46.5 mln Americans poor - census

[harryfrompattaya]

Most of these so called poor don't know what poor is!! They have food on there table even if they have no money and now free medical even before the Obama-Care whet into effect. Most people in California are on disability and receiving government aid. It does not stop there. Don't ever call an American poor.

I agree most of my Family in America are poor according to how much they make. But I known how they live I think many on Thai Visa have no idea how good these poor people live in America

Their choice was theirs no mind or yours.

[harryfrompattaya]

Most of these so called poor don't know what poor is!! They have food on there table even if they have no money and now free medical even before the Obama-Care whet into effect. Most people in California are on disability and receiving government aid. It does not stop there. Don't ever call an American poor.

I agree most of my Family in America are poor according to how much they make. But I known how they live I think many on Thai Visa have no idea how good these poor people live in America

Their choice was theirs no mind or yours.

Cousin Le Roy is so poor he get 7 food cards a month many of my relativists and his friends also get about than 5 a month I hope you understand what I am saying.

[copa8]

They need to fix the welfare system so it pays less than not working. They also need to cut out the credit cards as people just get in trouble with them, stop banks from loaning money on houses at or near a 100% of the purchase price, and stop giving money to other countries as the US cannot even take care of its self very well with the extremely large debt they have run up. I guess these are opinions but all true in my mind. With just about no manufacturing jobs left in the USA it beats me how they think they can survive long term in the real world.

Name one US bank that has drafted a mortgage loan at or near 100% of the home's value in the last 4 years to anyone. Credit card issues are down substantially. If you can't show a credit score of 720 or higher (in US), you get rejected. Manufacturing has moved to Asia. It's been happening for 30+ years Not even South America can compete now. But many US manufacturers are doing quite well...., they just took it "offshore".

the continent with cheapest labor is africa. move manufacturing there then.

[GirlDrinkDrunk]

.........nonetheless......they haven't adopted a 'rip off all tourists and foreigners in every way you can' attitude.....nor....'double pricing'.......

im sorry, explain to me how this is even vaguely relevant to the topic?

go grind that axe in a topic that merits it.

[Sing_Sling]

Just goes to show not all farangs are rich as some Thai girls seem to think.

$23,400 (700,000bht)pa seems like a good wage to me.

Many Thai girls would like to have a wage like that

23k is a good wage to you? I'd like to see you living it large on 23k gross in the US. (taxes?)

. . . or are you saying that there is no differnce in the standard and cost of living in the US ad Thailand?

Most of these so called poor don't know what poor is!! They have food on there table even if they have no money and now free medical even before the Obama-Care whet into effect. Most people in California are on disability and receiving government aid. It does not stop there. Don't ever call an American poor.

Most people in California are on disability? I would be very interested in your sources for this, thanks

[Sing_Sling]

Actually they are better off they say a family who earns $30,00 a year. those under the provity level income get free food, housing, medical care, education assistance plus other govt handouts.

How true. The 'POOR' making $23,000 also have a flat screen TV, a cheap aotomobile (used cars are very inexpensive), food coupons and utility supplements. Compared to most Thais, those 'POOR' are quite wealthy.

Ah, the 'flat-screen' argument . . . All the 'poor' have flat-screens, cars etc . . . and the inevitable comparison to Thailand. The good thing is that public transport is simply brilliant everywhere in the US so cars are a luxury, pure luxury - considering how tiny the country is the poor should be made to walk to work

Thais should never complain about their lot and there is NO poverty here because Thais are considered to be mega-wealthy by Zimbabweans?

[tingtong]

They need to fix the welfare system so it pays less than not working. They also need to cut out the credit cards as people just get in trouble with them, stop banks from loaning money on houses at or near a 100% of the purchase price, and stop giving money to other countries as the US cannot even take care of its self very well with the extremely large debt they have run up. I guess these are opinions but all true in my mind. With just about no manufacturing jobs left in the USA it beats me how they think they can survive long term in the real world.

i think,

most welfare could go away, if there would be actually jobs for ppl ( dont just believe stats)

the banks wouldnt loan that rate should they not be desparate to find place for the trillions of newly printed money

USA wouldnt need to give away much, should they interfere less with other countries they have little biz to be in...need to spend to be popular?

manufacturing could only be viable thru low wages...and low wage jobs they have. if import cost less, a fact, and ppl not willing to pay up...

maybe subsidising the min. wage to 10$/hour would be cheaper than paying welfare to the same ppl.

maybe getting back the soldiers home would cost less than wars on lies

maybe letting more banks sink and not bailing out private entities with non-private funds would make banks to be more thoughtful about loans

maybe closing some of the wealth/salary gap between the jobs, and giving everyone a right and chance to a life would reduce the welfare need

or maybe not.

just thinking.

btw, what is the Thai poverty level now?

is Thailand with 10$ a day salary really 5x cheaper than US? the bread? the milk? the gas?

i dont think so.

[nong38]

Actually they are better off they say a family who earns $30,00 a year. those under the provity level income get free food, housing, medical care, education assistance plus other govt handouts.

Its a shocking headline but then as a Brit I dont know really what it means as you point out with handouts that we dont know about, we know about our own handouts though.

[Scott]

Troll posts have been deleted along with a reply.

[Boon Mee]

They need to fix the welfare system so it pays less than not working.

That is only for families with children. Other than a small amount of food stamps, it is almost impossible for single unemployed people to get welfare, no matter how much they need it.

Clinton reformed the Welfare To Work Rules when he was in office and food stamp usage dropped dramatically. When Obama came in, he loosened the work requirements to obtain food stamps and now folks don't need to work to eat.

[Credo]

The rules were changed, in part because of the financial crisis and the high unemployment.

[Scott]

Troll post removed.

[Pakboong]

In 1963, John Kennedy tried to return the US to silver backed currency instead of fiat money issued at interest by a privately owned central bank; he knew that fiat currency is like playing a slot machine in a casino. If you play long enough with only 94% returned from every dollar you put in, you have to eventually go broke.Many think he was killed for this particular executive order.

Compound interest, fractional reserve banking, fiat currency, and inflation have destroyed what we used to call the middle class. The bell curve is now flat except for the spike of the 1% at the top. A 1913 dollar is worth about 2 cents today. Each of these innovations had the illusion of prosperity built in. Each illusion has run its course and we are. faced with what JFK hoped to avoid.

Putin seems to be the crusader to remove Russia from the grip of the banksters. When he worked to create BRICS it was with this same problem in mind. IMO, Russia will strengthen and the US will continue to fail.

[Traveling Sailor]

Just goes to show not all farangs are rich as some Thai girls seem to think.

$23,400 (700,000bht)pa seems like a good wage to me.

Many Thai girls would like to have a wage like that

700,000 baht per year comes to 58,333.33 baht per month which is less than what Thai immigration requires every month to stay here long term. And, if you cannot bring in 65,000 baht per month, you need to have 800,000 baht in the bank.

Not if you are married, 400k or 40k a month.

Not if you have a job, 50k a month.

Not if you are a teacher 25k a month.

The 800k/65k a month limit is the minimum required for people who contribute nothing to the country except their money.

Thank you, 52, for the additional information. Since I am retired since 2006 and choose not to marry again at my age, I was unaware of these other requirements. Still, it seems odd to me that a married person, who is responsible for at least one more mouth to feed, needs less than a single person. The job and teacher requirements make sense to me.

[Scott]

This is the World News Section. There are numerous threads about the visa requirements for Thailand.

[rotary]

like the UK the middle class is vanishing and will cease to exist,jobs were exported to China never to return.

poverty will get worse and there will be more Detroit type cities

I can't speak for the UK, but in the US jobs are, and will continue to return from China. For 50 years the US has been the world leader in innovation and technology.

I do believe the same will happen in the UK, because the UK can do as the US is doing, but I can't say for sure that they will.

HERE are the reasons that China won't be needed (or wanted) anymore.

No offense here but the only thing I see made in the USA are items made with low labour requirements such as plastic ice chest, fly swatters(no joke here), garbage sacks, plastic shelves (PLANO company),maybe some paints, some tapes and glues. This is the only thing I see in the Middle East Made in the USA. This does not count "Designed in California" but Made in China products now.

Even oilfield tubulars now are seldom made in the USA. All of this comes from China or Brazil or several other places but not the USA. Many standard oilfield products made in the USA have "Made in India" stamped in the forging. Thats not made in the USA in my opinion. The USA economy is headed downhill, I hope I am wrong, but from what I see there is no stopping it now. The position is made worse by the present president and his policy which have done damage that cannot be repaired.