Expert: Annette - 5/6/2009

Question
QUESTION: If you live on welfare and medicaid,does that mean that you are poor but you don't live under poor conditions?
Are low income and poor the same?
But what if you have more than what you need?
Plus you have the basic neccessities?
Does this make you poor?

ANSWER: If someone is content with his or her financial situation, then that is all that matters.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Well what exactly would you define as poor?

ANSWER: Poor is when you don't have the basic necessities of life.  Millions  of children under the age of five die have died of starvation is third world countries.  Numerous people do not have shoes.  My mother was in a concentration camp.  She was emaciated.  That was poor.

Governments and societies can define what poverty is by their own standards.  Some people may live in low-income housing projects, but at least they have running water and heat.  A couple of centuries ago, nobody had running water.  Some governments state that any household that has an income below a certain amount is poor, but that is just an opinion.

The first five years of my life, my family did not have a television in the home.  Did I feel poor?  No.  And, it was a blessing.  I entertained myself in other ways that probably enhanced my mental abilities.  I drew pictures, made up stories and thought up of different ways to play with my toys.



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: So basically being poor is just an opinion or something?

Answer
Well, there is some subjectivity to it.  As I said before, governments can decide that people who earn less than a certain amount a year are poor, but there is no true objective measure.  Society, and the media, may associate certain living conditions, such as being on welfare, as a sign of poverty.  But, there are people who are on welfare who actually have cable tv.  Some people grow their own food and therefore can stretch their dollars.

One of my friends, who lives in a luxurious three bedroom townhouse in an expensive area feels poor because she doesn't live in a mansion.  She grew up in a mansion.  While some people have commented to her on how rich she must be, she still feels poor.