Here’s a compelling visual that explains why the poor might not get ahead and why structural unemployment is so high and apparently intractable.  (Click image to view in detail.)

What the chart shows is, if you are on public assistance in Pennsylvania (and this holds true for every state … worse in some notably more generous locales), it doesn’t make sense to go it alone until you can command a paycheck of $70,000 per year!

welfare cliff

Sadly, instead of a hand up, Welfare’s a hand holding people down!

Also, watch this video on the War on Poverty.