As someone whose income relies heavily on work related to the arts, I have certainly felt the impact of the current recession. This fact is no surprise, even to me, as it does not take a sophisticated understanding of the subtleties of economics to realize that when a nation is strapped for cash, cultural luxuries (music, visual arts, etc.) are the first spending casualties.
It is probable that my involvement in this financially tenuous field plays a part in my interest in news items regarding the recession and the ensuing political debate over the appropriate level of government intervention. I found this September 16, 2010 article posted on NPR’s website, and titled: “Poverty Rise Stirs Debate Over Aid Programs” to be clear and informative about those who have been hit the hardest in the economic crisis. This piece begins by stating the alarming fact that poverty in America is now at a 50-year high, but, also hypothesizes that these grim conditions could be even worse in the absence of government aid. It continues by pointing out that the amount of money the government dedicates to programs which assist "poor" Americans is a key debate in the upcoming congressional elections (Republicans argue that Obama is wasting government funds by continuing to sink money into programs that do not appear to be working.) After reading this article, with its representation of the facts about the increasing problem of destitute Americans and the varying concepts of how to fix it, I feel inspired toward further research of my own.
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