https://x.com/stephensemler/status/1833674321480360221

  • Llituro [he/him, they/them]
    ·
    2 months ago

    it's crazy how the brief release provided by the most minimal possible helps during a literal global pandemic dropped child poverty rates by half (fucked as the definition that's officially used for that may be)

  • InevitableSwing [none/use name]
    ·
    2 months ago

    In 2021 the dems created an expanded child tax credit. Its beneficial effect on child poverty was sweeping and shocking quick. Giving people money to help with their bills worked like gangbusters. Who knew? Manchin complained that people would use the money to buy drugs. Then the dems simply let it expire. If I remember correctly and I might not - I think it was in effect for ~9 months or something. After it ended - the democrats moved on and they have pretended it never even existed.

    As time went on there were some unironic lib op-eds blaming the GOP for ending the program.

    • barrbaric [he/him]
      ·
      2 months ago

      IIRC when he was still alive Biden kept bragging about how he cut child poverty in half, completely ignoring that he then brought it back up and even higher.

      • Asafum@feddit.nl
        ·
        edit-2
        2 months ago

        Apparently Biden was pushing to keep it going but Opponents of the credit claim that eliminating earnings requirements would discourage parents from working. for whatever reason the Senate stalled until it expired...

        So gross...

        https://itep.org/effects-of-president-bidens-proposal-to-expand-the-child-tax-credit/

    • keepcarrot [she/her]
      ·
      2 months ago

      My favourite legislative noose I see regularly is bills for funding that only start after the current term is over (or the next two terms).

      Favourite? idk. Bad.

  • BurgerPunk [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    2 months ago

    And it was only down in 2021 because of gov subsidies to parents. They could go down to 2021 levels right now if the ruling class would allow it

  • FourteenEyes [he/him]
    ·
    2 months ago

    why don't the children just take out a loan and start a small business then

    • Hexamerous [none/use name]
      ·
      2 months ago

      Now I imagine a little kid with a lemonade stand ruthlessly crushed by the Starbucks across the street selling lemonade at a loss, calling health inspections on them, calling immigration officers, lobbying local politicians about zoning laws and planting stories about high pesticide levels in the "locally squeezed" lemonade.

  • Thorngraff_Ironbeard [he/him]
    ·
    2 months ago

    I saw a snippet of NBC or CNN or whatever with their pundits discussing the debate and the pro Kamala guy was like "We are recovering, 16 million new jobs!". And I just got so angry because these people just blatantly disregard reality. How many of these jobs pay enough to afford rent, food, gas, etc in there area? How many of them provide health insurance that is actually worth a damn? How many of them are permanent and even have benefits?

    • Tom742 [they/them, any]
      ·
      2 months ago

      How many of those jobs are previous high wage full time positions cut into multiple low wage part time jobs, when they quote new job creation it’s almost meaningless

      • Thorngraff_Ironbeard [he/him]
        ·
        2 months ago

        I'm pretty sure a good chunk of companies put these job openings up with no intention on actually ever filing them. Like every fast food place is 2 people per shift now.

  • infuziSporg [e/em/eir]
    ·
    2 months ago

    Misleading choice of data span.

    Child poverty in the US was always above 15%.

    https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2023/9/21/23882353/child-poverty-expanded-child-tax-credit-census-welfare-inflation-economy-data

  • Crikeste@lemm.ee
    ·
    2 months ago

    What the hell even is child poverty? Children shouldn’t have to provide for themselves lol

  • DragonBallZinn [he/him]
    ·
    2 months ago

    porky-happy: “I think you mean…assets have appreciated so much it’s weeding out the weaklings?!”