“You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift. You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred. You cannot build character and courage by taking away people’s initiative and independence. You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves.”
~Abraham Lincoln
Poverty in Our Cities…
U.S. Census Bureau, 2006 American Community Survey, August 2007
What do the top ten cities (over 250,000) with the highest poverty rate all have in common? Detroit , MI (1st) hasn’t elected a Republican mayor since 1961; Buffalo , NY (2nd ) hasn’t elected one since 1954; Cincinnati , OH – (3rd ) since 1984; Cleveland , OH – (4th ) since 1989; Miami , FL – (5th)has never had a Republican mayor; St. Louis , MO – (6th ) since 1949; El Paso , TX – (7th ) has never had a Republican mayor; Milwaukee , WI – (8th ) since 1908; Philadelphia , PA – (9th ) since 1952; Newark , NJ – (10th ) since 1907. Einstein once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” It appears that it is the poor who habitually elect Democrats. What good has it done for them? The image below is from a 1934 newspaper, courtesy of my friend Ken from DC. I find it interesting how history finds a way to repeat itself. |
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