Sorry, I've just got to comment on this:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/....ap/index.html


Excuse me?? End poverty? Come on. Few work full-time and live in poverty. It's the mentally ill, the alcoholics, the druggies and the bums (for the most part) who live on the streets. Some just have bad luck. But, ending poverty in America is an American dream... literally. This is such political mumbo jumbo I can't stand it.

 

He could start ending poverty very simply by giving up most of his money he earned and living a 20K a year lifestyle. Its always good when you want someone else to pay to "end poverty." Act localy with your pocket book I say to Mr. Edwards.

 

Isn't the current Social Security program part of a larger plan to end poverty? The "Great society"?

Sounds like more Cradle to Grave Socialistic goblety-gook.
Good intentions are one thing, but this guy almost got the VP seat!

 

Prettyboy Edwards is at it again I see. Didn't LBJ try this in the 60s, and it has fallen flat on its face, but we can't quite get congress to kill all of his policies. I wish I could quote a few numbers, but I know there has been no per capata change in the number of Americans living in poverty with or without social programs. Meaning that we have the same number of individuals below the poverty line now, give or take, compared to before the LBJ "great society" policies were enacted.

And now Edwards is suggesting even more social programs. Give me a break.

 

While the expressed intentions are noble without a doubt, it appears to be one of those things that you just can't force upon people. Ending persistant poverty is like ending drug and alcohol abuse. Some people really just don't care and they're going to do it anyway. Folks that have zero personal motivation simply cannot be talked into working a full-time job and doing what it takes to not get fired for showing up drunk, or not showing up to work at all. Unemployment continues to drop in America; I think we're under 5.0% now? This is the land of opportunity where anyone can succeed with a little talent and a lot of hard work. People with no talent and who never work hard can't be made to succeed financially however.

All IMHO.

 

The problem with your logic is that you forget one other ingredient for success or for getting out of poverty. That ingredient is circumstance.

Say your down south in a poor community. You never had an education because you had to help the family scrounge out a living just to survive. Now you never had time to go and get a better job because you didn't have any training. You have kids and now they have to help you survive. Its like a never ending cycle.

So unless we can help change circumstances we can't blame someone for being poor or whatever because they lack motivation. They may have no way out. They have to choose to either continue in poverty and help out their family so they can survive or abandon their family and let them try to survive with out them.

I don't know any solution to this. And I'm sure its not a universal fix. I think the only way to help is at the local level assessing the local needs of the poor in your community.

A federal program is not the way to go. Unless maybe they maybe subsidize local groups with money to be spent the way the local groups feel is correct.

 

I'm a great example of how life's choices dictate how you live now.

I have been told that I'm a very smart multi-talented individual. I'm self-taught myself antique radio (Tube) repair & refurbishment, electronics repair in general, TV, VCR, DVD, Computer, mechanically creative to name a few.
So....what did I do for 18 years of my life?

I fixed typewriters, copy & fax machines for $7.50 - $12.00/hr.
I lived in just above poverty apartments and wondered how anybody can get ahead in this world.
Then I got married to a wonderful woman & we had 3 kids.

Between jobs we applied for food stamps but was denied because our car was worth over $3k. That afternoon a lady w/2 carts in the market loaded with choice beef, etc paid with her food stamps, the 2nd cart had liquer which she pulled out her wad of cash. Me, I bought my cheap hamburger helper. Later in the parking lot she drives away in her late-model car. She knew how to play the system, surely been doing it for a long, long time.
I'll never forget that.
Anyway I found a new copier job the next week.

My wife didn't want her kids to grow up around reefer so I quit. A couple of years passed and I got up off of my tired behind and looked for better work.
I landed a job at the Telco fixing DSL internet circuits in an office with a full suite of benefits & 60-70K a year to boot. We're doing very well for ourselves now.

Was I touched by lady luck? I don't think so, I made some personal choices.
1. I quit reefer so I wasn't stupid all the time.
2. I spent my time reading technical books & manuals, instead of watching the tube or sports.
3. I stayed away from trouble, or any appearance thereof.
4. I got tired of my routine & got busy for major change.

I think there are a sorted few instances where people really need help but few and far between.
This is a wonderful role for charities, but not our Imperial Federal Government.

 

In the US or in the world? I agree with you in the US. There are so many opportunities and resources that nobody has an excuse to be in poverty. Bill Maher said it best: The US has no poverty problem. We have FAT poor people...