Posted on Monday, February 6th, 2012 by Kevin Jackson
Romney Gets Last Laugh, by Kevin Jackson
Republicans are supposed to be heartless rich people. The recent comment by Romney regarding his lack of concern for the “very poor” allowed the Left to certainly portray him as a black-hearted Republican aristocrat. The problem for the Left is Romney is right.
When House Republicans have to pass H.R. 3567 to prevent welfare recipients from using their “payments” in strip clubs, casinos and liquor stores, I’d say that America has done a remarkable job in taking care of our very poor.
America’s safety net is so securely woven that approximately 49 percent of Americans are now firmly secure therein. The fibers of the netting are finally showing signs of wear, however, because the safety net is no longer helping the truly helpless.
This is because Liberals have changed the definition of helpless from those who cannot do for themselves due to physical or mental illness, to those who refuse to do for themselves due to laziness.
Almost all Americans know of somebody taking advantage of the system. Hollywood will occasionally expose the guy training for Krav Maga while drawing his union disability. Or what about the person feigning “mental anguish” because of the increased workload; and there are myriads of other excuses people give these days to get something for nothing. Nevertheless, the Left is quick to compare America in all ways to other nations, except poverty.
When you consider that almost half the world’s population, over 3 billion people, lives on less than $2.50 a day, one would find America’s definition of poverty laughable. Our welfare system is tantamount to hitting the lottery for an immigrant, if we use a “world” standard.
In 1990, this was poor in America was defined as:
“…there are some 31 million to 32 million poor Americans, a number greater than in 1965 when the War on Poverty began.”
* 38 percent of the persons whom the Census Bureau identifies as “poor” own their own homes with a median value of $39,200.
* 62 percent of “poor” households own a car; 14 percent own two or more cars.
“Poor” Americans today are better housed, better fed, and own more property than did the average U.S. citizen throughout much...
of the 20th Century. In 1988, the per capita expenditures of the lowest income fifth of the U.S. population exceeded the per capita expenditures of the median American household in 1955, after adjusting for inflation.
“Sexy Brilliance brings levity to the political discourse in this country. I put a comedic spin on what's happening in America, and showcases the ironies and hypocrisies of politics in America.”
As the last paragraph of that report suggested in 1990 no less, the poor in America at that time had eclipsed what was defined as middle-class America of the 1950s. And what may be more startling is the aforementioned statistics didn’t account for everything that the poor were receiving “in kind” in 1990.
Out of $184 billion in welfare spending, the Census counts only $27 billion as income for poor persons. The bulk of the welfare system, including entire programs that provide non-cash aid to the poor, like food stamps, public housing, and Medicaid, is completely ignored in the Census Bureau’s calculations of the living standards of the “poor.” The missing welfare spending that is excluded from the Census Bureau poverty reports comes to $158 billion, or over $11,120 for every “poor” U.S. household.
How we have allowed the Left to determine what the standard is for poor is. Because I don’t believe that our poor would be considered poor in any other country. Further, I would ask the Left what country they would prefer America’s poor to be poor in? Rwanda? Cuba?
Have you ever heard anyone refer to The French Dream, The German Dream, The European Dream, how about any dream, except The American Dream—a phrase known all over the world.
The American Dream is unique; sought after by every nationality on the planet. In America, you can be whatever your heart desires, as that is The American Dream. Yet we’ve allowed the Left to denigrate the American Dream. If we don’t provide our poor with manicures, game boys, and cars with spinning rims, we’re un-American, according to the Left. Well that’s not the world’s standard.
Should America raise the standard of poverty, certainly. But the taxpayers are not tools of politicians to indulge the whims of the poor. America was built on helping hands, not helping handouts.
That’s my rant!
© 2012 Kevin Jackson – The Black Sphere All Rights Reserved
Kevin Jackson is National Spokesperson for TheTeaParty.net, an Amazon best-selling author, syndicated writer and talk radio host. Views expressed are Kevin Jackson’s and not necessarily the views of TheTeaParty.net
DannyD says:
February 6, 2012 at 8:06 pm
Just keep building those straw men and knocking them down, Kev. Liberal progressives will do the heavy lifting.