Feeding the less fortunate is important, necessary work. But we also should focus on the root problems. “I often wondered what would happen if the collective energy that went into soliciting and distributing food were put into ending hunger and poverty instead,†wrote Mark Winne, former director of Connecticut’s Hartford Food System, in a Washington Post commentary. For example, food distribution volunteers, workers and donors should pressure Congress on issues such as the minimum wage, health care and child care.
Posted by Kristin Mehler
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57 Comments
What? No mention of the real reason for poverty.Single parent homes.
For example, food distribution volunteers, workers and donors should pressure Congress on issues such as the minimum wage, health care and child care.Posted by Kristin Mehler
Oh yeah Kristin, let’s take the only people actually DOING something productive about the problem, and have them stop self-reliance and instead turn to the federal government for nurturing.
Goooooooooo Libs!
Checkbook charity is nice. Lending a personal hand better.
Advocating for social justice? That’s the place of the true philanthropist. A good post Kristin.
Here’s the heart of the linked article.
Nothin but a call for more Socialism, and more of the same types of Government programs to end poverty that have been in place for 50 years.
We’ve raised 2 or 3 Gimme Gimme generations now, that don’t know anything about working for a living. They just wait in line, and food is brought to them.
Y’all vote for Hillary and we can all be in the food lines.
——————————————————————–
During my tenure in Hartford, I often wondered what would happen if the collective energy that went into soliciting and distributing food were put into ending hunger and poverty instead. Surely it would have a sizable impact if 3,000 Hartford-area volunteers, led by some of Connecticut’s most privileged and respected citizens, showed up one day at the state legislature, demanding enough resources to end hunger and poverty. Multiply those volunteers by three or four — the number of volunteers in the state’s other food banks and hundreds of emergency food sites — and you would have enough people to dismantle the Connecticut state capitol brick by brick. Put all the emergency food volunteers and staff and board members from across the country on buses to Washington, to tell Congress to mandate a living wage, health care for all and adequate employment and child-care programs, and you would have a convoy that might stretch from New York City to our nation’s capital.
JR,
What do you mean by “advocating” for social justice?
Nathan
See posted by Max above.
Huh?If you don’t want to work, the minimum wage doesnt much matter.
Also, if you are are drugs or alcohol, nobody will pay you any wage, anyway.
The “minimum wage” CAUSES unemployment. Some people simply are not worth the minimum wage. Those people are called “unemployable” if you set that artificial price at too high a level.
Ya gotta figure out what causes poverty first. I don’t think we really know.
Certainly, more gov’t handouts aren’t the answer; in fact, a cynic might argue that gov’t handouts are designed primarily to keep the poor dependant, and thus keep the bureaucracy’s justification everlasting, if not growing. Plus, they provide a nice reserve of convenient votes for politicians who advocate more dollars for assistance programs.
A cynic might say that . . .
Buying votes with Government handouts, GMC?
Tell me it isn’t so!
Wow, what a great approach.
You might be able to buy say, 50% of the votes with that approach, if you were to design a system where the bottom 50% pays less then 3% of the income tax, while receiving 100% of the Government handouts.
Naw, that could never happen.
JR,
So you support political action when it involves poverty, but not abortion then?
Max and GMC,
You both had a touch of cynicism in your response……….
Good job.
The poor will always be with us. Many make that choice to be poor, uninsured, and hopeless. They meander through life and others constantly provide for them here and there, while they do basically nothing to better themselves. THAT’S WHY THEY EXIST! If not paying attention in school, and making wise choices meant you might starve to death, THEIR WOULDN’T BE SO MANY “POOR” PEOPLE!!#@$%
My comments do not apply to people who are REALLY disabled, or who have mental problems. But 1/2 of them who are collecting shouldn’t be either! They know how to work the system! My mother dedicated her life to teaching severely disabled people how to live their lives independantly, work jobs etc… Autistics, Downs Syndrom, you name it! When I think of all the able bodies and capable minded (albeit stupid) people who DON’T work and contribute to society, it makes me want to puke!
The reason for poverty is all of our good jobs are being sent away. We need jobs that one person can support a family on.
And we also need jobs that WILL hire handicapped individuals with a little more flexibility than they’re afforded now. I finally saw a walmart checker in a wheelchair- before, their policy of nobody sitting down on the job was out of compliance with the ADA. So hopefully someone addressed it or it was just that one store.
If everyone could afford to make ends meet, then we’d have less needy and we could really help out the ones who CANNOT work at all.
It may just boil down to simple logic too, if welfare benefits are a great standard of living then that gained by working a forty hour, minim wage job. Then the only term for working that job is inanity, when your children are in rags and a trip to the Doctor will end you up in endless letters from a collection agency.That is if you can find a Doctor that will even see you or your family without demanding payment upfront.
Perhaps the answer should be that minim wage and benefits provided by an employer is set by the standard of living given by being on welfare. BUT then to do so means that the entire economy would have to readjusted.
You find the capable homeless and you provide them services and a home. They can clean up, get assistance with any addiction or money management problems, job placement help and assistance with transportation issues. Here’s the deal… you enjoy this “assisted” living for a period of time (1-2 years). Then, you are given the opportunity to keep your home, working and making your own payments. Or, you can go back to the things that destroyed your life and lose your home. I know not all would make it, but many would return to being productive members of society! A hand-up instead of a handout. It works, yes it’s costly, but less costly than leaving them on the street with little hope.
Even someone in a wheelchair can answer a phone…of all my disabled patients, the ones who work are the happiest. Humans didn’t evolve to be idle and dependant, they stagnate unless they’re challenged and productive. That’s where true self esteem comes from, knowing that you contribute and make a difference in the world.
To find the ultimate cause of something it is necessary to ask “Why” 7 times.For example:”The reason for poverty is all of our good jobs are being sent away. Posted by: political_mom
November 21, 2007 at 04:04 PM”
Why are the good jobs (or other jobs for that matter) being sent away? Possibly because companies want to make more money
Why do companies want to make more money? Because it is their fiduciary duty to maximize the investment of their owners and shareholders
Why do Shareholders want their investments to increase in value? A vast majority of investments in the US, are held by funds, mostly retirement funds. So Shareholders want their investments to increase so they can have a better retirement.
Why do shareholders need stock based investments to retire on? [You fill this one in]
Sam, do they have to maintain a job in order to stay in the house for 1-2 years? What about random drug screening? What are the expectations for receiving this sort of assistance? Have they tried this in other cities and how well has it worked?
Eventually these sorts of problems get addressed.
Russia 1917 is a good example of what happens when too few have too much and most have nothing. That situation is what the US is currently approaching at increasing speed.
Shareholders can kiss my grits, they can earn money but they don’t have to earn so much. It is at a loss for them in the long run as the fewer jobs to draw that money from, the fewer people they can draw money from.
It’s reverse welfare, they’re earning money off the backs of slave labor wages, and it’s not right.
1. Lack of money.Why?2. Don’t work.Why?3. Don’t have to.Why?4. Welfare pays for everything.Why?5. Democrats claim to want to solve poverty.Why?6. Buys votes for Democrats.Why?7. Stupid people believe the Democrats are on their side, solving the war on poverty.Why?8. Public Ecuation has dumbed people down.Why?9. So they stay Democrat.Why?10. To keep Democrats in power.Why?11. Democrats like power.Why?12. It gives Democrats money without having to get a job.Why?13. Cause they are lazy, have no pride, and no self-esteem, and sense of self-reliance.Why?14. Public Education.Why?15. Cause Democrat leaders want it that way, to keep the lambs stupid, dependent on Democrat leaders, and Democrats stay in power.
Blackbelt is stupid.Why?Because his mom dropped him on his head.Why?Because she wanted to make sure he’d turn out Republican.Why?Because it’s easier than thinking.
“Shareholders can kiss my grits, they can earn money but they don’t have to earn so much. It is at a loss for them in the long run as the fewer jobs to draw that money from, the fewer people they can draw money from.”
Actually it’s the CEOs that clean up, often leaving the shareholders holding the bag. Companies overvalue their stock in order to lure investors and then screw them.
Six Sigma?
Oh how telling.
THAT poster is using for a nic a DISASTER of a bean counter efficiency initiative called Six Sigma. It’s a human resource type persons wet dream. The addition of “black belt” reveals this person as a proud and happy bean counter.
Six Sigma has ruined more than a few companies. Mostly, it just makes them unbearable to work for.
Name ONE company that Six Sigma has ruined JR.
And JR, I doubt if you CAN work for any company. It takes effort, skill, the ability to get along with other human beings, and the ability to work as part of a team.
You’ve demonstrated NONE of those qualities here.
Mary, you are one of the most bitter human beings I’ve encountered in 50 years of living on this Earth.
I hope you find your own way in life, and that you quit blaming the rest of the world for all the problems you face.
Guess what, we all have obstacles to face in life.
You can either wine and cry in your beer about why everyone is picking on you, or you can take personal responsibility for yourself and make the effort to make some positive change happen in your life.
You are so bitter. It must suck to be you.
Mary,
Click on my name and go to the web site.. there is a link to Pathways to Housing. My ideas are a variation of what they do… and there is some great research on their site.
A drug program is an option.. the prize is the ability for self sustainment in their own home. If they choose to lose.. they return to a shelter or life on the street.
Russia 1917 is a good example of what happens when too few have too much and most have nothing. That situation is what the US is currently approaching at increasing speed.
Posted by: J R
Actually J R, I believe we will never arrive at the Russian Revolution point, from the Peasants’ perspective – why would you cut off the hand that feeds you?
The rich are paying the majority of the bills of this nation. They are paying a huge amount in taxes.
The rich are financing the socialist revolution which is allowing your so called peasants and serfs the luxuries they enjoy.
If anything, the revolution will start at the other end of the spectrum.
My my
“Six sigma” seems to know so much.
Switching nics for fun? Or is it out of fear?
“American way”
I’m not advocating a socialist revolution. I’m trying to avert it.I DO prefer socialism to feudalism. I would fight for the former and against the latter.
It’s ironic. Those of you who oppose a little socialism may well bring all of us a lot of it.
Oh and six sigma bean counter?
The last bean counter like you I ran onto spat out lots of platitudes, caused lots of trouble, hurt lots of people.
Then she lost her job.
It seems sh*& rolls uphill too.
I’m trying to avert it.I DO prefer socialism to feudalism. I would fight for the former and against the latter.
J R
I can’t imagine you fighting anywhere but on a blog. You support robbing from the rich to pay the poor, but never recognize the worthiness and sacrifice that many of the so called “rich” have made to get to their position. You assume (wrongly) that all wealth is passed down from rich petro daddies, railroad tycoons, and royals. That is not the case for the majority.
And some of them are getting a little tired of your characterizing them as greedy selfish people. They just want to keep more of what their earn.
You are willing to “fight” (snickering) to take more of the riches money to give away to your poor. I’m telling you, the revolution is coming from the other way – and you are missing it.
American way
I don’t hate the rich.
I hate the greedy.
“I can’t imagine you fighting anywhere but on a blog.”
Former union steward and son of a union steward bud. How about you?
Your union steward makes you crap as far as a fight is concerned.
You get no points for dragging your daddy into the frey.
I served my country. I carried an M14 and an M16 for a few years.
I’m still laughing though at your post.
Keep it up!
The whole system will blow up soon. Medicare runs out in 2018, Soc Sec in 2041. There are not enough workers born to support the entitled. The wealthy are already paying heavy taxes, and the lower 50% pay no taxes. They drain the society and do not contribute to the federal tax. (Yeah, yeah, they pay sales tax, but so what! That goes to the state, not the Federal Govt that I’m talking about.) But they will always vote for the candidate who promises them more benefits. Aid to single parents, taxpayer-subsidized lunches, Earned Income Credit, etc, etc! We’ve lost the sense of shame, when somebody lives immorally, stays on the dole too long, etc. This country is going to h… in a handbasket. Did I mention the liberal, NEA-driven public schools?Answer: Get out of debt, store some cash, get a gun, and learn a readily-marketable skill, especially one useful in a survivor mode.
Pmom, Why do you want to puinish people for being successful?
I like SemperFi71 comment.It is true; all of it does come down to the choices made.
JR,I would really like to know where you draw the line between who is rich and who is greedy
The real reason for poverty is lieing backstabbing self serving selfish leadership. It always starts at the top, and works it’s way down. Look at all the other countries, there is the very rich and the very poor with a few middle class in the middle. That’s where we are heading. But you can’t handle the truth.
“”"Oh yeah Kristin, let’s take the only people actually DOING something productive about the problem, and have them stop self-reliance and instead turn to the federal government for nurturing.
Goooooooooo Libs!”"”
We cannot allow people to be hungry in the United States of America. As a LIBERAL myself I would point out that only Republicans think it is OK for people to starve in America! They think that, if you give them a package of Heinz, it is a “vegetable”.
“”"The whole system will blow up soon. Medicare runs out in 2018, Soc Sec in 2041. There are not enough workers born to support the entitled. The wealthy are already paying heavy taxes, and the lower 50% pay no taxes. They drain the society and do not contribute to the federal tax.”"
The rich pay less taxes than us who go to work everyday. They don’t pay anywhere near what they should. Sure they pay more in real dollars but that is because they are rich. But if you look at rates, they get away with robbery on tax day! Many of the rich make money from stocks and real estate which are capital gains and their MAXIMUM rate is 15% while wage earners pay a rate double that amount! And since the 7% Social Security tax only applies to incomes between $1 and $97,000, the rich pay far less in Social Secuity taxes too. I have to pay 7% of my income while the rich who make millions a year pay maybe 0.0001%! And the rich here pay far less than they pay in any other western country including Canada and the UK. It is time to reform taxes and make the rich pay what we have to pay. In fact they should pay a higher rate. If it were up to me, the first $30,000 that every American earns would be tax free no matter what they make. Capital gains would be taxed as income and the ceiling on Social Security taxes would be gone.
“”"The poor will always be with us. Many make that choice to be poor, uninsured, and hopeless. They meander through life and others constantly provide for them here and there, while they do basically nothing to better themselves. THAT’S WHY THEY EXIST! If not paying attention in school, and making wise choices meant you might starve to death, THEIR WOULDN’T BE SO MANY “POOR” PEOPLE!!#@$%”"”
While I agree that some poor people end up that way because they are stupid, most poor people are poor because of circumstances beyond their control. I agree with you that if more folks got a high school diploma, less of them would be poor. There is no excuse for not having a high school diploma in America. But many people win or lose life’s lottery at birth. They are born with bad DNA, bad genes or bad looks and anybody will tell you that physical looks have alot to do with how well or how bad your life will be. If you are born physically good looking you can be dumb as Hell and still get through life pretty good. You will get better jobs and better promotions and attract people with money. If you are born ugly, you can be as smart as Einstein and life is still going to be a struggle for you. Even Bill Gates will tell you that which is probably why he started Microsoft- nobody would give him what his brains thought he deserved.
We cannot allow people to be hungry in the United States of America. I would point out that only Republicans think it is OK Posted by: Kev
Slow down Kev, you will hurt yourself at this pace.
First off, please provide a link to where anyone is or has starved to death in the USA.
Secondly, where do you get Republlican out of beliving that private individuals do more than any government will ever do, as far as taking care of the needy?
Good grief Kev, you take mole hill and turn it into a MOUNTain.
KevIt is really really simple:
The rich don’t NEED income.
So, if you TAX that income, unfairly, they will simply refuse to make it.
This is why supply side economics works.
You must encourage people to make taxable income, or they WONT make taxable income.
Kev”ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”.
That right winger JFK said the above.
HaroldActually, the Social Security Trust Fund and the Medicare Trust Fund do not, really, exist.
Therefore, the only date that matters is the date when benefits paid will exceed tax revenues collected.
“The rich are paying the majority of the bills of this nation.”
Becuz they have all the freaking money.If you want to get away from a progressive tax system then vote it in.
“Mary, you are one of the most bitter human beings I’ve encountered in 50 years of living on this Earth.
I hope you find your own way in life, and that you quit blaming the rest of the world for all the problems you face.
Guess what, we all have obstacles to face in life.
You can either wine and cry in your beer about why everyone is picking on you, or you can take personal responsibility for yourself and make the effort to make some positive change happen in your life.
You are so bitter. It must suck to be you.”
Wow..was it something I said? I don’t remember blaming anyone for my problems..I didn’t even know I had any..can you be specific? I need to know what it is I need to take resposiblitity for.
Psst! Mary, it probably wasn’t any one post in particular.
More likely: It was you. Just being you.
Happy Turkey day!
“”"KevIt is really really simple:
The rich don’t NEED income.
So, if you TAX that income, unfairly, they will simply refuse to make it.”"”
GOOD! That means less for the greedy and more for the needy! And more for the working people who deserve more.
“”"Kev”ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country”.
That right winger JFK said the above.”"”
Sure he did. Back then Americans had a new direction and a cause to serve the country. Who is serving the country now? Not the rich. They are making the money off Iraq but neither them nor their family members are over there are they?
Today it’s not “Ask not what you can do for your country…” but “Which country can I most profit from by outsourcing my countrymens’ livliehoods”
Re: who pays the most taxes, here’s the govt’s own report, from the IRS: http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js1287.htmEcon 101, I know there is no trust fund, I didn’t say there was. I was just quoting from the Soc Sec publication, “The Future of Social Security.” At those points, the excess runs out, and benefits can only be paid at the 75% level. Here’s your link: http://www.ssa.gov/pubs/10055.pdf
KevDo you have ANY idea what you are talking about, ever, before you post?
“You can not build up the poor by tearing down the rich.”
You seem to think of money as if we are a all a bunch of pirates, dividing up the “take”.
The truth is, without profit, EVERYONE will be poor.
We live in a capitalist society, thank God.
And, when you punish capital, you CREATE poverty.
All of your ideas, if enacted, would cause massive starvation and chaos.
KevDo you believe that “profit” is “theft”??How can you possibly believe that the economy will be improved if we discourage the “rich” to invest in the economy?If the “rich” build fewer gas stations, quick trips, restaurants, dry cleaners, etc., how does that provide any jobs to the “poor”?Before you tell me that retail jobs suck, you might consider that fast food companies own lots of corporate jets, and other airplanes.Also, the equipment used in retail outlets matters.And this is just one area of the economy.Other “rich” people will decide not to build machine shops or manufacturing plants.
How does this help the “poor”??
Kev, economics is NOT a “zero sum game”.
The best policy goals try to create a biggest pie, which should increase in size, over time.
The worst policy is to try and divide a shrinking pie.
Kev, you are a “shrinking pie kinda guy”.
By the way, the Democrats are, truly, the “party of the rich”:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071123/NATION/111230087/1002
Stupid, high tax rate policy doesnt really hurt the “rich” — since they do not have to earn much income, if they dont want to.
High tax rates hurt those people who would have been employed by the “rich” — but won’t be, under your stupid tax policy.
When you punish employers you reduces the number of employees!
Blackbelt is stupid.Why?Because his mom dropped him on his head.Why?Because she wanted to make sure he’d turn out Republican.Why?Because it’s easier than thinking.
Posted by: Mary Caruso | November 21, 2007 at 08:14 PM
“Shareholders can kiss my grits, they can earn money but they don’t have to earn so much. It is at a loss for them in the long run as the fewer jobs to draw that money from, the fewer people they can draw money from.”
Actually it’s the CEOs that clean up, often leaving the shareholders holding the bag. Companies overvalue their stock in order to lure investors and then screw them.Posted by: Mary Caruso | November 21, 2007 at 08:17 PM
Don’t realize how bitter you are Mary?
Six Sigma has ruined more than a few companies. Mostly, it just makes them unbearable to work for.
Posted by: J R | November 21, 2007 at 08:38 PM
Name ONE company that Six Sigma has ruined JR.
And JR, I doubt if you CAN work for any company. It takes effort, skill, the ability to get along with other human beings, and the ability to work as part of a team.
You’ve demonstrated NONE of those qualities here.
Posted by: Six Sigma Blackbelt | November 21, 2007 at 08:58 PM
JR, you find ONE company yet that was ruined by Six Sigma?