I was driving to our local gas station to fetch my AM cup of mediocre coffee, listening to NPR when they broadcast a piece about the burgeoning Suburban Poverty launched by the recession.
On my way out of the local gas station coffee catch, I glanced at the news paper rack to read the headlines. Sure enough, the local newspaper's headline was Suburban Poverty.
Oddly, the question that came to my mind was "How do all these disparate news sources seemingly coordinate the headline news de jour?" Is there a memo directive sent out to all the news sources? Could this be called headline fixing?
I thought I would check out who else was covering this story today on twitter and Google. Surprise! Everyone. Why? It's old news.
Yes, Suburban Poverty is being covered by most national and lots of local news sources as if in concert. Have you noticed this Same Headline trend, btw?
I am amazed by the breadth of seeming coordination. But enough about that.
What about Suburban Poverty?
The source is a recent report released by the Brookings Institution scheduled for release Monday.
As a matter of fact, Brookings will be broadcasting a discussion panel on Suburban Poverty today. Here's the link to the livestream.
But this is not new news. It's old news to be presented on a new date. Here's the 2010 Brookings report on Suburban Poverty:
The Suburbanization of Poverty: Trends in Metropolitan America, 2000 to 2008
In 2008, 91.6 million people—more than 30 percent of the nation’s population—fell below 200 percent of the federal poverty level. More individuals lived in families with incomes between 100 and 200 percent of poverty line (52.5 million) than below the poverty line (39.1 million) in 2008. Between 2000 and 2008, large suburbs saw the fastest growing low-income populations across community types and the greatest uptick in the share of the population living under 200 percent of poverty.
Midwestern cities and suburbs experienced by far the largest poverty rate increases over the decade.
Western cities and Florida suburbs were among the first to see the effects of the “Great Recession” translate into significant increases in poverty between 2007 and 2008.
This 2010 Brookings Institute concluded:
Over the course of this decade, two economic downturns translated into a significant rise in poverty, nationally and in many of the country’s metropolitan and non-metropolitan communities.
Suburbs saw by far the greatest growth in their poor population and by 2008 had become home to the largest share of the nation’s poor.
These trends are likely to continue in the wake of the latest downturn, given its toll on traditionally more suburbanized industries and the faster pace of growth in suburban unemployment.
This ongoing shift in the geography of American poverty increasingly requires regional scale collaboration by policymakers and social service providers in order to effectively address the needs of a poor population that is increasingly suburban.
With just a little effort to dig up the story, it is clear that Surburban Poverty is yet another dismal BUSH ADMINISTRATION FAIL!
In 2011, Brookings released more Suburban Poverty data. Here are some links:
Slideshow: Top cities for suburban poverty growth
2011 Brookings Report - The Suburbanization of Housing Choice Voucher Recipients
2011 CHART - Share of Housing Choice Vouchers in Suburbs, 2000 and 2008, Ranked by Change in Suburban Share of Vouchers
Today, the LA Times quotes the Brookings authors of the Suburban Poverty report, Elizabeth Kneebone and Alan Berube, as follows:
More poor people moved to the suburbs, pulled by more affordable homes or pushed by urban gentrification, the authors said.
Some used the increased mobility of housing vouchers, which used to be restricted by area, to seek better schools and safer neighborhoods in suburbia.
Still others, including immigrants, followed jobs as the booming suburbs demanded more workers, many for low-paying, service-sector jobs.
More people in the suburbs slipped into poverty as manufacturing jobs disappeared, the authors found.
Oddly, the areas experiencing the largest increases in Surburban Poverty are areas that are mostly Republican dominated raising the same question:
Why do people vote against their own self interest?
Judging from the first two comments from the LA Times article, I think we can get a glimpse into the hearts of the die hard GOP base:
Obama and the democrats have combined the poor and middle class to form the "dependent" class. Dependent on the handouts from his big government. The dependent class is learning to live on these handouts and doesn't need to work or only works at unreported jobs. Now that the "takers" will soon outnumber the "makers" they can vote themselves more and more from the big government.
In other news today... the more we subsidize poverty, the more of it we get.
Stop rewarding people for making poor life choices. Let stupid hurt. A whole bunch of these people will suddenly figure out how to keep a roof over their own heads if we stop doing it for them.
Like clockwork, the Right Wing GOP base is blaming this on the Obama Administration and, of course, on the newly impoverished.
Will the media that is broadcasting Suburban Poverty today include the 2010 report or will the media try to pinpoint this sad development on the Obama Administration?
We will have to see, but I feel quite confident that Fox News will not mention the 2010 Brookings Institute report.
I look forward to reviewing the 2013 Brookings report on Suburban Poverty when it is released.
In my opinion, today's Suburban Poverty headline is simply the next on the GOP list of "Headlines to Release in order to embarrass the Obama Administration/Democratic Party" and to motivate the GOP base.
I have to run. Thanks for dropping in.