The following are facts about persons defined as “poor” by the
Census Bureau as taken from various government reports: 80
percent of poor households have air conditioning. In 1970, only
36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air
conditioning. 92 percent of poor households have a microwave.
Nearly three-fourths have a car or truck, and 31 percent have
two or more cars or trucks. Nearly two-thirds have cable or
satellite TV. Two-thirds have at least one DVD player, and 70
percent have a VCR. Half have a personal computer, and one in
seven have two or more computers. More than half of poor
families with children have a video game system, such as an Xbox
or PlayStation. 43 percent have Internet access. One-third have
a wide-screen plasma or LCD TV. One-fourth have a digital video
recorder system, such as a TiVo. For decades, the living
conditions of the poor have steadily improved. Consumer items
that were luxuries or significant purchases for the middle class
a few decades ago have become commonplace i