GENARO C. ARMAS
Poverty Rises, Income Down, Census Says
Sat Sep 27 20:49:17 2003
67.1.130.220

Poverty Rises, Income Down, Census Says

September 26, 2003
By GENARO C. ARMAS, Associated Press Writer

WASHINGTON - Poverty rose and income levels declined in 2002 for the
second straight year as the nation's economy continued struggling after
the first recession in a decade, the Census Bureau reported Friday.

The poverty rate was 12.1 percent last year, up from 11.7 percent in
2001. Nearly 34.6 million people lived in poverty, about 1.7 million
more than the previous year.

Median household income declined 1.1 percent between 2001 and 2002 to
$42,409, after accounting for inflation. That means half of all
households earned more than that amount, and half earned less.

The poverty rate rose again after having fallen for nearly a decade to
11.3 percent in 2000, its lowest level in more than 25 years. Income
levels increased through most of the 1990s, then were flat in 2000 and
fell the last two years.

Experts had predicted rising unemployment last year and the still shaky
economy would increase poverty and lower income for most people, even
though the recession officially ended in November 2001.

In 2002, 12.1 million children were in poverty, or 16.7 percent of all
kids, up from 11.7 million, or 16.3 percent, the previous year. The
Census Bureau said the increase was not statistically significant.

The estimates, calculated annually by the Census Bureau, came from a
survey of 78,000 households taken in March. They are the government's
official measure of income and poverty.

Comparing poverty rates and income for racial and ethnic groups was more
difficult in 2002 because the Census Bureau for the first time allowed
survey respondents to report if they were of more than one race.

However, the bureau reported the poverty rate increased for blacks and
was relatively unchanged for whites, Asians and Hispanics. Median income
was highest among non-Hispanic whites and Asians.

The poverty threshold differs by the size and makeup of a household. For
instance, a person under 65 living alone in 2002 was considered in
poverty if income was $9,359 or less; for a household of three including
one child, it was $14,480.

A separate Census Bureau survey released earlier this month also showed
more people living in poverty in 2002, along with a slight increase in
median income. However, that survey did not ask as detailed a series of
questions on people's financial status.

Even before the data was made public, House Democrats charged the Bush
administration was trying to hide bad economic news by releasing the
numbers on a Friday when people are paying more attention to the
upcoming weekend. In previous years, the estimates were released on a
Tuesday or Thursday.

"Sounds like they're trying to bury the numbers where people won't find
them," said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y. "This is another clear example
of political manipulation of data by the Bush administration to avoid
the glare of public scrutiny about the country's worsening economy."

Census Bureau spokesman Larry Neal said the time change wasn't
politically motivated. It was originally scheduled to be released this
past Tuesday, he said, but was moved to Friday because statisticians
asked for more time to process the numbers.

"These are the official estimates of income and poverty in America and
every debate on income and poverty for the next year will rehash them,"
Neal said. "The notion that we should, could or would suppress these
numbers doesn't pass the laugh test."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&ncid=&e=2&u=/ap/20030926/ap_on_bi_ge/poverty
--
"When governments fear the people there
is liberty. When the people fear the government
there is tyranny." Thomas Jefferson

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