If you choose to live in rural US, you are signing up for this kind of lifestyle; you're on your own. As long as that's advertised I don't see a real problem. If you need health care then you should live near health care. Don't expect the same level of support in rural MN as you would get in NYC.
It's a genuine question; should the US taxpayer pony up so poor people trapped in rural areas can move to population centres and enjoy the benefits thereof?
Labor shortages are a critical problem in many of these communities. Young locals often move to the cities and rarely move back, and while automation has helped support the local industries it has not nearly covered the shortfall. Much of the working age labor that does move into these areas is either illegal immigrants or ex-convicts looking for a fresh start. Due to shortages, minimally skilled physical labor often commands 3-4x minimum wage in my experience.
It is a mistake to think that people want to be rescued from these areas. Maybe some do but most have reasons for living where they live.
The states with the lowest SPM poverty rates are midwestern states with large rural populations, like Iowa and Nebraska: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territ.... (California's poverty rate is almost double those states'.)
The unemployment rate in Iowa peaked at a little more than half the national unemployment rate in 2009-2010.
As noted at your link, many of the extremely poor rural areas skewing the averages are Native American reservations. How do you propose to make them relocate to cities?
Here's coal mining in the US, over the last 35 years: https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/CES1021210001
If they don’t have the money they should move, possibly with assistance. I don’t see any case for subsidizing services in places where it really expensive to provide those services. Why that’d be like government grants to rebuild houses on a flood plain that got flooded out.
I'm absolutely opposed to forcing people to move, but if they want to I have no problem spending a bit to help them.
(For reference I tend libertarian-ish)
Sure, some people are so disabled they can't travel. For those who are not disabled but are simply poor, here's what they need-- and it doesn't cost much.
- A greyhound bus ticket
- Camping gear: A tent, sleeping bag, inflatable camping mattress
- Clothes
I used to live in a tent. Sure, it's uncomfortable, but it is fully survivable.
While living in a tent in some woods, I pulled myself up by my bootstraps, applied for jobs, visited community centers for showers & food handouts.
Applying for jobs-- How long did it take?
- Blue collar jobs: Took a day to get hired, $13/hr job.
- White collar jobs: Took 3 weeks to get hired $25/hr job.
I've lived in a tent while studying and job hunting 3 times. Now I am quite gainfully employed making over $50/hr.
Should tax payers pony up? Not if you mean people other than the individuals who need to pull themselves up.
Just look at how well you wrote your words. You are functionally literate and comfortable with technology.
When you moved and lived in a tent, did your spouse and children live there too? Who looked after the children while you were job hunting, given that your social support network was back where you used to live? Where did you get your medication during that time? I guess you had a health advantage. You were also lucky nobody came looking for the money you owed them.
Going through challenges makes people grow stronger.
Avoiding challenges makes people grow weaker.
(Which is why SJW advocacy-- such as for safe spaces, censorship of wrong think-- signals weakness in certain sections of [brainwashed] society).
Look: People who lack strategy screw themselves. That's no one's fault but their own. If they get themselves into a mess, they deserve that mess. They should have done their research-- Everyone can access the internet and find life experiences, economic research, etc.
Again-- I lived in a tent in order to put my time into something more useful than waiting tables. I reduced my work hours and bills, so I could learn web development.
My tax dollars deserve to go towards more noble causes than to fund the poor lifestyle decisions of others.
Broke & in debt? Either don't have kids, or don't come yelling for my tax dollars when you decide to make poor decisions. May they be an example for the others.
I lived in some woods in Portland for 3 weeks, applying for jobs daily from cafes, and visiting community centers for food & showers. Landed a corporate office job. Anyone who isn't disabled can do it. Claiming otherwise is a cop out.
The question is: How much do they want to succeed? How much are they willing to sacrifice comfort for success?
People take for granted their mental and physical fortitude. They give up far too easily.
When I hear stories about rural lifestyle and people driving for an hour to get to grocery store, it doesn't seem that out of place.
The title seems a little clickbaity to me. 11k sq miles is only 104 by 104 miles. That's about nine counties in west Kansas.
Some people don't choose, and other people do choose, but more importantly: your food comes from the rural US and you should keep that in mind before being flippant about their fate.