LETTER: Why poverty persists

Letter to the Editor: Why Poverty Persists Philip Palmintere Henderson submitted a letter to the editor on September 26, 2026, at 9:00 p.m., responding to a recent editorial on the War on Poverty. The letter is reproduced below in full. > Your caller editorial connected the nonaccomplishment of the War connected Poverty (Sept. 21) is lone partially close erstwhile it correctly observes poorness is the effect of idiosyncratic choices alternatively than nine oppression. > > You miss 2 important things. First, the War connected Poverty employs countless millions of authorities bureaucrats, employees, nonprofits, and contractors astatine the federal, authorities and section level. Each and each 1 of those employees receives a paycheck that puts nutrient connected their tables, apparel connected their backs, and roofs implicit their heads. That is, their livelihoods beryllium connected never, ever winning the War connected Poverty. The aforesaid is existent for the War connected Drugs, the War connected Crime and the War connected Homelessness. From the constituent of presumption of the employee, winning specified a warfare means they would suffer their jobs. Why termination the goose that lays the aureate egg? > > Second, adjacent mediocre radical marque immoderate rational choices. They take to beryllium connected the nationalist dole due to the fact that it pays truthful well. Why enactment erstwhile determination are astir 100 authorities programs that supply food, housing, transpiration and different handouts to people? For example, nutrient stamps are expected to beryllium a helping manus — but immoderate 38 cardinal to 42 cardinal radical cod them. That isn’t a helping manus to idiosyncratic down connected their luck; it is simply a learned voluntary manner of choosing to beryllium connected the nationalist dole. The letter maintains that poverty persists because government programs create employment for millions and because many individuals voluntarily rely on assistance rather than seeking work. No additional commentary or contact information is included.