Insulting both atheists and the poor, San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor claims poverty is caused by “broken people” who don’t believe in God.

Earlier this month, while speaking at a mayoral forum, Mayor Taylor was asked about the “deepest systemic cause of generational poverty.”

Mayor Taylor replied:

To me, it’s broken people. People not being in a relationship with their Creator, and therefore, not being in good relationship with their families and their communities, and not being productive members of society. I think that’s the ultimate answer…

In short, the mayor responded by claiming generational poverty is caused by “broken people” who don’t believe in God, essentially making the ludicrous claim that atheism causes poverty.

Adding insult to injury, she concluded her answer about poverty by claiming that the “deepest systemic cause of generational poverty” is not part of her job description, noting:

That’s not something that I work on from my position as Mayor of the community…

At first blush, it sounds like Ivy is saying poor people are not her problem. A more charitable reading of her remarks would be that bringing the “broken people” that don’t have “a relationship with their Creator” closer to God is not part of her job description.

Whatever the case, Ivy’s remarks are cold and callous, and show nothing but contempt for poor people and atheists.

Ivy is a Baptist, and, surprisingly, a registered Democrat, although she describes herself as a socially and fiscally conservative.

In fact, many of her critics claim Ivy is an intolerant conservative Christian with an anti-LGBT agenda. Indeed, when Ivy made an appearance at a vigil for victims of the Orlando shooting victims she was booed off the stage by gay rights activists because of her anti-gay politics.

In any case, Ivy’s remarks about poverty reflect an astonishing and willful ignorance. Perhaps more important, there is something deliberately cruel and profoundly vicious in Ivy’s attempt to claim the root cause of poverty is people who don’t share her religious superstition, and that those individuals who do not share her religious superstition are somehow “broken people.”

Bottom line: Mayor Ivy is an intolerant conservative Christian with no respect for poor people or atheists. Her remarks indicate a callous and insensitive disregard for both, and as such, she has no business serving as Mayor of San Antonio.

Watch: Mayor Ivy Taylor claims poverty is caused by “broken people” who don’t believe in God –