this seems to indicate that the number of people living in poverty is right about average since records started being kept... actually much better than it was in the 60s.
http://www.census.gov/hhes/poverty/h.../hstpov13.html
i think the biggest change is what people consider an "living wage" to be. what do you all mean when you say "living wage"? personally, i don't think a living wage
necessarily includes home ownership or the ability to pay for a college education.
irateplatypus' working definition for a living wage: enough money to...
1) cloth yourself and all dependents modestly.
2) have 3 meals a day cooked at home.
3) pay heating and electricity bills.
4) have a living space big enough so that no more than 2 people live in a single room.
5) drive a safe vehicle
6) meet all those needs and still be able to save 10% of income or use as discretionary spending.
i think it's the government's responsibility (and sometimes that means getting the hell out of the way) to make "living wage" fit under something like those criteria.