The Have’s and the Have Not’s

While on vacation near West Palm Beach, Florida, I was struck at the wealth that was all around me. From the oceanfront mansions in Palm Beach, the sleek yachts docked on the Intracoastal Waterway and the dozens of gated communities from Jupiter to Boca Raton.

According to the U.S. Census Bureaus, median income for a household in the city is $36,774, and the median income for a family is $42,074. These figures represent the full time residents and most likely, not the world traveling millionaires that are sprinkled about the gated communities.

In contrast, I traveled though the town of Pahokee on my way to see Lake Okeechobee. Pahokee is a city located on the shore of Lake Okeechobee in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Rather than seeing palm tree lined streets and well manicured lawns, I encountered poverty; visible poverty that caused me to pause and say “Can people really live in there?” The per capita income for the city is $10,346. 32.0% of the population and 29.4% of families are below the poverty line. http://www.pahokeeflorida.com/local/cityinfo.html

I was taken aback at the dichotomy in the varying degrees of financial ability in two towns that are just 40 miles apart. . .