was the possible bashing that follows things like this.

[ck4829]

12. But there's no socialism or gays, so yeah, take that, you dirty libs.

[cerveza_gratis]

19. Maybe, but cost of living matters

I would much rather be just below the poverty cutoff in one of the blue Southern states than just above it in a green Northeast state, financially speaking anyway.

Edited to add: On second thought, even though income goes farther in the South, a lot of those states don't have the same healthcare etc. So, maybe not.