[Marc Paolella]

Originally Posted by Surge0001

Again I don't see how this is an actual contribution to the OP. Being poor is not just an individual problem, this is a problem that affects entire communities, communities where half the population is in poverty that has been happening for generations is not an "individuals" problem

Generational poverty is the result of generational bad decision making. There is no rational reason to think that a bad decision becomes a good decision because it is made over and over. If different choices are not made by individual people, this conversation will still be going on 500 years from now. Because the decisions that cause poverty will not change all that much. And these decisions are indeed the province of individuals. Communities don't make decisions, individual people do. So that's what has to change. Let's cover the impossible formula again. Graduate high school, no kids until you are married and stable and can afford them, no drugs or booze, work hard, be nice, and show up. Let's get this training into the schools. No victim mentality. No redistribution of other people's property. Empowerment through new better decisions that leave the past in the past instead of making it the recurrent future. This is how you handle the rural poverty "problem" in Alabama, and everywhere else.

[Igor Blevin]

Originally Posted by Marc Paolella

Thank you. Perfectly stated and described. Giving people endless incentives to do nothing and be nothing. Guess what they are becoming?

You get more of what you subsidize and less of what you tax. Laziness should be taxed, not subsidized.

[mojo101]

how do you think the hard working coal miners of West Virginia think of your idea of going to school,marry and raise kids,work hard and dont be late?
and still the mines are closed and no job in sight/
plenty of people work hard-a 72 years old lady found a job in museum cafeteria and now it is closed and she has no job,some iron bedsheets and pillows in hotels,some disabled kids polish silver for upscale dining,oh,some do keypunching,typing and stuff envelopes at home?
One immigrant girl came with her parents from IRAN,she volunteered to work in NYC hospital ,when the Shah and his wife came for his cancer treatment,she is t he one who came to push his wheelchair to the basement Xray room,the guard followed them to the elevator,when he wanted to step into the elevator ,the Shah waved no.
Every day she will go to their suite to run errands if any,I bet she gets a HUGE tip afterwards

[Surge0001]

Originally Posted by johnsonkk

Thread has gone sideways. Moved away from Alabama a few pages back. Now the topic is rural vs corporations and urban vs, rural.

Yea I agree, its very unfortunate; there was actually some good, quality, insightful conversations going around. Now its just the same 3 or so jack holes from up North spewing "let the poor suffer" over and over again and some anti-government stuff (?) which I'm still not sure how its even relevant to the conversation. I'm frankly starting to hate this thread more than the Covid thread because of the nonsense; None of the other Alabamians are commenting on this thread anymore, so not really worth keeping this thread open, I would lock if I could, not sure why I can't since I'm the OP.

[NDak15]

Originally Posted by Surge0001

I've been thinking about this lately, the rural poverty is a hold back for the state. There are two clear pockets of a severe poverty in Alabama, the western black belt, which encompasses the non metro area between Mobile, Tuscaloosa, and Montgomery. The other is the eastern black belt which encompasses the areas between Dothan, Auburn, and Montgomery. How would you solve the problem?

They need good paying jobs. That's literally the only solution to it.

[car mechanic]

Heavy traffic is not a problem anymore,it was like a covid19 endemic. same situation happens allover the world.do you agree?i think you should

[Marc Paolella]

Originally Posted by Surge0001

Yea I agree, its very unfortunate; there was actually some good, quality, insightful conversations going around. Now its just the same 3 or so jack holes from up North spewing "let the poor suffer" over and over again and some anti-government stuff (?) which I'm still not sure how its even relevant to the conversation. I'm frankly starting to hate this thread more than the Covid thread because of the nonsense; None of the other Alabamians are commenting on this thread anymore, so not really worth keeping this thread open, I would lock if I could, not sure why I can't since I'm the OP.

This is the whining mentality keeping poverty going in rural Alabama. Here’s a suggestion: Instead of cancel culturing and locking threads, stop reading it and move on. You have the freedom to decide how to spend your time. This is SO the progressive mentality: “Oh, I don’t like what’s being said. Let’s find a way to shut it down”.

I literally gave you the answer to the problem, but you don’t like it because it doesn’t fit with your world view. Reality doesn’t care. Either behavior and decisions change, or poverty stays forever. Poor people aren’t owed anything. They have to do what more wealthy people do: take care of the business of life using observation, reason, logic, and good decision making based on objective reality. Period.

[GreggT]

Originally Posted by Marc Paolella

This is the whining mentality keeping poverty going in rural Alabama. Here’s a suggestion: Instead of cancel culturing and locking threads, stop reading it and move on. You have the freedom to decide how to spend your time. This is SO the progressive mentality: “Oh, I don’t like what’s being said. Let’s find a way to shut it down”.

I literally gave you the answer to the problem, but you don’t like it because it doesn’t fit with your world view. Reality doesn’t care. Either behavior and decisions change, or poverty stays forever. Poor people aren’t owed anything. They have to do what more wealthy people do: take care of the business of life using observation, reason, logic, and good decision making based on objective reality. Period.

Love how the folks who never read the book know the plot and the ending.
I don't know the answers to the drug abuse, homelessness, excessive Covid deaths, decayed cities and violence in those states where the posters have shown up from with all of Alabama's answers. Seems they ought to be solving their own problems instead of trying to solve a puzzle they never have seen!

[Marc Paolella]

Originally Posted by GreggT

Love how the folks who never read the book know the plot and the ending.
I don't know the answers to the drug abuse, homelessness, excessive Covid deaths, decayed cities and violence in those states where the posters have shown up from with all of Alabama's answers. Seems they ought to be solving their own problems instead of trying to solve a puzzle they never have seen!

It’s the same damned puzzle. Everywhere. Self-destruction with bad decisions followed by trying to make it everyone else’s problem. Since the issue is now thoroughly discussed, it is time to exit this thread for new challenges. I’ve only been to Alabama once, but found it pleasant and appealing. Maybe once I retire, I’ll really make some Alabamans really unhappy and show up in person.

[Surge0001]

Originally Posted by Marc Paolella

It’s the same damned puzzle. Everywhere. Self-destruction with bad decisions followed by trying to make it everyone else’s problem.

It is not the "the same damned puzzle." Your poverty is not the same as our poverty, our poverty is a completely different beast, this is not your crack head neighbor Bob that flunked out of high school like what you have. These are people who have been in poverty for generations because of generation of institutional racism and Jim Crow law as well as the destruction of rural jobs through outsourcing in the past 60 years. It is not "lazy people who need to suffer" they are Americans trying to find a living, with nothing around them to find a living through and they are too poor to move.


And no we do not need more stereotypes here, you can stay up North