Brooklyn Park

[alethea]

Hi Zeebers,

I too along with my three sons game from Chicago in 1997. We have been truly blessed and it continues. My oldest works everyday and has two children, he is 23yrs old and takes good care of his family. My twins are about to graduate and go to college. One already has a four year scholarship to the U of M. We are hopeful that the other one will also receive a scholarship. I know that he will because he has what it takes. I too fear for them even if they decide that they want to go to the store. I pray and ask God to protect them as he always have. I work and I go to school. I also live in a section 8 apartment. I am grateful for the program and I am planning to buy a home in the very near future. It does not matter to me what people think about me, where I live or anything of that sort. I, we must all turn and look inside to see who we are. I do not know about you or others but I want to and need to be right with God. That is my biggest hope and prayer. Not concerning my self with anything out of his will for me.

[Zeebers]

That is so refreshing to hear! My grandson just graduated from Maranatha Christian Academy and I am thankful for Brooklyn Park, its diversity and even in the bad patches, we have made it. There are so many naysayers who go by what they "see" and "hear" and that's okay as long as you know there is an exception to the rule. For every Section 8 dollar spent on me, I have made a living wage until I was no longer able to do so.
I have worked all of my life until my body could no longer withstand working.
Phrases like "no more handouts" or no more freebies" must apply to someone, but each time I ever shopped, I had to pay for things like everyone else. My tax dollars do more to take care of prisoners ( who are people too) than to take care of my whole family.
My children achieved when they came here, they hold jobs, they went to college. I wish to see where a free ride came in. We did the dance that everyone else does, and now the few who try to be productive get blown off with the rest. Too bad no one listens.
Watch this, someone will say, "If you are doing so well, then get off Section 8". ( sigh) It doesnt work that way. Some of us get OLDER....and some who are younger, still work. Thats what life is. Would it be better if I just dropped off the face of the earth after contributing to this society or be sent off on an ice float like they do in some faraway place? If you saw the little supplement that we get, you would laugh until your sides hurt.
I wrote this poem that was published by the Minnesota League Of Women Voters about "living high" on the welfare system. I was fed up with assumptions!

Living High On Welfare
( Wish You Wuz Here)



I know you see me...you've checked me out..
...My cart piled high with cereal
Five boxes...( your quick eye takes in) and files
for future reference..
when you have your break
and can take
a smoke.....

"They all live that way..." You'll say
.."from month to month, fueled by
no other thought, except the freebies
they get", and your friends will nod
their heads....and agree..
cuz you all so crazy!
Me? I'm livin' high on welfare!

I can think of nothing better
than to have you
.....sigh......
encourage others behind me to
....sigh......
as they wave impatient check books

and murmur to each other about how much
money, me and the Indians and the Hmongs
receive each month.
Let ya'll tell it, I'm somewhere in the thousands
by now...and what?
I got the nerve and audacity to have meat in
my cart, instead of those green beans, dry
beans, rice and tomato soup that you donate
when my pantry runs low.

Yep...I got a ham and a turkey in there, an' some
good Collards, and some Oreos, cuz my babies
watch TV too, and 'please don't be snatchin' these
food stamps out of my hand like I'm a child...
Cuz, everybody from the welfare worker, to the
social worker and the people in my child's school
to the free clinic and on, has snatched and yelled
at me, like I'm a brand new social disease this day

And as long as I'm living like a queen, and married to
the system..don't roll your eyes and talk loud
enough to attract your friends...
"MAEMM..that will be $234 in FOOD STAMPS"!!

Have a little compassion..
You only have to see me
..once a month.

Zenobia L Silas-Carson
© copyright 1991

[thom56]

I think people see the issue of welfare and low income housing differently. We lived in a very stable suburb in the north metro located east-southeast of Brooklyn Park for decades and it was only since the late 90s/early 2000s when the place started going downhill. We found out from our local paper that a few of the apartment complexes were admitting more and more Section 8/low income housing from people not from our town and crime was getting out of hand for a small town suburb environment. It wasn't until after we had to move to St.Paul -an urban area when we realized how bad and ghetto-like our old suburb had got. The Twin Cities-MN is truly a great place to live but I really hope they examine this issue of welfare sustainability in our state as more and more neighborhoods are facing negative changes.