Jasmine Osuna
March, 21, 2012
PAS 113B
Professor Broadous
Almost everyone knows at least one person who is struggling to get by. It is becoming harder for them to afford simple things like food, shelter, and clothes. Poverty in the United States has become an overwhelming issue affecting more people every day. The wealthy are acquiring even more money while those already struggling are sinking deeper into poverty. Debt causes people to give up valuables that they own just to get by each day. Some end up living in their car, motels, and even on streets. This doesn’t only affect them monetarily, but emotionally and physically, causing them to develop psychological issues taking the life out of them. As Bread for the World stated in an article about U.S hunger “We live in the world’s wealthiest nation. Yet 15.1 percent of people living in the United States live in poverty”
A reason why there is poverty is because people find themselves not having enough money. One of these reasons that caused this was the recession that affected the U.S. in 2008. In an article found in the New York Times titled “Job-less Rate Hits 7.2%, a 16-Year High” it states that “the growing army of the unemployed, at 11.1 million, is nearly 50 percent bigger at the start of the recession…the total number of jobs lost in the recession now totals 2.59 million.” Not only was there an excessive amount of jobs lost, but employers had to cut working hours as well. Businesses and corporations fell into a panic and had to reduce payroll in order to survive. For some families income was cut in half, for others income was taken away. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, wages and salaries have fallen from 72.6 percent of total compensation. Prices then began to increase and it made it difficult for families to afford simple necessities such as food, clothes, water, adequate health care, child care and other basic expenses. More and more babies are being born every single day. Families continue to grow and it adds more expenses to the family budget. About 820,000 teens become pregnant each year. That means 34 percent of teenagers get pregnant before they turn 20. 79 percent of teens who do get pregnant are unmarried. This is an issue that takes part in poverty. The majority of these teens are left to raise a child on their own and have to deal with expenses such as baby clothes, baby food, formula, and diapers, as well as all things necessary for them. Many people can’t afford expenses like theses so they struggle and reach out to support programs. But there’s an issue, budget cuts continue to increase as well, making it even harder for people to qualify or afford benefits. “The projected growth in Medicare, Medicaid, and social security is the main cause of America’s looming fiscal crisis”. The government plans to save $41 billion dollars in social security and $200 billion annually, meanwhile this causes more Americans to fall under the poverty line. Straggling families aren’t provided the necessary help needed and it causes them to give up their valuables in order to survive.
Another reason why families struggle to survive is the lack in wise spending and choices. Some families live paycheck to paycheck and they have to stretch every dollar, while other families that make enough misuse their money by spending it on brand names, ticket items, instead of generics, that are of the same quality. A pair of $30 shoes will do the same job as a pair of $150 shoes. There’s no need to misspend on items because of its worth when an inexpensive product will do. The American Dream is glamorized with luxuries and fortunes. The bar is set high for some families to live it. They buy expensive clothes, flashy cars, and are up to date with the latest technology. Those are all material things that aren’t needed to survive, they’re extras. People never have time to fully enjoy those luxuries because they spend their life time working hard in order to pay them off. Another mistake that many people make is the excessive use of credit cards. People live off of credit cards, money that’s not theirs, and on top of it they pay a high interest, therefore they’re never out of debt. The gap between the rich and the poor is drastically widening. “The number of Americans in poverty is a group so large it would take the combined populations of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, Plus Arkansas to match it.” That’s according to the Census Bureau’s latest count of 37 million people below the poverty line. This only weakens our country and our economy and defeats the purpose of “the American Dream”.
A huge issue that the U.S. has been dealing with for a long time now is the increase in hunger throughout the country. Hunger isn’t caused by food scarcity it’s caused by the effect of poverty. The loss of job opportunities and increasing families leaves millions in hunger each day. Fortunately there are various organizations and centers that provide food for those in need. As a Volunteer at a local food bank there was stacks of donated fruits and vegetables. Each box had to be sorted out from the good and the bad. It was a shame to see that more than half of the food was rotten and had to be thrown away. The food that was good had been mixed with the bad so the bacteria can still cause it to easily rot. That experience was very eye opening because these people in need of food have to settle for what they’re given. They don’t have the choice of choosing the bad fruit from the good, the only choice they have is eat or starve. It shows the appreciation that people should have for what is given to them, poor or not. Driving by the area of the food bank, it was eye catching to see the number of homeless people on the street. They own almost nothing, only as much as their grocery cart can hold, blankets, cans, newspapers and the clothes on their backs. Some have signs that read “Starving would you care to help”.
It is unfortunate how the less privileged face poor living conditions. Compared to developing countries, the U.S. doesn’t have monetary value. In countries like Mexico every little bit given is valued. From experience there, everything is limited including money and water. Hot showers are limited to the most ten minutes. Some people have never even had a hot shower or can’t take a shower in their own home due to lack of money, so they shower in close rivers or canals. Some can’t afford gas to cook hot meals so they depend on fire wood to cook. To wash their laundry people take long walks to the river carrying bags full of clothes on their heads or on their backs. They rely on all the natural resources available to them to survive. From fruits, vegetables, farm animals, trees, plants, herbs, dirt, water, and anything else that nature offers is put to use. They use natural plants to dye their clothes, animal skin to make belts, shoes and bags, and herbs as homemade remedies. Jobs are also limited and income sometimes isn’t enough to get by. People grow their own fruits and vegetables and save money for other commodities. The ones who do own large plantations grow various types of vegetables and sell the remains to people and supermarkets. The majority of the people don’t have a guaranteed job. They find quick jobs such as, building a house, fixing a car, painting a house, cutting trees, helping on plantations, etc. Jobs like these may last up to a month, some weeks and others a day or a few hours. In the U.S. there are more jobs available for people than there is in developing countries, but this nation seems to have a different description of struggle. The jobs are available, people just don’t know how to save and branch out to inexpensive items. Since all the resources are practically there the value seems to fade away and is only appreciated in time in need.
If nothing is done as a society and as an individual then the numbers falling under the poverty line will continue to grow. Taking jobs and cutting income in half from employees won’t allow the money to flow. Instead of cutting jobs the government should provide jobs so that money is being distributed and then spent. Prices increase and the money available is limited. People continue to buy because they have no other choice to survive. Meanwhile they’re falling deeper into poverty and debt, and corporations and businesses are rising higher into wealth. The middle class begins to fade, either into high class or low class. This isn’t an issue that should be taken lightly. . Poverty is caused by a domino effect. Jobs are lost, income is decreased, people lose homes and valuables, and hunger increases. This can all be reversed. In order to help this situation as a country, a community, and as an individual everyone should start by doing the simple things such as recycle and conserve all natural resources. Everyone should save water and gas. Don’t let the water run and only use when needed. There’s no need to drive a car everyday unless there’s no other way around. If locations are local people should walk, carpool, or take the bus. People should spend their money wisely. Luxuries are not needed to get by each day; if those expenses were cut people would be saving hundreds of dollars each day.
