re: So what's the deal with Athens, Ohio? Why is it so poor?

The poverty in SE Ohio and Eastern Ky is among the worst in the country. 12’ x 12’ cabins with a single lightbulb and a wood burning stove/heater. Outhouse and no running water. People with a 6th gr education then off to work the tobacco fields or farms. Coal or manufacturing jobs for the select few. I don’t know what the answer is to the poverty stricken is but it was always puzzling when groups were asking for foreign aid when it was needed so much here