In the Journal News article “Poverty down, income inequality up in Lower Hudson Valley”, of August 27, 2008, Dwight R. Worley reported :
Westchester County has the highest level of income inequality anywhere in the state outside of Manhattan, according to new census estimates released yesterday.
Ironic, Westchester is one of the wealthiest counties in the United States yet has the second largest income gap in the state of New York. Since there has been such a focus on diversity, is this what Diversity should look like?
Also in the same article:
William Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution, said education doesn’t account for all of the differences between races.
“When you control for education, there are still some disparities,” he said. “Education means a lot, but I think the figures show as we improve the educational opportunities for minorities, they can certainly move themselves up the ladder.”
The vicious cycle of poverty and under achievement has a negative impact on everybody. Simply stated, those who can pay inevitably pay for those who do not have the means to pay. Those who are unable to pay will continue not being able to pay. Part of the solution is the levelling the playing field in education to make it possible for everybody to have the ability to pay.