From today's Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Milwaukee has the 8th highest rate of poverty among large cities; 1 in 4 Milwaukee residents lives in poverty.
My husband and I are in a similar situation as AJE, being the working poor. We both work fulltime and live paycheck to paycheck. Every year something happens that puts us in the hole. Usually it's medical bills, and for routine things like dental work! We're not getting frivalous cosmetic surgeries or anything like that. Saving is a moot point... you can't save what you don't have.
My thoughts on the main factors keeping Wisconsinites poor:
- Lack of jobs that pay a living wage. We're getting a lot of retail, but retail doesn't pay a living wage. Wisconsin has lower wages than most large metros, but our cost of living isn't any less.
- High healthcare costs for businesses and individuals. Businesses with real jobs won't come here if they can't afford the insurance.
- We're losing our educated citizens to Chicago and Minneapolis because the jobs pay much better. What's the point of starting a high-tech company in Wisconsin when you can't find a staff?
