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What Does Poverty Mean in America Today?

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  • Description

    'A Nation of Moochers' author Charles J. Sykes weighs in on America's welfare state.

  • Duration 7:43
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America is a rich country and yet a -- such wealth there is poverty.

The media keep telling me there's terrible poverty.

More than 46 million people lived in poverty last year.

That does sound terrible but what -- poverty mean in America today.

About these things I recently stopped by this food kitchen in Harlem life and people line up for free food.

Most want government to -- more than.

Give us more jobs and more opportunity -- best course of that government should just.

Create jobs create jobs -- create more jobs more food stamp -- Moore well are there more -- these people say they're poor but in America these days.

Property is now what you may think -- -- I'm not exactly plot but I'm not exactly -- in today's America and most poor people have.

Car -- condition.

Cell phones and television.

Yes have a TV yeah -- -- We have air conditioned.

Yes cable TV yet comedy channels one the one.

And it probably won't play games on the rules of the game player video player we have video -- have a cellphone and -- -- -- -- the -- -- -- them.

A report but it Heritage Foundation found today 99 point 6% of poor people have a refrigerator.

97%.

Have a TV 65%.

More than -- most have cable most have cell phones and air conditioned.

I don't claim that TV's and air conditioning or all the people need in many poor people have a hard life.

Some of the people -- interviewed outside that soup kitchens that they were homeless.

My point is that the propaganda.

About American poverty has led to a fat welfare state that hurts every war.

Encourages dependency some say we've created the nation of launchers.

People addicted to getting something for nothing in fact that's the title of the new book by radio host Charles side so.

-- troops well I think it's time to get rid of the euphemisms thought about fairness is not about sharing the wealth and the reality is that -- old fashioned word.

That says that some people just simply have their hand out -- want something for nothing and one of the things that I think we need to do would start calling things by their real name.

-- let's talk about the real numbers the poverty line at the moments is 44.

But the problem part of the problem all the money they get from the government we don't read stuff right we don't get we don't -- all the exactly medical care for -- -- doesn't count in the right.

So in fact what you've done is you've taken away and taken out of consideration.

Most of the money a lot of these individuals are getting from the rest of us and so yes it looks scary it looks bad.

But the reality is that we have become a very generous society.

Perhaps you know it will fall.

Thomas Seoul says it was more accurate to refer to the haves.

And they have blocks.

Well what are what are the problems of poverty as you just illustrated is that -- -- people have a lot of stuff.

I'm not saying I'm people with real need to but.

One of the really scary numbers is that used to be back in 1979 that more than half of the transfer payments in this country went to the very poorest people.

Now it's about 36%.

Which means that the safety net has become this rather large squishy mattress still.

It's the rich who get the most in dollars I assume all the corporate welfare handouts that.

Cotton farmers yet.

The subsidized green entrepreneur words like Solyndra and Mike Huckabee and I got free golf -- 6000 dollar golf cart because there's a tricky tax credits expired now.

But this was all to encourage people to use electric vehicles.

I got flooding and beach house which I shouldn't have gotten.

But to us more wealthy people.

We'll see -- part of the problems we've we have created the smooching culture across lines of class and and this is why are you create everyone looks around is as you know what.

Everyone is getting -- -- everybody is getting him that it becomes very very difficult.

To say no to the next person -- confidence is well OK so -- fossil is getting some -- what about me you know we bail about the folks on Wall Street we bailed out General Motors.

What about my main street business.

And what we've seen over the last couple of years is the inability to say now.

And I didn't say don't apply what that's about what felt like a soccer that they get it didn't turn in the money down -- that's the key I think is the does that -- principal at what point to the people who play by the rules the people who -- who work hard and they look around and see everybody else getting the transfer benefits.

And say.

If I don't get in line I'm a sucker.

And that's where I think we have the tipping point.

We in the makers in society begin to think that they are -- -- because there are so many takers and encouraged it across the board.

Though I'm encouraged that at least the that the talk has changed to mean one thing it's new and Americans that more recipients of corporate welfare or at least -- -- they note that some people consider them to be paid said.

Today -- corporate welfare queens woman agreed to be interviewed by me about this.

But years ago America's biggest recipient of corporate welfare flew me out to his headquarters.

So he could arrogantly dismissed me.

Here's a look at Dwayne Andreas of archer Daniels middle.

-- pig feeding at the welfare trough wife that I care.

Doesn't bother you.

Was just okay.

What's the deal we get -- out that the CEO would do that today noted that we have a lot of business executives who got who go to Washington.

And frankly it decided may be that it's more important to greased the right home to get the right subsidy to the bailout -- that was worthy tax rate.

That that is more important than creating a quality product and what you saw there is that mentality.

And as long as -- as long after work to create a better product if the spent five million dollars to get a billion from government absolutely the return on investment of getting you know getting on an airplane and going in and sucking up to some United States senators is fantastic.

You can get billions of dollars.

And unfortunately I think in this bailout you period that we've been.

We've seen companies be more successful by going and -- favor and getting money from the rest of us than than companies that have just.

-- it you know frankly gonna -- -- way.

And in your book you write a -- called I piggy bank.

I paid for the bridge to nowhere.

I paid for studies were China on Chinese prostitutes I paid for other People's -- the -- I paid for all of these things.

That you you realize that.

That they offered to bail out AIG exact -- for AIG I paid public employees for their exorbitant salaries and this is that tipping point during the soccer then I am that you hear that is.

Is might -- life -- I pay all of these taxes.

So my only function here you're not celebrating my my my success -- celebrating my entrepreneurial zeal.

My risk taking.

What you're looking at me -- like hate can I turn you would look piggy -- how can I get more money from you.

Last point you say America shouldn't in France allies its citizens' right when -- -- this assumption that we keep him -- that we all need to be mergers.

That basically says you know what.

We are gonna create this social welfare state -- treatises dependence treats is is what permanent children.

That's too bad but thank you Charles Sykes author of -- nation of more curious.

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