Poverty--'Prison Without Bars'

While I think I know something about poverty, I could never succinctly describe it as Dorothy Thomas did, "Poverty is prison without bars." Her homelessness probably galvanized her way of looking at her income-deficit disorder.

It just takes a glance at headlines to realize that our country suffers from economic schizophrenia. We've got a bazillionaire plunking down a cool $43.8 million for Warhol's painting of 200 $1 bills, and 237 of the 535 members of Congress counting up their millions, although hard times have hit a few...

The Center for Responsive Politics reports that a number of lawmakers are estimated to have suffered double-digit percentage losses in their net worth from 2007 to 2008. The biggest losers include Kerry, who lost a whopping $127.4 million; Warner lost about $28.1 million; Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) lost about $11.8 million; and Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) lost about $10.1 million.

Worry not! I don't think any Member of Congress has joined the ranks of the more than 17 million Americans in deep poverty (households earning 1/2 of the abysmally low poverty rate).

As I drive along the backroads of Iowa and Nebraska, I find myself thinking a lot about poverty. I wonder how many policymakers on any level realize how many housing units in this country are barely above tar paper shack standards? Manufactured housing, i.e. house trailers, are often the only "affordable housing"  in communities of all sizes. When these units fall into disrepair, as many obviously are, they are inadequate and unsafe.

Recent interaction with frequent PiA commenter Jan Lightfootlane brings the prison metaphor into light. Jan was scheduled to present at the recent National Students Against Hunger and Homelessness conference in Chicago. Her poverty apparently interfered, keeping her in Maine instead of letting her share her "school of hard knocks" knowledge with eager college students.

Loss of the all important drivers' license because of failure to pay a fine made getting to the conference impossible. Many people don't realize how important the government-issued ID is for travel. Try to go somewhere without it.

A good friend of mine is trapped by age (63) and the need for health insurance. Her job pays $9 an hour, with her paying for insurance out of that. She needs to move, but subsidized senior housing has a 5-year or longer waiting list. And the job market...sigh.

Seems to me that many in Congress and the non-impoverished public would benefit by a poverty simulation experience. Feel what it's like to not have choices, to be locked in what is accurately described as a prison without bars. They'd be begging for parole.

photos by the author