The inauguration of a new president is a typically a time of great hope, and this year is certainly no exception. But the advent of the Obama administration offers residents of New York and other city-dwellers special grounds for optimism: that the period of years, if not decades, when the federal government all but turned its back on the needs of…

Despite claims that benefits for the needy have not been reduced, the Reagan Administration's final budget for fiscal year 1990 is marked by substantial reductions in programs for the poor. Actual spending for low-income programs would be sliced $6.75 billion below current levels. Medicaid, which provides health care coverage for poor families…

This report tells the stories of dozens of low-income families from all parts of Kentucky. It is a personal report, compiled after 4 months of travel and interviews. The report also makes recommendations for improvements in programs designed to serve impoverished families. The introduction discusses the seeming paradoxes of poverty and generosity,…