Poverty

[one more cast]

Re: Poverty

This is what Mr. Webster calls poverty....<br /><br /> <br /><br />Main Entry: pov·er·ty <br />Pronunciation: 'pä-v&r-tE<br /><br />1 a : the state of one who lacks a usual or socially acceptable amount of money or material possessions

 

[DJ]

Re: Poverty

JB Wrote:<br /><br />

Don't want to sound heartless and don't remember who said it, but "The poor will always be with us."<br />

A reminder, JB. GOD said it.<br /><br />Poor is relative. I suspect we are including recent illegal aliens. Not an accurate number, if we are. <br /><br />Plus, who reports their REAL income, illegals surely do not. You know, the whole, "under the radar thing".

 

[don flowers]

Re: Poverty

I'm afraid the poor will always be with us because they choose to remain poor. My intentions are not to offend anyone, but being "not poor" requires work and effort. I, like JB have been hungry, without, but chose to do something about it. Now, I.m not hungry, and it requires a continued effort. Sorry, but if they are without, they need to something about it, maybe go and loot more stores. That's really the way to take care of things.

 

[DJ]

Re: Poverty

Sorry, but if they are without, they need to something about it, maybe go and loot more stores. That's really the way to take care of things.<br />

Kind of a cynical view, but that's what many think. And the media would have us believe that is a ligetimate profession. You know: "Supply Relief Engineer".<br /><br />I say, "shoot on sight".

 

[tommays]

Re: Poverty

my family was pretty screwed up and i was out on my own the day i got out of high school <br /><br /><br />the only thing i needed to do was be willing to work my azz off at some really crappy jobs and over the years i used what i learned to end up pretty well off<br /><br />now my children are both well on there way to collage degrees and we all get along well CYCLE BROKEN<br /> <br /><br /><br />poverty is pretty well hidden here on long island but its easy enough to find if you drive into the right areas <br /><br /><br />now when my daughter was going to school in chicago i really saw wide spread poverty <br /><br />its really sad when you go into a store and see a dirty kid with rags on with a 13 year old mother<br /><br /> and you know that kids got a snow balls chance in hell of breaking the cycle<br /><br />if it was 1965 it would not suprise me BUT in 2005 it shows that me the PROGRAMS have failed and if anything seem to have increased the wellfare rolls <br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[Link]

Re: Poverty

tommays<br />Neat story. <br />Glad you broke the chain. Think of how many generations you will have helped by your own efforts.<br /><br />Man by iboats standards Ive lived in poverty most of my life! <br />Got married raised 3 kids, bought a home all while in the military making $800 or less a month.

 

[4poco]

Re: Poverty

Originally posted by Tyme2fish:<br /> I can only comment as to "public assistance" here in Indiana. Medicaid patients "wellfare" that I deal with generally drive big SUVs and they all have a cellphone stuck in their ear. Poverty? I don't think so.

Same here in Wyo. Thier livin better than myself, and i get up for work... go figure........

 

[BoatBuoy]

Re: Poverty

Originally posted by tommays:<br /> if it was 1965 it would not suprise me BUT in 2005 it shows that me the PROGRAMS have failed and if anything seem to have increased the wellfare rolls <br />

A negative is difficult to prove, isn't it?

 

[rolmops]

Re: Poverty

What about all the senior citizens living only off social security?They have to choose between medicine and heating their homes.There is poverty in this country.You do not see it because it is hidden from the public eye, but try some inner city spots in the rust belt or the appalachian mountain villages and you will stop judging that fast.47 million americans do not have health insurance, that is poverty.

 

[Triton II]

Re: Poverty

Good story tommays. I'm lucky in that I come from a priviledged background and have never wanted for anything either as a child or as an adult. All I want now is for my three sons to continue their growth from being decent, socially responsible youths into decent, socially responsible adults. If that happens I shall die happy. In the meantime I do as much as I can to help those less well off... I pay my taxes in full and on time, I support various childrens' charities and provide a little of my time for youth organisations that help our children become sound citizens. However, what surprises me is that many of our under-priviledged do nothing to break the chains of poverty. They wait for their welfare handout every other Thursday and immediately adjourn to the nearest hotel... meanwhile their kids starve and fester in squalid conditions.

 

[Tyme2fish]

Re: Poverty

Originally posted by rolmops:<br /> What about all the senior citizens living only off social security?They have to choose between medicine and heating their homes.There is poverty in this country.You do not see it because it is hidden from the public eye, but try some inner city spots in the rust belt or the appalachian mountain villages and you will stop judging that fast.47 million americans do not have health insurance, that is poverty.

My mother survives on Social Security alone but people, Social Security was not meant to be the sole income for retirement. The socialists in Washington have confinced the American Public that good old Social Security will provide for your old age years. NOT. It can never be your only means of support. Be the third little pig and start making your house out of bricks and not play around and waste energy like the first 2 little pigs.

 

[JasonJ]

Re: Poverty

I guess I am hovering just a tad above that $22,500 "poverty" line. But then the wife brings in a bit less than me, so in all actuality, the household brings in close to $40,000, and sometimes we feel poor. We know better of course.<br /><br /> I grew up shyte poor. We went through a bad spell that featured no food, living in a car, the works. The worst thing that happened out of that was when we tried to get help from a church and was turned away (which is probably why I have such great opinions of religion and it hypocracy). We were too proud to go on welfare, and we suffered greatly. In the end we ended up on it, but it was less than a year until mom got a job. We remained poor, no car, second hand everything, but we stayed off of welfare. <br /><br />I think of those times when I walk down to my dock (yeah its a leased house but who cares) and get in my boat, and I don't quite snivel about how much better I wish I had it. Growing up poor gives you a perspective you cannot have unless you have gone for extended times with no food. I laugh at people who think they grew up poor. Try having popcorn for Christmas dinner in a house with no appliances or furniture. Try fighting with your brother for the peanut butter left on the lid. <br /><br />And all of that happened because of a bad choice my mother made. She decided we needed to move from Wisconsin back to California. We were doing okay in Wisconsin, and we moved to California on a whim. No job, no relatives, no place to stay. All our stuff was sold at auction because we couldn't pay the storage fees. <br /><br />The really bad times lasted about a year, then it was just normal poorness until I joined the Army and got out on my own. So now, I am technically poor, but I feel pretty darn rich....

 

[deputydawg]

Re: Poverty

By statistics I am living far below the poverty line based on my income. I do feel a bad financial crunch, and barely have money for food some weeks, but I am lucky enough to be able to go grab odd jobs here and there to bring a few bucks extra. <br />In my job I have seen true poverty. I have seen people disabled (truely disabled not just those raping the system) that can not get benefits because of those that abuse the system. I have seen single mothers (widows) that are slowly working themselves into the grave for their children and can not even afford simple luxuries in life like new clothes. I have seen people living in trailer houses that can not afford their water bill, living by hauling water from a hydrant in the park for bathing, cooking and flushing the toilet. I have seen people who were very hard workers but lost everything over a variety of circumstances beyond their control (layoffs, downsizing, etc.) that were living with their families in cars or in storm drains. The last one of these I found was a family of 4 with 2 very young children. He was laid off and was traveling across the country to get close to his family to find work. They were down to their last few hundred dollars and the car broke down. They had to leave most of their stuff behind so only had limited clothes. He was not able to find a job because he was traveling through, could not afford to fix his car, and was at the end of their rope. That is the true definition of poverty, and there are thousands like that in this great country.<br />Then on the other side I have sene poeple living off of the system, sitting on their porch drinking a case of beer a day, claiming disability over a made up injury. <br />If they could squeeze us all in a perfect and equal world then the poverty level based on income would be accurate. But in places like where I live you can rent a nice 2 or 3 bedroom home with a yard for less than 300 a month. Usually around 200 a month. With the differences in the cost of living across our nation, that poverty limit is a worthless number.