PolitiFact.com
Statements about Poverty
David Dewhurst

David Dewhurst

True

But how many three putts?

Says Barack Obama has played over 90 rounds of golf as president.

Marcy Kaptur

Marcy Kaptur

True

Any way you look at it, women fare worse

"The poorest in this country are women."

Shaun Donovan

Shaun Donovan

Mostly True

Figure is dated but still on target

"It costs about $40,000 a year for a homeless person to be on the streets."

Wayne DeAngelo

Wayne DeAngelo

True

Not enough for a family of 2

"If we keep the minimum wage at the current level, then single-parent families earning the minimum wage at a full-time job will live in poverty in New Jersey."

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum

False

Veterans pensions, workers' comp were among programs in place then

"When my grandfather came to this country back in 1925, there were no government benefits."  

National Republican Congressional Committee

National Republican Congressional Committee

Half-True

Numbers are right, but lots more to blame than just Obama

"Since President Obama took full control of Washington," every day, 13,000 more people "have been put on food stamps."

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum

False

Mum on marriage?

Says an Obama administration policy prohibits people who work with at-risk youth from promoting marriage as a way to avoid poverty.

Rick Santorum

Rick Santorum

Half-True

Economy was a big factor too

As a result of welfare reform, "poverty levels went down to the lowest level ever for ... African-American children."

Matt Wingard

Matt Wingard

Half-True

Number's right, meaning's relative

"Oregon’s per capita income is 9 percent below the national average and getting worse. This is a state that’s actually getting poorer."

Anne Nolan

Anne Nolan

Mostly True

Lots of charities, falling donations

"We have one of the highest percentages per capita of nonprofits in this state of any state in the union."

Theresa Price

Theresa Price

False

Fallacious foreclosure factoid

"Rhode Island is leading our nation in foreclosures."

Boyd Richie

Boyd Richie

True

That was the headline of his article

Says King Street Patriots held a fundraiser featuring an author who believes that registering the poor to vote is un-American.

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney

Mostly False

Loosen law? Yes. Get rid of it? No.

"Speaker Gingrich has said that we ought to get rid of our child labor laws."

Chris Bowers

Chris Bowers

False

Plan was dropped months ago

Says Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker is making voting more difficult by closing Department of Motor Vehicles offices where "low-income voters" live.

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich

Pants on Fire!

Wrong in so many ways

People can use food stamps "for anything," including "to go to Hawaii," and even millionaires can qualify.

Lisa Baldelli-Hunt

Lisa Baldelli-Hunt

Pants on Fire!

We're not THAT poor

"Eighty-five percent . . . of Rhode Island tax returns that were filed for the year 2010 . . . were from individuals who earned $30,000 or less."

Republican National Committee

Republican National Committee

Half-True

The manufacturing jobs statistic leaves out key context

In Pennsylvania, President Barack Obama’s policies have increased unemployment 19 percent, led to the loss of 37,900 manufacturing jobs, and left 189,000 more people in poverty.

John Stemberger

John Stemberger

Mostly False

Don't bet on it

The largest number of gamblers are "from the poorest segments of the population."  

Marcia Fudge

Marcia Fudge

Mostly True

She's more than half right

"More than half of the people on food stamps today are children."

Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich

Half-True

It's the second highest in four decades, at least

Under President Barack Obama, "more Americans are in poverty ... than at any time since the Census Bureau began keeping records on it over 50 years ago."

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