U.S. poverty rate rose in 2004, even as economy grew

Boy, I guess a good ole war doesn't bale us out of recession the way they used to. How much longer will they use that for an excuse?

U.S. poverty rate rose in 2004, even as economy grew

By David Leonhardt The New York Times

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2005



WASHINGTON Even as the U.S. economy grew, income stagnated last year and the poverty rate rose, the Census Bureau has reported. It marked the first time on record that household incomes had failed to increase for five straight years.
The portion of Americans without health insurance remained roughly steady, at 16 percent, the bureau said on Tuesday. A smaller percentage of people were covered by their employers, but two big government programs, Medicaid and military insurance, grew.
The Census Bureau's annual report card on U.S. economic well-being showed that a four-year expansion had still not done much to benefit many households. Median pretax