Poverty is Relative

Facts from the U.S. Census Bureau's Annual Report on Income and Poverty in the United States (1998):

• About 30 million Americans are living in poverty.
• In contrast to poor people who are not fortunate enough to live in the United States, more than half of the U.S. poor own their own homes.
• Nearly 2 million of the U.S. poor own homes worth more than a quarter of a million dollars.
• Over 70 percent of the U.S. poor own their own car, and 30 percent own two cars.
• Of the U.S. poor, 98 percent own a color television, and over 50 percent own two.
• Of the U.S. poor, 75 percent own a VCR, and 20 percent own two.

From Thou Shall Prosper, Second Edition by Rabbi Daniel Lapin, p. 148 ©2010