By Greg Bordonaro September 10, 2018
The United Ways of Connecticut recently released their third annual ALICE report, which revealed 40 percent of households in our state have incomes that fall below what is needed to pay for basic necessities.
The number is startling in many respects but also not totally surprising. Most people understand that Connecticut is an expensive state. In fact, the United Ways report concluded that a household of four, including one infant and a toddler, must earn nearly $78,000 a year to afford basic necessities, including housing, food, child and health care, technology and transportation.
That’s a large number in a state where the median household income is $73,433.
The United Ways should be commended for putting a spotlight on the growing financial challenges of Connecticut families. But a more pressing question in my mind is what does the report hope to achieve? There are many studies that highlight the growing income inequality in this country but few propose realistic solutions to the problem. And new government programs and spending can’t be the only answers, particularly amid Connecticut’s fiscal challenges.
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