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Working hard is not guarentee that you will get yourself out of poverty. For example there of tons of poor people who work two jobs but are still poor.
Yes, and in my town, some live in shelters, even with full-time jobs. How could they afford housing on below-average salaries, or even average salaries now days?
People are poor because wages have stagnated for decades, but everything else has gone up. It's a fact that we have much less buying power than we had in the 70's. I can attest to it, since I was there. You could even live fine on minimum wage back then, which is what I did for a short time - I even saved money, after paying rent, etc. Can you imagine?! It's so strange to remember being able to have a car, an apartment, food, even entertainment, and save money, too, on $2/hour.
I've never known the child of a rich person to be poor. Why is that? Rarely can a poor person become rich, but it is probably entirely less likely for the progeny of a rich person to be poor. Why is that?
Good point. . . bottom line, a lack of money (or equiveltent monetary resourses) is what makes poor people poor
i don't know why poor people are poor, but one thing i can point out is there seems to be a lot of people living in projects and getting welfare sporting designer labels, owning top of the line electronics, and driving around expensive cars. i have nothing against those who work hard and try improve their lives, but it really annoys me when people take advantage of the system. those who need the help don't get it and those who don't just stay in it.
I don't know what people can buy cars or electronics with the state aide they get. I don't think you know very much about the system. I have people like that in my neighborhood, they are called drug dealers. If they don't have a job and they have all of that nice stuff it didn't come from the state. Taking advantage of the system is wrong, but some people have no choice but to use the aide they can get. I do believe that hard work pays off, but the lower you start off in society the more obstacles you have. I believe that is a reason why so many poor stay poor.
I don't even pretend that I have read all 119 pages here but I'll tell you some of my theories. I used to own a small store in a downtown area where some of my customers were the poorest of poor. Most of them didn't have cars at all and had to walk everywhere, ride the bus or hitch rides. The main things that they bought from me were cheap beer, cigarettes and snacks. Many of these folks were single without a bunch of kids, at least not living with them. Most got some kind of disability check and food stamps. Some were ex cons, others had been in mental institutions and some were just down on their luck.
We had a barrel with the cheapest cigarettes we could find in it. These folks would often come in with just enough change to buy 1 pack of the cheapies. The cheap cigs were 2.50 tax and all. Sometimes we would get two for ones. This was major brands with a special offer, buy one get one free. The two pack usually sold for about $4.00. This was not an option for the poor folks, they couldn't buy value because they only had enough for one pack of cheapies.
On to the reasons they were in that shape. Many of these folks were funtionally illiterate, some totally. There's no way I could have hired any of them to work in my store. Many times they couldn't even read brand names and would identify a product by the color of the package. Some couldn't count money, almost none could speak well enough to help a customer or answer the simplest questions. Yes, some were alcoholics and couldn't go more than a few hours without a drink without getting the shakes.
As far as I could tell most of these folks had grown up in homes which had no value for education. Most had never read a book and some couldn't read the newspaper. None that I know of knew how to operate a computer or any other office machines.
So I guess my conclusion is that lack of skills needed in the work place is a very major contributing factor. Also the lack of any family inheritance. Many people who are not poor would be if not for that.
The people that I've described above are probably the ones at the very lowest rung of the socioeconomic ladder. There are many people just a rung or two up that work hard every day but are still poor. Hard physical work is by no means the magic key to get out of poverty. Working for minimum wage or even 8 or 9 bucks an hour isn't going to get a person into the middle class. As I've stated earlier it takes valuable skills, basic social skills, a family or people around you that care about you and a good degree of luck.
I don't even pretend that I have read all 119 pages here but I'll tell you some of my theories. I used to own a small store in a downtown area where some of my customers were the poorest of poor. Most of them didn't have cars at all and had to walk everywhere, ride the bus or hitch rides. The main things that they bought from me were cheap beer, cigarettes and snacks. Many of these folks were single without a bunch of kids, at least not living with them. Most got some kind of disability check and food stamps. Some were ex cons, others had been in mental institutions and some were just down on their luck.
We had a barrel with the cheapest cigarettes we could find in it. These folks would often come in with just enough change to buy 1 pack of the cheapies. The cheap cigs were 2.50 tax and all. Sometimes we would get two for ones. This was major brands with a special offer, buy one get one free. The two pack usually sold for about $4.00. This was not an option for the poor folks, they couldn't buy value because they only had enough for one pack of cheapies.
On to the reasons they were in that shape. Many of these folks were funtionally illiterate, some totally. There's no way I could have hired any of them to work in my store. Many times they couldn't even read brand names and would identify a product by the color of the package. Some couldn't count money, almost none could speak well enough to help a customer or answer the simplest questions. Yes, some were alcoholics and couldn't go more than a few hours without a drink without getting the shakes.
As far as I could tell most of these folks had grown up in homes which had no value for education. Most had never read a book and some couldn't read the newspaper. None that I know of knew how to operate a computer or any other office machines.
So I guess my conclusion is that lack of skills needed in the work place is a very major contributing factor. Also the lack of any family inheritance. Many people who are not poor would be if not for that.
The people that I've described above are probably the ones at the very lowest rung of the socioeconomic ladder. There are many people just a rung or two up that work hard every day but are still poor. Hard physical work is by no means the magic key to get out of poverty. Working for minimum wage or even 8 or 9 bucks an hour isn't going to get a person into the middle class. As I've stated earlier it takes valuable skills, basic social skills, a family or people around you that care about you and a good degree of luck.
This poster really has got a grip of it, all thats left out is how do we educate people that come from generational educationally lacking families?
This poster really has got a grip of it, all thats left out is how do we educate people that come from generational educationally lacking families?
What kind of education do you mean? The problem is using education is that people are needed for these low paying jobs they are doing and someone has to do it.
IMHO
this is an old thread.
i will address welfare only not SSI cases.
people on welfare are people that consistently make bad decisions.
the good news.
its only takes 3 or 4 good decisions to turn an ocean liner around.
IMHO
this is an old thread.
i will address welfare only not SSI cases.
people on welfare are people that consistently make bad decisions.
the good news.
its only takes 3 or 4 good decisions to turn an ocean liner around.
Do you know all welfare people? If not how do you know this is true?
What kind of education do you mean? The problem is using education is that people are needed for these low paying jobs they are doing and someone has to do it.
In this case were talking about the most basic kind. Reading, writing, simple math and the ability to speak in a manner that would allow them to have a coherent conversation with the average person. These basic skills are needed for even low paying jobs. Many of the folks that I was refering to above lacked most if not all of these skills.
In this case were talking about the most basic kind. Reading, writing, simple math and the ability to speak in a manner that would allow them to have a coherent conversation with the average person. These basic skills are needed for even low paying jobs. Many of the folks that I was refering to above lacked most if not all of these skills.
Okay got you. I agree with you on this.
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