The Poorest Place in the U.S. ....Not Like the Beans

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/04/21/morning-buzz-poorest-place-in-the-u-s/?scp=1&sq=severe%20poverty%20in%20US&st=cse

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/sep/05/ground-zero-civil-liberties-paul-harris

These little blurbs summarize the conditions of the poorest place in America, Kiryas Joel, NY.  Unlike the unfamiliar and disturbing lifestyle of the Beans the peoples of this area are not the picture of poverty.  They live in fairly nice apartments in the suburb of Orange County, NY.  However, 70 percent of the village's income falls below the poverty threshold.  What does differentiate their population from what we consider normal are the beliefs they practice, a large portion of the community are practicing Ultra-Orthodox Satmar Hasidic Jews.  Their lifestyle entails marrying at a very young age and producing large families as a result of birth control being banned.  Although it is depressing that so many people in one place live below the poverty threshold, it is a breath of fresh air to see an impoverished community that contrasts so heavily with the construction of the Beans.  The crime rate is non-existent in this village, suggesting little violence or immoral conduct, and the lack of wealth is not apparent in their style of dress or cleanliness.  It is important to remember that being poor does not necessarily mean a community is degenerate, and the town of Kiryas Joel provides an excellent example of the respectability of a group despite their minimal income.