Will the House Poverty Task Force, which had its first meeting last week, alleviate poverty in Alabama? Probably not.

Is it worth the effort? Yes.

Poverty is a plague on Alabama, and on Decatur. The state has 700,000 people living in poverty, an economic condition with insidious and far-reaching consequences.

Fifty-one percent of the students in Decatur City Schools live in poverty.

For many, poverty spurs despair. Seeing no method of escape, entire generations of Alabamians quit trying.

It's a hopelessness that is most tragic for those immersed in it, but the reasons for addressing it extend far beyond its demographic boundaries. Poverty drains the economic vitality of our city and state. It deprives us of needed workers. It breeds crime and creates political unrest. It saps the state's financial resources.

Poverty prevents Decatur and Alabama from leaving behind the worst baggage of our past.

A resolution to create a joint task force died in the Senate, which was mired in the infighting that makes it an impediment to progress. There are legitimate questions about the make-up of the House Task Force.

The problem of poverty is too crippling, though, to address only when the stars are in perfect alignment. The task force is imperfect, but it is bipartisan and its membership includes representatives of Alabama Arise and the Alabama Poverty Project.

When Ireland fought for independence in the 19th century, its leaders gave up on winning battles. They settled for the hope that "glorious defeat" would, one day, create progress.

The House Poverty Task Force will not have a measurable impact on poverty in Alabama. What it may do, however, is help us understand the problem. Maybe, it will raise awareness, both of the plight of our impoverished neighbors and of the crippling effect their living conditions have on our state.

We do not expect the task force to succeed. We will settle, though, for a glorious defeat.

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