The Economist - USA (2019-09-28)

TheEconomistSeptember 28th 2019 3

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lderlyresidentsofInez,thetinyseatofMartinCounty,Ken-

tucky,deepintheheartofAppalachia,canstillvividlyremem-

berthedaythepresidentcametotown.Fifty-fiveyearsago,while

stoopingonaporch,LyndonJohnsonspokeatlengthtoTom

Fletcher(pictured),a whitelabourerwithnojob,littleeducation

andeightchildren.“Ihavecalledfora nationalwaronpoverty,”

Johnsonannouncedimmediatelyafterwards.“Ourobjective:total

victory.”ThatdeclarationtransformedFletcherandMartinCounty

intotheunwittingfacesofthenation’sbattle,oftentothechagrin

oflocalresidentswhoresentedthefrequentpilgrimagesofjour-

nalistsandphotographers.Thestoryneverchangedmuch:Fletch-

ercontinuedtodrawdisabilitychequesfordecadesandneverbe-

came self-sufficient before his death in 2004. His family

continuedtostrugglewithaddictionandincarceration.

TodayMartinCountyremainsdeeplypoor—30%ofresidents

livebelowtheofficialpovertyline(anincomeoflessthan$25,750

a yearfora familyoffour).Infrastructureisshoddy.Theroadsup

thestunningforestedmountainsthatoncethunderedwiththeex-

tractionofcoalnowliequiet,crackedtothepointofcorrugation.

Problemswithpollutionbecauseofleakypipesmeanthatsome

partsofthecountyarewithoutrunningwaterfordays.“Ourwater

comesoutorange,blueandwithdirtchunksinit,”saysBarbiAnn

Maynard,a residentagitatingforrepairs.Sheandherfamilyhave

notdrunkthewaterfromtheirtapssince2000;itissuitableonly

forflushingtoilets.Someresidentsgatherdrinkingwaterfromlo-

calspringsorcollectrainwaterininflatablepaddlingpools.

Theongoingpovertyisnotforlackofintervention.Thefederal

governmenthasspenttrillionsofdollarsoverthepast 55 years.

Programmeshavehelpedmany.Buttheyalsoremainfixatedon

theproblemsofthepast,largelytheelderlyandtheworkingpoor,

leavingbehindnon-workingadults and children.Asaresult,

Americadoesa worsejobthanitspeersofhelpingtheneedyofto-

day.Bytheofficialpovertymeasure,therewere40mpoorAmeri-

cansin2017,or12%ofthepopulation.Thisthresholdisextremely

low:fora familyoffour,itamountsto$17.64perpersonperday.

About18.5mpeoplehaveonlyhalfthatamountandaremiredin

deeppoverty.Childrenarethelikeliestagegrouptoexperience

poverty—therearenearly13mofthemtoday,or17.5%ofallAmeri-

canchildren.

Ininternationalcomparisons,thatmakesAmericaa trueout-

lier.Whenassessedonpovertyrelativetoothercountries(the

shareoffamiliesmakinglessthan50%ofthenationalmedianin-

comeaftertaxesandtransfers),Americaisamongtheworst-per-

formingintheoecdclubofmostlyrichcountries(seecharton

nextpage).Despiteitshigherlevelofincome,thatisnotbecauseit

startswitha verylargeshareofpoorpeoplebeforesupportskick

in—itisjustthatthesafetynetdoesnotdoasmuchworkaselse-

where.Onthisrelative-povertyscale,morethana fifthofAmeri-

canchildrenremainpooraftergovernmentbenefits,compared

with3.6%ofFinnishchildren.

Poor America

Special report

Government programmes have done more to help poor Americans than is widely acknowledged.

The best way to build on them is to focus on children, says Idrees Kahloon

Poverty in America

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