Jason Chaffetz famously stated a few years ago that poor people are poor because they make bad choices like spending money on cell phones! So if only the working poor would make better choices, this problem would go away!

when I never did only 10 years ago. I know the poverty level in CA is different due to the cost of living here. 18+% live in poverty in CA currently.

"This has made California the most expensive state — with a median home value of $550,000, about double that of the nation — and created a growing supply of three-hour “super commuters.” And while it has some of the highest wages in the country, it also has the highest poverty rate based on its cost of living, an average of 18.1 percent from 2016 to 2018. That helps explain why the state has lost more than a million residents to other states since 2006, and why the population growth rate for the year that ended July 1 was the lowest since 1900."

https://www.democraticunderground.com/104022232

...those same menial jobs noted in the article. Food/produce stockers, cashiers, door checkers, light maintenance workers and the like. The few I had the nerve to ask did state they had to work for the usual variety of reasons (health costs, food, rent, etc.) and they had no end in sight for any form of retirement.

Some likely made poor choices in life that caused them to not have any retriement funds. But I'll venture the vast majority did nothing wrong but suffered a host of setbacks (good job termination at age 50 which many firms do today, poor health, the loss on one income with a partner losing their job or doing so due to poor health, etc.). What's worse IMO is that many much younger folks never really made good money, have zero disposable income after the necessities are paid and can't afford to fund any savings. Those low unemployment numbers do hide the fact that so many jobs today are low pay (that $10/hr number is actually high in my estimation as cash-paid farm workers aren't in the survey I'll bet) that can't even support a minimalist life style.

So let’s do something about it Democrat’s. GOTV. Kick ass in 2020 and beyond!