Actually, the whole "Poor People Make Poor Decisions" is exactly what we collectively need to look at. People in every financial class make poor decisions, but when you are already walking a fine line, a couple poor decisions can spiral you out of control and sentence you to a lifetime of poverty. Throw in a dose of ignorance, so you don't even know the decision is bad, and the situation escalates into generational poverty. So, why do people make poor decisions and what tools can help people make better decisions in a tough situation?
It's perfectly okay to point out a bad decision made by a relatively middle class person, but it's not PC to point out the same bad decision made by a poor person? Give me a break. As for our case (which I know does not mirror that of every single poor person), we had a couple of things out of our control happen, then we made a lot of bad decisions. Bam! Suddenly it was a choice between food or a roof over our heads. We went without heat one winter, and there were several weeks in there without electricity and phones. The bad fortune would have set us back, but the bad decisions were what hurt us for the longest time. Fortunately, we were educated enough to recognize our bad decisions and recover, and eventually thrive, but a lot of people in the poverty cycle aren't.
We as a society need to drop the touchy-feely, it ain't your fault crap. All it does is breed victims of poverty. Instead, people need to know that yes, some of the fault does lie with them, but that's a good thing. It means they can recover, it means things can improve, it empowers people so they can make their lives at least a little bit better.
I spent a lot of time in the so-called ghetto surrounded by others in poverty. Some you would never know they were poor. They made good decisions and lived very mustachian lives in many ways. Sure, they weren't making enough to retire early, but they were able to live an enjoyable, comfortable life within their meager means. Others weren't faring as well, mainly because they didn't know how so they instantly blew what little they had, then compounded it with more bad decisions. Educating people first, giving them a hand up second, could work wonders. I don't know how to do it, but it needs done in a respectable, caring manner if the cycle is ever to be broken. The source of the problem needs cured, even as we treat the symptoms with food stamps and other programs.