Some Truths about poverty in the U.S.

The keys to poverty: Definitions, time, family.

Definitions change over time and Europe uses a different standard than the U.S., because of technology a middle class person could be said to be a wealthy as the richest people a hundred years ago. Could John D. Rockefeller have breakfast in Chicago and Dinner in Paris?

1959 was the first year they kept track of poverty, in the 50's it is estimated to have been around 23% and that was a decline from the late 1800's when it was between 30 & 50 percent!

The news yesterday was an increase of poverty to 14% and it was all over the news. They point out after the "war on poverty" it went down to 10%, but it had been as low as 11.3% in 2000.

Most who fall into poverty are there for only a short time, family is your best support system, not government. Those that are part of a permenate poor have other sources of income they are not reporting. As a tax preparer I find that the lower the income, the more hiding there is. The wealther clients just understand taxes are part of life and just pay it.

Those that avoid taxes avoid wealth