Is The Mayor Finally Declaring War On Poverty?

In today's New York Post, Michael Goodwin wrote an article that suggests that Mayor Bloomberg's next crusade, after smoking, sugared sodas, and teacher tenure will be a war on poverty.  Yes poverty, and in particular, the majority of women in the City that have children out of wedlock, in other words lacking fathers.  According to the article an astonishing 70% of the women in the Bronx bring up their children without a father in the household and in New York State an equally disappointing 66% of Black children are raised by only one parent.and the number is approximately 80% in New York City!  Moreover, the City's poverty rate has risen yet again to 20.9% from 18.4% in 2008. Yet the Mayor has time and again blamed teachers for failing to educate children in high poverty communities.

In addition, with the issuance of an EBT debit card, it makes it easier to misuse it.. The EBT debit card supplies poor families with cash and food stamp benefits.  However,  a study has shown that some of the recipients have been using the EBT debit card for things like Gambling, Strip Clubs, Bars, and  Porn stores.  Is it any wonder that many of the children who live with single mothers get no financial support from their biological fathers?  This assumes that the mothers actually use the EBT card appropriately themselves. an optimistic assumption indeed..

I have posted articles on the lack of fathers in the household before and you can find them Here, Here, and Here. In addition here are some other disturbing statistics dealing with fatherless homes.

    * 63 percent of youth suicides are from fatherless homes
    * 90 percent of all homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes
    * 85 percent of all children who show behavior disorders come from fatherless homes
    * 80 percent of rapists with anger problems come from fatherless homes
    * 71 percent of all high school dropouts come from fatherless homes
    * 75 percent of all adolescent patients in chemical-abuse centers come from fatherless homes
    * 85 percent of all youths in prison come from fatherless homes

It appears the Mayor, who has for years failed to acknowledge that poverty and lack of farther responsibility is the cause for poor student outcomes, is now facing reality that poverty and lack of fathers is a primary cause of poor student academic achievement  Too bad the Mayor came to this conclusion has come much to late for his educational legacy, which is a disaster and will be known more for closing schools and approving Charter schools than any real academic achievement. Maybe had he declared war on poverty in his first term, the schools would show a narrowing of the income/racial student academic achievement gap and more successful student outcomes and he could have proudly claimed to be the "education Mayor".