US Poverty Rate Holds Flat

The US Census released its annual poverty report, and amazingly, the poverty rate did not increase last year. In fact it dropped slightly, but the decrease was not statistically significant. This is the first time the poverty rate has not increased during the Bush Administration, though the President still seems to be effectively countering John F Kennedy's famous argument that "a rising tide lifts all boats."

With the poverty rate steady but median household income rising, ''that could represent an increase in inequality'' between the wealthy and the poor, said David Johnson, chief of the Housing and Household Economic Statistics Division of the Census Bureau.

Furthermore, more evidence emerged in this study that drastic changes to US health care policy are needed.

However, the number of people without health insurance increased to 46.6 million in 2005. About 45.3 million people were without insurance the year before.

So, better news than has been seen on this front for several years, but still not good news, the Bush Administration is still a phenomenal failure on income equality issues, and a major overhaul of the health insurance system is desperately needed. Elect Democrats to the House and Senate in November and maybe some of this can start to change.