WISCONSIN POVERTY: "NEVER GETTING OUT OF THE HOLE"

[AJE]

A very touchy debate but one, which needs everyone's input. How has this ordeal affected you or your town directly or indirectly? Do you feel the local, state and national levels are doing enough to help the struggling families? Who is to blame, some examples may be the outsourcing of jobs, hiring of foreigners, computer technology? Whatever sincere words or advice will be appreciated about Wisconsin’s Poverty.


Picture of a stuggling mother of seven during the Great Depression, but frankly this is the expression I see way too often an unknown future. :cry:

Aug. 26, 2004
Milwuakee Journal Sentinel
By TOM HELD and LEONARD SYKES

Hunger is a real problem for Wisconsin families. Statewide, more than 60,000 Wisconsin residents joined the ranks of people living in poverty in 2003, pushing the number of poor in the state to a 10-year high and continuing a worrisome trend, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates back in 2003.

An additional 8,000 children were among those found to be struggling to meet basic needs, bringing the total estimated number of Wisconsin children in poverty to 187,000, the bureau found in its 2003 report.

"The story is simply that the first few years of the 21st century have been tough ones for children and families in Wisconsin," said Bob Jacobson, spokesman for the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families. "We saw increases in poverty, decreases in employment and a marked increase in the number of uninsured people, which is fairly alarming."

The census survey found 593,000 residents of Wisconsin fending without insurance last year, a 46% increase over 2000. And the percentage of residents without insurance has grown steadily since then, to 10.9% in 2003.

The state of WORKING Wisconsin 2006
http://www.cows.org/soww/pdf/rp-soww-06.pdf

Hunger Close to Home.
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/flp/demograp.../Manitowoc.pdf

Center of Wisconsin Strategy
http://www.cows.org/

[AJE]

Basic necessities to life: Food, water, cloths, shelter and a job :roll:

Yeah right, I am one of Wisconsin’s working poor. Although I've held a secure dead end job for 4 years, my monthly net take home pay is in the negative digits on a regular basis after forking monies for rent, utilities, student loan, car payments, gas, ALL insurance costs etc etc. I do my shopping at second hand stores because I can't afford anything else. The only luxuries I’m enabled are when someone else will pay or going Dutch. I hate this life I graduated from college with a degree and yet can’t find a job, which’ll give me a decent wage to have the life I dream.

I moved out of Manitowoc County in 2003 because the economy just keeps getting worse. NO jobs back there plus a very high unemployment rate, I searched for 10 months for work…none to be found. So when I was hired in Winnebago County I moved, yet I’m still in a rut years later.

It’s a no win situation for my sister and I, especially when we are being told we don’t qualify for low income housing because we make 6 cents too much! How about since neither of us have a child we don’t qualify for Medicaid Insurance, foodstamps or welfare aid, even though we both inherited poor health and have very costly medical bills. We have to constantly choose between the high co-pays and buying food.

I hope life will change for the better soon, as this was not my childhood vision to grow up and be poor. Normally I wouldn't address such intimate issues but hello I'm not the only one dealing with this and lord knows just how many in Wisconsin are in a far worse situation. :cry:

[ONEZ48]

I too know all about low income and not quailifing for Medicaid Insurance, foodstamps or welfare aid. First I lost my arm and was told I was not disabled and second I do not have dependent children living in the home and now hubby & I make too much money.
Recently my sister and son moved in and she thought she would be able to do the same but, forgot that they will use our income and she wont quailfy either.

Life is a vicious circle! We manage the best we can and hope we come into a lot of money or win the lottery. All wishfull thinking!

[pk]

And yet we continue to spend billions of $$ pouring into a war that nobody wants. Too bad we couldn't put some of that here into our own here.

I realize we are a wealthy nation compared to others but tell that to the homeless and the ones that can't afford to feed their children.

[ONEZ48]

Right on sister!

[2-wi]

I don't work because I have a Dis. so I get SSI. I get child support (when it feels like working) but I don't get all of it because the state takes away more then half because of their budgets (this new thing started the beginning of this year). So I raise 2 kids on $120.00 a month. It's sickening, appearently they have no clue or don't care about the ones on a fixed income.

[MrKhay]

Originally Posted by pk

And yet we continue to spend billions of $$ pouring into a war that nobody wants. Too bad we couldn't put some of that here into our own here.

I realize we are a wealthy nation compared to others but tell that to the homeless and the ones that can't afford to feed their children.

America has to stop sending the daily millions of American taxpayers dollars to Israel. Many of the woes of the American citizen would disappear if we stopped supporting the apartheid government of Israel.
An added note; Saudi Arabia is NOT our friend.

[pk]

I don't get all of it because the state takes away more then half because of their budgets (this new thing started the beginning of this year).

What is this? Not sure if I know about it. I finally started getting some child support a couple of years ago for my two oldest kids (lol now 30 and 26) since my first husband went on disability for a stroke. But I haven't seen any less from budgets? Could it be because he lives in the state of Washington and the money is coming from there?

just wondering.

pk

[MrKhay]

Jim Doyle likes to tax the living h*** out of any industry/business that would like to start/set up in Wisconsin.

[2-wi]

Originally Posted by pk

What is this? Not sure if I know about it. I finally started getting some child support a couple of years ago for my two oldest kids (lol now 30 and 26) since my first husband went on disability for a stroke. But I haven't seen any less from budgets? Could it be because he lives in the state of Washington and the money is coming from there?

just wondering.

pk

http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dwd/publi...sc_15111_p.htm

[AJE]

Originally Posted by 2-wi

http://www.dwd.state.wi.us/dwd/publi...sc_15111_p.htm

I just checked out the site the government would take more than half the allowance of Single parents on this SSI system. Ouch, the lovely state of Wisconsin just keeps getting more in the hole.

[AJE]

U.S. poverty rate dips 0.3 percentage points
But the number of Americans without health insurance increases

AP 8-28-07

WASHINGTON - The nation’s poverty rate dropped last year, the first significant decline since President Bush took office.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20476601/

[Kris10]

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?