America's Invisible Poor - Americans Blame Who For Poverty? The Poor! (Info Graphic)

So, the source of this is a payday loan place from the UK, which is a bit spurious, none the less the information is poignant.



So most Americans blame the poor, for being poor apparently. It's amazing that we would blame those, who are most disenfranchised by the system, for the outcomes they create, when the system is built to screw them.

What say you ATS?

~Tenth

good luck getting a job once you have been living on the streets in the same clothes for weeks/days/months without shower or a place to sleep indoors.

I cant find a job and would probably be homeless if it wasn't for my GF having a good job because I am a felon and it is rediculously hard to get a job as a felon. Sure I could probably dig ditches except for the fact that I have back and neck problems, so if I start digging ditches whenever I end up in the hospital and have to go on disability I will just be a burden on the system. I am trained in fixing computers and electronics and I can't find crap in my field, most places wont accept me that are hiring because I have a felony.

Do you know why most felons end up back in jail? Because when they put you on probation you have a curfew of 7pm sometimes earlier, I had a night job that I had to quite when I got on probation. My probation officer said to bad find another job when I asked why I couldn't work at night. On top of that it was $500 a month for my probation costs then on top of that my restitution was another $500.. SO lets so that is $1000 a month I have to come up with or I go to jail, I can't find # for a job because no one wants to hire a felon. So if I did not have help from my GF I can tell you yes I would go back to stealing to keep myself from being homeless or going back to jail.

Why not either I can go back to jail or not being able to find a job, so rather then being homeless I would rather sit in jail, and rather then going to jail just to go I would rather do something illegal and make money and if I get caught I get caught..

That is the problem with felons and homeless they put you into a cycle that is VERY hard to break and you are setup to fail. You are setup to fail in the prison system because they make money for you being there so more people in prison = more money for the prison.

You`re right, nobody will hire felons because company`s liability insurance won`t let them. They are worried that if the felon does something at work then the company will get sued, and the insurance company will have to pay out.


It always amazes me when people say that poor people are poor because they are lazy.
There is a limited supply of jobs, theorhetically if every position could be filled by an unemployed person there would still be a lot of unemployed people who want to work,being unemployed means being poor.

Most jobs that don't need a special education/training don't pay a living wage. Many people on welfare do work, in some states the only way to get food stamps if you're not employed is to go to some form of career classes. They help, but often that job they help you get barley makes enough to get to said job.
Jobs are always out there, but there are more people needing a job than those in the position to give people jobs. Most of the ones available are those dead end jobs mentioned in the graphic.

reply to post by dc4lifeskater


So move to the Gulf Coast. We have plenty of jobs. Many felons are able to work off shore on rigs, tug boats, etc for about $100/day. I'm not sure how that works with your probation officer, but location is Key. Plenty of poor people can find jobs if they would move. No excuses about money...plenty people moved here and landed on Ellis Island with a few dollars in their pocket. There are shelters to stay for a week before you find a job. I've heard and known plenty of people who've done this.

reply to post by fictitious


It's interesting, I keep hearing about the Gulf having this big influx of industry recently. Is that related to the rebuilding efforts after the Oil disaster or similar natural disasters? I'm curious to know what's driving this sudden increase in job availability in places where they were traditionally low, to not existant in depressions.

~Tenth

reply to post by fictitious


You must have missed the part about me having back/neck problems I dont think working on a oil rig is a job I could do without being able to do good lifting and lots of bending, ect.. Working on computers and things I sit at a desk which I can do easily.

Also you are wrong now days you can hardly get into a shelter if there is even one available for these people. Its also not easy to get into a shelter, most of them require ID which most homeless dont have.

And good luck finding a job in a week, I have been dealing with a place for almost a month trying to get a job there and finally they decided not to hire me becaue I have a felony and they don't want to possibly have any issues down the road..

I will also add my felonies I have 3, are all over 4 years old, I am not on probation, I was convicted of obtaining property under false pretenses becasue some asshats decided to sell me stolen laptops when I had a computer shop and when they got caught they dragged me into it when I did not even know they were stolen. The cops told me that no matter what I wasn't walking away with nothing, I was in jail for 65 days while I lost my business, home, girlfriend, and everything I owned while I sat in jail with a $75k bond when the guy next to me in jail for the 3rd time for drug trafficking had a $25k bond (yah that makes sense right)

They offered me 2 choices stay in jail and take it to trial which would take about 4-6 months, or sign a paper, take 3 of the lowest class felonies (down from the 45 they wanted to charge me with) oh and of course put me on probation so i can pay the state some $$$ because they need it.

Don't even compare people landing here on ellis island where we had a huge need for a labor force and the US was willing to take on anyone and anyone willing to work could easily get a job to now because its in no way the same..

Also like I said If I COULD do a labor job I would but I cannot so I am limited right there because most jobs that will accept felons are labor related. The job I am trained in and went to school for and spent money on learning I can't get because I have a felony and no one will hire me.

And if you are poor and cant find a job how do you move? It cost money to drive around putting in for jobs, i fyou ahve no money how do you buy gas?

If you live where I do things arne't close so if you don't have a car because you are homeless how do you get to job interviews with no public transport.. ect, ect, ect.. Like I said vicious cycle.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


What most people cant grasp , is that we now live within a Global Workforce.

Lets say a new type of Phone comes out , and is met with a High Demand enducing the Company to Double an already high workforce of 10,000 people.

Well since the US made Zero Phones last year, guess where that 10,000 people will be hired.

(Hint) Its not the US.

reply to post by tothetenthpower


I wouldn't say its a bog influx, our econonmy wasn't hit as hard. Yes, ofcourse oil related jobs have a big thing to do with it, but overall our economy is doing well. Of everyone I know, I'm the only one who doesn't have a no ...and that's by choice. I only knew two people ever on welfare, and they both now have great jobs..no education. I know people from all classes, and all who are hard working always find employmemt down here. Even if it's just waiting tables...which brings in pretty good cash.

reply to post by dc4lifeskater


I get your story, in fact I've replied to other posts you've made trying to help you out. Sh** happens in life, but where ever there is a will, there is a way. You seem to analyze things very well, but maybe that time should be better spent analyzing different options. As for transportation, there are loyal of cheap buses that pan handling for an hour could pay for. I feel for you, I do, but there is always a way to better yourself if you perservere. As for your back, how about a labor job for a month to save then move on to better things. You have to start somewhere. Look into free career counseling ...didn't you say you went to school? They provide that. Look into volunteering two hours a day to become more reputable and meet people with an open mind. Start a website with a good idea you have. Sell something on etsy. Carve wooden Christmas ornaments and sell them. The list is endless.

reply to post by fictitious



I am doing fine I have a motorcycle and my gf makes enough money for us but I do want a job and am looking becasue more money would be helpful to us.

I am just pointing out its easy to say things but its a little harder to get them done.. I have no need to move or anything and I am much better off then allot of people these days I mean I am typing this on a $4000 alienware laptop lmao I have done well for myself all of my life just much worse since my felony

I couldnt do a labor job for more then a day or 2 problably if it was at all intense..

funny enough I should easily be able to get onto disability, the problem with that oh you need to go to the doctor for like a year or so so you can have proof of all of your problems.. Oh but yah you cant go to the doctor unless you have about $200 per visit unless you go to the emergency room which doesnt count and they wont see you for anything if its not an actual emergency (I tried it) They will tell you to go to a general practitioner.

What do I do? I suffer though every day in pain and go on with life, I also have gout which is very painful in my feet making it hard to walk, my meds hardly work ever and I eat a good diet but I still have issues, sometimes I cant even walk for like 1-2 weeks without like hobbling on 1 foot in extreme pain and my gf usually gets me things and I get out of bed to use the bathroom thats about it.. But yah im good

Right now at this temp about 42 degrees F outside I couldnt even imagine being homeless and sleeping outside I am wearing lots of clothes and have the heater on inside my house.