A child born into poverty in America today is less likely to get an education then a child born into poverty in the 1940s. The census reports that 2/3rds of the people living in poverty in America are working not one job, but 1.7 jobs and many can not afford rent. HUD did a housing affordability study and found one place in America where a person earning minimum wage could afford a modest two-bedroom apartment. Everywhere else families are paying the bulk of their income for shelter. In 1986, a welfare check for one adult two children was an average of $408. Today, in 2011, it is $478. A person getting foodstamps gets $3 per day to spend on food. 51 million people can not go to the doctor and it's twice as many who can not go to the dentist.

America, we can do better. Many say, it's the economy. Why then did we spend 1.5 billion on video games in March alone. Where did the money come from to spend 26 Billion on Hannah Montana and Disney Princess merchandise. Or the 72 billion we American's spent on hand sanitizers last year. We are paying more attention to our pets then our fellow human beings. We spent 33 billion on pet toys and supplies. We are number one in the world for putting people in cages. China cages fewer humans then we do. It cost an average of 32K to cage one human per year. Over 80 percent of people in prisons can not read at 8th grade level. If you listen to their stories, you will hear poverty, poverty, poverty. There is an average two year wait list for legal aid help. Most drug and alcohol programs have a nine month wait list and then you have to find the money to pay.

We can do better. Please join me in a contemporary war on that evil villian, Poverty.  Let's fight the poverty, not the people. Please sign this petition so we can let Congress know, poverty is not OK!