Progress?

I see a man sleeping on a bench; a building covered in graffiti, and a poster of President Obama with the word ‘progress’ on it. I think it is a symbol of America trying to progress by eliminating poverty with the help and change of Obama, although it shows a lack of progress because many Americans are still living in poverty today. Poverty has always been a problem in the US and I wonder if Obama can stop the cycle and eliminate poverty? This area is similar to the description of the valley of ashes in the Great Gatsby.