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After 5 decades of helping the "poor," the "poor" are still "poor."
What's up with that?
It is said that after Cortez landed in the New World, he burnt his ships. His crew were probably pretty angry that they couldn't return, but it did motivate them to survive here.
So why not eliminate HUD tomorrow?
What happen? Nothing. You think you'd suddenly have millions of "homeless" people? No way. They would just seek alternative housing arrangements.
What is so wrong about about a single welfare mother with 3 children sharing an apartment with another single welfare mother with 2 children?
Nothing. In fact, it fact it looks like the excuse of not having child care would be resolved.
And all data on the "poor" is false and erroneous.
For example, you have a welfare mother living in HUD housing, and she's living with a guy who works a job earning $10 to $18 hour.
The laws unfortunately do not require her to report his income, although they certainly should since she benefits from that.
So here you have a situation where the rent is paid by the tax payers, the heating and electric and water and sewage and garbage collection is paid for by the tax payers. The food is provided by the tax payers. Extra food is provided through WIC by the tax payers. Health insurance via Medicaid is provided by the tax payers. And then cash assistance via a General Fund or ADC is provided by the tax payers.
The guy living there gets free rent, free utilities and free food. All he has to do is pay his health insurance.
Now who wants to ask a stupid question like why do you always see Cadillac Escalades and Lexus parked outside?
Well, if I had $1600 to $3000 in pure disposable income I might be driving a Lexus too.
Next time there's a Census, sign up and work, and volunteer for the HUD housing areas (you'll probably be stuck there anyway since those are the areas with the lowest responses), and just maybe you'll see the truth for once.
I'm an atheist.
I don't recall Jesus saying, "Turn homelessness into a $60 Billion/year industry so people can make lots of money off of the 'homeless'" or "Set up a system that allows landlords to charge $1250/month for an apartment that rents on the free market for $350/month" or "Create a system that devalues and destroys families."
While you are nitpicking about a thousand dollars here and there. The governement is stealing billions. And lots of unethical rich people are stealing millions.
Rich people are no angels. Many of them are criminals and thieves too.
You're pointing your finger at poor people for stealing, as if rich people don't do the same? Give me a break.
It is said that after Cortez landed in the New World, he burnt his ships. His crew were probably pretty angry that they couldn't return, but it did motivate them to survive here.
Why is disagreement about policy and frustration about a broken system so frequently called hatred? It's a strawman argument to marginalize a policy view.
Why is disagreement about policy and frustration about a broken system so frequently called hatred? It's a strawman argument to marginalize a policy view.
It's not a strawman arguement. Lots of people here openly hate poor people, smeone in this thread even said he did. It's a common opinion in America to loathe the poor and people speak of it openly. Especially nowadys since Obama is using it as a wedge issue.
That's not what i've seen. I posted another thread about how maybe billionares should help out poor people more, and I got verbally assaulted by about 20 people.
Who do you think is paying for the poors food stamps, free daycare for their child, medical, cell phones, housing and cash for some.
Why do you all want people to remain poor. Why do you want people to be dependent on the gov to provide for them? Why do you all not want to implement programs that help people be able to provide for themselves
Why do you all not want there to be accountability, responsibility and consequences in society? Do you really get what type of world we would have without those things?
A common theme I see on these threads is that most city-data members basically hate poor people. They see poor people as lazy, worthless scumbags of no value.
They have little or no interest in helping poor people. Have very little empathy or compassion. And basically just want to ignore the issue.
What's up with that???
I'm pretty sure most of you all who hate poor people are Christians. You should probably go back and re-read some of Jesus' quotes about helping the poor.
I've been living away from the US for a while and I forgot about this American hatred for poor people. The coments on city-data on this topic are shocking to me after not hearing this kind of talk for so long.
You are dramatically overstating the case, in my opinion.
Our society provides a safety net that is supposed to feed the hungry (foodstamps, WIC), shelter the homeless (government housing), and care for the sick (in the process of being upgraded). Few people object to providing required minimum levels of life's basic necessities. It is a free country, and if some people are content to live at those minimums, most others do not give it much thought.
The conversation becomes charged when you suggest that the success of one comes at another's expense, or that one's prosperity is due to the misery of another.
From that faulty framework, some people justify proposals to forcibly take from the hard-working, effective, successful people in order to level out the end results. Being as productive as you can be is a virtue. Showing up for work every day is a virtue. Gaining the preparation one needs to be of value to others is a virtue. When those virtues are demonized for the benefit of people who do not exhibit them, you get some angry talk back. And you provide the poor with a rationalization that reinforces entitlement and diminishes the role of personal responsibility.
The real casualty of all the heat and noise is that we get distracted from the underlying issue: improving the access to opportunity, and striving for the goal of equality of opportunity. The pathetic state of public education in our inner cities is a case in point. We need to make it more true than ever before that anyone can make something of themselves.
The poor will always be with us, and the Lord helps those who help themselves.
Who do you think is paying for the poors food stamps, free daycare for their child, medical, cell phones, housing and cash for some.
Why do you all want people to remain poor. Why do you want people to be dependent on the gov to provide for them? Why do you all not want to implement programs that help people be able to provide for themselves
Why do you all not want there to be accountability, responsibility and consequences in society? Do you really get what type of world we would have without those things?
Why should anyone work when someone else can?
Well I am actually in favor of a major government revolution because I think the deep corruption n governement is stalling everything else. And it's one of the main things that is keeping poor impoverished.
That's my first choice for a solution in the matter, redtucture the government and majorly change lots of laws and policies.
After 5 decades of helping the "poor," the "poor" are still "poor."
What's up with that?
So why not eliminate HUD tomorrow?
What happen? Nothing. You think you'd suddenly have millions of "homeless" people? No way. They would just seek alternative housing arrangements.
What is so wrong about about a single welfare mother with 3 children sharing an apartment with another single welfare mother with 2 children?
Nothing. In fact, it fact it looks like the excuse of not having child care would be resolved.
And all data on the "poor" is false and erroneous.
For example, you have a welfare mother living in HUD housing, and she's living with a guy who works a job earning $10 to $18 hour.
The laws unfortunately do not require her to report his income, although they certainly should since she benefits from that.
So here you have a situation where the rent is paid by the tax payers, the heating and electric and water and sewage and garbage collection is paid for by the tax payers. The food is provided by the tax payers. Extra food is provided through WIC by the tax payers. Health insurance via Medicaid is provided by the tax payers. And then cash assistance via a General Fund or ADC is provided by the tax payers.
The guy living there gets free rent, free utilities and free food. All he has to do is pay his health insurance.
Now who wants to ask a stupid question like why do you always see Cadillac Escalades and Lexus parked outside?
Well, if I had $1600 to $3000 in pure disposable income I might be driving a Lexus too.
Next time there's a Census, sign up and work, and volunteer for the HUD housing areas (you'll probably be stuck there anyway since those are the areas with the lowest responses), and just maybe you'll see the truth for once.
I'm an atheist.
I don't recall Jesus saying, "Turn homelessness into a $60 Billion/year industry so people can make lots of money off of the 'homeless'" or "Set up a system that allows landlords to charge $1250/month for an apartment that rents on the free market for $350/month" or "Create a system that devalues and destroys families."
I have said many times that there is a certain amount of abuse in the welfare system but, you said it yourself "turn homelessness into a $60 billion/year industry" if one is to correct a problem go to its source" & those who are making the ridiculous profits are the ones who should be investigated first. The money wasted could be used instead for job training & helping to get those poor people back to work to become self sufficient.
Demonize the 'system' not the poor.
The other day here at the rail station in Phoenix a homeless man found a bag with a laptop & over $3thousand in cash inside of it.
He took it to his shelter & they found the owner (a college kid) who was interviewed on the news. He said " It shows that character cannot be judged by one's situation".
When the homeless man was asked what they could do to possibly help him he said, "if I could find a full time job that would help me to better my situation I would appreciate it".
Most poor do not want to be that way. Start with the training & job creation.
The saying 'sh** happens' sometimes is true & ' but, for the grace of GOD go I'.
Well I am actually in favor of a major government revolution because I think the deep corruption n governement is stalling everything else. And it's one of the main things that is keeping poor impoverished.
That's my first choice for a solution in the matter, redtucture the government and majorly change lots of laws and policies.
Everything else is just a band-aid on the wound.
Do you think people hold no responsibility for their choices?
Just how do you want to restructure the gov into what?
You are dramatically overstating the case, in my opinion.
Our society provides a safety net that is supposed to feed the hungry (foodstamps, WIC), shelter the homeless (government housing), and care for the sick (in the process of being upgraded). Few people object to providing required minimum levels of life's basic necessities. It is a free country, and if some people are content to live at those minimums, most others do not give it much thought.
The conversation becomes charged when you suggest that the success of one comes at another's expense, or that one's prosperity is due to the misery of another.
From that faulty framework, some people justify proposals to forcibly take from the hard-working, effective, successful people in order to level out the end results. Being as productive as you can be is a virtue. Showing up for work every day is a virtue. Gaining the preparation one needs to be of value to others is a virtue. When those virtues are demonized for the benefit of people who do not exhibit them, you get some angry talk back. And you provide the poor with a rationalization that reinforces entitlement and diminishes the role of personal responsibility.
The real casualty of all the heat and noise is that we get distracted from the underlying issue: improving the access to opportunity, and striving for the goal of equality of opportunity. The pathetic state of public education in our inner cities is a case in point. We need to make it more true than ever before that anyone can make something of themselves.
The poor will always be with us, and the Lord helps those who help themselves.
Great post. I agree.
Something needs to be done. I just don't know what the best solution is.
It's crazy how low America has sank. Hard working people cannot afford to live with dignity.
There will always be homeless people who just want to escape everything and have zero responsibilty. But i'm talking more about working poor here.
People like my friend. She works hard as a receptioinist full time and still has to live like at the bare minimum, never saves any money, is one accident away from total financial ruin.
It's not acceptable in a country of such wealth that working people are living so poorly.
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