The Poverty Divide:
Child Poverty as of 2007, before the BIG Recession:
Incarceration by State:
Can you see any trends? Relationships?
The War On Drugs has been more like The War on Drug Users. Imprisoning people for small amounts while there is a full blown Drug War just below our southern border. Perhaps the money spent on petty users could be better spent otherwise.
Perhaps drug users will be released when States realize they can't afford to keep them in jail:
And, yes, there is a lot of poverty off the Reservations:
Unemployment:
Tax Rates by State:
Click here for Percentage of Prisoners in Private Prisons.
Click here for suicide rates in the USA 2006.
These maps tell stories.
If you have a map you would like to add, please do so.
Charts are also welcome.
We can work together to provide easy access to maps and charts for others to use.
In closing: Facts tell a different story than the "We are the Greatest Country" meme. Truly great countries don't impoverish and imprison it's people at the rates we do in the USA.
We need to demand better and be willing to pay for improvements via taxes.
Enough of the Anti-Tax kerfluffle. Our country thrived back when we had a truly progressive tax rate system.
Period.
Until the Reagan Low Tax/High Deficit celebration, the USA had made a great deal of headway in reducing poverty, especially for the elderly. Soon to be under attack by the Deficit Hawks. Not that many have much left to lose, other than life itself. Will Boehner head up The Republican Death Panels and cut Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security? Over a lot of dead bodies I fear.
As the charts demonstrate, we have lost ground. And now the Republicans might gain power over policy again. This has never boded well for the those in greatest need in our country.
And the biggest lie of the Century, Low Taxes/High Deficits are good for the economy should be obvious to even the most delusional. But it is not. The "Low Tax Rant" continues to fly in the face of FACTS.
We need a movement of CITIZEN LOBBYISTS. I volunteer for DC. Anyone else? We should do so in pairs, as it is a bit intimidating to show up along, agreed?