Perhaps it was just a poor choice of words on Mitt Romney's part. Flush with victory after his win in the Florida primary, Mitt Romney appeared on CNN yesterday morning and said this: "I'm in this race because I care about Americans. I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there. If it needs repair I'll fix it."
Taken on its face this could seem like a political gaffe or a tone-deaf critique of the state of America’s working poor. But looked at in another light the statement reveals certain assumptions about the blurry line between America's middle and lower classes and the welfare programs that help protect some but not others. We want to look at those programs to see where the holes are and to see who gets support.
David Shipler is a Puliter Prize winning writer and author of "The Working Poor." Also on the air is Alexandra Jarrin who has been unemployed for three years, Alexandra has been on and off social welfare programs while she recently found work selling Comcast subscriptions by commission.
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The show is a co-production of WNYC Radio and Public Radio International, in collaboration with New York Times Radio and WGBH Boston.
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Comments [4]
Look, these kind of remarks are indicitive of Mitt's attitude toward the poor. He is completely disconnected from the "real world". It comes through time and time again. He often refers to the American public as "they" and not us. So wake up America is THIS what you want for your next President?? I don't think we can affored Mitt!
I work as an attorney in child support collections for a county in the State of Michigan and I can tell you from my experience that it is very true that the 'working poor' are the hardest hit. Governor Romney is correct in saying that there is help for the very poor and many (particularly mothers with minor children and children) may have health insurance through the state. The largest catagory of the uninsured are the working poor who are trying to stay away from government assistance by taking an $8 per hour job and in the process rendering themselves ineligible for assistance. Another very common catagory of uninsured I see are those who 'played by the rules', went to college, obtained degrees, worked in the auto industry and were 'downsized' and now can barely find jobs at McDonald's and if they do work in their fields, they are hired as 1099 'contract employees' with no benefits. I also see many employed people whose employers (adn the health insurance companies) have raised premiums so much that they simply cannot afford to cover themselves or their families.
we the people of this world could go a long way eradicating poverty.. instead of spending trillions every year on bullits to kill each other, we should use these dollars twards our mutual enemies like poverty, ignorance, disease and mother nature when she wakes up on the wrong side of the bed... every 100 years the worlds population changes hands.. to bad we don't learn from our past mistakes..
High unemployment ? High poverty?
I guess we should not re-elect President Mitt Romney who has been in office for three years.
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