More slide into poverty in Michigan

[ScreamingMeemie]

http://www.detnews.com/2004/census/0408/27/a01-256073.htm

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Household Income: Drops by $1,900 Metro Poor: Up by 115,000 families Impact: Demand for aid, shelter jumps

By Brad Heath / The Detroit News

Michigan’s stumbling economy cast thousands more people into poverty last year, continuing a pattern of rising poverty rates here and nationwide.
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According to figures released Thursday by the U.S. Census Bureau, the share of people in poverty in the state grew to 11.5 percent last year — one of a handful of such increases nationwide. Meanwhile, income levels across Michigan and much of the rest of the country remained virtually unchanged in 2002-03, after stumbling in previous years.
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Since 2000, about 115,000 more people in Metro Detroit have joined the ranks of the poor, struggling to get by with less money as jobs were scaled back or eliminated. Meanwhile, more people are lining up at already strained food pantries and the state’s welfare offices.
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Beneath the rising poverty, demographers say, are the continuing ripples of the 2001 recession and a growing economic shift that has bled away thousands of the manufacturing jobs that once were the mainstays of the state and local economy. Among the consequences documented in Census Bureau surveys:
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[hadrons]

1. and Michigan is a battleground state ....

:eyes:

[ScreamingMeemie]

2. and Bush just came here to tell us how great our economy is...

:eyes:

[llmart]

3. And some uneducated woman I work with......

just yesterday was saying how she thought the economy was doing just great. She's the same one who I overheard telling another friend of hers how she's "too busy to worry about the election issues" and that she "just let's other "older" people do the thinking for her" (she's 52 so what does she think she is, a spring chicken?. I swear I want to scream and pull my hair out when I think how gullible people are. I live in Michigan and I saw this headlines today. People no longer think about anything outside their own little worlds. And these same people call themselves Christian and attend church every Sunday but they don't see the hypocrisy of their thinking. They think if they drop $5 in the basket every Sunday, they've done their bit.

[ScreamingMeemie]

4. As I find myself looking at more and more foreclosures each day.

It is amazing that people here can be so dense.

[llmart]

6. Agreed.

I hate that I have been reduced to trying to limit myself to interactions with people who are more involved in something outside their own little world, but I find that at my age I just get incensed with people who are over 50 who haven't grown any intellectually since they were 20. I can tolerate a younger person who is somewhat egocentric - it's more acceptable in their age group - but a 50-something woman who's never gotten beyond the "I love clothes and shopping" stage is purely pathetic and I have no time or energy for them any more.

P.S. I checked your profile and love your hobby:)

[ScreamingMeemie]

8. My mother is one of those, unfortunately. Head in the clouds a lot

of the time.

And thanks, I find it's the only hobby that is portable and doesn't cost too much. :hi:

[Nay]

9. Also agreed.

It is PATHETIC, the number of 40-50-60 year olds who act like this. They have simply never grown up, and I no longer have time for them myself. It irritates the shit out of me just to listen to them at work.

[llmart]

10. Help!

I think I accidentally hit the "Ignore this User" icon instead of the "User Profile" icon and now I can't see her responses to me. Anyone know how to turn that off??? So sorry!

[area51]

11. You've probably already figured this out,

but if you haven't done this, go back to the front page for Latest Breaking News, then click on the "Options" link, then click on the "Ignore user" link.

[llmart]

12. No, I hadn't figured it out yet....

but thanks! Now I'm all set.

[malachi]

5. Suburban slowdown tinges economy's picture (Philadelphia)

Bucks, Montco and Chesco dropped in income and increased poverty. Delco and Phila. had income boosts, but more poverty.

More good econ news. I find it impossible to believe that the chimp has a lead anywhere in the country, outside of the south. How long can the media prop his sorry ass up relating to the economy.

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/news/local/9507815.htm

[llmart]

7. Because we're turning the corner....

haven't you heard his good news???? What's wrong with you??? Didn't you drink of the Kool Aid???