Right-wingers dehumanize the poor, so that many people see them as "other" and thus not worthy of help.

Forced into deeper poverty by budget cuts, the poor may look more unsavory, and some may try desperate methods to get a little money. These can provide more excuses to step hard on the poor, and the cycle continues.

What's the purpose of this? Politicians can get elected by demonizing someone, and the poor may be a handy target, just like an ethnic minority. But there is a specific motive, too: to knock down wages and help businesses impose worse working conditions.