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OhioChick

(23,218 posts) Fri Jan 9, 2015, 08:54 PM Jan 2015

Wealthiest Americans say the poor have it easy [View all]

Source: CNN

January 9, 2015: 2:33 PM ET

A survey by the Pew Research Center found that 54% of those with the greatest financial security believe that "poor people today have it easy because they can get government benefits without doing anything in return."

Only 36% of the wealthiest say "poor people have hard lives because government benefits don't go far enough to help them live decently."

Those struggling the most financially believe that the poor need more help by more than a two-to-one margin.

The two groups also hold opposite views about the role of government. More than 60% of the well-to-do say that government can't afford to do more for the needy, while 60% of those struggling say the government should do more -- even if that means taking on more debt.

Read more: http://money.cnn.com/2015/01/09/news/economy/wealthy-view-of-poor/index.html?iid=TL_Popular

103 replies

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Wealthiest Americans say the poor have it easy [View all] OhioChick Jan 2015 OP

In my lifetime I have known many very wealthy people. Mr.Bill Jan 2015 #1

I would consider myself very wealthy OnePercentDem Jan 2015 #12

Sounds like you're doing it right. Mr.Bill Jan 2015 #13

I think I have OnePercentDem Jan 2015 #14

I'm retired now Mr.Bill Jan 2015 #15

fuck these 54%. For those with money who understand that roguevalley Jan 2015 #39

Thank you. Mr.Bill Jan 2015 #41

Agree but OnePercentDem Jan 2015 #67

I agree. Mr.Bill Jan 2015 #74

Absolutely OnePercentDem Jan 2015 #85

You always have to take care of wealth; knowledge takes care of you. pokerfan Jan 2015 #33

Words of Good seveneyes Jan 2015 #65

How did you see a plaque on a communication satellite? yurbud Jan 2015 #79

The rich get things "for free" all the time.. whathehell Jan 2015 #57

Don't forget the corruption that wealth christx30 Jan 2015 #66

Oh yes, and, in fact, even without blatant corruption whathehell Jan 2015 #68

I was reading a post today on christx30 Jan 2015 #84

As a nine-nine-percenter myself, I will say that I appreciate your perspective mazzarro Jan 2015 #59

I'm sorry, but I must take issue with something you've said.. whathehell Jan 2015 #69

it sounds like you built the wealth yourself. I bet a lot of those polled inherited it yurbud Jan 2015 #78

Our poor just aren't poor enough. leftyladyfrommo Jan 2015 #97

Some of them have cell phones! KamaAina Jan 2015 #102

Sometimes I wonder about that. leftyladyfrommo Jan 2015 #103

Everyone does well when everyone does well. The rich are oblivious to the needs of those struggling YOHABLO Jan 2015 #2

Oh yes! Turbineguy Jan 2015 #3

Time for a minimum guaranteed income? Trillo Jan 2015 #4

We already have one. For bank$ters. n/t jtuck004 Jan 2015 #23

Time for asset-stripping the Oscenely Wealthy Demeter Jan 2015 #61

As the workplace shifts away from skilled working class jobs, we may need one. n/t Adrahil Jan 2015 #71

Wealthiest Americans are assholes Orrex Jan 2015 #5

Yeah, and I'm sure wealthy NON-Americans, like Rupert Murdoch, perhaps are just brilliant.. whathehell Jan 2015 #64

Murdoch has been a US Citizen since 1985 n/t Adrahil Jan 2015 #72

Did he renounce his Australian citizenship, or is his dual? whathehell Jan 2015 #75

Oh, completely agree... I just failed to suppress my pedantic tendencies. :) n/t Adrahil Jan 2015 #76

Okay, no problem! whathehell Jan 2015 #89

Well, since the OP didn't comment on wealthy NON-Americans, I figured I could leave them out Orrex Jan 2015 #80

Really? Are they sure? Are they really, really sure? onehandle Jan 2015 #6

+1 bravenak Jan 2015 #11

Thank you. jwirr Jan 2015 #21

We'll need more than three. JEB Jan 2015 #29

+2 Pharaoh Jan 2015 #32

+ 3 eom BlueCaliDem Jan 2015 #52

Perfect lake loon Jan 2015 #60

Then they must want to be poor, and should advocate for a much higher tax rate on the wealthy. Scuba Jan 2015 #7

Thanks to our fair and balanced media, the poor have become scapegoats for the corrupt rich who whereisjustice Jan 2015 #8

Any one of them is welcome to trade places with me. Downwinder Jan 2015 #9

Simple fix: Sell all that thou hast, and give to the poor. Qutzupalotl Jan 2015 #10

Just curious, who are the "wealthiest americans"? hughee99 Jan 2015 #16

"This report is based on Pew Research Center data collected as a part of the center�s American jtuck004 Jan 2015 #20

Based on this, it seems like a a good bit of what they're calling "rich" isn't what hughee99 Jan 2015 #40

Interesting. Both Democrats and Republicans mixed up in the "most" or "more" financially secure jtuck004 Jan 2015 #46

Happiness is a great wealth, I would value my friends and family above that of Thinkingabout Jan 2015 #17

What qualifies as poor? davidthegnome Jan 2015 #18

+1 shireen Jan 2015 #26

Attachment of Wages for Students loans are subject to two FEDERAL restrictions happyslug Jan 2015 #36

Catch 22 trap CountAllVotes Jan 2015 #49

These people are as stupid as the people who vote against themselves. I am calling for one of jwirr Jan 2015 #19

+1 nt Live and Learn Jan 2015 #48

I've done 7 years of solo caretaking and it feels like it took 20 years off of my life. adirondacker Jan 2015 #50

My little lady is now in a foster home but I am going through the aftereffects of caretaking without jwirr Jan 2015 #63

a quote that says it all DonCoquixote Jan 2015 #22

They sound like they are from a Lucky Ducky cartoon. daleo Jan 2015 #24

Especially this one Art_from_Ark Jan 2015 #34

That nails it. daleo Jan 2015 #92

How many of the rich see no problem with the navy building a bigger aircraft carrier? Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #25

It depends on where their investments lie... NancyDL Jan 2015 #28

Some have been obsessed with the idea that the Third World is going to rise up against them.... Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #37

You could argue . . . Brigid Jan 2015 #38

People used to earn a middle class income from a factory job.... Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #42

Absolutely. Unions and New Deal policies made it possible from the 50's thru the early 80's whathehell Jan 2015 #73

I was in Michigan in the 70s when the UAW was at it's peak.... Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #82

Amazing...My husband's dad worked for Chrysler. whathehell Jan 2015 #88

The unions were often infiltrated by people who could be bought.... Spitfire of ATJ Jan 2015 #91

To quote the great Dr. Edward de Bono... NancyDL Jan 2015 #27

Most of these so called very wealthy people onecaliberal Jan 2015 #30

Hey, now at least we know the % of rich people that are Republican assholes. AZ Progressive Jan 2015 #31

yep,,,,, Welfare Easy street... Cryptoad Jan 2015 #35

Assholes. SoapBox Jan 2015 #43

Talk about "without doing anything in return" tblue Jan 2015 #44

Romney comes to mind. AngryDem001 Jan 2015 #45

Has he ever told us how many jobs that "job creator" has created? IronLionZion Jan 2015 #56

A lot of them actually think what they do is "work" IronLionZion Jan 2015 #55

totally out of touch, imthevicar Jan 2015 #47

The poor may be entitled to government benefits, but those benefits do not allow them to get ahead. Vinca Jan 2015 #51

I Think It Is Ignorance RobinA Jan 2015 #96

Those wealthiest Americans should trade places and see IronLionZion Jan 2015 #53

In the study being discussed, the "wealthiest" Americans aren't just the 1%, hughee99 Jan 2015 #98

If they really believe that, then by all means, make them put their money where their big mouths BlueCaliDem Jan 2015 #54

This illustrates pretty clearly a lack of empathy & self absorbtion KittyWampus Jan 2015 #58

Raise the minimum wage and millions less will need Gov. benefits to survive. Sunlei Jan 2015 #62

They need to raise the minimum wage to $15 donna123 Jan 2015 #70

Anecdotal Bullshit RunInCircles Jan 2015 #83

Bananas are usually 0.69/lb where I live donna123 Jan 2015 #93

sure, because spending hours in line, in offices, filling out paperwork, trying to meet niyad Jan 2015 #77

The Rich Man and Lazarus 47of74 Jan 2015 #81

Living in the wasteland of the free ashling Jan 2015 #86

Scrooge is alive and well du_grad Jan 2015 #87

"poor people today have it easy because they can get government benefits airplaneman Jan 2015 #90

Yup. Spending all day driving their fancy cars and eatin steak and lobster off those snap benefits. adirondacker Jan 2015 #94

If those who think that could only walk a mile in a poor man's shoes tawadi Jan 2015 #95

Those Wealthy Who Believe this are Fucken Fox News Addicts or Totally Uninformed Jerks Stuart G Jan 2015 #99

Well isn't that a huge collective maxrandb Jan 2015 #100

The poorest Americans say... bravenak Jan 2015 #101