True or False: Everything's Okay

"...Oh world, oh money..."

Martin Amis, Money

Child Poverty Quiz

True or False (please do not circle the answers on your computer screen):

Under federal poverty guidelines a single person qualifies as poor if his or her income is $9,570 per year. TRUE or FALSE

For a household of two it’s $12,830. TRUE or FALSE

For a household of three it’s $16,090. TRUE or FALSE

For a household of four it’s $19,350. TRUE or FALSE

Those numbers are ridiculously low. TRUE or FALSE

Those families and individuals would be hard up with twice the money. TRUE or FALSE

In the Unicef ranking of the 23 richest countries, we ranked 22nd in percentage of children living in poverty. TRUE or FALSE

The number one ranked country has 3% of children living in poverty. TRUE or FALSE

22.4% of children in the U.S. live in poverty. TRUE or FALSE

The only “rich” country that fared worse was Mexico. TRUE or FALSE

In Mexico, 26.2% of children live in poverty. TRUE or FALSE

In fact, our economy is “strong and getting stronger.” TRUE or FALSE

Kids who grow up without enough to eat, with improper nutrition, with limited access to effective medical care, with inadequate shelter, and inconsistent living arrangements (occassioned by homelessness) can compete for grades and jobs with kids who grow up in middle class and wealthier homes. TRUE or FALSE

These kids will be prepared for a global marketplace. TRUE or FALSE

Poverty is generational. TRUE or FALSE

Breaking free of poverty is easy, you just have to try. TRUE or FALSE

Even if, as an infant, you get an ear infection, it is never treated (no money for healthcare), grows worse, compromises your hearing, leads to a speech impediment and has an impact on your school performance. TRUE or FALSE

What these poor kids need is a healthy dose of Horatio Alger. TRUE or FALSE

The Free Market will cure all. TRUE or FALSE

Bush’s tax cuts to wealthy Americans are the best cure for children in poverty. TRUE or FALSE

For almost 20 years, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have held child poverty below 5%. TRUE or FALSE

The economic model in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden is inferior to our supply-side, Smithian economic model. TRUE or FALSE

We can do better than this. TRUE or FALSE

Please don’t raise my taxes, I have to put gas in my SUV. TRUE or FALSE

Property taxes at my lake cabin sometimes make we want to sell the darn thing. TRUE or FALSE

Congress should spend less time addressing poverty among children in the United States. TRUE or FALSE

Among those same “rich” countries, the United States lead the group in number of full time workers with wages less of less than 2/3rds of the nation’s median income. TRUE or FALSE

I’d rather have cheap toilet paper than pay workers an adequate wage. TRUE or FALSE

Wal Mart ("Always low prices, Al[l]ways") is a great place to buy cheap toilet paper. TRUE or FALSE

Sam’s Club too. TRUE or FALSE

Three cheers for Wal Mart. TRUE or FALSE

Children born to mothers who live in poverty are more likely to have low birth weight. TRUE or FALSE

Children born to mothers who live in poverty are more likely to be born prematurely. TRUE or FALSE

Poor children experience stunted growth. TRUE or FALSE

“Short people got no reason to live.” TRUE or FALSE

Children who live in poverty suffer from lead poisoning at a greater rate than children who do not live in poverty. TRUE or FALSE

Lead poisoning is no joke. TRUE or FALSE

27 million children in the United States grow up in poverty. TRUE or FALSE

More than 83% of them have at least one working parent. TRUE or FALSE

In most cases it is not until a family reaches twice the income of the federal poverty level that parents truly are able to provide for their children’s basic needs (food, clothing, shelter, medical care, etc.). TRUE or FALSE

The rich get richer. TRUE or FALSE

The poor get poorer. TRUE or FALSE

Poor children are not victims of genetic chance – unfortunate to be born into a poor home in a country that has the ability to address poverty but doesn’t; poor children are lazy. TRUE or FALSE

Especially the infants. TRUE or FALSE

Their parents never should have had kids in the first place. TRUE or FALSE

The sins of the parent should be visited on the child. TRUE or FALSE

It’s not my fault. TRUE or FALSE

I shouldn’t have to pay for their mistakes. TRUE or FALSE

Even though nearly one in four children live in poverty, I sleep well at night. TRUE or FALSE

It has a lot to do with my sleep number bed. TRUE or FALSE

Well, and my down comforter. TRUE or FALSE

What’s wrong with this picture?

Nothing. TRUE or FALSE

Extra Credit (multiple choice):

Who said: "America, at its best, is compassionate. In the quiet of American conscience, we know that deep, persistent poverty is unworthy of our nation's promise. And whatever our views of its cause, we can agree that children at risk are not at fault. Abandonment and abuse are not acts of God, they are failures of love."

a. Bill Clinton
b. George W. Bush
c. Ronald Reagan
d. Harry Truman
e. Truman Capote

Who said: "Come, let us put our minds together to see what kind of life we can create for our children."

a. George Bush
b. Bill Clinton
c. Sitting Bull
d. Duf
e. Truman Capote

Inspiration

Source one, source two, source three, source four.


Recommended Reading

Extra credit answers (because you know the answers to the other questions): B and C.