The following comes from a December 2 CalWatchdog article by Chris Reed:
The Census Bureau’s 2012 decision to begin releasing an alternative measure of poverty that included cost of living has appeared to have far-reaching effects in California as politicians, community leaders and residents react to the new measure’s depiction of the Golden State as the most impoverished place in America.
The fact that about 23 percent of state residents are barely getting by has helped fuel the push for a much higher minimum wage and prompted renewed interest in affordable housing programs. It’s also put the focus on regional economic disparities, especially the fact that Silicon Valley and San Francisco are the primary engine of state prosperity.
While the tech boom and the vast increase in housing prices it has triggered in the Bay Area are national news, prompting think pieces and thoughtful analyses, the poverty picture in the state’s largest population center isn’t covered nearly as fully. Although the fact is plain in Census Bureau data, it’s not commonly understood that Los Angeles County is the capital of U.S. poverty. A 2013 study by the Public Policy Institute of California and the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality based on 2011 data found 27 percent of the county’s 10 million residents were impoverished, the highest figure in the state and the highest of any large metro area in the U.S. The study questioned long-held assumptions about poverty being worst in rural areas.
But there are reasons to think the rate in Los Angeles County is significantly higher than the 27 percent reported in 2013.
The first is that many surveys of poverty struggle to account for undocumented immigrants, who often work for cash and don’t show up in wage surveys. The Pew Research Service in 2009 estimated that undocumented individuals face poverty rates “nearly double” those of Americans in general. Los Angeles County has by far the most undocumented immigrants, estimated by PPIC to be 815,000 in 2013.
The second is that the cost of housing has surged in Los Angeles County over the past four years even as wages have stagnated. The average rent of an apartment countywide is expected to be $1,800 by year’s end, with the biggest percentage jump in poorer communities in the San Fernando Valley.
This is very interesting information: “America’s richest 20 people own more than the bottom half of America – 152 million people combined. That is just one of the startling revelations in a new report, Billionaire Bonanza: The Forbes 400 and the Rest of Us, just released by the Institute for Policy Studies.” We are no longer a democracy or a republic. We are an oligarchy ruled by a few people who buy-off our elected legislators and members of the executive branch. Where is the indignation on the part of the Bishops? The church has always been against redistribution of wealth to the upper class – or did I get that wrong based on Latin America and Europe and Africa and the U.S? Darn!.
“THOU SHALL NOT STEAL.” – GOD.
“THOU SHALL NOT COVET THY NEIGHBOR’s GOODS” – GOD.
– – The USA needs jobs – ” 94.5 MILLION Americans aged 16 and over – are not working per the US Dept of Labor Statistics –
https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/11/06/94513000-americans-not-labor-force-participation-rate-matches-38-year-low/
– – Our Country is $18.8 TRILLION dollars in Debt.
– – Contrary to Catholic Doctrine, some of our Bishops are supporting ILLEGAL immigration. ILLEGAL immigrants cost US taxpayers $54 Billion each year.
Los Angeles is a Sanctuary City, they support ILLEGAL immigration – the breaking of weak US immigration laws,
and violate the CCC # 2241 – which requires immigrants to “Obey the Law”.
As of Oct, 2015 per the US Dept of Labor Statistics, there are 94.6 Million AMERICAN CITIZENS in the USA not working aged 16 and over
.https://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2015/11/06/94513000-americans-not-labor-force-participation-rate-matches-38-year-low/
There are not enough jobs for everyone in the USA.
It costs US American taxpayers approx. $ 54.5 BILLION dollars EACH year to
support ILLEGAL immigrants.
https://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2013/05/the-fiscal-cost-of-unlawful-immigrants-and-amnesty-to-the-us-taxpayer
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Separately, the cost of housing is based upon land available for housing, supply and demand.
Higher wages push up the cost of goods and services to ALL,
including for Senior Citizens and others who are living on fixed income, and American families.
The cost of doing business is always passed on to the consumer.
Therefore making it even more expensive for the consumer to live.
The State of CA is approx. $427 BILLION dollars in Debt. I don’t have the Debt $ of Los Angeles City, or LA County. The spending of Democrats WITHOUT the accompanying INCOME is horrendous.
– – – CCC: ” 2411 Contracts are subject to commutative justice which regulates exchanges between persons and between institutions in accordance with a strict respect for their rights. Commutative justice obliges strictly;
it REQUIRES safeguarding property rights, PAYING DEBTS, and fulfilling obligations freely contracted.
Without commutative justice, no other form of justice is possible. ……. “
CA needs a State Constitutional “BALANCED BUDGET” Amendment – not only for the State, but for all cities and all counties.
By their actions Elected officials are spending us into oblivion, and they do not seem to care.
The Church does not teach that each of us, as well as all governments should pay our Debts – and not spend beyond our means.
In Los Angeles many of our poor are non-working Americans or Mexicans on the Federal teat. We even have people driving BMWs paying with food stamp cards.
We have a large “paid under the table” economy here in Los Angeles County.
One out of every 30 AMERICAN children will face homelessness in the next year.