Poverty In Philadelphia Essay

630 Words3 Pages

Philadelphia (The City of Brotherly Love) Philadelphia is one of the oldest cities in the United States, and at one time, it was also one of the largest cities in the country. Established by William Penn on October 27, 1682 in the English Crown Province, the city is located between the Delaware and Schuylkill Rivers. Visitors to Philadelphia will find multiple historical sites to explore including the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Museum of the American Revolution. Though Philadelphia is beautiful, its “deep-poverty rate is 12.9 percent, or around 200,000 people” (“News”). In fact, with a poverty rate of 25.8 percent, Philadelphia has the highest poverty rate of any of the country’s largest cities, and some neighborhoods are as …show more content…

Both the violence and poverty rates are going up. Being poor is not easy, “Rebecca Vallas, work with mostly poor clients for Community Legal Services”. She said that “being poor in Philadelphia is "hard work"” (“Bunch”). Likewise, there is always a bright side. People in poverty can be extremely hard workers and resourceful (“Bunch”). The problem is getting out of this situation and there is no simple solution, or it would have been done already.
Many believe that Philadelphia needs a makeover of its “antiquated tax structure…which relies heavily on wage and business taxes and less on property taxes” (“Romero”). Bringing the wage tax down from 3.92 percent to three percent in the city might help the residents cope better and get out of poverty (“Romero”).
Some would say more programs and money handouts are needed to get the city out of poverty. Instead of frivolous spending on programs and free handouts, however, incentives are needed to motivate and help others get a job. Single parenthood is detrimental to an economy. Strengthening families through educational choice and support systems, teaching new job skills, and offering the citizens a suitable education and job opportunities will help them earn a living and move out of