Poor, poor us

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, nearly 1-in-4 children in San Joaquin Valley are living below the poverty rate.

More than 22 percent of our kids and almost 17 percent of all county residents are below the federal poverty line. And if you know anything about the "poverty line," you know that it's a bargain basement measure of poverty, and plenty of folks living above that income level still can't make ends meet.

The federal definition of poverty is an annual income of $22,025 for a family of four.

That's for the whole country, mind you. So in a state like California, where the cost of living is a little more expensive than say, West Virginia or Alabama, it's hardly an accurate measure of poverty.

Translation: If you think the "official" numbers on poverty are bad, the reality is even worse.