U.S. anti-poverty programs have failed, Republican Ryan says

[alp227]

Source: Reuters

The U.S. government has barely made a dent in poverty in the past 50 years despite massive spending on programs to aid the poor, House of Representatives Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan said in a report on Monday.

The Wisconsin Republican, a potential presidential contender in 2016, released the report a day before President Barack Obama sends Congress his own annual budget proposals, expected to include several provisions for helping the poor.

By releasing the report, Ryan, a fiscal hawk who was his party's unsuccessful vice-presidential candidate in 2012, appeared to be presenting himself as being more committed to helping poor Americans hoist themselves into the middle class.

He said many of the 92 federal programs aimed at fighting poverty were "haphazard" and ineffective, despite a cost of $799 billion in fiscal 2012.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/03/us-usa-fiscal-ryan-idUSBREA2224V20140303

[louis-t]

1. "helping poor Americans" what?

Die faster? Fuck Paul Ryan.

Asshole.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

2. Really funny Ryan

Especially when on remembers you went to college on Social Security survivor benefits.

The GOP is the gangplank part. They can benefit from government programs but no on else can.

[sakabatou]

3. And how many times were they gutted, underfunded or not put into place by Republicans?

[davidpdx]

19. That is what I was thinking too

Next time there is one of their wars what will happen if it is defunded? It wouldn't last long.

[yourout]

4. in other words..."We are doing our best to kill them but....

there is still work to be done"

[Iliyah]

5. UGH

Ryan and the rest of the GOPer's GAWD fearing assholes don't give a shit about no one except the 1-2%ers.

[PumpkinAle]

6. Poverty sadly still exists, but

it would be whole lot worse if it wasn't for these programs.

http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/06/the-war-on-poverty-at-50/


So when is Ryan going to come out against corporate welfare? Is that crickets I hear?

[mike_c]

7. I agree, so let's try some SERIOUS wealth redistribution instead....

I think a 90% tax rate on ANY income over $1 million annually, including corporate income, along with tripling the minimum wage and guaranteeing a living maintenance income to every American citizen, public financing of full higher education, and genuine single payer health care would be a great place to START!

[Jack Rabbit]

8. Paul Ryan has failed, Jack Rabbit says

!!

[1000words]

9. Spend like it was the military, and see what happens.

It's all about priorities.

[safeinOhio]

10. So mr. ryan,

the same can be said for the "war on drugs". Ditch it too?

[DRoseDARs]

11. Yeah, he says. His report, on the other hand, says the opposite:

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/03/03/3353541/ryan-poverty-report/

[jtuck004]

12. Lol - From HIS OWN report...

"Veterans Health Administration is the largest single-payer health care system in the United States. The report finds that the program is “effective in providing access to inexpensive health care for low-income veterans. ”

The Child Tax Credit provides assistance to families with children. “According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the CTC protected about 2.9 million people from falling into poverty, including about 1.5 million children,” the report says.

The Earned Income Tax Credit provides cash assistance to low-income working families. Accord to Ryan, the “consensus among studies on the EITC is that it is an effective tool for encouraging and rewarding work among lower-income individuals, particularly single mothers.”

Rural Housing Assistance Grants fund the repair and improvement of rural housing units. The report finds that the grants “allow very low-income elderly homeowners on a fixed budget to remain at home and independent.”

...

More hits here.

That guy would be great managing a telephone sales boiler room, looking for victims...

As a lawmaker, not so hot.

[durablend]

13. This from a DEADBEAT

That works only 1/3 the year (if that).

Any he gets paid for the whole year too!

[cstanleytech]

14. What has caused the failure imo is employers not willing to adjust workers wages

in a timely manner as prices for varies goods like food and gas rise over time.
Walmart and Mcdonalds are prime examples.

[blkmusclmachine]

15. With no small thanks to the GOP.

[SoapBox]

16. Fuck this asshole.

I hate this prick.

[jsr]

17. Did he not receive Social Security survivors benefits?

[Amonester]

18. Yes, but now that he doesn't need it anymore he wants to cut it

for everybody else.

[levp]

21. "This program is not good enough"

So let's cancel it and replace it with nothing (or more tax breaks for the upper class, or drug war, or...). That'll be much better!

[Orsino]

22. Debunking Ryan is so easy that even Ryan can do it. n/t

[mathematic]

23. They don't reduce poverty because the poverty rate is bullshit

The poverty rate is a measure of pre-tax income. Virtually all of our anti-poverty programs are after-tax, from the EITC, to food stamps, to section 8. The direct effects of these programs will never ever be reflected in the poverty rate. This is not a problem with anti-poverty programs. It's a problem with the definition of poverty as a pre-tax income condition.