New Data Shows 1 in 2 are Poor or Low-Income

Shocking new data from the census shows that 1 in 2 Americans are poor or low-income. 

"The reality is that prospects for the poor and the near poor are dismal," [Sheldon Danziger, a University of Michigan public policy professor who specializes in poverty] said. "If Congress and the states make further cuts, we can expect the number of poor and low-income families to rise for the next several years."

Of course, if you ask a conservative think tank what they think about rising inequity and increasing numbers of poor and low-income people, he'll give you a well rehearsed talking point akin to pull-harder-on-your-bootstraps:

"There's no doubt the recession has thrown a lot of people out of work and incomes have fallen," Rector said. "As we come out of recession, it will be important that these programs promote self-sufficiency rather than dependence and encourage people to look for work."

As an aside, that sounds A LOT like a one Rep. Todd Akin's tone deaf remark recently regarding the payroll tax break for working families where he said, "people have to have an incentive to try and find a job, and when those benefits expire, there's a whole lot more pressure to really find something."

For the record, a significant number of those in need of assistance DO have jobs, Mr Rector and Mr Akin:

Following the recession that began in late 2007, the share of working families who are low income has risen for three straight years to 31.2 percent, or 10.2 million. That proportion is the highest in at least a decade, up from 27 percent in 2002, according to a new analysis by the Working Poor Families Project and the Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit research group based in Washington.