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EDINBURG, Texas - Research shows that when a community has policies and investments to help those in poverty, it not only helps those in need, but it also helps government and ultimately the taxpayer.

So said Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez at a recent Prosperity Task Force meeting, held at Hidalgo County Commissioners Court. Cortez set up the task force to tackle his county\u2019s high rate of poverty.\xa0

\u201cAccording to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics\u2026 our poverty rate is 29 percent. We think they're wrong. We think that amount is really too low,\u201d Cortez told members of the the task force, in his opening remarks.

Cortez proceeded to give evidence that suggests the bureau\u2019s numbers are low.

\u201cWe rely on evidence not subjective belief to tell us that we're more likely right than wrong. What is that evidence? Thirty three percent of our people are receiving public assistance. Forty six percent of the people that are working in Hidalgo County are earning low wages, below poverty. Only 32 percent of the people that live in Hidalgo County have access to health insurance,\u201d Cortez said.

Cortez continued to rattle off the statistics.

\u201cAnother alarming statistic is that according to reports by Co-Step, 8.89 percent of boys and girls between the ages of 16 and 19 are classified as disconnected. Meaning that they're neither working or going to school. So what is the next natural progression of that group of people? They're going to have babies, okay. So, the cycle of poverty continues.\u201d

Cortez said 37 percent of children in Hidalgo County are food insecure. \u201cThat number was 2020. In 2018, it was 27 percent. It is pretty alarming when you go from 27 to 37 in two years.\u201d

Cortez said if one speaks with school superintendents they will tell you that 75 to 80 percent of school children qualify for free meals or reduced meals. \u201cSo that is also an indication that that 29 percent is really, possibly, too low.\u201d

Cortez painted a grim picture: \u201cSo many of our people are unable to afford really basic necessities, which results in homelessness, hunger, they have health issues, and sometimes unfortunately, even revert to crime.\u201d

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