A ground-level look at poverty

On Thursday the Census Bureau will release detailed local statistics for income, a follow-up to last week's dismal national snapshot. That showed a jump for those at the poverty level to 15.1 percent from 14.3 percent -- or put another way, 46.2 million more people now have an income of $22,113 or less for a family of four.

The results of the 2010 American Community Survey will be broken down by county, city and town, as well as congressional district. This socioeconomic data is not only the basis for federal funding, but guides Long Island officials and policy-makers who deal with the real-life consequences of unemployment and shrinking paychecks. The rest of us should note that these numbers all have faces -- those in our community who are struggling in these difficult economic times.