Global Section

History of Poverty (Question one)

Poverty, defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a "The condition of having little or no wealth or few material possessions," is a condition which has burdened and pulled the world since ancient times. The Bible, one of the western worlds oldest historical documents, often describes, both in new and old testaments, the great masses of poor and the terrible conditions in which they lived. The creation of charities, such as the Ursuline Sisters, also attested to the historical size of the poverty problem. Still, even up to recent times, poverty wasn't necessarily viewed as a problem. Strict social hierarchies, where aristocrats lived in luxury and the commoners lived in wretched conditions, were the norm. Serfdom, a system of "modified slavery", even existed as a way of keeping the poor poor and the rich rich.
It wasn't until the enlightenment, which brought a new "rationalism" to thinking, that poverty became a "problem" that needed to be dealt with. The rulers of Denmark, for example, virtually abolished the serf system, while Fredrick the Great of Prussia set out on an organized program of poverty fighting aimed at improving the lot of the worst of his citizens.
More recent times have seen the expansion of poverty fighting beyond the traditional warriors of Church and state. NGOs (Non governmental organizations) with no strong affiliation to religion have flourished with groups such as Doctors without Borders and Save the Children continuing the fight without government support. Governmental conglomerations, which run with the help of multiple governments have also appeared with groups such as UNICEF coordinating the efforts of many nations. Private individuals, ranging from the great industrialists of Carnegie and Rockefeller, to the philanthropists of Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, have also attacked poverty with both their dollars and their influence. Government work has also continued with many nations, such as the United States, spending sizeable portions of their budget on the plight of the poor.
The actions of all these groups have had a telling effect on poverty. The number of impoverished in the world has fallen steadily (see graph) and prosperity has become a real prospect for millions more. Still, the fight is far from over. Even one person in poverty is too many. Perhaps, with the continued efforts of governments, ngos, and private individuals, poverty truly can become history.


Global Poverty (Question 2):

According to the World Bank, poverty is the state of being extremely poor. It includes financial hardship, hunger, homelessness, illiteracy and lack of medical care. According to a World Bank classification, nearly 1.2 billion people--one fifth of mankind--continue to live in absolute poverty, with incomes of less than $1 a day. Some of the world’s poorest nations are in Africa, the Caribbean, South America and Indonesia. People living at the poverty level can be found in most countries--including the United States--where over 12% of the population lives at or below the official poverty “threshold.” There are many charitable and government organizations working to end domestic and international poverty. They include the National Center for Children in Poverty, the United Nations Development Programme and the International Labour Organization. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund are the large financial backers of many programs. Organizations like these seek to address immediate needs as well as the issues that cause chronic poverty. Opinions vary on this point but many agree that simple charity or loans from world banks may be doing more harm than good due to complex economic factors which need consideration. Illiteracy is also a major factor. Over a billion people in the world today are illiterate. This affects one’s ability to participate in local or national government or to reach one’s potential in other areas, including education and employment.

Global Solution (Question 3):
The consequential aftermath of poverty is hunger and disease. As is stated in poverty.com, the United Nations World Food Program approximates “an average of 25,000 people die every day of hunger; that’s one person every three and a half seconds.” Yet the problem is not rooted in a lack of food; the high level of obesity in the United States can attest to that. Rather, it is the lack of available funding for poverty stricken families, to buy the necessary provisions to keep them nourished and strong. “In September 2000, the United Nations unanimously agreed to spare no effort to free our fellow men, women, and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty, specifically hunger, and the major diseases that afflict humanity.” To help eradicate poverty and the problems that stem from it, a plan was conceived which proposed that 0.7% of the national incomes of each country be committed to help “substantially eliminate” poverty. To this day, only six of the one hundred eighty nine countries have yet to pledge 0.7% of their national income to raise money to contribute to the international aid enterprise. The US is one of these countries. To change US lack of initiative, print and send the following letter encouraging the President to act now and pledge a mere 0.7% of the national income to help combat poverty ( http://www.poverty.com/letters/united_states.html ).

1.www.alternative-hawaii.com
2.http://starbulletin.com/2006/08/30/news/story06.html
3.http://www.ecanned.com/HI/2007/01/income-and-poverty-in-state-of-hawaii.html
4.http://www.cbpp.org/2-22-06sfp-pr-hi.htm
5.http://www.med-quest.us/eligibility/EligPrograms_ACE.html
6.http://www.hcdch.hawaii.gov/news/index.htm
7.http://www.acenet.edu/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Improving_Lives2&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=21630
8.http://www.poverty.com/letters/united_states.html

Plan of Action (Question 4):

What can one do to help global poverty on a realistic level? First of all, the easiest way for anyone to contribute to ending world poverty is by simply donating money to charitable causes that improve the world. One of the best websites today is The Hunger Site, for all proceeds go to improving poverty and other issues in the world. A few dollars can make a big difference for those who only make cents a day, and a few dollars a day can feed a family. Charity is the easiest way to help the less fortunate in the world, without really having to do any work. One receives a great feeling after giving to charity, for how could one not feel good when they give others a chance to live? Giving to charity is the easiest way to distribute funds and material to the less fortunate, http://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifand really takes little effort.

Another step that one can take in order to help global poverty is by spreading awareness through organizations such as the United Way and the Red Cross . You don't have to create a large organization, you can simply create a group of people that works to solve worldwide problems. We have several clubs already that contribute to such work, such as Military History Club, and Club Hope (which deals with issues such as genocide). Sometimes, awareness can be the most effective form of support for an issue, for the more people know about an issue, the more inclined they are to help out. By creating blogs and other forms of literature that spreads the word, we can all make a difference to help out with poverty in the world.

National Section

History of Poverty (Question 1)

Since the founding of this country, poverty has been a concern both for the United States government and its citizens. Many efforts, widely differing in both scope, style, and effect have been mounted on a nationwide scale.

A time of great suffering and great poverty, the great depression also marked a vast increase in the level of anti poverty legislation. Led by the efforts of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, four time president of the United states, many laws aimed at curbing the effects of poverty were passed. The Agricultural Adjustment Act, for example, sought to raise prices for agricultural goods by paying impoverished farmers cash for not growing goods. The National Industrial Recovery Act increased minimum wage and set industrial standards meant to regulate competition for the benefit of the people. But, perhaps one of the more significant victories of the legislation passed by Roosevelt was the creation of the social security system which ensured a minimum of retirement money for the elderly, reducing the number of seniors on the streets.

"In more recent times, efforts led by both the state government as well as the federal government have fought against poverty. American president Lyndon B. Johnson introduced the 'great society' program in 1965 as a sort of shotgun approach to eliminating poverty through education, healthcare, and urban renewal. The minimum wage, starting in 1938, forced the state of Hawaii to provide a 'living wage' for unskilled laborers."

In the past ten years, more creative solutions to poverty have been introduced. Welfare reform under President Bill Clinton, for example, created pressure for the poor to help themselves rise out of poverty. No child left behind, while primarily meant to raise the education standards of US schools, also helped attack poverty by ensuring educational minimums for those who are most likely to fail: the poor.

Poverty Situation In America (Question 2):

In America as a whole, the poverty situation is really not better. According to the most recent Census Bureau Statistics, nearly 36 million Americans live in poverty. The Bureau defines poverty as an individual earning $9,393 or less and $14,680 or less for a family of three. This means that overall, near 7.6 million American families are in poverty right now. Our economy as a whole is fairly stable: in fact, pay for wealthier Americans has risen substantially. However, the wages for millions of lower wage workers has dwindled. With rising house costs and inflation, hardly anyone on a fixed budget can afford to rent (let alone buy) a house or apartment. As Jared Bernstein, a labor economist with the Economic Policy Institute, states, "The U.S. economy has experienced three years of recovery, yet poverty has continued to go up." Indeed, the latest statistics show that near 6% of all working Americans lived in poverty last year. Hard working individuals are trying to support themselves by working as much as they can, it's just they cannot keep up with the demanding pace of rising costs. America needs to recognize this terrible situation sooner, and find a way to come up with a better solution.

The Heritage Foundation describes how for most Americans, the word "poverty" suggests destitution: an inability to provide a family with nutritious food, clothing, and reasonable shelter. For example, the "Poverty Pulse" poll taken by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development in 2002 asked the general public the question: "How would you describe being poor in the U.S.?" The overwhelming majority of responses focused on homelessness, hunger or not being able to eat properly, and not being able to meet basic needs.
The study revealed that "if poverty means lacking nutritious food, adequate warm housing, and clothing for a family, relatively few of the 35 million people identified as being "in poverty" by the Census Bureau could be characterized as poor. While material hardship does exist in the United States, it is quite restricted in scope and severity. The average "poor" person, as defined by the government, has a living standard far higher than the public imagines." For example, the Heritage Foundation reports that "some 46 percent of poor households own their own home. The typical home owned by the poor is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths. It has a garage or carport and a porch or patio and is located on a half-acre lot. The house was constructed in 1967 and is in good repair. The median value of homes owned by poor households was $86,600 in 2001 or 70 percent of the median value of all homes owned in the United States." As one can see, although in comparison to wealthier individuals of society, those living in poverty are not really in poverty in comparison to other parts of the world. Their situations may still be unfortunate, however, many still have roofs over their heads.

National Solution (Question 3):

In 2005 a census found that "the number of people living in poverty in the United States had reached an all time peak, at 37 million people; the highest level on record since data first became available in 1875." This can partly be attributed as the after effects of 9/11, when the economy fell and unemployment increased substantially. However, after "26 consecutive months of job growth, a jobless rate down to 5%, a strong stock market, higher corporate profits, surging productivity and rising rates of home ownership," as is claimed by the Bush Administration, a greater decline in the poverty rate then the .4 percent decrease experienced, is to be expected. While not hesitating to commit billions of American tax dollars to improve the quality of living for the Iraqi people, Congress and the US government remain indifferent to the plight of its own citizens. Even the decrease in the poverty rate was no part due to the efforts of Congress or this government. In fact, the median earning of individuals have decreased. According the USA Today, "the $40,798 median earnings for a full-time male worker were lower in inflation-adjusted dollars than in 1973." What accounts for the increase in median salary then is simply that more individuals per household are working. Where then, have the benefits of these higher corporate profits and surging productivity the Bush adnimistration has witnessed gone? Straight into the pockets of the rich. Recent studies have shown that the top 20 percent of the wealthiest in American make up more than half the the national income, while the lowest 20 percent make 3 percent. "It's a pretty classic story of an economy that's leaving middle-income households behind," Jared Bernstein of the liberal Economic Policy Institute has so aptly stated. "The gap between how this economy's doing and the living standards of the median family has never been larger." So how do we eradicate poverty once and for all in the United State? We must first begin by changing the distribution of the wealth in our society by creating more opportunities for the poor. This can be accomplished by offering higher paying jobs that rival those currently occupied by the affluent in society, then providing the needy with the necessary education and skills to help them obtain and fulfill those jobs. Better advertising for the governments many free assistant programs so that the people who would most benefit from these programs are aware of the available services, and simplifying the application process for many of these programs would also have a positive impact. For the various rules and regulations that complicate the process deter many people from applying.

To get involved,and do your part to help eradicate poverty in the United States go to:
1. Poverty USA
2. Hearts and Minds
3. Learn and Serve America

1.Poverty USA
2. USA Today

Plan of Action (Question 4)

Realistically, on a smaller scale what can be done about this issue by individuals? What impact could you have to change the current situation? What do you foresee in the future if the solution(s) you're advocating is/are not implemented or if conditions continue in their present state indefinitely?

Poverty, being such a complex and large problem, can often seem impossible for a single individual to attack. Yet, there are things a single individual can do to help be a part of the poverty solution. Local action, such as volunteering at local shelters, can be helpful, but national action can have a larger effect. Lobbying your state senators and state representatives can aid in the passage of anti-poverty legislation. A bill for the minimum wage increase that was recently passed, for example, was greatly aided by the support of anti-poverty groups and private citizens. Donations to national anti-poverty groups such as the salvation army can help make a difference, as can volunteering with such groups.

If individuals do not take action, America must continue to be the poverty capital of the developed world. Unless poverty is ended, millions of Americans will continue to suffer, with poor health care, rude living conditions, and little chance of a better future. Poverty must be recognized as a problem that affects more then just the bums on the street corner. Every moment that an American lives in poverty is another moment away from a better society.

Local Section

A Hawaiian Problem (Question 1):
According to the US Census Bureau, in 2005 9.0% of Hawaii residents, or roughly 115,000 citizens lived beneath the federal poverty line. That's strange to think about--in a state so choked with dollars and fat, 115,000 citizens struggle to pay their bills and fill their bellies. There are more people below the poverty line in the Hawaiian Islands then even live in the Virgin Islands.

Still, poverty is nothing new to Hawaii. In the cane times, poor Asian peasants, hoping to make a better life, steamed over the pacific to cut sugar. The native Hawaiians lived a mainly subsistence lifestyle before contact and in the 1930s Hawaii residents felt the pinch as the great depression ravaged the mainland United States.

In more recent times, efforts led by both the state government as well as the federal government have fought against poverty. American president Lyndon B. Johnson introduced the 'great society' program in 1965 as a sort of shotgun approach to eliminating poverty through education, healthcare, and urban renewal. The minimum wage, starting in 1938, forced the state of Hawaii to provide a 'living wage' for unskilled laborers.

State measures have lagged behind federal ones, with no comprehensive anti-poverty programs being created. State agencies like the department for human services have fought poverty with methods similar to the great society, offering programs to help the poor get out of poverty. Much work in Hawaii, however, has been done by private organizations, often with religious ties. The Institute for Human Services, a group founded by Father Claude de Teil, attempts to provide food, shelter, and education for both the homeless and non-homeless poor alike. Such efforts, while helpful, are still not enough to tackle the poverty problem in Hawaii. Programs need to be better funded and to attack the factors that cause poverty.

Today, many different factors in Hawaii create a society where poverty is an ingrained fact of life. A housing market where the median price for a home is $665,000 [3] insures many Hawaii residents struggle to make ends meet. High costs for other essentials, such as gas, milk, electricity, and medical care also push many in Hawaii to poverty.

But high prices aren't the only factor. Drug use, notably of crystal meth, remains a factor for some of the impoverished of Hawaii while historic discrimination helps contribute to the poverty of certain peoples such as Native Hawaiians. Poor education can limit jobs for some, and simple bad luck can hurt others.

In all, there's no one factor that Hawaiian poverty can be pegged on. No Hawaiian that lives in the red will tell you the exact same story. Maybe Kimo broke his leg, or the cash went belly up along with the cane. It's all different: the causes, causes, the solutions, the stories. All as diverse as the state itself.

Poverty Situation In Hawaii (Question 2):

In the words of Mika Dewitz, "There isn't any poverty in Hawaii, right? Isn't that impossible?" Well, dearest Mika, poverty is most certainly an issue in Hawaiian society. Hawaii's high real estate prices and expensive cost of living means that not all will be able to survive financially. Currently, Hawaii's unemployment rate is at a good level: 2.6% according to the Hawaii Department of Labor. However, even if one has a job, it does not insure they will be financially stable. According to the Economic Research Department of the USDA, Hawaii's current poverty rate is around 9%. This is relatively lower compared to the year before, however, this percentage is still evidence of the unfortunate situation regarding poverty that Hawaii continues to fight. Our economy in Hawaii is very successful, yet, this does not mean that everyone reaps in the benefits.

Many programs statewide have been established to help the poverty level, including the new proposal for housing the homeless in moth-ball fleet ships. The members who would live on the ship would mostly be singles and would recieve job training on the ship itself. According to the New York Times, in areas such as Waianae, up to one thousand people are living on the beaches in tents. According to the article, rent prices in Waianae that rented for $200 or $300 a month a couple years ago are now advertised for more than $1,000. Waianae is one of the least expensive real estate markets on the island, so if it is hard for one to afford housing there, it might be impossible for the person to find a house at all. The government is trying to make more programs for the homeless so that more housing is avaliable, but there are simply to many people to accomadate. Examples include the conversion of a 1940's military bunker in Kalaeloa into a shelter so that thirty families could use the space to live. Actions are occuring to help the current situaiton, but with the limited land on Oahu, and limited funds from the state, it is hard to solve the problem completely.

Local Solution (Question 3 and 4)

Local Solution:
According to www.alternative-hawaii.com, a study conducted in 2006 indicates that "to maintain a standard of living similar to a comparable family earning $72,000 in the continental United States, a family of 4 renting accommodations in Honolulu needs to earn $111,695 or 55% more income." And, though the star bulletin has stated that at $58,402, Hawaii has the 4th highest average income in the United States (16 percent above the national average), 9.8 percent of Hawaii's population still remain below the poverty line. This can mainly be attributed to the high cost of housing in Hawaii, which was ranked as the 10th most expensive housing market in the nation. The estimated 116,000 uninsured residents only aggrevate the matter.

So what can be done to eradicate poverty locally?The .9 percent decline of the rate of people living in poverty since 2000 indicate that Hawaii is on the right track. Giving less fortunate families tax exemptions can help families overcome poverty and as is stated in the cbpp website, "Hawaii’s “tax threshold” (the income level at which families begin owing taxes) for tax year 2005 is $11,500 for a two-parent family of four and $9,800 for a single-parent family of three. These thresholds are the 4th- lowest and 3rd-lowest in the nation, respectively. Such taxes can make a big difference to a family struggling to escape poverty." The 26.2 percent increase in median household income from 2000 to 2005 has also helped to decrease poverty in Hawaii, as has Federal assistance via programs such as the Quest program, which provides medicare and health insurance to those deemed finacially eligable (to see if you qualify visit http://www.med-quest.us/eligibility/EligPrograms_ACE.html). Working to combat poverty, the state of Hawaii, with the state Human Services Department as its agent, has implemented several programs, one of them being The Bridge to Hope, which offers 'low income individuals' the chance to pursue their education in the belief that with a degree they may have higher paying employment opportunities. As for the housing predicament, there have been recent plans drafted by the state, to provide housing as well as low interest loans for those who are able to prove their eligability, whether it be low income, homelessness, or mental/physical handicapps (for qualifications visit http://www.hcdch.hawaii.gov/news/index.htm). All of these developments, simultaneously applied, are expected to lower the level of poverty in Hawaii further still.