Poor figuring.(Between The Lines)

ITEM: The August 28 Chicago Tribune reported: "The political responses were just what you'd expect in the heat of a presidential campaign. They started within minutes of ... Census Bureau reports showing that the number of Americans living in poverty and the ranks of the uninsured rose in 2003. Democratic nominee John Kerry pounced, saying the figures show how the policies of President Bush have failed to support everyday Americans. 'Under George Bush's watch,' he intoned, 'America 's families are falling further be hind.' Bush supporters noted [the] report reflected none of the economy's progress in 2004. Any blame for the health-insurance crisis, they said, should fall mostly on Congress for resisting some of the president's legislative agenda."

BETWEEN THE LINES: This finger-pointing exchange ignores, among other points, historical context and how poverty is measured. Its premises are also flawed: Where is the constitutional authorization for Washington to dictate levels of income or insurance participation? Yet, both major parties and the mass media still contend that the government can spend everyone out of poverty, despite expenditures of almost $9 trillion (in 2003 dollars) during the last 40 years.

Meanwhile, government poverty statistics ignore non-monetary benefits, including food stamps, the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), Medicaid, Medicare ...