Top Ten Cities With High Poverty Rates

[Scott Campbell]

Re-posted.

What do the top ten cities with the highest poverty rate all have in common?


Detroit , MI (1st on the poverty rate list) hasn't elected a Republican mayor since 1961;


Buffalo, NY (2nd) hasn't elected one since 1954;

Cincinnati , OH (3rd)...since 1984;

Cleveland , OH (4th)...since 1989;

Miami , FL (5th) has never had a Republican mayor;

St. Louis , MO (6th)....since 1949;

El Paso , TX (7th) has never had a Republican mayor;

Milwaukee , WI (8th)...since 1908;

Philadelphia , PA (9th)...since 1952;

Newark , NJ (10th)...since 1907.

Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

It is the disadvantaged who habitually elect Democrats --- yet are still disadvantaged.

[GoPackGo]

[retailguy]

interesting. But I'm quite positive the REAL problem is the Feds taking away funding. If they just had more money.... it would all be OK.

You can loan 'em your 401K, can't you Scott? It takes LOADS of money to implement liberal social programs.

I'm quite sure that once they're done, (these things take generations, you know), those cities will once again be the community leaders they used to be. I'm quite hopeful for Newark. It has such a rich history.

[texaspackerbacker]

So are we saying they are poor because they haven't had Republican mayors? Or they haven't had Republican mayors because they are poor?

You could make a good argument for either--or both.

[GoPackGo]

don't statewide policies from the governor, senators, house majority, etc impact poverty ratings? It seems like the city mayor wouldn't have anything to do with with enacting and effecting policy change.

[SkinBasket]

don't statewide policies from the governor, senators, house majority, etc impact poverty ratings? It seems like the city mayor wouldn't have anything to do with with enacting and effecting policy change.

What do you think they do? Crosswords?

[mraynrand]

don't statewide policies from the governor, senators, house majority, etc impact poverty ratings? It seems like the city mayor wouldn't have anything to do with with enacting and effecting policy change.

What do you think they do? Crosswords?

In Cleveland, yes, pretty much.

[GoPackGo]

don't statewide policies from the governor, senators, house majority, etc impact poverty ratings? It seems like the city mayor wouldn't have anything to do with with enacting and effecting policy change.

What do you think they do? Crosswords?

The mayor is essentially the most powerful member of the city council, the figurehead if you will. The mayor's responsibilities essentially are to carry out the wishes of the city council and the larger governmental agencies. They are not instrumental in writing or implementing policy decisions for the city. The don't even have veto power. If you read below, you'll see several examples and broader definitions of what a mayor's job is.
Mayoral Duties:
The direction and management of executive branch departments, including Public Works, Human Services, and Community and Support Services, but not including the executive activities of the independent elected officials.
Carrying out and enforcing the programs and policies established by the Council.
Enforcing the regulations, policies, and procedures of the County.
Faithfully executing the laws and ordinances of the County.
Assigning employees and work in the executive branch.
Appointing persons to serve on commissions and boards, with advice and consent.
Controlling County assets, funds, and property; preparing and presenting a budget to the Council.
Reviewing County books, accounts, and funds necessary to the executive function.
While mayors and city managers often develop and propose policies, their basic authority is to carry out the council's directives and to implement the policy adopted by councils. Commissioners serve both legislative and executive roles. The relationship of the executive to the legislative body varies by form of local government.
Negotiating and executing contracts.
Considering and adopting long-range planning.
Acting as intergovernmental relations liaison, exercising power of veto and line item veto, and attending and participating in Council meetings

I had to forward this to my wife to see what she thought.

Additionally, there are so many other factors that go into why a city is rated in the top 10 for poverty. One question to ask is, how do they define poverty, and is this the ratio of people in poverty or just the cities with the most people in poverty? If it's cities with the most people, it stands to reason that that would be true because impoverished people tend to live in the largest cities where they can find cheap housing and manual labor.

I just don't think that whoever wrote this about the mayors knows anything about how government and policy works, or even what the job of a mayor of a major city does/can't do. If anything it is the federal and state government who are most influential in policy decisions when it comes to poverty. I wonder what the national poverty rate is under our current administration versus the Clinton administration? It's just not as simple as the party the mayor of a city belongs to!

[SkinBasket]

Does that mean your wife is the mayor?

[GoPackGo]

Does that mean your wife is the mayor?

Did you even read it? My wife has a PHD and her father is a city manager for what its worth.

[HarveyWallbangers]

Did you even read it? My wife has a PHD and her father is a city manager for what its worth.

More importantly, would you classify your wife as a Democrat?

[GoPackGo]

Did you even read it? My wife has a PHD and her father is a city manager for what its worth.

More importantly, would you classify your wife as a Democrat?

yes

[HarveyWallbangers]

More importantly, would you classify your wife as a Democrat?

yes

I respect the honesty.

[hoosier]

Keep in mind that political affiliations at the local level are not always in line with political affiliations at a national level. In DC, for instance, two of the most progressive city council members run as Republicans. It's true, of course, that Republican mayors tend to run on pro-business platforms, but you can't just equate a Democratic or Republican mayor with national party objectives either.

[Partial]

The fact that something like 85-90% of those who haven't graduated high school support democrats tells me everything that I need to know.