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Trump has a number of initiatives that were directly targeted to improve employment for African Americans and those plans were working before COVID. Once the dust settles and IF people are smart enough to re-elect him, those improvements will continue.
The thing that needs to happen is improving the economy, and focusing on getting companies to invest in underserved areas.
y whole issue with Government trying to manage the wealth gap? If the Fed can't figure out how to balance their budget, how to live within their means, why would I trust them to play social warrior with incomes?
I am soon to be 58 years old. In those years I have observed a few things.
Some people are content to live off the Government welfare programs, even though it really isn't that much. Why? Because staying at home and watching TV is preferable to them than waking up at 5:30 am to get ready for work. Then spending 8.5 hours a day at work 5 days a week. They have been taught to depend on welfare to provide for them, and they like it.
Most of us prefer to have disposable income. We like having the money to buy nice things and to go on vacation.
There are plenty of whites who are addicted to the welfare teat as well. It is an addictive teat. The one most welfare bandits have in common is that strong sense of entitlement. Why wouldn't they have it? There parents grew up on the welfare. Raised them on the welfare and now they are on the welfare. It's a sweet gig for the lazy and unskilled.
The Fed did this to them. IT taught them to be dependent. The Democrats stoke those fires, with promises of more, if only you vote for them.
Compassionate conservatives like Kemp, tried to find a middle ground to wean these generational commandos of the system. They were fought by both sides.
You want to change that wealth gap? Stop providing incentives to stay at home. Cap welfare for no more than 2 children. Allow government paid for abortions. It's far cheaper to abort than to deliver then pay welfare for 18+ years.
Teach viable trades. Is there a reason kids who will never use it, must learn Algebra? 58 years old and I consider that 1 of the 3 most wasted classes I was ever required to take. Right there with Indian Lit, and another class called Beowulf to Beatles.
Teach these kids something useful.
People talk genetics. My son is a complete success and not one of his half siblings or cousins are. Criminals and welfare mothers. One and all. What is different? How they were raised.
the only difference I would state is mandatory paid-for birth control rather than government paid abortions.
Some of us folk love to bash Clinton for pushing the subprime market. All he did was enforce the Community Reinvestment Act (Carter started it!). But W had two full terms to stop the policy, but didn't! Go figure!
It's important for all to know Bush had his own housing policy/program that was essentially the same. Some of the difference related to Barney Frank's fingerprints/demands.
Completely separate topic. Tax the billionaires and get more government revenue, spend more on section 8 and food stamps. How does that help anybody? It's just more dependence
Poor, uneducated people need more education. Education is EVERYTHING and it HAS to start in the home, you can't just drop your kids off at school and expect the school to pull all the weight. Kids need re-enforcement on habits and getting on them for homework, friends challenging them on concepts instead of smashing their bookbags to the ground on the sidewalk for "acting white"
One issue that needs to be addressed would be the schools. Having inadequate schools in poorer neighborhoods and big, elaborate schools with all sorts of activities and electives in the richer neighborhoods is an issue that really hurts the chances of getting ahead when the schools just aren't very good and dealing with behavior problems and children who got a slow start because of their home environment.
So much of this problem is looked at in the big urban areas which really differ from the rest of the country. So much of what the liberals are whining about is from their life experience in the big urban areas - segregated areas. I have never lived in such an area, and from what I have seen, incomes have been equal for equal work. You can't pay a janitor the same wage as you do a mechanical engineer.
Having been in the military, and having worked as a civilian with the military, I have seen so many people of color, and not of color join the military and use that to get ahead. They got the job done when they were serious and had a plan.
When we moved to our current city, my neighbor who was white was working 3 jobs, 1 full time, 1 part time and 1 weekend, and his wife worked full-time. He did this until he was able to get a good job an hour away to which he had to commute back and forth. I have seen many people of all "colors" work their butts off to finally get ahead, and that is kind of how it is done. Education is the key, but without motivation by the individual, that goes nowhere.
" But W had two full terms to stop the policy, but didn't! Go figure!"
By the time W found out about it he TRIED to but the DEMS took control of the House and Senate and tried to get barney franks and dodd, both chairmen of the respective banking committees to act and ole baney replied, There is NOT a problem!
The dems NEVER take responsibility for ANY of their blunders!
No, W didn't! He let the market do its thing......and then it busted!
He also had his first full term of GOP majority in Congress. The CRA is a good law. It stopped discrimination and redlining, and I personally saw Harlem, Bed Stuy and the South Bronx, in New York become better neighborhoods than they were, because of it.
However, the subprime mortgage phenomena was an unchecked market, rather than policy failure. Folk in places like Jamaica, Queens, Baltimore and Cleveland; some were being railroaded to subprime loans, despite being eligible for prime mortgages. The discrimination and selectivity on that end was real!
Large numbers of African immigrants to the USA are beneficiaries of the “diversity visa program” aimed at boosting immigration from underrepresented nations. Applicants to the program must meet education requirements and/or have at least two years of recent experience in any number of occupations, including accountant, computer support specialist, orthodontist, etc.
As a result, African immigrants are better educated than people born in the U.S. on average including Black Americans. So your post is more or less meaningless.
Notice: I haven't used the word "Racism" in this thread once. Ok, scratch that. I just did.
The point is there is big difference between noting historical disadvantage as opposed to screaming racism. I have been focused on the former in this thread, not the latter.
You actually gave my post more meaning then even what I posted. So based on your own post above; this is what you are saying:
As long as someone gets a proper education, gets experience/skills in the correct professions then they can become financially successful in the US. So there is no systematic inequality keeping ANY minority down in the US. As long as you work hard, work smart and don't have some extremely bad luck events; you can become successful in the US regardless of your skin color. Basically, according to you skin color does not matter since African's from other nations are highly successful in the US provided they possess the proper skill set. Hmmm who knew?
By the way I'm part of a group that has among the lowest median income in the US. Based on the typical habits,attitudes and areas of focus of many of my countrymen I can see why that is.
The differentiator between the typical person from my country and my family ironically is everything you mentioned above. My parents told us to focus of those things. Based on that my sister and I have done quite well financially. The system in the US is not perverse to a point where someones skin color dooms them to be poor. If you need more proof, ask any African American who is not an entertainer or athlete how they become successful. I guarantee you that 9 out of 10 will attribute their success to the skills you mentioned above.
Last edited by griffon652; 08-02-2020 at 02:35 AM..
This isn't a proposal for reparations or for producing precisely equal outcomes. This is a series of proposals that would go a long way to narrowing the persistent wealth gap that exists between Black & White Americans.
These proposals are mostly not race specific or targeted. Rather they are targeted or means tested to all U.S. citizens based on income which would disproportionately help Blacks but it would also help low income households from all backgrounds build wealth.
The median household wealth in the U.S. for Whites is roughly $170,000 vs. $17,000 for Blacks (2016 dollars).
That has to change. We can't look at ourselves as Americans and think that is ok. This isn't about tearing down one group to build up another. This is about building wealth for Black households (and others) which will not only helps Black households but makes our overall economy more productive.
1. Baby Bonds: The U.S. government would give all children below a certain income born in the U.S. with a $1,000 savings account. Each year, the government would automatically deposit up to another $2,000 into that account, depending on family income. People would not be able to dig into the funds until they hit 18, and the uses of the money would generally be limited to paying for college, vocational training, buying a house and saving for retirement. The U.S. Treasury Department would manage the accounts.
2. Expanded Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): The EITC is a program is an existing refundable tax credit for low- to moderate-income working individuals and couples that boosts the paychecks for working people. This should be expanded/increased so their is more take home pay for those working at or near the bottom.
3. Increase Black Homeownership: There remains a large gap in homeownership rates between Blacks and Whites. Homeownership (and equity) is the ticket to the American middle class. The Urban Institute has a five point plan for increasing black homeownership.
4. Pass significant Health Care Reform based on the "Healthy Americans Act" which was legislation co-sponsored in 2009 by Ron Wyden (D) and Robert Bennett (R).
The Healthy Americans Act would transition away from employer-provided health insurance to having individuals/households choose their health care plan from state-approved private insurers. The act provides every American citizen (and legal resident) with a voucher to purchase a health plan providing a minimum set of care. The voucher or plan would be paid for on a sliding scale basis based on income. There would be no pre-existing conditions. Last but not least, by guaranteeing health insurance to all Americans the act would prevent households from having to go into bankruptcy due to a health crisis.
All of these are giveaway programs that steal the money from others to give it to these people.
If you want to increase black home ownership, then get rid of all of the programs to increase housing density. Increased housing density (which the climate changists are demanding) means that landlords are buying up all of the property.
Many cities are no trying to remove all single-family housing. The landlords and builders want this. The cities want 'plexes (businesses on first floor, apartments above). More efficient land use means no home ownership. Cities want to force landlords on everyone.
The solution to healthcare problems is to abolish health insurance. Heath insurance causes demand-pull price inflation by "covering" a healthcare procedure up ti a certain amount. So then all of the providers raise their prices to that amount. It also causes doctors to form healthcare cartels to fix prices. "Coverage" must be abolished.
Last edited by Troubleshooter; 04-29-2021 at 10:09 AM..
Reason: add
The median household wealth in the U.S. for Whites is roughly $170,000 vs. $17,000 for Blacks (2016 dollars).
That has to change.(snip)
No, it doesn't have to change. If it is going to change, it is up to the underperformers to up their game. If they don't want to, or can't, well that is just what has and should be.
The more you prop up losers, the more losers you will get.
Things are what they are, and aren't what they aren't, and for real reasons that can't be changed, or artificial, unfair work-arounds conjured up.
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