I live in Albany, NY. Last year the State Museum had a photo exhibit about the Great Depression. They had all the WPA photographers work from around the country. Some of the photos were just stunning. People who obviously were not getting enough to eat. Not able to get a shower on a regular basis. Living in their cars. Sick. It was grim. I'm sure many of you have seen these photos.
Of all the photos there was only one from Albany from The Great Depression. It was titled "Negro Tenement Building". It was a very powerful photo as well. Not because of the stark contrast to life in 2010 but because it was essentially what you would see in that same neighborhood today. Most of the buildings are all still there, although they are in worse shape and some have fallen down. And the widespread and depression level poverty and unemployment is still there. And has been for decades. The headlines talk about 9% unemployment as being some horrible high number. In these communities 9% unemployment would be reason to celebrate.
Check out these numbers.
The number of people living in Capital Region neighborhoods of extreme poverty nearly doubled during the past decade, according to a new report, reflecting a national trend toward higher concentrations of the poor
40% of the population lives below the poverty line. This is a crisis.
More than 24,000 people locally live in neighborhoods where at least 40 percent of the population is poor. That's an increase of 11,700 people since the start of the decade, says the Brookings Institution, a research group in Washington, D.C.
And these neighborhoods in Albany are literally a five minute walk from the State Capital. Where Andrew Cuomo is adamant about giving tax cuts to New York's millionaires. And I believe there is an important lesson in this for the 99%. No politician has done a thing for inner city poor neighborhoods in decades. These people have been ignored. They don't donate to politicians. Voter turn out is low. They could be ignored by the politicians without impacting the politicians career aspirations.
And now, thanks to the wealth inequality, globalization and citizens united, you can be ignored as well. There has been a devastating economic crisis in our country for certain communities for decades. And nothing has been done. And now that devastation is visiting a larger percentage of the population. Meanwhile, Democrats in blue states are talking about giving tax cuts to millionaires. Democrats!
People who politicians have been able to ignore have been suffering for a long time. And this should be a warning. Do the politicians listen to you? Or can they ignore you? Because if they can ignore you, your future economic prospects are pretty grim. And in NY, the Democrats Cuomo, Schumer and Gillibrand certainly have no interest in listening to the people. As one Hedge Fund manager recently made very clear.
“Who do you think pays the taxes?” said one longtime money manager. “Financial services are one of the last things we do in this country and do it well. Let’s embrace it. If you want to keep having jobs outsourced, keep attacking financial services. This is just disgruntled people.”
He added that he was disappointed that members of Congress from New York, especially Senator Charles E. Schumer and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, had not come out swinging for an industry that donates heavily to their campaigns. “They need to understand who their constituency is,” he said.
As they say in the streets these days, "Shame! Shame! Shame!"