First: What do the numbers say?
Since 1965, the FPL (Federal Poverty Level) has been updated each year and is used to determine eligibility for programs such as Medicaid, SNAP (food stamps), and TANF (Emergency funds and help with child care.)
These "poverty levels" are laughably low. In order to be considered poor in Tennessee to the point that you qualify for all assistance, you have to make less than $15,960 if you are living alone. That, friends, is $307/wk. Some of y'all spend more than that on questionable substances per week. No one living on his or her own can live on that. Let's look at a hypothetical Tennessean named Burt.
Burt would like to get SNAP. He has a full time job, and he is paid weekly, but by the end of the week he is fasting so that he can get gas in the car to get to work and back. He knows he should try to get a better job, but when? He is working full time. Also, his boss is understanding about him having to go out of town monthly to see his kid. Not everyone would be.
Burt makes $14.85/hr. After the state takes out his mandated child support, taxes, and the fees for the crappy medical insurance he must carry, he brings home $437. He has to put aside $225 per week to pay for rent. That leaves him $212 a week for utilities, food, gas for the car---God only knows what he will do when his bald tires finally bust.
Burt finds out that SNAP requires an income that must not exceed 130% of the FPL. He does the math. Now he can make up to $20,748. Burt wants to cry. He still does not qualify. He really can't imagine being any poorer. Working people, he complains to his mother, cannot catch a damn break. It feels that way, because it is that way.
Tennessee's overall poverty rate, according to the FPL, is only 13.5%. Not too bad, on paper. Right? That's about one out of every 7.4 folks, roughly. Are the others really doing that well? Let's see.
The United Way of New Jersey, recognizing that the FPL is not helpful at assessing real need, came up with something called ALICE. ALICE stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed. ALICE describes Burt's situation perfectly. The United Way came up with their own guidelines. They based these, state by state, county by county, on the cost of housing, child care, food, transportation, taxes, technology and health care. In Davidson County, TN, a single adult needs a wage of $22.06 to SURVIVE. A family of four needs an income of $43.52/hr. Again, to SURVIVE. Burt is way behind the curve, but he can't get help. Every month, he sees himself slipping further and further behind.
So, using the ALICE scores, how many Tennesseans are poor? 41%. Yes, a little better than 2 out of every 5 people are living paycheck to paycheck and getting further behind on their bills. Tennessee is attracting all manner of big business, but it is NOT helping Burt much at all. He drives past the mansions dotting Williamson County on his way to work and wonders what he must do to ever achieve that level of security. Win the Powerball? Rob a bank? Sell drugs?
He hears guys around him complain similarly, blaming the immigrants for their flat wages. He nods along, but he says nothing. He isn't sure who is to blame. Let's give him a hint.
The current malaise, described above, is directly attributable to the fall of the trade unions. When the unions were strong, so was America. In 1970, unions represented 20% of the workers in America. Today they represent only 10%. In Tennessee, that number is worse: 4.8%.
The revitalization of America requires the re-unionization of America.
PART 2 of POVERTY IN TENNESSEE will hit this blog next week.
In the meantime, if you want to see how your county stacks up, check this out: