WASU.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, agrees with her colleague, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, that many in the nation are living in poverty as a result of damaging cultural influences.

 

Ryan, who recently released a 200-page report that largely criticizes the federal government’s anti-poverty programs, stirred national controversy by suggesting in a radio interview Wednesday that one of the sources of American poverty is a “tailspin of culture in our inner-cities in particular of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value of culture of work.”

 

But the problem in America is not the existence of cultures that lack work ethic, says Moore, who represents many of the poorest urban areas of the state. The problem is a “culture of inequality,” in which opportunities for jobs and economic advancement are not made available to certain segments of the population, particularly African American men.

 

“The decades of transportation policy have prevented African American men in Milwaukee from seeking opportunities in the more opulent communities,” she says, referring to the prosperous surrounding suburbs in Waukesha and Ozaukee Counties. “The culture of decline in manufacturing has contributed to peoples’ inability to find jobs.”

 

She adds: “Racial discrimination certainly can’t be counted out as a cultural pattern that has disadvantaged African Americans.”

 

Instead of recognizing the cultural underpinnings of poverty among black Americans, Moore argues, Ryan and others are leaning on an age-old stereotype that blacks are lazy.

 

“As far back as I can recall in history there has been the stereotype of black men being lazy and not wanting to work,” she says. “I don’t know if that extends back to slavery where there is this expectation that you should work for free.”

 

Too often, she says, those who rail against safety net programs fail to recognize the way in which their economic success was made possible by the same benefits they seek to cut. Ryan, for instance, received Social Security benefits as a child after his father died.

 

“My good friend Paul Ryan was a beneficiary of Social Security because Social Security worked the way it was supposed to,” she says. “If it’s good enough for him, why isn’t it good enough for everybody else?”

 

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, also criticized Ryan’s comments in a statement to the Cap Times.

 

“I’m glad Rep. Paul Ryan acknowledged he made ‘inarticulate’ remarks,” said Pocan. “However, Rep. Ryan’s recent ‘poverty’ report raises serious concerns about the direction of his soon to be released budget proposal. It’s time House Republicans stop blaming poverty on the poor. Instead of pointing a finger, we should be working together to help lift up Americans out of poverty.”

 

Ryan said Thursday that his remarks were taken out of context and they had nothing to do with race.

 

 

 

Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/jack_craver/gwen-moore-poverty-is-caused-by-a-culture-of-inequality/article_cb2fe1a2-aae6-11e3-963e-0019bb2963f4.html#ixzz2wWm4OV

 

 

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By Jack Craver

 

 

U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Milwaukee, agrees with her colleague, U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Janesville, that many in the nation are living in poverty as a result of damaging cultural influences.

 

Ryan, who recently released a 200-page report that largely criticizes the federal government’s anti-poverty programs, stirred national controversy by suggesting in a radio interview Wednesday that one of the sources of American poverty is a “tailspin of culture in our inner-cities in particular of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value of culture of work.”

 

But the problem in America is not the existence of cultures that lack work ethic, says Moore, who represents many of the poorest urban areas of the state. The problem is a “culture of inequality,” in which opportunities for jobs and economic advancement are not made available to certain segments of the population, particularly African American men.

 

“The decades of transportation policy have prevented African American men in Milwaukee from seeking opportunities in the more opulent communities,” she says, referring to the prosperous surrounding suburbs in Waukesha and Ozaukee Counties. “The culture of decline in manufacturing has contributed to peoples’ inability to find jobs.”

 

She adds: “Racial discrimination certainly can’t be counted out as a cultural pattern that has disadvantaged African Americans.”

 

Instead of recognizing the cultural underpinnings of poverty among black Americans, Moore argues, Ryan and others are leaning on an age-old stereotype that blacks are lazy.

 

“As far back as I can recall in history there has been the stereotype of black men being lazy and not wanting to work,” she says. “I don’t know if that extends back to slavery where there is this expectation that you should work for free.”

 

Too often, she says, those who rail against safety net programs fail to recognize the way in which their economic success was made possible by the same benefits they seek to cut. Ryan, for instance, received Social Security benefits as a child after his father died.

 

“My good friend Paul Ryan was a beneficiary of Social Security because Social Security worked the way it was supposed to,” she says. “If it’s good enough for him, why isn’t it good enough for everybody else?”

 

U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Madison, also criticized Ryan’s comments in a statement to the Cap Times.

 

“I’m glad Rep. Paul Ryan acknowledged he made ‘inarticulate’ remarks,” said Pocan. “However, Rep. Ryan’s recent ‘poverty’ report raises serious concerns about the direction of his soon to be released budget proposal. It’s time House Republicans stop blaming poverty on the poor. Instead of pointing a finger, we should be working together to help lift up Americans out of poverty.”

 

Ryan said Thursday that his remarks were taken out of context and they had nothing to do with race.