More People Living In Poverty

Since Christine Quinn Changed Term Limits, More People Are Living In Poverty.

From The New York Times :

More New Yorkers Living in Poverty
By SAM ROBERTS
New York State’s poverty rate climbed to 16 percent last year, the third consecutive annual increase and the highest rate since 1998, according to census figures released Tuesday. Nearly 3.1 million New Yorkers were living below the official poverty rate in 2010, also the highest total in 12 years.

The statewide rate climbed from 14.2 percent in 2008 to 15.8 percent in 2009 and inched up to 16 percent last year.

The poverty rate was 43 percent among households headed by a single mother, 24.6 percent among children younger than 18, 14 percent among 18-to-64-year-olds and 11.1 percent for people 65 and over,

“People have trouble conceptualizing number as large as three million, but this new data means that if New York State residents in poverty all held hands, they could create a line that would run from Times Square to the Golden Gate Bridge,” said Joel Berg, the executive director for the New York City Coalition Against Hunger. “For those of us who see surging lines at food pantries and soup kitchens citywide, these new numbers are no surprise.”

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“Since they changed term limits, more people are living in poverty in New York City. Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg’s wealth has grown over three-fold while has been in office,” said Louis Flores. “With Christine Quinn’s help, Mayor Bloomberg has been laying off police, firefighters, and teachers ; closing senior citizen centers ; cutting childcare ; and closing hospitals – just basically shredding the social safety net. Also, how is Mayor Bloomberg allowed to make money from inside information through his new company called Bloomberg Government ?”