Unpacking Poverty

Fostering Compassion

In this episode focused on Poverty Awareness Month, Tibby discusses insights from Matthew Desmond's book "Poverty by America," highlighting the cyclical challenges people who live in poverty face. The episode emphasizes the need for a shift in societal perspectives, challenging the misconception that poor individuals aren't paying their fair share. Tibby delves into the causes of poverty, such as housing shortages, zoning laws, and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. She underscores the importance of policies like the child tax credit, highlighting its positive impact on child poverty rates. The discussion extends to issues like wage theft, difficulties in accessing assistance programs, and the role of mass incarceration in perpetuating poverty. Tibby suggests solutions, including reinstating the child tax credit, easing TANF restrictions, closing tax loopholes, and supporting unions. She also encourages individuals to take action at the community level, emphasizing the power of leveraging influence within institutions to instigate positive change. The episode concludes with a call to reflect on ethical beliefs and take collective action to address systemic issues contributing to poverty.
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• U.S. prison labor programs violate fundamental human rights, new report finds
• Exploitation of Incarcerated Workers (ACLU)
• Study: Wage Theft Runs Rampant During Recessions
• How companies rip off poor employees — and get away with it (AP)
• Company wage tracker (Economic Policy Institue)
• States send kids to foster care and their parents the bill (NPR)
• NJ: groundbreaking fair housing model must be safeguarded and strengthened
• Record Rise in Poverty Highlights Importance of Child Tax Credit (Center or Budget and Policy Priorities)
• Gentrification’s Role in the Eviction Crisis (Eviction Lab)
• 'This isn't trivial': Applying for welfare benefits is too difficult, low-income Americans say (USA Today)
• Customer Service Experiences and Enrollment Difficulties Vary Widely (Urban Institute)
• These states will see a minimum-wage increase in 2024 (USA Today)

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