Letters Measuring Poverty and the Income Gap To the Editor: In “The Mismeasure of Poverty” (Op-Ed, Sept. 18), Sheldon H. Danziger makes several excellent points about how our understanding of poverty distorts contemporary policy making. I would like to add these points: ■ Poverty statistics are merely a snapshot of people’s current economic status. They reveal little about the long-term effects of an extended period of poverty, which a majority of Americans and more than 90 percent of African-Americans will experience during their lifetimes, usually before the age of 21. ■ The Federal Poverty Line does not reflect the cost of living, particularly in large metropolitan areas. If it reflected the cost of housing, transportation and health care accurately, researchers estimate that about 100 million Americans would be considered poor. ■ The gap between the poverty line and median income has widened considerably since the 1960s because the United States continues to use an “absolute” measure of poverty. If we measured poverty as a percentage of median income, the poverty rate would increase considerably. ■ African-Americans and Latinos are 2.5 to 3 times more likely to be poor, which leads to inequitable health and mental outcomes, increased exposure to violence and environmental pollution, and inadequate educational and employment opportunities. Our failure to address these issues in an adequate and sustained manner has diminished our society as a whole. MICHAEL REISCH Baltimore, Sept. 18, 2013 The writer is a professor of social justice at the University of Maryland School of Social Work. To the Editor: As “Poverty Rate Is Up in City, and Income Gap Is Wide, Census Data Show” (news article, Sept. 19) points out, new census data support a “tale of two cities,” rich and poor, but the numbers also expose a tale of two genders. Women here and across the country continue to earn less than men, contributing to the alarming rates of poverty mentioned for girls and women of all ages. In 2012 and for over a decade, the wage gap has not budged, and it will not without significant attention and intervention, like the New York Women’s Equality Act. Though passed by both legislative bodies in different formats, it will not become law because the Senate leadership refused to include a reproductive health provision. Good bills that would significantly improve the lives of women are on the table. With strong leadership and decisive action by the Assembly before Dec. 31, they can turn into law, instead of yet another tale of legislative dysfunction, voter frustration and missed opportunity. BEVERLY NEUFELD Director, Equal Pay Coalition NYC New York, Sept. 19, 2013 To the Editor: Sadly, the most recent census data show that the end of the recession has not meant the end of financial hardship for New York City’s children and families. Although June 2009 marked the recession’s official conclusion, the poverty rates in New York City and across the nation have continued to rise. The recession’s continuing effects have been most profound among our city’s families with children. Citywide, the child poverty rate reached a sobering 31.4 percent in 2012, the highest in over a decade. Meanwhile, local child poverty rates in neighborhoods in parts of the Bronx approached an alarming 60 percent, nearly double the citywide rate. The data make abundantly clear that urgent action is needed to reduce childhood poverty and address the many negative outcomes associated with it. In sum, New York City’s children must be the top priority for New York City’s elected officials. COURTNEY WOLF New York, Sept. 19, 2013 The writer is a senior policy associate for research and data analysis at Citizens’ Committee for Children of New York.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 05:00:47 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015