Argumentative Essay: Poverty In The United States
Throughout the world, poverty has become prevalent. Each day one is exposed to constant reminders of the millions suffering from hunger and the thousands dying of starvation. We watch television and view commercials urging us to sponsor a child for ten dollars a month; or encounter those that are homeless begging for spare change so that they may purchase, what will presumably be, their only meal of the day. It is heart wrenching and, unfortunately, a sad reality for countless individuals. “Billions exist on less than one U.S. dollar a day, and several have limited or no access to quality drinking water and food, health care, education, and employment opportunities” (Cooper). Particularly high in several developing countries, poverty has become a universal concern. However, by increasing
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employment and educational opportunities, providing affordable health care and high-quality child care, and safety net investments that support economic mobility, there is no legitimate reason poverty cannot be eradicated.
Reducing poverty in the world is a remarkably challenging goal considering poverty originates from multiple reasons. Unemployment is often the main component of poverty, and there are various reasons for unemployment such as a lack of education, a distressed economy where jobs are limited and pay low wages. “Of 38 million Americans who live in poverty - officially defined as those with annual incomes below $15,141 for a family of four - about 22 million are employed or live in households with workers” (Cooper). Sadly, as the wealthy are becoming wealthier, the poor are becoming poorer. “At the low end of the labor market, offering jobs requiring no more than a high school education and few special skills, wages have been falling for more than two decades for men. Women at this income level have fared only slightly better, enjoying wage increases until the late 1980s, when they also began losing ground” (Cooper). As a result, hardworking people are suffering terribly. In fact, Cooper affirms that the percentage of working families who have fallen below the poverty line has increased from 7.5 percent in the 1970’s to 11.5 percent this year. “This economy has generated almost 6 million new jobs since President Clinton took office, but the remaining 110 million existing jobs continue to split between a relative few that are paying sufficient wages - managerial, professional jobs - and a larger and larger number that are simply going nowhere” (Cooper).Numerous American families are working full-time or working multiple jobs, yet they can barely afford to pay rent, utilities or pay for food. This should not happen in America. Instead of creating more jobs, we need more jobs that pay for the value of your work. Employers need to terminate the practice of only hiring part-time employees to increase profits by not having to provide health care and sick leave benefits. There are infinite families who are hungry do to unstable jobs with unpredictable hours. If significant tax breaks were provided to employers who provide stable employment, health benefits, and family sick leave this would change.
When my daughter was sick, I remained home to take care of her while my husband worked, since we have no family here to help us, and quality child care services are too expensive. Unfortunately for me my current employer did not offer family sick leave time, and they only provided four vacation days per year. Not only did I lose hours because I missed work and did not have sick leave benefits, but after two missed work days I was now unemployed. The stress was unbelievably unbearable, wondering how we would manage to take care of a small child, pay rent, utilities and buy food and necessities on one income. The last thing a parent needs is to be stressed about losing their job when they must take care of sick children. This can be resolved with paid family sick leave. With paid sick leave, there will healthier, more productive families throughout the nation.
Not being able to find safe, affordable, quality child care also makes it tough for parents to find steady work or further their educations.
Providing safe, affordable child care would help build a more intelligent and successful next generation, but it would also help parents secure employment and support their families. I moved to the state of Texas six years ago; all of my family resides in California, so it has become increasingly difficult to maintain stable employment or further my education because I do not have adequate child care for my child. “Child care subsidies, through AFDC and the child care development block grant, are available to low income families to allow parents to work;” (Cooper) but there are income restrictions that one must meet to qualify for assistance. It would create a huge difference for several families in need, especially those with a situation similar to mine or single mothers with no help if affordable, quality child care was provided. The percentage of those unemployed would decrease, and the percentage of individuals seeking to further their education, so that they may achieve better careers and escape poverty would increase
significantly.
There are not enough opportunities provided to improve one’s education to gain better jobs and pay. The work first policy does not work. Instead, it pushes individuals into jobs with low wages that lead nowhere. Most families are concerned with surviving each day, and do not have the luxury of not working to further their education; there are even some families where the head of household works multiple jobs to survive, and, therefore, does not have any spare time to further their education. Wheeler asserts that it is common to find less value placed on education in lower-income homes. Parents existing at the poverty level may have experienced poor academic progress themselves and dropped out of school early. “They may not regard education as a vehicle for their child’s escape from a similar situation; after all education did not help them escape poverty” (Wheeler). If more incentives or safety nets were provided to increase educational opportunities, the decrease in poverty would be enormous.
While companies who pay low wages should raise their wages, government programs that offer those suffering from poverty, such as SNAP, WIC, SSI, Medicaid/Medicare and HUD, should increase their benefits not decrease them. “Although most safety net programs targeted toward the poor, who are disabled or otherwise unable to work, they also provide essential benefits to the working poor” (Wheeler). In fact, Wheeler confirms that within the welfare population around half the folks work for periods of time, and then they do not work; they fall in and out of both the labor system and the welfare system and for these people welfare has been a true safety net. “In Maryland the maximum benefit level is a little over $300 a month for a family of three. In some states, the grants are so meager that the minute you work, you become ineligible for assistance” (Cooper). “SNAP provides more than 2 million low-income working households with nutrition assistance worth an average of $187 a month; most of the children who receive school lunches and breakfasts through SNAP and WIC are from low-income working families” (Cooper). “As employment benefits have dried up, in recent years, poor workers have been forced to rely on government assistance” (Cooper). Ending these programs or reducing the benefits, would be hurting America’s children and crippling America’s workforce.
By increasing employment and educational opportunities, providing affordable health care and high-quality child care, and safety net investments that support economic mobility, there is no legitimate reason poverty cannot be eradicated. So many families are barely surviving on one US dollar per day. All around us millions are hungry, and most are dying of starvation. It only takes a few changes to annihilate poverty and change the world.
employment and educational opportunities, providing affordable health care and high-quality child care, and safety net investments that support economic mobility, there is no legitimate reason poverty cannot be eradicated.
Reducing poverty in the world is a remarkably challenging goal considering poverty originates from multiple reasons. Unemployment is often the main component of poverty, and there are various reasons for unemployment such as a lack of education, a distressed economy where jobs are limited and pay low wages. “Of 38 million Americans who live in poverty - officially defined as those with annual incomes below $15,141 for a family of four - about 22 million are employed or live in households with workers” (Cooper). Sadly, as the wealthy are becoming wealthier, the poor are becoming poorer. “At the low end of the labor market, offering jobs requiring no more than a high school education and few special skills, wages have been falling for more than two decades for men. Women at this income level have fared only slightly better, enjoying wage increases until the late 1980s, when they also began losing ground” (Cooper). As a result, hardworking people are suffering terribly. In fact, Cooper affirms that the percentage of working families who have fallen below the poverty line has increased from 7.5 percent in the 1970’s to 11.5 percent this year. “This economy has generated almost 6 million new jobs since President Clinton took office, but the remaining 110 million existing jobs continue to split between a relative few that are paying sufficient wages - managerial, professional jobs - and a larger and larger number that are simply going nowhere” (Cooper).Numerous American families are working full-time or working multiple jobs, yet they can barely afford to pay rent, utilities or pay for food. This should not happen in America. Instead of creating more jobs, we need more jobs that pay for the value of your work. Employers need to terminate the practice of only hiring part-time employees to increase profits by not having to provide health care and sick leave benefits. There are infinite families who are hungry do to unstable jobs with unpredictable hours. If significant tax breaks were provided to employers who provide stable employment, health benefits, and family sick leave this would change.
When my daughter was sick, I remained home to take care of her while my husband worked, since we have no family here to help us, and quality child care services are too expensive. Unfortunately for me my current employer did not offer family sick leave time, and they only provided four vacation days per year. Not only did I lose hours because I missed work and did not have sick leave benefits, but after two missed work days I was now unemployed. The stress was unbelievably unbearable, wondering how we would manage to take care of a small child, pay rent, utilities and buy food and necessities on one income. The last thing a parent needs is to be stressed about losing their job when they must take care of sick children. This can be resolved with paid family sick leave. With paid sick leave, there will healthier, more productive families throughout the nation.
Not being able to find safe, affordable, quality child care also makes it tough for parents to find steady work or further their educations.
Providing safe, affordable child care would help build a more intelligent and successful next generation, but it would also help parents secure employment and support their families. I moved to the state of Texas six years ago; all of my family resides in California, so it has become increasingly difficult to maintain stable employment or further my education because I do not have adequate child care for my child. “Child care subsidies, through AFDC and the child care development block grant, are available to low income families to allow parents to work;” (Cooper) but there are income restrictions that one must meet to qualify for assistance. It would create a huge difference for several families in need, especially those with a situation similar to mine or single mothers with no help if affordable, quality child care was provided. The percentage of those unemployed would decrease, and the percentage of individuals seeking to further their education, so that they may achieve better careers and escape poverty would increase
significantly.
There are not enough opportunities provided to improve one’s education to gain better jobs and pay. The work first policy does not work. Instead, it pushes individuals into jobs with low wages that lead nowhere. Most families are concerned with surviving each day, and do not have the luxury of not working to further their education; there are even some families where the head of household works multiple jobs to survive, and, therefore, does not have any spare time to further their education. Wheeler asserts that it is common to find less value placed on education in lower-income homes. Parents existing at the poverty level may have experienced poor academic progress themselves and dropped out of school early. “They may not regard education as a vehicle for their child’s escape from a similar situation; after all education did not help them escape poverty” (Wheeler). If more incentives or safety nets were provided to increase educational opportunities, the decrease in poverty would be enormous.
While companies who pay low wages should raise their wages, government programs that offer those suffering from poverty, such as SNAP, WIC, SSI, Medicaid/Medicare and HUD, should increase their benefits not decrease them. “Although most safety net programs targeted toward the poor, who are disabled or otherwise unable to work, they also provide essential benefits to the working poor” (Wheeler). In fact, Wheeler confirms that within the welfare population around half the folks work for periods of time, and then they do not work; they fall in and out of both the labor system and the welfare system and for these people welfare has been a true safety net. “In Maryland the maximum benefit level is a little over $300 a month for a family of three. In some states, the grants are so meager that the minute you work, you become ineligible for assistance” (Cooper). “SNAP provides more than 2 million low-income working households with nutrition assistance worth an average of $187 a month; most of the children who receive school lunches and breakfasts through SNAP and WIC are from low-income working families” (Cooper). “As employment benefits have dried up, in recent years, poor workers have been forced to rely on government assistance” (Cooper). Ending these programs or reducing the benefits, would be hurting America’s children and crippling America’s workforce.
By increasing employment and educational opportunities, providing affordable health care and high-quality child care, and safety net investments that support economic mobility, there is no legitimate reason poverty cannot be eradicated. So many families are barely surviving on one US dollar per day. All around us millions are hungry, and most are dying of starvation. It only takes a few changes to annihilate poverty and change the world.