"Poets" = "Poor"?

I read a book recently about Sonoma, my hometown, and the author kept saying that rich Socialites were pushing out the poets. Now aside from this book being pretty much a dud all around (not just because I'm sensitive about my home town), I take exception to his use of the phrase "poets" as if it means "poor" (although it's true, not many of us make a living doing our art). What he means is real people can't afford to live there anymore, but he makes it into some unnecessarily literary argument. Now there are poets in Sonoma, don't get me wrong. Carolyn Kizer still lives there, Maya Angelou lived in Glen Ellen, and there are many more that have found hiding spots in the valley, but "pushing out the poets?" Come on. Maybe it's just a cop-out as he doesn't want to delve into the issue of the working class and instead uses "poets" as a metaphor he feels comfortable with while he sips his Screaming Eagle, poolside.

Okay, I'm sensitive about my hometown.