The perpetually poor are poor for a reason.

It's not government interference causing poverty (exacerbating, yes; causing, no).  It's not racism, sexism, ageism, or any other kind of -ism that there is.

It's an inability to plan for the future, an inability to delay gratification, and an inability to see the consequences of their actions.

For instance, my male genetic donor's family: my aunt was a nurse before she retired.  She made damn good money, but never saved it, just pissed it all away as fast as it came in.  Then, she moved in with my grandmother, "to take care of her in her final years."  That wasn't the reason--the reason was that her home--a freakin' trailer on a rented lot--was foreclosed on.  Because she quit making payments she should have been able to afford.  Another of my mgd's siblings, a younger brother, married a sugar-mama.  He's set, as far as I know.  A third sibling is in prison for using explosives--safely and not in an illegal manner, but without a license; another is barely treading water, despite making a good living raising meat rabbits (while his wife works as a teacher/school counselor). 

They do not save money.  They spend it as fast as--or faster than--it comes in.  Their children mostly do the same.  One uncle rebelled, and he learned to budget (and so did his kids), but that was one child out of six. 

My mother, who hasn't worked since I was about seven years old, buys nothing but name brand--and often, gourmet quality--food on a fixed income with food stamps.  Nothing but the best for her, despite constantly whining about how she doesn't know why prices keep going up, and she never has money to do what she needs to do.  Hell, when she bought a vehicle in '01, she bought a Ford F150 with four wheel drive, a huge motor, and upgraded suspension for towing, none of which she needed.  Now, she's whining that she wants a "good, reliable, good gas mileage car"--and thinks a ten year old Chrysler fits the bill. 

Yet, somehow, despite making less than her household (she and my sister, who lives with her, are both on disability, and make about four grand more per year than I do--and now that Odysseus is delivering pizza, we're making about two and a half times what we did when it was just me), we're managing to not only tread water, but start putting a little more back for emergencies, retirement, and college. 

We don't buy name brands.  We don't eat fast food every week.  We pay membership to a wholesaler's club for staples, dry goods, and meat.  We buy second-hand clothes, where we can.  We bargain hunt, and wait for sales on things we'd like, but don't absolutely need immediately.  We plan. 

We plan, because we do not to remain in the bottom quintile forever.