>> Sreenivasan: POVERTY IN

AMERICA IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM,

BUT THE EXTENT OF THE ISSUE HAS

SELDOM BEEN BROUGHT TO THE

ATTENTION OF THE ENTIRE WORLD.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED

RECENTLY WHEN THE UNITED

NATIONS' SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR TOOK

A TOUR OF SOME OF AMERICA'S

POOREST PLACES AND REPORTED BACK

ABOUT WHAT HE FOUND.

NEWSHOUR WEEKEND SPECIAL

CORRESPONDENT SIMON OSTROVSKY

HAS OUR STORY, WHICH WAS

SUPPORTED IN PART BY A GRANT

FROM THE PULITZER CENTER ON

CRISIS REPORTING.

THIS REPORT IS PART OF OUR

ONGOING SERIES ABOUT POVERTY AND

OPPORTUNITY IN AMERICA, "CHASING

THE DREAM."

>> THIS IS PHILIP

ALSTON, THE UNITED NATIONS POINT

MAN ON POVERTY.

HIS JOB USUALLY INVOLVES

VISITING THE WORLD'S LEAST

DEVELOPED COUNTRIES.

BUT EARLIER THIS MONTH, ALSTON

FLIPPED THE SCRIPT.

>> MY REPORT DEMONSTRATES THAT

GROWING INEQUALITY AND

WIDESPREAD POVERTY, WHICH

AFFLICTS ALMOST ONE CHILD OUT OF

EVERY FIVE, HAS DEEPLY NEGATIVE

IMPLICATIONS FOR THE ENJOYMENT

OF CIVIL AND POLITICAL RIGHTS.

>> Reporter: THE COUNTRY HE'S

TALKING ABOUT MIGHT NOT BE WHAT

YOU'’D EXPECT.

IT'S THE UNITED STATES OF

AMERICA.

AND HIS CRITICISM MADE TO THE

UNITED NATIONS COUNCIL ON HUMAN

RIGHTS GOES MUCH, MUCH FURTHER.

>> THE UNITED STATES HAS THE

HIGHEST INCOME INEQUALITY IN THE

WESTERN WORLD, AND THIS CAN ONLY

BE MADE WORSE BY THE MASSIVE NEW

TAX CUTS OVERWHELMINGLY

BENEFITING THE WEALTHY.

>> Reporter: JUST DAYS BEFORE

ALSTON DELIVERED HIS REPORT, THE

UNITED STATES HAD PULLED OUT OF

THE U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL,

CLAIMING IT WAS STACKED AGAINST

U.S. ALLY ISRAEL AND REFUSED TO

BE REFORMED.

>> FOR TOO LONG, THE HUMAN

RIGHTS COUNCIL HAS BEEN A

PROTECTOR OF HUMAN RIGHTS

ABUSERS AND A CESSPOOL OF

POLITICAL BIAS.

>> Reporter: AMERICAN AMBASSADOR

TO THE U.N. NIKKI HALEY REACTED

TO ALSTON'S REPORT WITH A

STRONGLY WORDED LETTER, CALLING

THE REPORT, "MISLEADING,"

"POLITICALLY MOTIVATED" AND

"BIASED."

SHE SAID IT WAS "PATENTLY

RIDICULOUS" FOR THE U.N. EVEN TO

EXAMINE POVERTY IN "THE

WEALTHIEST AND FREEST COUNTRY IN

THE WORLD."

BUT ALSTON'S REPORT TO THE U.N.

NOT ONLY IMPLIED THAT U.S.

POLICIES TOWARDS POVERTY IGNORED

HUMAN RIGHTS, BUT, AS A RESULT,

DEMOCRACY ITSELF IS BEING

STEADILY UNDERMINED.

HOW DID YOU CONCEIVE OF THE IDEA

TO COME TO THE UNITED STATES?

>> THE UNITED STATES HAS LONG

OPPOSED THE NOTION THAT THERE IS

ANY SUCH THING AS SOCIAL HUMAN

RIGHTS.

THE UNITED STATES HAS FOR

DECADES NOW STOOD UP AND SAID,

"NO, NO, NO, NO, THERE'S NO

RIGHT TO FOOD.

WE THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA IF

PEOPLE GET ACCESS TO FOOD, BUT

IT'’S NOT A HUMAN RIGHT."

>> Reporter: WHAT ALSTON DOES

WANT PEOPLE TO EMBRACE IS HIS

BELIEF THAT EXTREME POVERTY IS A

HUMAN RIGHTS ISSUE AND

GOVERNMENTS HAVE AN OBLIGATION

TO ALLEVIATE IT.

BUT THAT'’S A CONTROVERSIAL IDEA.

>> WELL, I THINK IT'S A

COMPLICATED QUESTION.

>> Reporter: KEITH HARPER WAS

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA'S LAST

AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N. HUMAN

RIGHTS COUNCIL.

>> I DON'T THINK I WOULD GO

FULLY ON BOARD WITH THE SPECIAL

RAPPORTEUR'’S POSITION.

HAVING SAID THAT, I THINK THE

WAY THESE PROBLEMS OFTEN

MANIFEST IN THE UNITED STATES

COULD BE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS

IF FOR EXAMPLE THEY'RE ROOTED IN

DISPARATE TREATMENT BETWEEN SAY

AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND... AND...

AND WHITE AMERICANS.

THEN, YOU HAVE A VIOLATION OF

THE CONVENTION ON RACIAL

DISCRIMINATION.

>> Reporter: DISPARATE TREATMENT

IS WHAT ALSTON SAYS HE FOUND.

>> I NOTE WITH REGRET THAT

UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR NIKKI

HALEY HAS CHARACTERIZED THIS

COUNCIL AS A CESSPOOL AND HAS

CHOSEN TO WITHDRAW FROM IT JUST

DAYS BEFORE MY PRESENTATION.

SPEAKING OF CESSPOOLS, MY REPORT

DRAWS ATTENTION TO THOSE I

WITNESSED IN ALABAMA.

>> Reporter: AS PART OF HIS

POVERTY TOUR, ALSTON VISITED

LOWNDES COUNTY, WHERE THE

HALCOMBES LIVE JUST YARDS AWAY

FROM THEIR TOWN'S WASTEWATER

LAGOON.

THE IRONY IS, THEIR ENTIRE

AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEIGHBORHOOD

ISN'T CONNECTED TO THE SEWER

SYSTEM THE LAGOON SERVES, AND

THEY RELY ON THEIR OWN FAULTY

SEPTIC TANK.

>> THERE ARE NO WHITE PEOPLE

HERE IN THIS PART ALL THE WAY

BACK TO 21.

IT'S ALL BLACK.

>> YOUR FRONT YARD LOOKS LIKE A

LAKE.

>> ( \BLEEP \).

IT LOOKED WORSE THAN THAT

YESTERDAY.

>> Reporter: WHEN IT RAINS, THE

REST OF THE TOWN'S WASTE BACKS

UP INTO THE HALCOMBES'’ YARD.

>> THEY NEED TO GET THAT SEWAGE

OUT THE LAWN HERE.

IT SHOULDN'T BE IN THIS

NEIGHBORHOOD.

>> Reporter: I HEAR THAT.

>> THIS IS SEWAGE, OKAY.

THAT MUST BE WHERE IT'S SEEPING

THROUGH THIS SEWAGE HERE.

>> Reporter: SO, IF YOU'RE

TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY THE

UNITED NATIONS FELT THAT THEY

HAD TO SEND SOMEBODY DOWN TO

ALABAMA, THIS IS THE REASON:

OPEN SEWAGE BUBBLING UP FROM THE

GROUND FROM A PIPE AND JUST

COMING AND FLOODING INTO

PEOPLE'’S YARDS.

THE AUTHORITIES IN ALABAMA

BROUGHT SEWAGE SYSTEMS TO

AFFLUENT, PRIMARILY WHITE

NEIGHBORHOODS DECADES AGO, BUT

ROUGHLY HALF OF THE HOMES IN

THIS MOSTLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN

COUNTY EITHER DON'T HAVE ANY

SEPTIC SYSTEM AT ALL OR THEIR

SYSTEMS ARE FAILING, ACCORDING

TO CATHERINE FLOWERS, A LOCAL

ACTIVIST WHO CONDUCTED A SURVEY

OF NEARLY 3,000 HOMES.

>> THESE ARE CLASSIC THIRD WORLD

CONDITIONS IN THE RICHEST

COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.

IT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE.

>> Reporter: AND OF THE 2,800

HOUSES THAT WERE SURVEYED, WHAT

PERCENTAGE HAD ADEQUATE SEWAGE

FACILITIES?

>> MOST OF THEM... AT LEAST 50%

OF THE PEOPLE THAT WE SURVEYED

HAD FAILING SYSTEMS OR NO

SYSTEMS AT ALL.

>> Reporter: WHAT'S IT LIKE

LIVING WITHOUT A SEPTIC TANK

SYSTEM?

>> IT'S BAD, AND I DON'T LIKE TO

SEE THIS, YOU KNOW, STUFF

RUNNING OUT ON THE GROUND LIKE

THIS.

>> Reporter: PAMELA RUSH IS ALSO

A RESIDENT HERE.

SO, HOW DOES IT WORK?

>> IT'S JUST A STRAIGHT PIPE

RUNNING OUT FROM THE HOUSE.

>> Reporter: HOW COME YOU DON'T

HAVE A SEPTIC TANK?

>> I COULD NEVER AFFORD A SEPTIC

TANK.

IT WAS LIKE THIS EVER SINCE I

BEEN HERE.

>> Reporter: OKAY.

HOW LONG HAS THAT BEEN?

>> OVER 20 YEARS.

>> Reporter: SO, THE GOVERNMENT

ACTUALLY DOESN'T CONSIDER IT ITS

RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE THE

INFRASTRUCTURE FOR GETTING RID

OF WASTE?

>> NO.

I MEAN, THEY WILL SAY, "LOOK,

WE'VE GOT LAWS ON THE BOOKS, AND

IF YOU HAVE A HOUSE, IT'S YOUR

RESPONSIBILITY."

BUT, OF COURSE, THE BOTTOM LINE

IS THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF

PEOPLE-- NOT JUST POOR PEOPLE,

ORDINARY PEOPLE-- WHO COULD

NEVER AFFORD A SANITATION

SYSTEM.

>> Reporter: ALABAMA'S CHIEF

HEALTH OFFICER, DR. SCOTT

HARRIS, TOLD US THE STATE HAS

NEVER CONDUCTED A SURVEY TO

ASSESS THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM.

HOW MANY HOUSEHOLDS WOULD YOU

SAY DON'T HAVE PROPER SEWAGE

FACILITIES?

>> FAR TOO MANY, ALTHOUGH WE

DON'’T HAVE GREAT DATA ON THAT.

WE HAVE MADE EFFORTS IN THE PAST

TO TRY TO COUNT THOSE NUMBERS,

BUT WE... WE DON'T HAVE A WAY

THAT WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE

COLLECTING ALL THAT INFORMATION.

IN LOWNDES COUNTY, FOR EXAMPLE,

WE THINK THOSE NUMBERS COULD BE,

YOU KNOW, MAYBE 20%, YOU KNOW,

OR... OR IT COULD BE

SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER OR IT MIGHT

BE LOWER.

BUT... BUT WE KNOW THAT IT'S A

SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF THE

POPULATION.

>> Reporter: WHEN WE INTERVIEWED

PHILIP ALSTON, HE TOLD US THAT

HE GOT THE SENSE THAT THE LOCAL

AUTHORITIES DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS

THEIR RESPONSIBILITY.

AND NOT ONLY THAT, THEY DIDN'T

KNOW HOW BIG AN ISSUE IT WAS

BECAUSE THEY'D NEVER CONDUCTED A

SURVEY.

>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT EVERY

PERSON THAT HE... THAT HE SPOKE

WITH, BUT CLEARLY IT'’S AN ISSUE.

WE'VE IDENTIFIED IT AS AN ISSUE,

AND WE'VE TRIED TO EDUCATE LOCAL

PEOPLE ON HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.

>> Reporter: DO YOU THINK

THERE'S A PROBLEM WHERE YOU SEE

THE BETTER OFF WHITE PART OF

TOWN BEING CONNECTED TO THE

SEWER SYSTEM, AND THE POOR,

WORSE OFF BLACK PART OF TOWN NOT

BEING CONNECTED TO THE SYSTEM

HERE IN LOWNDES COUNTY?

>> THERE'S A CLEAR RACIAL

DISPARITY HERE, THERE'S NO

QUESTION ABOUT IT.

I THINK PEOPLE WHO ARE

IMPOVERISHED OF ANY COLOR, BUT

PARTICULARLY AFRICAN-AMERICAN

PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPOVERISHED,

LACK THE SOCIAL CAPITAL TO BE

ABLE TO GET THEIR PROBLEMS

ADDRESSED.

THEY... THEY ARE UNABLE TO GET

GOVERNMENT TO ANSWER TO THEM IN

THE WAY THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE MORE

WELL OFF OR HAVE BETTER

CONNECTIONS CAN DO.

>> Reporter: WE ASKED NIKKI

HALEY'S SPOKESPERSON AT THE

MISSION TO THE U.N. TO SPEAK TO

NEWSHOUR WEEKEND ABOUT ALSTON'S

REPORT.

HE DIDN'T RESPOND TO CALLS AND

EMAILS.

NIKKI HALEY SAID IT'S PATENTLY

RIDICULOUS FOR THE UNITED

NATIONS TO BE REVIEWING POVERTY

IN A COUNTRY AS RICH AS THE

UNITED STATES.

DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT?

>> I DON'’T AGREE WITH THAT.

I THINK THAT COUNTRIES LIKE THE

UNITED STATES, WHERE WE HAVE

INCREDIBLE WEALTH, ARE PRECISELY

THE KINDS OF COUNTRIES WHERE IF

YOU DO HAVE POVERTY YOU WANT TO

FIND OUT ABOUT IT BECAUSE WE

HAVE THE RESOURCES TO ADDRESS

IT.

>> Reporter: IN THE CASE OF

ALABAMA, THE CHALLENGE OF

PROVIDING PROPER WASTE TREATMENT

TO ALL CITIZENS MAY FINALLY BE

GETTING ADDRESSED WITH PROPOSED

BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION.

IN PART, DUE TO THE ATTENTION

ALSTON'’S VISIT BROUGHT.

>> AND IN THIS DAY AND AGE,

EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO

QUALITY AFFORDABLE, WASTE WATER

SYSTEMS.

>> Reporter: ALONGSIDE

REPUBLICAN LEGISLATORS MIKE

ROGERS AND SHELLEY CAPITO,

DEMOCRATIC CONGRESSWOMAN TERRI

SEWELL AND DEMOCRATIC SENATORS

DOUG JONES AND CORY BOOKER HAVE

INTRODUCED BIPARTISAN BILLS IN

THE HOUSE AND SENATE THAT IF

PASSED WILL OFFER FEDERAL

ASSISTANCE TO HOUSEHOLDS FOR

SANITATION SYSTEMS.

HOW DOES THAT MAKE ALABAMIANS

FEEL THAT THE UNITED NATIONS

FELT THEY NEEDED TO SEND

SOMEBODY WHO THEY USUALLY SEND

TO THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES TO THIS

STATE?

>> WELL, YOU KNOW, LOOK, IT

DOESN'T REALLY MATTER HOW THEY

FEEL.

WHAT WE'VE GOT TO DO IS TAKE

THAT REPORT AND SAY, "LOOK, THIS

IS A PROBLEM.

DON'’T SHOOT THE MESSENGER."

THAT'S WHAT WE SAY DOWN HERE IN

THE SOUTH.

JUST DON'T SHOOT THE MESSENGER,

LET'S TAKE THE MESSAGE AND TRY

TO BUILD ON IT AND WORK ON IT.

>> Reporter: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY

TO PEOPLE WHO WOULD ARGUE THAT

OUR TAX DOLLARS SHOULD BE SPENT

ON IMPROVING OUR OWN AND OUR

CHILDREN'S LIVES INSTEAD OF

PEOPLE WHO HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO

SORT THEIR OWN SITUATION OUT?

>> WELL, I THINK WHAT ANY

COMMUNITY DOES IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE

THAT THERE ARE LOSERS IN LIFE OR

PEOPLE WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH

DISASTERS.

IT CAN HAPPEN TO ANY OF US.

BUT THOSE OF US WHO ARE WELL OFF

HAVE SAFETY NETS, EITHER

PERSONAL OR FAMILIAL OR

WHATEVER.

THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THOSE

SAFETY NETS.

IT'S A BASIC TENET OF DECENCY

FOR A SOCIETY TO MAKE BASIC

PROVISION FOR THE POOREST AND

MOST VULNERABLE MEMBERS OF ITS

SOCIETY.