Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Poor is someone who does not have the basics, as defined by the standard of living of the country they are living in.
Basics should include (but often don't):
- Clean and safe housing with at least one bedroom per two people. It should have adequate hot-water, enough for 2 people to take a shower in the same hour, and heat at least at 68 degrees during the day. If you are in an overly warm climate, it should not exceed 80 degrees at night and 85 during the day.
- Clothing that is clean, hole-free, where its contents are rotated by 1/4 every year. (My experience is that clothing that is worn on a weekly basis starts to lose cohesion at about the 4 year mark, where they either get holes in them, straps break, or they get overly stretched out from washing.)
- The ability to supply a diet consisting of 1/3 Fresh Produce, 1/3 Protein, and 1/3 starches. One should be able to afford to buy food that does not contain high fructose corn syrup. Alas, it's very difficult to find things that are coined as healthy without it. And it has huge repercussions on the obesity level of this nation.
- Healthcare so that a person can have medicine if they are sick, and regular treatment when necessary. A minimum of one physical a year for adults.
RICH - Anyone who makes a bonus on a regular basis that is equal to more than the median US household income in an entire year. I doubt that anyone on this forum fits that bill.
Many people already have these things. Section 8 already insures such housing quality is in place. Food Stamps (which should be expanded) also insures food quality. As for clothing, There is more than enough money sources to help with getting clothes.
Those that qualify. Many poor people make just enough, not to qualify. The donut hole in our safety net is huge.
Yes, and I agree that this country too often pisses on the immigrants and working-class who so desperately need this help while rewarding the ghetto trash that needs less.
Let me clairfy:
Most of my compadrades on the "Right" do support Section 8, Food Stamps, Medicaid, etc when used to properly help people achieve self-sufficency. The problem is far too many choose to use it as a way of life. Combined with skyrocketing crime and just as high taxes, and the system needs to change. No one obviously wants to see people starve. But let's be real here, the Great Society programs have done nothing but casue Great Problems.
Here in NYC, I see people come with nothing but the shirts on their backs and in a few years sending their kids to the ivy leauges. And this cuts across all colors and beliefs. Frankly, I would rather live among illegal immigrants than my fellow Americans due to the fact they actually bust their ass and not walk around with "Free Muima" and "CCCP" tee-shirts like most of the "compassionate class".
So, I don't mean to offer a potential solution or anything, that would be against the forum rules, but everyone who is passionate about this, you should check out Charity Navigator. It provides an evaluation of charities, local or nationwide, some of which aim to help the less fortunate. You can use this to donate time or money to the charities which best match your goals.
Location: On another site. This one is lame :) Trying to give it a second chance though.
105 posts, read 71,191 times
Reputation: 44
Quote:
Originally Posted by TomMoser
Inheritance?
.....don't forget less financial stress.
Ever hear the expression "don't gamble what you can't afford to lose"?
Well if you grow up knowing you're going to be financially stable no matter what, you can take more risks in life.
I myself have made MANY choices based on financial security, i.e. EATING the next day.
If I didn't have to worry about that, and more importantly, if I didn't have to THINK about that, I would probably be much further along than I am now.
Think about it, and this means EVERYONE middle class and below.
How much extra brain power would you have to spare if you didn't WASTE time thinking about financial security, and the preservation of necessary capital?
Here's a biggie. Parents that are middle class and below are CONSTANTLY trying to tell their kids to "save their money". Guess what, nobody gets "rich" by saving money. Absolutely no one. You get rich by taking calculated risks. "Saving" is not a calculated risk. It's the financial equivalent of sticking your head in the sand.
Unfortunately, depending on your economic class, it's a necessity.
Lastly, public school. PS does absolutely nothing to teach kids to become rich. Many of the upper crust PRIVATE schools do, but you're not going to be educated on how to actually MAKE money in the local school district. All they teach is how to become a good corporate drone, and that's all.
Oh yeah, good old fashioned intelligence comes into play as well. Which, despite what mom said, is largely genetic.
Great post. This is the question that keeps the state lotteries running.
I have a better question though. Why do I want to be rich?
Why can't I be happy with what I have?
Sure I'd love to drive a Bentley. One problem though. I wouldn't give up those times when I was a kid and my "hoopdy" broke down and three of my friends helped me push it down the road to the gas station. Or when my engine blew up and two of my friends helped me change it for 12 hours in the street out in front of the house.
Counting up nickels and dimes to go up to 7-11 and get a slurpee on a hot summer day.
Waiting for Halloween like it was a "pre-Christmas" because it was the most candy you'd have all year.
Digging in the couch cushions for change so you could go get a soda.
Helping mom with the laundry and finding $5 in a pants pocket and feeling like you just hit the lottery.
The list goes on, and on, and on. Tons of things rich people will never appreciate, simply because they can't.
Yeah, I guess I'd like to be a millionaire, but I'd much rather have George Bush walk the proverbial plank so I can get back to being middle class. I like middle class. At least I like the idea of it. Right now I'm just "middle credit" like everybody else, including our economy.
Many homeless are mentally ill, do you suggest we somehow re-incarcerate them to provide them treatment? As far as "Ghettos" go, who is the ones decideding to shoot up the neighborhood? How about "Stop Snitching"? Want food? It's called Food Stamps. Want medicial? How about Medicaid. As for clothing, tell me where you find the half-naked in this country.
You seem to keep generalizing the whole group based on a few examples, though. Poverty breeds crime, you could get rid of every "Stop Snitchin'" T-shirt in the country and place cameras on every block and crime would still be disproportionately committed by and against people with less to lose and more to gain. It happens throughout the world. Poor areas also often suffer from problems completely beyond the control of the people living there, such as heavy pollution, overcrowding, inferior infrastructure/public services, absentee landlords, etc.
Not all poor people have access to Food Stamps, Medicaid, etc., and the support these programs provide is often very skimpy.
Quote:
Many of you are posting from areas with little to zero minorities or actual "Ghettos". I'll tell you what, let's ship the South side of Chicago to Norway and see if the socialist dream really holds up. Or maybe it will collapse......
I'm not familiar with Chicago, but the right-wing, "starve 'em into work and keep the govurment outof it" capitalist dream doesn't seem to be working too well down here in ultra-conservative + impoverished Alabama.
So, I don't mean to offer a potential solution or anything, that would be against the forum rules, but everyone who is passionate about this, you should check out Charity Navigator. It provides an evaluation of charities, local or nationwide, some of which aim to help the less fortunate. You can use this to donate time or money to the charities which best match your goals.
One of the best ways I have found to donate is through media outlets (newspapers, television, etc.). Oftentimes, they have no administrative costs because they use their own employees to handle the details -- so more of what you give actually gets to the people you are trying to give to.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
