4 ms·

The economy is growing steadily...it has for 4-5 years now...

by akhilcacharya 8y ago

dv_dt 8y ago
GDP is an imperfect measure. For example, the number of people below the 50% poverty line grew too.
- refurb 8y ago
  The poverty rate has dropped for the 3rd year in a row and is almost to same levels as pre-2008 crisis.[1] In fact, near record lows over the past 50 years. [1]https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/09/poverty-rate-drops-third-consecutive-year-2017.html https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/09/poverty-rate-...
  - dv_dt 8y ago
    I think what you are saying about the data is misleading. Look at the chart. The reason the poverty rate had a three year drop was because it was at at 10 year high around 15% starting around 2010, and only recently started dropping significantly. The "50 year low" is very misleading. If you actually look at the graph, the poverty in 1970 was 12.6%, and in 2017 12.3%. That's not a "50 year low", that's 50 years of essentially no progress on the poverty rate, especially when ten years ago it was higher. If you look at the people falling below 50% of the poverty line (deep poverty), that's had it's ups and downs too, but has had an overall slow increase of rate over the same time frame. https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-current-poverty-rate-united-states https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-current-poverty-rate-un...
PavlovsCat 8y ago
Last time I heard of it, the gap between rich and poor wasn't just growing, but at an increasing rate. Has it been shrinking in the last 4-5 years? If not, the fact that the economy as a whole grew makes the problem worse.
darpa_escapee 8y ago
The post-2008 economy replaced many middle class, and even upper middle class, jobs with ~$9/hr retail jobs and the gig economy. Both lack sufficient benefits, like health insurance, and the former ensures you never work 40 hours a week because the ACA requires businesses to offer health plans to full time workers. If you're relatively young and in a metro area, you probably don't see it. Step out into the suburbs or more rural areas, and growth means that there's a new Dollar Tree and it's hiring.
- refurb 8y ago
  There are more people insured post-ACA than before.
  - darpa_escapee 8y ago
    This doesn't change anything for the people who are purposely scheduled for under 30 hours weeks so they aren't considered full-time. The problem isn't with the ACA, it's with employers who are willing to save a buck by disadvantaging their employees.
    - refurb 8y ago
      Sure, but overall the impact of ACA is positive in that more people have medical insurance.

The economy is growing steadily...it has for 4-5 years now...

dv_dt 8y ago

GDP is an imperfect measure. For example, the number of people below the 50% poverty line grew too.

refurb 8y ago
The poverty rate has dropped for the 3rd year in a row and is almost to same levels as pre-2008 crisis.[1] In fact, near record lows over the past 50 years. [1]https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/09/poverty-rate-drops-third-consecutive-year-2017.html https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2018/09/poverty-rate-...
- dv_dt 8y ago
  I think what you are saying about the data is misleading. Look at the chart. The reason the poverty rate had a three year drop was because it was at at 10 year high around 15% starting around 2010, and only recently started dropping significantly. The "50 year low" is very misleading. If you actually look at the graph, the poverty in 1970 was 12.6%, and in 2017 12.3%. That's not a "50 year low", that's 50 years of essentially no progress on the poverty rate, especially when ten years ago it was higher. If you look at the people falling below 50% of the poverty line (deep poverty), that's had it's ups and downs too, but has had an overall slow increase of rate over the same time frame. https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-current-poverty-rate-united-states https://poverty.ucdavis.edu/faq/what-current-poverty-rate-un...

PavlovsCat 8y ago

Last time I heard of it, the gap between rich and poor wasn't just growing, but at an increasing rate. Has it been shrinking in the last 4-5 years? If not, the fact that the economy as a whole grew makes the problem worse.

darpa_escapee 8y ago

The post-2008 economy replaced many middle class, and even upper middle class, jobs with ~$9/hr retail jobs and the gig economy. Both lack sufficient benefits, like health insurance, and the former ensures you never work 40 hours a week because the ACA requires businesses to offer health plans to full time workers. If you're relatively young and in a metro area, you probably don't see it. Step out into the suburbs or more rural areas, and growth means that there's a new Dollar Tree and it's hiring.

refurb 8y ago
There are more people insured post-ACA than before.
- darpa_escapee 8y ago
  This doesn't change anything for the people who are purposely scheduled for under 30 hours weeks so they aren't considered full-time. The problem isn't with the ACA, it's with employers who are willing to save a buck by disadvantaging their employees.
  - refurb 8y ago
    Sure, but overall the impact of ACA is positive in that more people have medical insurance.