The Deserving Poor: Ammo for next wingnut encounter

From Laura Clawson:

A child raised in the bottom fifth of the income scale through much of the southern United States has around a 5 percent chance of rising to the top fifth—4 percent in Atlanta and 4.3 percent in Charlotte—while a low-income child has a 9.6 percent chance of rising in Los Angeles and 11.2 percent in San Francisco. Do Republicans think poor kids in California are just twice as likely to be hardworking as poor kids in Georgia and North Carolina? Or might there be something else going on?

Unfortunately I can already hear the response, which will involve blah people. Still, these are useful statistics to have at hand.