Published November 03, 2009

Across region, poverty among children rising at quicker rate than rest of U.S. chat

By Linda Vanderwerf, West Central Tribune

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Denise S.
Atwater, MN     11/03/2009 9:14 PM

Kevin I totally agree with you, people will not work for a company if they don't think they are paying fairly...unless they are completely desperate and need any amount of money! I guess with my husband having worked for Jenni-O for many years I will say the pay wasn't great, but even getting a check was great! We were in a better position with the small check than we would have been without it! And he worked his way through college and mine too! I think you do what you have to for money when it comes to your family...even working 80 hour weeks so you can pay rent and buy food!

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Barb K.
Olivia, MN     11/03/2009 3:27 PM

If the government didn't give out so many handouts people wouldn't be able to work for the companies who don't pay them enough to live. Those employees would then leave and go where they would get paid enough which would cause the first employer to pay more. It's the way the free market works. Our labor is only worth what someone is willing to pay to have the job done. When no one will work for a certain amount the price goes up.

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Barb K.
Olivia, MN     11/03/2009 2:47 PM

bob - slaves? Who are slaves?

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Barb K.
Olivia, MN     11/03/2009 2:24 PM

I know people who's income is low enough the get various kinds of assistance and yet they have many things I could never afford. I'm asking what's considered "income"? I do truly believe in helping people who really need it. That is my personal responsibilty and I do what I can. However, I really believe the government has no constitutional authority to take what belongs to one person and give it to another. I have no right to what someone else has earned and I can't understand how anybody can think they are entitled to the fruits of someone elses labor.

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Larry P.
Brooten, MN     11/03/2009 2:16 PM

Kevin E - "A celebrated Goldman Sachs partner, Gus Levy, coined the maxim that long defined the bank, the savviest and most influential firm on Wall Street: 'Greedy, but long-term greedy'” (http://tinyurl.com/ybfztkm). You obviously don't keep up with the happenings on Wall Street. There's no more "Robin Hood." It's "Reverse Robin Hood" these days. Rob from the middle class, give to the rich. It's been going on for about 20 years.

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Denise S.
Atwater, MN     11/03/2009 1:59 PM

Hey barb, you don't receive reduced lunches and other help unless your income is below a certain level! Yes there are those who milk the system, but what about the parents who are working as hard as they can to make it and still can't come up even each month? I receive no assistance and haven't, but I know there are families that truely need the help at times! Are we all so heartless and synical to think that everyone has an easy time with everything or that they should! Hard times come and go...We should help those in need when they are in their hard times. Not everyone has family to help them out either! You people need to get a heart or hit some heard times...not sure which yet!

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Barb K.
Olivia, MN     11/03/2009 1:42 PM

I'd like to know how "poverty" is calculated. I think it's probably by cash income. To my way of thinking the wage value of all benefits should also be calculated. If you add up free or reduced price lunches, food stamps, WIC, housing allowance, medical, dental & eye care, legal assistance, fuel assistance, childcare assistance,rent credit, earned income tax credit, child tax credit, working family credit; MN educational credit for school supplies, band instruments, music and dance lessons, computer hardware and software, and college grants that cover tuition and living expenses, very few people are actually living in "poverty". A MN state legislator told me last spring that the average family considered to be living in poverty receives enough money and benefits to equal a wage income of $48,000 per year. Why do we work?

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Craig H.
St. Paul/Woodbury, MN     11/03/2009 1:10 PM

Does anyone see a connection between this and the fact that Kandi county is traditionally a very easy place to be on welfare?

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mary c.
Montevideo, MN     11/03/2009 11:38 AM

Emm H. There are a few out there not many but there are... People need to understand the responsibility of having and raising a child. I personally bought a house and had a son when I was 18 and haven't received any help from anyone.

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Casey O.
Kerkhoven, MN     11/03/2009 10:59 AM

The stats are mostly based on 2007. The free lunch stats are from 2008 and 2000 is thrown in there to compare..... If parents are in poverty, that means their child lives in poverty. I really didn't think that needed to be explained to anyone.

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