Trapped in Poverty
It
is often believed that the poor are poor solely because of their own
personal laziness, addictions, and bad decisions. In the book, The Working Poor
written by David K. Shipler shows the poor in America in a whole new
light. Here in America it is believed that if you work hard enough
for something, you will get it, but many of the stories found in this
book prove that is not the case here in America. There are many
factors that Shipler points to being part of the reason why those
stuck in poverty remain there, those factors being there is a huge
lack of quality jobs, unnecessary fees, government
benefits being taken away, and of course a lack of education.
Quality
Jobs
It
is easy to say just get a job and to think it will solve all the
money issues but that is not the case. It is hard enough to find a
job let a lone one of quality, that could help support your family
and pay for the random fees that come about. For many people whom
live in poverty, they just want a job they do not have the time to
wait for a quality job to come about and for many they do not have
the means to get the job no matter how hardworking they may be. So
they must settle for the jobs that are available. Shipler states,
“But most available jobs had three unhappy traits. They paid low
wages, offered no benefits and led nowhere”. (Page 40 ) When a person has
a job and is a hard worker yet they still live paycheck to paycheck,
picking and choosing what is most important that week to be paid for, it is easy to see that bouncing back and fourth through jobs with no
benefiting qualities can only push a family deeper into poverty,
leaving them even more trapped than before.
Fees
Unnecessary
fees are nothing for the rich or someone who is doing relatively well
with money, but for the poor it could mean the difference between
having food for their children
or a roof over their head. Many of the poor in America can not afford
to have a bank account because they never have enough to remain in
the bank without being subject to ridiculous fees. Many would say
just not to have a bank account and there that solves all the
problems, but unfortunately there are numerous other fees if you do
not have a bank account. As Shipler states,“First
there was what she called a 3$ “tax” to cash her check, just one
of several fees for money orders and the likes-a penalty for having
no checking account”. (Page 42) For someone who is living paycheck
to paycheck these random unnecessary fees add up and take a tole on
the poor in America entrapping them even more.
Government Benefits
Only
some of the poor in America are aided with benefits such as insurance
and food stamps, and many of them strive to get a job or that
promotion in order to be better off. Shipler explains, “Many who
do find jobs…lose other supports designed to help them, such as
food stamps and health insurance, leaving them no better off-and
sometimes worse off-then when they were not working”. (Page 40) A
lot of the times these people were struggling even with the benefits
from the government and it is not hard to see how losing these
benefits can impact someone. Many of these families were better off
unemployed with the government benefits, so in turn this ends up
being a revolving cycle for those in poverty.
Education
In
order to get a decent paying job, a higher education is needed but in
order to receive that higher education good prior education and money is needed. It is found that many students do not get the education they need before college. Cal Thomas states in the book, They Say, I Say, "A monopolistic government school system keeps the poor from achieving their dreams, as many remain locked in failing government schools, producing graduates who lag behind other nations in subjects that matter". (Page 569) This creates an endless cycle of students not learning what is important in order to prepare them to get a higher education and in order to get that good job a higher education is needed. Shipler states, "She loved working with children
but now discovered that without a college degree she would have
trouble getting hired at a responsible level in the head start
program, much less as a teacher in a regular school; she was
limited...". (Page 44) This quote helps demonstrates the limits
that come across those in poverty who do not have the education to
pursue careers that would benefit their family. Not having the means
to receive the education needed often leads to someone settling for a
dead end job, leaving them trapped.
Trapped In America
Many whom strive for the American Dream wind up trapped in the midst of poverty. No matter how hard of a worker they are, they remain stuck behind the bars of poverty due to the huge lack of quality jobs here in America, the relentless fees, the taking away of government aid and of course the lack of education. These are only a few of the factors that force many Americans to remain in poverty.
Work Cited
Trapped In America
Many whom strive for the American Dream wind up trapped in the midst of poverty. No matter how hard of a worker they are, they remain stuck behind the bars of poverty due to the huge lack of quality jobs here in America, the relentless fees, the taking away of government aid and of course the lack of education. These are only a few of the factors that force many Americans to remain in poverty.
Work Cited
Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein, Russel Durst. They Say I Say. New York: Norton, 2012. Print.
Shipler, David K. The Working Poor. New York: Vintage Books, 2005. Print
