Television is a luxury reserved for the rich?
According to The Heritage Foundation, being “poor” in America ain’t bad because the typical poor household, as defined by the government, has a car and air conditioning, two color televisions, cable or satellite TV, a DVD player, and a VCR. By its own report, the typical poor family was not hungry, was able
to obtain medical care when needed.
[ http://www.heritage.org/poverty-and-inequality/report/air-conditioning-cable-tv-and-xbox-what-poverty-the-united-states ]
Back in November 1979, my wife and I rushed to Famous-Barr to buy a 25 inch RCA color console TV at a one-day sale. The price? $479.99, plus tax — $1,544 in 2017 money [https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm ], a great price for a recognized luxury item.
Today, well, all TV are color TVs and basic home sets run about $250 ($78 in 1979 dollars). Public schools routinely ask kids to watch shows on Discovery, National Geographic or other cable-only channels. Even in most of St. Louis County, the state’s most populous county, employment at a minimum wage job is impossible without a family car.
Air conditioning? The next time the heat index tops 100°F, as often happens in Missouri, try surviving with the A/C turned off for 48 hours.
Yet, that 2011 Heritage report long ago turned to gospel the notion that being poor in America does not include want or suffering.
Republicans genuflect before Heritage, which provides ideological cover for murdering poor people.
Yes, you read that right.
Look at the Trump – GOP 2017 Agenda…
► Deep cuts, block granting and ending entitlement status for food stamps [https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/should-federal-funding-for-food-stamps-be-cut/2017/06/16/29f7bc44-5202-11e7-b064-828ba60fbb98_story.html?utm_term=.243b4e4cbe5f ];
► Eliminating heating assistance for poor and elderly [ https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=cuts+to+heating+assistance&spf=1498164728245 ] and slashing housing help [https://affordablehousingonline.com/FY18-hud-budget-cuts/Missouri ];
► Cutting nutrition money to schools, including eliminating after school snacks [http://www.businessinsider.com/budget-director-explains-trumps-proposed-cuts-meals-on-wheels-omb-white-house-press-briefing-2017-3 ];
► Reducing funding to Community Action Agencies fighting poverty at street level [http://www.cbpp.org/research/federal-budget/trump-budget-would-cut-block-grants-dramatically-underscoring-danger-of ];
► Block granting and emasculating Medicaid funding [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/22/us/politics/senate-health-care-bill.html ].
Put the pieces together: drastically cutting food assistance, forcing seniors to live in the cold in substandard housing, taking front-line poverty fighters out of the fight, and, barring the poor from the everyday health care system. The cumulative effect of cut upon cut not only makes life harder, it will end life for some of those who most need help.
Remember, Heritage claims the poor get enough to eat and “obtain medical care when needed,” negating the need for extensive government programs. That overlooks reality.
Most pantries struggle to share $50 worth of food with each household. In Missouri food stamps provided $122 per person this April. Despite those combined efforts, Missouri now routinely ends up on the bad part of national lists on hunger and food insecurity.
‘When needed’ medical care? That’s means the paramedics deliver you to the emergency room – if you still have a pulse.
Alas, caring for the needy is no longer a bi-partisan priority. More and greater tax cuts for wealthy ‘job creators’ take precedence over feeding the hungry.
The good news? While the poor starve and suffer, they can watch a great picture on that high definition TV.
Submitted by Glenn Koenen, WCD Member
There is also a very practical reason for families in poverty to do what they can to get a television and a game system in the household. It keeps children inside. Children who go outside in poor communities have a much higher likelihood of dying. The same can be said for adults. Keep everyone inside. It does not guarantee safety, but it increases your chances of surviving until the next day.