As thousands of people remain unable to leave the Burning Man festival in the Nevada desert after heavy rains inundated their campsites with ankle-deep mud Saturday, authorities say they are investigating a death at the event.
Attendees were told to shelter in place in the Black Rock Desert and conserve food, water and fuel after a rainstorm swamped the area, forcing officials to halt any entering or leaving of the festival.
The remote area in northwest Nevada was hit with 2 to 3 months worth of rain – up to 0.8 inches – in just 24 hours between Friday and Saturday mornings. The heavy rainfall fell on dry desert grounds, whipping up thick, clay-like mud that festivalgoers say is too difficult to walk or bike through.
“Poverty” means not having enough money to meet basic needs. “Cost of living” is defined as the minimum money needed to meet basic needs. It’s not just relevant to the discussion, it is the discussion.
Someone living in Idaho can own a house on $70k. Someone living in NYC is homeless on $70k.
If the local average is four times lower than the cost of living in a local area, the people making three times the local average are still feeling the effects of poverty. It’s not a competition to see who is “more poor,” it’s a fight for a living wage regardless of where you live.
It’s not a complicated concept.