Dickey, my wife has been involved with early education all her life. She's run & directed non profit & now for profit programs. Bush's pet program is Head Start & he capped funding maybe 4 yrs ago. What that means is that they didn't get a decrease in money but the line item was limited. Therefore no rise in prices, wages, facilitiaties upkeep & maintenance, food increases & an increase in children will be met. The kids lose. Getting to the kids at pre school age is paramount. And as far as the food it takes a hit even though as much as one would want it to be the last item to suffer it does. So I don't need to ask them, I hear it from her, her workmates at social gathering where she talks shop with other professionals in the industry at family get togethers, she is one of six siblings all are somehow involved with the poor (her brother works as a Gov. advocate for the poor his wife is a minister, 1 sister works for the UN helping to head up it's AIDS program in Africa, 1 sister works as an attorney for battered women's shelters 1 sister also works in early education & 1 sister is a teacher (25yrs) in the Mission District of San Francisco) so who do I need to ask?
It not just what Dianavan says either, it's not that easy to say it's one problem, it's a multi facet problem of what Janie & Bobert are saying too & more. There is no pride in being poor, it is not a badge to be worn lightly but non the less it is worn & seen & in this nation they are treated as 3 world, 4th class citizens, they are ashamed, taken advantage of, humiliated, preyed upon by the government, finical & educational instutions, hospitals, courts of law, free markets, the housing industries & the list goes on. One topic that hasn't been much talked about here is perception of the poor & the attitude of the general public's view of them & their own attitude & view of themselves, that also plays a part in why the poor stay poor.
All this also needs attention if the "war on poverty" is even gonna be considered, which in my opinion hasn't even been given lip service never mind considered.

Barry