Report: Level of poverty growing

[FireFly]

Trickle Up Poverty

That has always been the Democrats agenda. They figure by increasing the number of poor & getting them on government assistance will increase their voter pool. So far everything is going according to plan.

 

[uscitizen]

Trickle Up Poverty

That has always been the Democrats agenda. They figure by increasing the number of poor & getting them on government assistance will increase their voter pool. So far everything is going according to plan.

And the republicans joined in with their wanting to bankrupt the govt to severely weaken its power over corporations.

Yes a bipartisan effort.

 

[FireFly]

Trickle Up Poverty

That has always been the Democrats agenda. They figure by increasing the number of poor & getting them on government assistance will increase their voter pool. So far everything is going according to plan.

And the republicans joined in with their wanting to bankrupt the govt to severely weaken its power over corporations.

Yes a bipartisan effort.

Bullshit Lie - Government is the one that partnered with GSE banks to privatize the profits & tax citizens for losses. Government also makes all these corporations bigger & more powerful with onerus regulations, tax incentives, bailouts & loopholes while the small business man gets crushed. The big guys lobby & contribute to campaigns removing citizens representation. Most of this was done by democrats.

 

[Cuyo]

I've told my story here a few times.

About two years ago my wife and I were broke. I got nervous buying lettuce.

I took a job doing door to door sales for commission only.

I now have my own business doing door to door sales.

My income is about 12X greater than it was two years ago and I am in the top 3% of income for the country.

What pisses me off is doing door to door sales I have run across many poor people. A few people told me their tale of woe about being out of work for 3 years, on food stamps, yadda yadda yadda.

I have offered them a job doing exactly what I was doing, and almost always they have refused. What angers me that they wouldn't even try it.

I have the greatest sympathy for those strugelling who are truely willing to work and do anything.

I have anger for those who are just lazy and live off the taxpayers.

300 million +- people in the country. Not everyone can "make it". It's a matter of mathematics. You say that you made it, we'll have to take your word for it. But not everyone can.

When you allow those who have to exploit those who don't, you get wealth disparity and the lower class doesn't stand a chance. Sure, there are stories such as yours, but they are the exception. Most average people have just been thrown overboard by the system.

If you can't handle "Compassion" as an excuse to level the playing field, how about stability? When you have laissez faire capitalism, wealth concentration eventually leads to class revolution. The #1 component of a healthy, stable economy is a vibrant, large middle class.

Just something to chew on....

 

[Cuyo]

The most conservative official estimates indicate that 15 million unemployed workers are now chasing 2.5 million jobs openings. A more realistic estimate would show that there are 10 unemployed workers for every open job.

Sourcing Disappears as Applications Pile Up for Overwhelmed Recruiters | workforce.com

 

[Titanic Sailor]

Having troops of poor heritage fight in Iraq?

A trillion or so has been spent on Iraq and the rich made lots of money off of it.

and illegal immigrant labor?
So, our troops are of "poor heritage?" I'm sure you're right, nobody with money would volunteer to protect our country. I'll have to tell my nephew that not only now is he someone who's not smart enough to go to college (according to some) but now he's also of "poor heritage." I'm sure his family would get a laugh out of that.

Do you really not realize how ignorant you make yourself appear when you post things like this?

Rick

There are always exceptions.

The views of liberal elitists are always shocking to me. I am so glad I have a solid family, good friends, and faith in our people, than to be blessed with the brutal callousness and selfish evil of the liberal elite who can issue words like this above.

I swear by my family I will never vote Democrat ever again in my lifetime. You have my word.

 

[DiamondDave]

I've told my story here a few times.

About two years ago my wife and I were broke. I got nervous buying lettuce.

I took a job doing door to door sales for commission only.

I now have my own business doing door to door sales.

My income is about 12X greater than it was two years ago and I am in the top 3% of income for the country.

What pisses me off is doing door to door sales I have run across many poor people. A few people told me their tale of woe about being out of work for 3 years, on food stamps, yadda yadda yadda.

I have offered them a job doing exactly what I was doing, and almost always they have refused. What angers me that they wouldn't even try it.

I have the greatest sympathy for those strugelling who are truely willing to work and do anything.

I have anger for those who are just lazy and live off the taxpayers.

300 million +- people in the country. Not everyone can "make it". It's a matter of mathematics. You say that you made it, we'll have to take your word for it. But not everyone can.

When you allow those who have to exploit those who don't, you get wealth disparity and the lower class doesn't stand a chance. Sure, there are stories such as yours, but they are the exception. Most average people have just been thrown overboard by the system.

If you can't handle "Compassion" as an excuse to level the playing field, how about stability? When you have laissez faire capitalism, wealth concentration eventually leads to class revolution. The #1 component of a healthy, stable economy is a vibrant, large middle class.

Just something to chew on....

Something else to chew on

Not everyone will make it but anyone can make it
The government does not exist to protect against your personal failure
Freedom comes with positives and negatives and that is still ultimately more desirable than some phony baloney system supposedly based on equalizing the outcome at the expense of freedom

 

[Cuyo]

Something else to chew on

Not everyone will make it but anyone can make it
The government does not exist to protect against your personal failure
Freedom comes with positives and negatives and that is still ultimately more desirable than some phony baloney system supposedly based on equalizing the outcome at the expense of freedom

There needs to be a balance. I don't know what system you speak of that sacrifices freedom for equality; A totalitarian communist system does that but nothing we have here.

Anyone can make it, yes but most will not. The disadvantaged, whether because they're born poor, born black, born disabled, born just not so bright; Doesn't matter why, a few of them will make it and the vast majority will not. We must not exploit those who do not, and we must do something for them, if for no other reason, simply to keep them out of trouble.

My grandfather, the super-conservative O'Reilly type, suggested to me once regarding such people... "Well, if they can do something productive, I think they should." I told him that's Marxist... "From each according to his abilities..." He got pissed. Anyway that's among the reasons we have these low-intelligence but decent paying public works jobs; trash collectors, street cleaners, landscapers, what have you; At least that person's doing something with himself.

If you do nothing for them, you can ultimately expect survival instincts to kick in... looting, robberies, beatings and killings of those they perceive as their exploiters. I happen to agree with CMike that burdens-of-the-state by choice piss me off. I am a business owner and I've had people try to get fired so they could get UI. Unfortunately you're gonna get some of this. Hence the balancing act continues.

 

[DiamondDave]

Something else to chew on

Not everyone will make it but anyone can make it
The government does not exist to protect against your personal failure
Freedom comes with positives and negatives and that is still ultimately more desirable than some phony baloney system supposedly based on equalizing the outcome at the expense of freedom

There needs to be a balance. I don't know what system you speak of that sacrifices freedom for equality; A totalitarian communist system does that but nothing we have here.

Anyone can make it, yes but most will not. The disadvantaged, whether because they're born poor, born black, born disabled, born just not so bright; Doesn't matter why, a few of them will make it and the vast majority will not. We must not exploit those who do not, and we must do something for them, if for no other reason, simply to keep them out of trouble.

My grandfather, the super-conservative O'Reilly type, suggested to me once regarding such people... "Well, if they can do something productive, I think they should." I told him that's Marxist... "From each according to his abilities..." He got pissed. Anyway that's among the reasons we have these low-intelligence but decent paying public works jobs; trash collectors, street cleaners, landscapers, what have you; At least that person's doing something with himself.

If you do nothing for them, you can ultimately expect survival instincts to kick in... looting, robberies, beatings and killings of those they perceive as their exploiters. I happen to agree with CMike that burdens-of-the-state by choice piss me off. I am a business owner and I've had people try to get fired so they could get UI. Unfortunately you're gonna get some of this. Hence the balancing act continues.

That is EXACTLY what the liberal movement embraces.. .selective equality where those they deomonize (AKA the rich) can be treated less than equal and be forces to pay thru taxation for the personal needs of others....

If people have nothing done for them, they do not naturally turn to robbery, etc... the primal instinct is to provide... not inherently provide by crime... nice try though with the typical liberal fear tactic

By the way... thinking people should do something productive to provide for themselves is not Marxist... the want of people to work if they indeed can work is far from 'from each according to his ability, to each according to their need'

There is no 'we must do something for them'... if you feel the personal need to help in one way, support a charity thru your voluntary actions.. if I feel a calling to support in another, I can support that need to whatever group or cause...

 

[Againsheila]

Something else to chew on

Not everyone will make it but anyone can make it
The government does not exist to protect against your personal failure
Freedom comes with positives and negatives and that is still ultimately more desirable than some phony baloney system supposedly based on equalizing the outcome at the expense of freedom

There needs to be a balance. I don't know what system you speak of that sacrifices freedom for equality; A totalitarian communist system does that but nothing we have here.

Anyone can make it, yes but most will not. The disadvantaged, whether because they're born poor, born black, born disabled, born just not so bright; Doesn't matter why, a few of them will make it and the vast majority will not. We must not exploit those who do not, and we must do something for them, if for no other reason, simply to keep them out of trouble.

My grandfather, the super-conservative O'Reilly type, suggested to me once regarding such people... "Well, if they can do something productive, I think they should." I told him that's Marxist... "From each according to his abilities..." He got pissed. Anyway that's among the reasons we have these low-intelligence but decent paying public works jobs; trash collectors, street cleaners, landscapers, what have you; At least that person's doing something with himself.

If you do nothing for them, you can ultimately expect survival instincts to kick in... looting, robberies, beatings and killings of those they perceive as their exploiters. I happen to agree with CMike that burdens-of-the-state by choice piss me off. I am a business owner and I've had people try to get fired so they could get UI. Unfortunately you're gonna get some of this. Hence the balancing act continues.

That is EXACTLY what the liberal movement embraces.. .selective equality where those they deomonize (AKA the rich) can be treated less than equal and be forces to pay thru taxation for the personal needs of others....

If people have nothing done for them, they do not naturally turn to robbery, etc... the primal instinct is to provide... not inherently provide by crime... nice try though with the typical liberal fear tactic

By the way... thinking people should do something productive to provide for themselves is not Marxist... the want of people to work if they indeed can work is far from 'from each according to his ability, to each according to their need'

There is no 'we must do something for them'... if you feel the personal need to help in one way, support a charity thru your voluntary actions.. if I feel a calling to support in another, I can support that need to whatever group or cause...

And thinking that people who ARE working should make a living wage isn't Marxist either. In the richest country in the world, the lowest paid worker should make enough to live on.

 

[Mr Natural]

There needs to be a balance. I don't know what system you speak of that sacrifices freedom for equality; A totalitarian communist system does that but nothing we have here.

Anyone can make it, yes but most will not. The disadvantaged, whether because they're born poor, born black, born disabled, born just not so bright; Doesn't matter why, a few of them will make it and the vast majority will not. We must not exploit those who do not, and we must do something for them, if for no other reason, simply to keep them out of trouble.

My grandfather, the super-conservative O'Reilly type, suggested to me once regarding such people... "Well, if they can do something productive, I think they should." I told him that's Marxist... "From each according to his abilities..." He got pissed. Anyway that's among the reasons we have these low-intelligence but decent paying public works jobs; trash collectors, street cleaners, landscapers, what have you; At least that person's doing something with himself.

If you do nothing for them, you can ultimately expect survival instincts to kick in... looting, robberies, beatings and killings of those they perceive as their exploiters. I happen to agree with CMike that burdens-of-the-state by choice piss me off. I am a business owner and I've had people try to get fired so they could get UI. Unfortunately you're gonna get some of this. Hence the balancing act continues.

That is EXACTLY what the liberal movement embraces.. .selective equality where those they deomonize (AKA the rich) can be treated less than equal and be forces to pay thru taxation for the personal needs of others....

If people have nothing done for them, they do not naturally turn to robbery, etc... the primal instinct is to provide... not inherently provide by crime... nice try though with the typical liberal fear tactic

By the way... thinking people should do something productive to provide for themselves is not Marxist... the want of people to work if they indeed can work is far from 'from each according to his ability, to each according to their need'

There is no 'we must do something for them'... if you feel the personal need to help in one way, support a charity thru your voluntary actions.. if I feel a calling to support in another, I can support that need to whatever group or cause...

And thinking that people who ARE working should make a living wage isn't Marxist either. In the richest country in the world, the lowest paid worker should make enough to live on.

And when I hear conservatives say "I want my country back", I imagine the era in the past they're referring to is the 1950s. An era in which even the lowest paid workers had their piece of the American dream.

Ironic, no?

 

[Cuyo]

If people have nothing done for them, they do not naturally turn to robbery, etc... the primal instinct is to provide... not inherently provide by crime... nice try though with the typical liberal fear tactic

The hell they won't. When there is no other option? They'll do whatever they need to do to survive. Maybe they don't naturally turn to crime as you say, but when there's no other option? You bet they will.

Right now there are other options. Shelters, soup kitchens, food stamps, whatever. When there's no other option, you think some heads won't roll?

These are not easy issues to settle. There's a fine line between maintaining civility and creating an entitlement system that can be exploited.

And 10 applicants for each available job? How many options do you think people have?

 

[Cuyo]

And when I hear conservatives say "I want my country back", I imagine the era in the past they're referring to is the 1950s. An era in which even the lowest paid workers had their piece of the American dream.

Ironic, no?

Back when we made stuff, before it was all sold across the Pacific.

 

[Mr Natural]

And when I hear conservatives say "I want my country back", I imagine the era in the past they're referring to is the 1950s. An era in which even the lowest paid workers had their piece of the American dream.

Ironic, no?

Back when we made stuff, before it was all sold across the Pacific.

I remember when America was a manufacturing powerhouse and anything imported was either (a) cheap crap from Japan, or (b) exotic, unaffordable stuff from Europe.

 

[MaggieMae]

I've told my story here a few times.

About two years ago my wife and I were broke. I got nervous buying lettuce.

I took a job doing door to door sales for commission only.

I now have my own business doing door to door sales.

My income is about 12X greater than it was two years ago and I am in the top 3% of income for the country.

What pisses me off is doing door to door sales I have run across many poor people. A few people told me their tale of woe about being out of work for 3 years, on food stamps, yadda yadda yadda.

I have offered them a job doing exactly what I was doing, and almost always they have refused. What angers me that they wouldn't even try it.

I have the greatest sympathy for those strugelling who are truely willing to work and do anything.

I have anger for those who are just lazy and live off the taxpayers.

Lemme guess: Amway?

 

[MaggieMae]

Reading the article linked in the OP, I just learned that I and my four siblings group up in Extreme Poverty. Yet somehow, my parents fed us healthy food, shelter and clothing, we went to school, and we all worked our ways through college.

Where did we go wrong?

Once again, you would need to provide more details. Nothing is ever quite that simple. I too was brought up in a household with two other siblings and when my father came home from the war and couldn't find civilian work, we were at poverty level. BUT, we had a strong family network. My grandparents housed us, fed us, clothed us until my dad was able to find work and a place for us to live, which came by way of a VA home loan. This type of family unit was more common than not following WWII. Even in my grandparents' home, it was tough making ends meet and we ate an awful lot of macaroni and cheese, our shoes commonly had holes, and hand-me-down clothes were the norm.

As for education, we all got excellent primary educations (lacking today) and were more than capable of obtaining good employment just with a high school education. Only two of us were able to go on to college: My brother on a scholarship, and it took me six years to get a degree because I would work one year to save enough to go another two semesters, then repeat that. It took that long to earn the credits for a degree. BUT it was a struggle that wouldn't have happened if I had gotten married and had kids at that age.

 

[MaggieMae]

Expected you to take it out of context.

It is pro EMPLOYER....so the EMPLOYER can expand....seeing as expansion means new job openings...and expanion of economy.

Pretty simple concept.

Indeed. So why have they stopped doing it?

Because the programs being pushed by the current Administration are Pro Crony-Capitalist MegaCorps, not pro real capitalist enterpreneurial businesses.

WTF? There have been numerous tax advantages provided for small businesses as well as other incentives. What else should the government do to prop them up? They can't FORCE businesses to hire.

 

[CMike]

I've told my story here a few times.

About two years ago my wife and I were broke. I got nervous buying lettuce.

I took a job doing door to door sales for commission only.

I now have my own business doing door to door sales.

My income is about 12X greater than it was two years ago and I am in the top 3% of income for the country.

What pisses me off is doing door to door sales I have run across many poor people. A few people told me their tale of woe about being out of work for 3 years, on food stamps, yadda yadda yadda.

I have offered them a job doing exactly what I was doing, and almost always they have refused. What angers me that they wouldn't even try it.

I have the greatest sympathy for those strugelling who are truely willing to work and do anything.

I have anger for those who are just lazy and live off the taxpayers.

Lemme guess: Amway?

Beep. Wrong guess.

In any case it's private.

 

[boedicca]

WTF? There have been numerous tax advantages provided for small businesses as well as other incentives. What else should the government do to prop them up? They can't FORCE businesses to hire.

Providing $1,000 temporary tax credits with one hand while threatening to raise payroll taxes and mandating health care with the other is not much of an incentive.

Small businesses are not going to fall for this cynical bait and switch.

 

[MaggieMae]

You only live hand to mouth if you opt to live at your means and not within your means.

I lived in a basement apartment for two years as I took the little I made and slowly built up the capital to branch out.

Personal decisions Peepers......you will get it one day.

You say "I" lived in a basement apartment... What if you were trying to support a family in a basement apartment? What if you were trying to work two part-time jobs AND go to school to learn a new trade at the same time? There are thousands of families living like that; they are P.O.O.R and unfortunately will probably always be P.O.O.R because in today's expensive society, it's difficult to ever get far enough ahead. Too many families are just one catastrophe away from living on the streets, in shelters or in the car with an empty gas tank. More do NOT make it out of poverty than do.

And again... taking care of that family, having that family, etc is YOUR responsibility... not he government's, not society's, not the employer's.. YOURS... you have the freedom to work a second or a 3rd job (I've done it)... you have the freedom to study... you have the freedom to train... you have the freedom to hone a skill.. you have the freedom to do all of these things.. leading to the freedom to succeed or fail, all on your own

Your bs has got to be the worse I've ever seen posted. FREEDOM doesn't put food on the table or a roof over your head or keep you healthy enough to go out and look for work!