The poorer you are, the more things cost. More in money, time, hassle, exhaustion, menace. This is a fact of life that reality television and magazines don't often explain. Full Story »
Posted by Kaizar Campwala - via Patrick McDermott (f)
A damning public interest story that scrutinizes what it costs, literally, to be poor. Very well researched, with plenty of factual evidence (cost of groceries, fees) and firsthand anecdotes. Not advocacy -- no melodrama or imbalance -- and no distracting first-person narrative. Commendable.
Why are these types of stories so few and far between? Will they vanish as journalism evolves? Will this be the work of lowly, underpaid freelancers?
Excellent report on why it costs more to be poor in America, with case studies and interviews with people above and below the poverty line. This in-depth article identifies some of the key challenges that make life even harder for the poor, due to higher prices, fewer benefits and longer waits in low income neighborhoods. Well researched and insightful report about a growing problem for more and more people.
By going to the source, and gaining information from those who are living the situation, this article has far more credibility than anything written from assumptions or statistics.
an incredibly realistic article which exemplifies what's good in journalism. honesty, use of sources, clarity of points, and most important, enlightenment for all of us
i hope there's a future story describing how the necessity of time and energy substituting for money just to survive results in those who are poor having so much less ability to participate in the political process, which contributies to policies which maintain their status.
The story is good writing, but if you didn't know about this, you have been hanging around the country club too much. And this article did not get into the homeless people that make up the next level down. Tickets and vandalism to people living in their cars are also expensive. If they have a car.
Very well written. No drama, no hyperbole, just the hard, cold facts of life for a shockingly large percentage of our population. Facts that should be known by everyone in the U.S.
This article clearly illustrates that the life choices and daily struggles of the poor make them poorer. This conundrum is so obvious to the poor and yet is missed by so many. This is an excellent and well-researched article. It exposes the unbalanced cost of living that poor Americans face on an daily basis and explains how the economy works against them. I highly recommend reading it.
It's not only that the poor pay more, but also that those who would live in low-income neighborhoods also pay more for insurance, for damage to vandalized items, etc. This decreases the chance that others will live in the neighborhood.
A good in depth look at how the poor are continually screwed and why many develope the attitudes we see. It is only a beginning, the screwing the poor took while the economy was good was bad, now they are throwing sand in the vaseline.
I have been involved in the war(ha ha) on poverty for over 40 years, starting as a teen ager Foe years as a matter of principal I would not offer Refund anticipation loans to my tax clients, not only were they preditory (400+% apr) but they weren't that much of a good deal and the client was on the hook for exorbant fees even if the loan was denied. This year I broke down out ofmy own economic necessity, but I still explained how bad a deal they were. It brought to mind one of my ... More »
This is a great and educational story about the increased expenses in a poor person's life. It reads more like a magazine story than a news story, however. The tone is a bit condescending, but the message is clear.
This is a great piece of quality journalism, of the kind that's not seen as much. Sadly, other than through NewsTrust, it's likely this story in the WashPost won't be covered or taken further by anything else.
An excellent story. It is not necessary for the poor to read this report because they are fully aware of their situation. This report is necessary because the poor seemed to have been left out of the economic debate or any discussion involving a class of citizens.
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