MLK transit union says that good transit is civil rights weapon in war on poverty

[John WR]

Robert K. Merton, a sociologist, discovered The Matthew Effect to explain why poor people tend to stay poor.

"For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath."

--Matthew 25:29.

[Bonaventure10]

They say it better then I can-Bonaventure10

Good Public Transportation can help bridge gaps in social and economic mobility
Poverty is huge in Milwaukee and many poor families do not have access to an automobile. According to the 2000 US Census, there are 29,386 families living in poverty in the Milwaukee area, 81% of them live within the city of Milwaukee. Over 36% of those families do not have access to an automobile. In many of the cities poorest census tracts, over 45% of households do not have access to an automobile.

The majority of new jobs are located in the suburbs, out of the reach of inner city residents who rely on the bus. According to a 2004 report from the UWM Center for Economic Development, only 40.4% of businesses with a “strong hiring projection for entry level workers” are within a one hour bus commute of residents of Milwaukee’s Walnut-Hill neighborhood near the center of Milwaukee’s inner city. According to the report, this number falls to 32.4% for Milwaukee’s Near South Side. This means that almost 70% of all entry level jobs in the Milwaukee area cannot be reached within an hour for many South Side residents without a car!