"You cant solve a problem until you can measure it." This statement by Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan is the basis of the federal poverty measure in New York. New Yorks major Michael Bloomberg has suggested an alternative for measuring poverty, which doesn’t measure the income based on food spending, but also on shelter, utilities, and clothing. This measurement is more exact since the average household spending on housing has increased to 30%, while the spending on food has decreased from 1/3 to 1/8 of the household spending. With this new measurement, the poverty line in New York has decreased, although the amount of working poor has increased. New York's boldness has been praised and has inspired Congress and other states to follow New York's poverty measurement.
The Big Apple gets poorer
Jul 17th 2008 NEW YORK
From The Economist print edition
The federal definition of poverty is challenged by local government
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