I don’t when, but somewhere along the line taking care of the poor stopped being compassion and became charity. It’s just about giving people the education, skills or wages they need so they can get out of poverty and start contributing to society. There’s always a chance for abuse or excess and that needs to be monitored, but the solution can’t be getting rid of these programs altogether! And let’s hope the people that got the help and succeeded follow suit and pay it forward to ensure others also get the help they need.

Oftentimes when we talk about economy and working class New Yorkers on this program, the old adage creeps up: The rich keep getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer. The latest U.S. census figures show that is exactly the case.

Based on the 2011 survey, the poverty rate in New York City reached its highest point in more than a decade, with nearly 21 percent of New Yorkers living in poverty; the national average is 15.9 percent. The poverty rate actually increased almost a full percentage point in the City, even as it gained back all of the jobs it lost in the recession.

Census figures show the median household income in the City last year stood just below the national median at $49,461, and down $821 from the year before. Meanwhile, the median income for the lowest earning New Yorkers was $8,844, down $463 from 2010; for the highest earners, it was $223,285, up $1,919.

On top of that, the report shows nearly 1.7 million City residents were officially classified as poor, or with an income of less than $18,530 for a family of three. And, about 750,000 were living on less than half the poverty level. In addition, the number of people receiving food stamps in the City increased.

A spokeswoman for Mayor Bloomberg responded to the findings, saying they “reflect a national challenge.” She said the U.S. economy has shifted, and that’s why the Mayor believes a new approach is needed for job creation and education.

Advocates for low-income families say the data prove the City’s economic and social policies are failing, and that new measures need to be put in place for low-wage workers, such as increasing the minimum wage and passing paid sick days legislation. What do you say?

Do you agree with these recommendations? What’s your reaction to the income gap between the poorest and richest New Yorkers? What do you make of the Bloomberg administration’s policies aimed at helping low-income New Yorkers?

Reply to this e-mail with your thoughts using the link above.

I work for the City of New York - because of our billionaire Mayor, I haven't seen a pay increase since May of 2008. Yet, he just increased many of his employees pay. It's a disgrace that with an advanced college degree - a master's degree - many people still are struggling to put food on the table and keep a roof over their heads. Who is he kidding. He isn't willing to help the average joe, the only ones who get help are the completely destitute residents of the City. Where it used to be the "average joe" was the one paying the taxes to help the destitute, now the "average joe" isn't working as much and therefore not paying as much in taxes, so he will help the destitute. He hasn't helped the "average joe" and many of these people work for him!! It's a disgrace.

Jessie
Staten Island

It is government, local, state and federal that is the cause of this disparity. It is taxes, fees and ten thousand regulations that increase the cost of everything.

The only solution is to reign in government limiting it to it's sole
function: to protect our rights to life, liberty, property and the pursuit of happiness. That means the police, the military and the courts. And nothing else. Period. Exclamation point.

Joe
Port Richmond

More older New Yorkers now live in poverty which will lead to increased hunger and isolation. Good nutrition can save health care dollars but Congress wants to cut food stamps. Romney would have us believe that this isn't government's responsibility. I guess seniors will have to just suck it up since they can't tighten their belts any more.

Bobbie
Sheepshead Bay

NEW YORK RESIDENTS ARE BECOMING MORE IMPOVERISHED, AND THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER OF THE SAME CITY IS ENJOYING AN INCREASE IN HIS FINANCIAL PORTFOLIO BY AN AMOUNT OF $5 BILLION.

WHAT AN APPARENT DISCONNECT.

JOE
BAY TERRACE

Tell this phantom mayor to go and do his rambling on John Gambling.

What does he want from us. He has done nothing, nothing for us in the outer boroughs. He has ruined the education system and the next mayor will have to unravel the mess.
He has no legacy and he is just collecting bits and pieces to make it look as though he has done a good job. Where are all of these new bobble head cronies coming from. These are the jobs he is speaking of and mind you all of these deputy mayors or phantom glorified titles are created by this mayor. A good example is Klein. He got a buyout and I know this because he stayed 8 years and the remainder of his time to make up his ten years of service is nothing more than accumulated time and leave. Where do they
sign in and out? We will never know and as soon as he left he went into
private industry and he will collect a pension from the DOE and NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DON'T EVEN LET ME HEAR THIS MAYOR AND CUOMO COMPLAIN AGAIN ABOUT RETIREMENTS AND WHAT IT IS GOING TO COST THE CITY AND STATE. ALL OF THESE PEOPLE THAT WE SEE WITH ALL OF THESE GLORIFIED TITLES ARE GOING TO PUT IN A MINIMUM OF 10 YEARS TO GET A PENSION. WE MIGHT BE POOR BUT NOT STUPID.

DEMOCRATS MADE A MESS OF THIS CITY WITH ALL OF THE FREE BEES AND THEY ARE STILL SPENDING. MAYOR LINDSAY WAS THE ONE THAT PERMITTED THE INCREASE IN SALARIES OF THE CIVIL SERVICE JOBS AND MAYOR KOCH GAVE THE CITY AWAY TO THE LANDLORDS.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH FROM ALL OF THEM.

Maxxiee
Morris Park

why doesnt bloomberg donate some of his fortune to these poor unfortunates. Raising rents by his real estate cronies doesnt help and increasing fees and taxes when will nyc have a compassionate Democratic mayor instead of these crass businessmen?

JS
Flushing

It doesn't surprise me to see poverty growing New York. Our Mayor does not support a living wage, nor does he want the minimum wage increased. When Bloomberg ran for his third term he stated "he had a plan for the Middle-Class." Has anyone ever seen this plan since his third term began and is now nearly over?

Brian
Richmond Hill

I'm all for raising minimum wage and job skills training but everything from rent and public transportation and health care is extremely overpriced. Even at $10 an hour I doubt many people will get out of the hole and off the dole.

Jimmy
The Bronx

I say shame on the Bloomberg people who don't give a s*** about working class people; who only care about the rich, and Karma's gonna bite you in the butt!

I am sick of working to work to work to pay bills, with nothing leftover. I make a little above the min wage, and I have a masters degree but am not using it in the capacity of what I went to college for, and I owe $50 thousand....not to mention $14 thousand in credit cards -- but I forgot to mention I don't even make $64,000 per year! (50+14=64). So now I am a poor, broke New yorker, in debt, working like a pig to pay bills to die.

And how's your life going Mr. Mayor!!??

Ms. Pissed
New York

Politicians in NYC only care about the Unions, and themselves. Why is it Unions are aways getting raises in NYC and the rest of the working population is set at a minimum wage that nowhere meets the outrageous pricing in NYC. Wages haven't gone up and yet food, gas, electric, cable, have all gone to levels that are seriously overwhelming prices, Property taxes, Water Bills have all gone up, yet nothing has gone down. The politicians in this city need to pull there heads out and look at the broader picture instead of the select few groups they seem to always be dwelling on. A Union worker doesn't work any harder then anyone else in this city. Give the rest of society a chance already.

James
Staten Island

raising the minimum wage solves nothing, if you are depending on minimum wage and are over the age of 18, start studying and find a better way, the American way.

you can do anything you strive to do if you work hard enough. it's a proven fact here.
government can not legitimately support everyone forever.

if you don't make a certain amount of $ and the job you have, can't support 8 kids, have 2 kids.

i have no children, because i can't afford it now. if my wife and i can one day afford to have kids one day, who knows.. but for now i don't blame society or government for the fact i don't have a family. nor would i want the government supporting them.

i clear more than minimum wage but i don't think anyone but yourself is to blame for
how much you make.

and allen from midwood, [we are the richest country], we could afford alot more for our citizens if we didn't give so much aid to foreign countries, and you can't just print money. ,. and we owe alot as a country,. look at the deficit.

living wage?? stop giving aid to the rest of the world and maybe we can raise it. but striving for minimum.,. not the American way.

One thing we should remember is that having the financial services industry here in NY distorts the ratio. If they were not part of the data we would be much more in line with other cities. This is not to say that the low end of the spectrum is not appalling.

Lou
Manhattan

Bloomberg needs to stop worry about sugared drink and emphasize more on low income families who wants to provide nice clean apts and a better living.He is only for the rich in newyork deep down in side.He needs to go and stop tearing down nyc

First of all increased poverty is a national problem.
U.S. corporations made record profits during the past year yet they cut employees

1.Nationally we should increase taxes on corporations that out source jobs
2 The mayor should approve a living wage
3 The state should increase the minimum wage
4 The real estate tax code is totally inaccurate in regard to property taxes. The city makes it nearly impossible to fight this
5 There should be increased rent control or even rent reduction . Rent in NYC is too high
6 Education being the key is a poor excuse. As a retired educator I can tell you that school
are not equal ,because the resources are not equal

Robert
Queens

I believe there is no reason for not raising the minimum wage, the money is there. these super rich companies have so much power that they can get away with paying employees peanuts. It's a crime and politicians are behind them 100 percent. You will see more and more rich folks getting into politics so that they have the power to make those decisions that will benefit them and their rich friends. Government use to be about the people it is now a tool for the rich to get even more ahead. The power is in the people's hand but they are not utilizing them until it's too late.

Fordham Hills

This country is all messed up due to the fact that the folks behind the scenes who control the media and presidents, are the ones who have robbed his country. But people dont wanna believe the truth.......ps obama is a puppet for a Polish American political scientist by the name of zbigniew Brzezinski. so you tell me.

I'm surprise that not many callers have criticized Bloomberg.while his Fortune continue to rise to sickining Levels throughout his administration.He bashes the middle class

Pedro
Bronx

We need employesees at mcdonalds housekeepers bus boys etc.... They work on tbe books pay taxes many use these jobs to pay for college some just spend their entire life at the poverty level.

I feel some are ok with this lifestyle. Some lack tbe confidence and or aee victims of society and ae just not wired to what society says is a better life

What will happen if thee were no service workers?

They really just need to raise the mhnimum wage

They really need to put a cap on some rents.

Why are new yorkers who were born here and raised here worked their lfe and are being pushed out of their own neighborhoods to let foreifners and people from the midwest with endless sipply of monies take over their neighborhood

Decent hard working people should not feel like they ae not good enough or less of a person because of their job and income

Really, things are expense in NY. But "Laura" does not have to be paying 3000.00 a month for a one bedroom apartment. Thats her choice.

Tell her to shop around, there are plenty of cheaper apartments out there.

I think many people tend to forget that in order for capitalism to function there needs to be a percentage of people at the bottom of the financial pyramid.
While I still think there is a population of people who should be helped by a social moral obligation, like those handicapped and unable to work and the elderly; there are some people who simply do not possess the skill-set to advance in this style of economy. There are plenty of people who can afford to live in New York--social darwinism suggest that if you cannot, than other, more 'fit' people will. Raising the minimum wage will simply sustain long term population growth in New York and continue to drive the rising cost of living in highly sought after areas which will in turn drive up the price of the periphery. For callers like the one making $70,000 and cannot afford to live here..there are certainly more easily affordable areas surrounding New York that are perfectly accessible by subway. American society must simply learn to accept their limitations and live within their means.

teaching financial literacy is the key. No one knows how to budget their money.

PAUL
Astoria

My parents work for less than $30,000 a year, pay bills, rent, and and buy food.
The government only help us with health care, and we live in a basement.
WHAT CAN WE DO TO IMPROVE OUR LIVES.