POLITICAL-ECONOMY OF URBAN POVERTY IN THE 21ST-CENTURY - HOW PROGRESSAND PUBLIC-POLICY GENERATE RISING POVERTY

Living costs in urban areas are held down by the presence of low-wage service industries that draw heavily upon a ghetto labor force. The lo w wages paid to ghetto residents are embedded in the prices of service s the entire community relies on, but the urban labor aristocracy bene fits disproportionately. Often lacking time to cook their own meals, r aise their children, and clean their households, professionals and man agers rely heavily upon services forthcoming from the low-wage sector. Declining wages and increasing deregulation may increase poverty, but they raise living standards among the elite by holding down the cost of the bundle of services that supports their affluent lifestyle. Rebe llion from below is called to redress this repressive status quo.