The Chicago Factor: Are Transplants from Chicago Ruining Our State? (Des Moines: low income, apartment)

[tollfree]

Originally Posted by El Rhino

Yeah, the white supremacist thing is a little out there. I guess I'm not sure what sort of images "white supremacist" conjures up in his head, but it doesn't sound like they match up with what most other people would think. Oh well.

You don't gotta be in the KKK to appear white supremacist

[todd00]

Originally Posted by Ben Around

This same conversation has been going on here in the Twin Cities for the past 15 years. I do believe there is truth to it. When we were christened "Murderapolis" in 1995 by the NY Times, it was this group that was largely responsible for it. However, these people gotta live someplace, and this is America, people are free to move where they want. We need to get upstream on this problem and stop the proliferation of the urban underclass. I know education and jobs are big factors, but nor sure how to change their values so they'd want these things in the first place. Whoever cracks this one will be worthy of a Nobel prize.

as i understood it, in regards to da twin cities, benefits are higher in minnesota than illinois, so the migration began. to stop the culture from continuing to another generation would require many changes. stop rewarding able bodied pple that choose this lifestyle. as it is now, they might say, why should i take some minumum wage job when i can work on the side and get some income from the state as well plus medical and housing benefits. helping pple to get back on their feet was the intent of welfare, it was never intended to be a generation to generation thing. setting stricter limits to the number of out of wedlock children the state will pay for, perhaps setting a limit to their total medical expenses that will be paid by the state per month or yr, may also reduce its appeal. section 8 housing fraud amounts to some 2 billion per year in this country. put these pple on a month to month lease, if they break a rule, they will be subject to immediate eviction. 2 billion is alot of dough per yr lost to fraud. its worth putting more investigative labor toward shutting down the fraudulant ones that should not be taking these apartments from pple that truly do have a need. reducing benefits gradually should also be done, after a certain period of time. make it less appealing to stay on the system and pple will look harder at other options. its a difficult problem but one that has gotten worse by the mismanagement of benefits. providing help to help themselves is what it should be about. not to create a longterm alternative to starting at the bottom of the labor pool and having to work hard to gain skills and move up.

on the other side of the coin there needs to be a deep rooted involvement from local educated blacks to mentor ghetto kids and give them a positive male role model. i dont believe there is an organized committment within the individual communities to make these types of positive changes. so called black leaders, we all know...do not have the best interests of the pple at heart, its simply a photo opp for them, then they return to their wealthy lifestyle. thats why community leaders in the areas must be the ones to take the lead in organizing mentor programs, etc. this is 2009, when pointing the finger of blame, pple need to realize where the blame actually sits. the number of educated black individuals prove that hard work does pay off. the message saying you can do it, is one these vulnerable kids need to hear very early in life from someone thats been there.

as far as whether there is an influx of pple from chicago creating problems, that can be traced to the offenders rap sheet, or even by counting the applications for assistance as to how many came from the windy city and are now in government assisted housing. couldnt pple from other crowded metro areas be coming to des moines or omaha as well? after all iowa, and nebraska do have lower jobless rates than many states. im not sure how iowa's welfare benefits compares to illinois. as one person said, regardless where they come from the behavior seems to be the same. local gang problems have been and remain homegrown, the windy city connection just makes a better headline, and probably sells more papers. in my opinion, the bad ones overshadow the good pple trying hard to move on and wanting a better life. much change is needed and sadly i cant see it happening any time soon.

[missy1793]

Most of the time it isn't always the people who come from these places, it is usually either their relatives or friends who have followed them and still want to continue the same behavior they displayed in the "city"! Some people actually do come here to better themselves. And so no one asks or wonders, I was born in Missouri came to Quad Cities Illinois when I was 13, then moved Davenport Iowa in 1993, been a Iowan pretty much ever since then.

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

No, as I rarely go downtown, I haven't been there since January. In all honesty, that's a very typical Iowa response and a giveaway you're probably originally from Iowa. Trust me, I know the standard responses. If you are, and you moved to Chicago, at least you moved out of state. Most people never leave Iowa. The other thing, I've met people from all corners of the state, they'd be much closer to Minneapolis, Kansas City, or Chicago, put they seem to pick Des Moines usually.

I'm not from here originally, I did live in Chicago for awhile by the way. Very different but at the same time not that different in the respect that everything still read "Midwest this, Midwest that", but the people were probably thousand times friendlier over there.

Wow, lol. Bitter much?

Seriously, you're clearly "over" the state, and that's fine - but you can stop the holier than thou attitude that people who don't see things your way about the state are just "wrong" because they haven't experienced real life.

[capitalcityguy]

Originally Posted by Chicago60614

Wow, lol. Bitter much?

Seriously, you're clearly "over" the state, and that's fine - but you can stop the holier than thou attitude that people who don't see things your way about the state are just "wrong" because they haven't experienced real life.

Why would he stop now? He's been littering internet forums for years now with this same old tired song and dance.

[zz4guy]

Originally Posted by Jay100

A brawl? wtf?

I might have to rethink my ISU plans. ugh I don't want to deal with that sht.

THen I wouldn't go to Iowa State. It's UFC wannabe headquarters of the midwest.

[tollfree]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

Why would he stop now? He's been littering internet forums for years now with this same old tired song and dance.

Not like it really matters, considering about 99% of everyone is as delusional and fanatical as you are. You're right, it'd be better to just agree with everyone, because that's how you're supposed to think in Iowa.

Chicago60614, I don't really mind it as much as you probably think, but there is some underlying fanaticism that gets annoying, other than that, Iowa is ok.

[Jay100]

Originally Posted by zz4guy

THen I wouldn't go to Iowa State. It's UFC wannabe headquarters of the midwest.

Are you a ufc fan by any chance? If that's true, then apparently they're more annoying than anything else.



This chart includes annual offense and arrest statistics compiled by the ISU Department of Public Safety

2008
Annual Stats (http://www.dps.iastate.edu/annual_stats.html - broken link)
Aggravated Assault10

Simple Assault 35

ISU Total Number of Offenses

1959





[SIZE=2][SIZE=2]

CRIMINAL INCIDENTS REPORTED TO
THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA

POLICE DEPARTMENT
[/SIZE][/SIZE][SIZE=2][SIZE=2]TOTAL CRIMINAL INCIDENTS 1672
[SIZE=2][SIZE=2]

ASSAULTS (SIMPLE & AGGRAVATED) 50

(# OF AGGRAVATED) (12)
[/SIZE][/SIZE]http://www.uiowa.edu/~pubsfty/Criminal%20Incidents%20Reported%20to%20UIPD.pdf (broken link)

[/SIZE][/SIZE]

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

Not like it really matters, considering about 99% of everyone is as delusional and fanatical as you are. You're right, it'd be better to just agree with everyone, because that's how you're supposed to think in Iowa.

Chicago60614, I don't really mind it as much as you probably think, but there is some underlying fanaticism that gets annoying, other than that, Iowa is ok.

Well I didn't mean to come off hostile or start a fight, but a lot of your posts do come off belittling of Iowans. I have friends who moved away to all different parts of the country and ended up coming back to the state 3-7 years later. They did so because they wanted to. My family all lives in Iowa, but at the same time they've been to all of the lower 48 and 10-12 foreign countries. My family has masters degress, make quite a bit of money, and have never had an interest of leaving their happy lives in Iowa. I'm certainly not saying they're better than ANYONE else, and they don't think they are, but everyone is different, and it's not like all people live in one bucket of life.

It's comes off like "it's ok, they wouldn't understand anyway because they live in Iowa"

Lots of people obvioulsy aren't impressed with Iowa and can't wait to leave, but that's not a general theme of the state. I moved away because the state didn't offer what I wanted in my personal life, but I still LOVE going back, and appreciate every day I was able to grow up in that stable environment.

[Dport7674]

The world is getting smalller...big city problems will be more and more common, even here in Ioway