i'll tell you why you're being downvoted, it's because your reading comprehension is subpar and you don't have a grip on reality with your hyperbolic claims.

20k for a 3-person household is a lot different than an individual earning under 20k which is where your numbers come from. in fact it's about 200% different.

39% or 125 million americans do not live in poverty.

the real number is still shitty, but it's not nearly half, it's closer to 20%, or in statistical terms the bottom quintile, which is pretty much what you would expect given the nature of the US economy/politics.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/10/16/news/economy/48-million-amer...