Your story "In hard times, Americans blame the poor" on Monday shines a light on what may be America's downfall—its tendency to point fingers rather than looking for solutions.

While society may continue to argue about how "the poor" became poor, the implications of poverty on society continue to wreak havoc on future generations. A 2007 study estimated that the effects of childhood poverty cost the U.S. economy $500 billion annually, including decreased worker productivity, increased health costs, and the rising costs of crime. There is no magic bullet, but a significant investment in poverty-reduction measures, such as the provision of nutritious school meals, job training, and living wages, would help to ensure a healthy economy in the decades to come. Poverty may be big business for the few, but it's bad business for us all.

Carey Morgan
Executive director
Greater Philadelphia Coalition Against Hunger
Philadelphia