Alabama Has The Worst Poverty In The Developed World

[blackascoal]

"Our bigger question concerns whether it’s significant that a lot of poor counties are located in red states. There’s reason for at least a bit of skepticism.

For starters, the list is dominated by rural areas. Generally speaking, rural areas have a lower cost of living, so the small income you make in a poor, rural Texas county is going to go further than it would if you lived in a poor, urban area like Detroit or Camden, N.J. This raises questions about how comparatively disadvantaged poor Americans are in rural and urban areas.

Also, rural areas are areas where Republicans tend to do well electorally. By contrast, impoverished areas of big cities are big enough population-wise to be balanced by more affluent neighborhoods, and these poor urban areas are often (though not always) in blue states.

It’s also worth pointing out that many of the counties on the list are located in Appalachia, particularly in such states as Kentucky, West Virginia, Mississippi and Georgia. That’s a region that has suffered economically for generations -- long predating the time when Republicans took over from Democrats in most elected offices.

In Appalachia, "it’s clear there’s a regional problem, born of isolation, geographic and political; exploitation, of timber and coal; and poor education," said Al Cross, director of the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky.

Finally, there’s an eccentricity that shaped both of the top-100 lists. Each is dominated by three states: Texas, Georgia and Kentucky. What ties together these three states? They have a lot of counties. In fact, these three states rank first, second and third on the list of states that have the most counties. Texas has 254, Georgia 159 and Kentucky 120.

This means that these three states have lots of rural, small-population counties, so they take up a disproportionate share of the spots on these lists. On each list, these three states collectively account for more than 40 percent of the counties listed.

Importantly, each of these three states are red states. If some of the bigger blue states had been sliced into as many counties as Texas, Georgia and Kentucky were, some of those blue-state counties might have been poor and rural, and that could have changed the complexion of the list. As it is, blue states tend to have smaller numbers of counties. New York has 62, California has 57, Washington state has 39, Oregon has 36, New Jersey has 21 and Massachusetts has just 14."

exactly as I suspected... not adjusted for cost of living.

Rural counties are identified in the study and accounted for as having lower income and opportunity.

The bigger question, in my opinion, is what are republicans doing about the poverty of states and counties they control. What are they doing to help the residents?

Are you of the opinion that the plutocrat only tax plan they're trying to pass is going to benefit those residents?

Are you of the opinion that attacking healthcare and affordable housing benefits the poor in red states?

Can you explain what polices that republicans champion addresses poverty and the poor in poor ass states like Alabama?

[blackascoal]

Re-read what I responded to BAC. Owl was speaking about deplorables. She was calling Republicans racist. I posted a counter response from The Root about racism in the Democratic Party. I was not the one who brought race into the conversation. If me responding to her in showing Democratic racism bothers you or is offensive then fair enough. But please be accurate and don't lie. I responded, I did not introduce.

Regardless of whether you introduced it or not, you responded with supposed racism within the Democratic Party. My question to you was simple .. and the truthful answer backed up exactly what Owl was saying. You wouldn't answer because you knew what the answer would be. There is decidedly no question that the Republican Party and a great many, if not most, republicans are racist indeed. How do you dispute that when you sit on this board full of racists .. everyone of them a republican?

This isn't the first time I've had to try to force a truthful answer out of you .. and that's a problem.

Either we debate honestly, or let's not debate at all.

[Superfreak]

Rural counties are identified in the study and accounted for as having lower income and opportunity.

The bigger question, in my opinion, is what are republicans doing about the poverty of states and counties they control. What are they doing to help the residents?

Are you of the opinion that the plutocrat only tax plan they're trying to pass is going to benefit those residents?

Are you of the opinion that attacking healthcare and affordable housing benefits the poor in red states?

Can you explain what polices that republicans champion addresses poverty and the poor in poor ass states like Alabama?

1) the housing is already affordable in those red states
2) Yes, the tax plan should help most of the lower and middle income families. The exception is those that already pay no income taxes.
3) attacking healthcare? Health care used to be affordable. That was before the left started trying to control it. It used to be that people could get affordable coverage... but now, especially after obamacare, they cannot.

[cawacko]

Regardless of whether you introduced it or not, you responded with supposed racism within the Democratic Party. My question to you was simple .. and the truthful answer backed up exactly what Owl was saying. You wouldn't answer because you knew what the answer would be. There is decidedly no question that the Republican Party and a great many, if not most, republicans are racist indeed. How do you dispute that when you sit on this board full of racists .. everyone of them a republican?

This isn't the first time I've had to try to force a truthful answer out of you .. and that's a problem.

Either we debate honestly, or let's not debate at all.

Please don't say after what you just pulled. You lost your shit yesterday because you said I started talking about race. Now you are moving the goalpost to say it doesn't matter if I started it or not because you found out I didn't start it.

[blackascoal]

1) the housing is already affordable in those red states
2) Yes, the tax plan should help most of the lower and middle income families. The exception is those that already pay no income taxes.
3) attacking healthcare? Health care used to be affordable. That was before the left started trying to control it. It used to be that people could get affordable coverage... but now, especially after obamacare, they cannot.

I'll address all 3 .. but let's start with healthcare. When was healthcare 'affordable' before Obamacare when in fact, healthcare was THE biggest cause for bankruptcy?

How Obamacare Helped Slash Personal Bankruptcy by 50%

As legislators and the executive branch renew their efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act this week, they might want to keep in mind a little-known financial consequence of the ACA: Since its adoption, far fewer Americans have taken the extreme step of filing for personal bankruptcy.

Filings have dropped about 50%, from 1,536,799 in 2010 to 770,846 in 2016 (see chart, below). Those years also represent the time frame when the ACA took effect. Although courts never ask people to declare why they’re filing, many bankruptcy and legal experts agree that medical bills had been a leading cause of personal bankruptcy before public healthcare coverage expanded under the ACA. Unlike other causes of debt, medical bills are often unexpected, involuntary, and large.
http://time.com/money/4765443/obamac...uptcy-decline/

Affordable for who?

[Superfreak]

I'll address all 3 .. but let's start with healthcare. When was healthcare 'affordable' before Obamacare when in fact, healthcare was THE biggest cause for bankruptcy?

How Obamacare Helped Slash Personal Bankruptcy by 50%

As legislators and the executive branch renew their efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act this week, they might want to keep in mind a little-known financial consequence of the ACA: Since its adoption, far fewer Americans have taken the extreme step of filing for personal bankruptcy.

Filings have dropped about 50%, from 1,536,799 in 2010 to 770,846 in 2016 (see chart, below). Those years also represent the time frame when the ACA took effect. Although courts never ask people to declare why they’re filing, many bankruptcy and legal experts agree that medical bills had been a leading cause of personal bankruptcy before public healthcare coverage expanded under the ACA. Unlike other causes of debt, medical bills are often unexpected, involuntary, and large.
http://time.com/money/4765443/obamac...uptcy-decline/

Affordable for who?

You are seriously comparing bankruptcy filings from just after the financial crisis to last year? Yeah, no shock they went down. Especially given all the money the Fed pumped into the markets.

[Althea]

An area that has raw sewage running into the street at least contains it to that area. How about the real sewage problems? That affect many, many people and the environment. Here, let me show you how high tax states are no better. These are just two examples. Plenty others out there if you want to actually google them.

http://www.courant.com/news/connecti...414-story.html

https://www.politico.com/states/new-...-hudson-010478

I checked the taxes in your state. You have a flat income tax? From the charts I read, your rates are about the same as Alabama.

[Althea]

You are seriously comparing bankruptcy filings from just after the financial crisis to last year? Yeah, no shock they went down. Especially given all the money the Fed pumped into the markets.

QEs had nothing to do with allaying personal bankruptcies. It was a giveaway to the banks, in order to keep them liquid. They still refused to loan money in the early years of Obama's tenure.

[Superfreak]

QEs had nothing to do with allaying personal bankruptcies. It was a giveaway to the banks, in order to keep them liquid. They still refused to loan money in the early years of Obama's tenure.

I did not say they directly allayed bankruptcies. But by pumping Trillions into the market, it boosted the market and the overall economy picked up again. when you have an improving economy, you tend to see a decline in bankruptcies.

[blackascoal]

Please don't say after what you just pulled. You lost your shit yesterday because you said I started talking about race. Now you are moving the goalpost to say it doesn't matter if I started it or not because you found out I didn't start it.

What I pulled? That's idiotic.

You refused to answer a simple question .. a tactic you've employed before. You DID talk about race, but you only wanted to do that where it denigrated democrats. Moving the goalposts my ass .. you ran from answering the question.

If you can't agree with that very OBVIOUS conclusion .. then let's not pretend to engage in anything remotely considered to be debate.

[blackascoal]

You are seriously comparing bankruptcy filings from just after the financial crisis to last year? Yeah, no shock they went down. Especially given all the money the Fed pumped into the markets.

I'm comparing bankruptcies from decades ago ..



Do you see the financial crises on that chart?

Bankruptcy due to medical bills have been a serious problem long before the crisis of 2007.

Study highlights rise in US healthcare costs since 1980
https://ehrintelligence.com/news/stu...ts-since-1980/

Why Americans Are Drowning in Medical Debt
Healthcare is the number-one cause of personal bankruptcy and is responsible for more collections than credit cards.
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/a...l-debt/381163/

Again, exactly when was healthcare affordable?

[Getin the ring]

Regardless of whether you introduced it or not, you responded with supposed racism within the Democratic Party. My question to you was simple .. and the truthful answer backed up exactly what Owl was saying. You wouldn't answer because you knew what the answer would be. There is decidedly no question that the Republican Party and a great many, if not most, republicans are racist indeed. How do you dispute that when you sit on this board full of racists .. everyone of them a republican?

This isn't the first time I've had to try to force a truthful answer out of you .. and that's a problem.

Either we debate honestly, or let's not debate at all.

a racist calling me a racist,
you repugnant excuse for a man

[cawacko]

What I pulled? That's idiotic.

You refused to answer a simple question .. a tactic you've employed before. You DID talk about race, but you only wanted to do that where it denigrated democrats. Moving the goalposts my ass .. you ran from answering the question.

If you can't agree with that very OBVIOUS conclusion .. then let's not pretend to engage in anything remotely considered to be debate.

BAC, if you would like a debate over which party you feel is more racist please start a thread I would be glad to participate.

But I wasn't going to derail this thread because youwanted to have it here. And if it bothers you that someone points out racism in the democratic party then so be it. You may give all white people a pass for being racist because they vote Democratic but clearly not everyone else does.

[Getin the ring]

You are seriously comparing bankruptcy filings from just after the financial crisis to last year? Yeah, no shock they went down. Especially given all the money the Fed pumped into the markets.

exactly, our resident racist blackascoal thinks Obama was the catch all end all. All good is him and all bad was whomever was before or after him.

[blackascoal]

BAC, if you would like a debate over which party you feel is more racist please start a thread I would be glad to participate.

But I wasn't going to derail this thread because youwanted to have it here. And if it bothers you that someone points out racism in the democratic party then so be it. You may give all white people a pass for being racist because they vote Democratic but clearly not everyone else does.

But you had no problem 'derailing' the thread with a post about supposed racism among democrats. You didn't hesitate by saying that you weren't going to derail the thread then.

It bothers YOU when YOUR party gets called out for the racism that fuels it .. then you run and start looking for any minutia to hide behind.

Don't worry about it. Serious conversation appears too difficult for you.