Why can't we fix poverty and homelessness?

First, I am NOT bringing this up to trash anyone. All voting Americans let this happen. Below the sad figures are not something to be proud of.

Americans have always had a problem with homelessness and poverty (at least since I was born). These problems are exacerbated in urban areas and increased exponentially under Ronald Reagan (whatever you think of him) when his administration closed national and state mental hospitals. This process was first tested when he was governor or California and lead to huge problems for working people.

Under his terms as President, he took this program nationally, leading to a class of homeless people with mental problems that should, rightfully, be in an institution or group home. People that are almost impossible to integrate into our society as it is and was.

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At the same time, his (and subsequent) administrations began to cut programs for poverty. He was the first to talk of "Welfare Queens" that ride their Cadillacs to buy steaks with OUR money. Regardless of the truth of this (surprise, it wasn't true), American cut support (both money and food) to the poor - while simultaneously turning mentally impaired people onto the street. 

Remember, Israel's number include Palestinians.

Most Americans didn't care because Reagan also lowered taxes. Those most effected, the poor, the homeless and children in poverty, can't vote. Once politicians found this was a winning recipe, it was repeated by Bush 1, Clinton, Bush 2 and Trump (Obama did NOT follow this plan). Americans were told this was an unfixable problem because the poor wouldn't work.

NOTE: This was created for a British Magazine, the United Staes is there at the bottom.

Ad so, by 2000 we became inured to the homeless. 

By 2019, cuts t hospitals and mental facilities meant we also had almost highest rate of children in poverty in first world countries. We have the highest rate of black women dying in child birth of many countries, even more than Mexico and Uzbekistan.

And then came Covid. And America passed 4 covid support bills totaling $2.5 trillion. Much of this was sucked up by business, graft and Trump's friends. But a significant made it to regular Americans. This is about the same that we spent in Afghanistan. With that money:

• Child poverty was massively reduced
• Poverty in America was reduced.
• Homelessness was blunted

So it is possible to fix our problems if we had the political will to do it.

But it costs money, and legislatures won't pass that because if you pass higher taxes then you get voted out. So America and Americans remain committed to wealth for the rich and cuts for the least able to afford it. And a willingness to ignore the problems of the poor and homeless.