What is poor in America? (1 Viewer)

[Krodwhodat]

You don't think it's accurate?

Trump’s 2020 budget proposal seriously cuts the nation’s safety net

Ahead of 2020, Trump is going after Medicare, Social Security, Medicaid, and more.

www.vox.com

But let's be clear, this can't be isolated to our current moment in time - this has been true for years.

again this is a democrat fear/scare tactic and it is incorrect. Trump is increasing the budgets for these programs every year, but not at the rate we are previously growing. he is slowing growth.

PolitiFact - It's wrong to claim Trump budget cuts $845 billion from Medicare

As Joe Biden edges toward officially running for president, he has been taking on President Donald Trump over his plans

www.politifact.com

i posted this before and i think it cant be said any better

During 2020 Budget Hearing, Crenshaw Denounces Democrats’ Character Attacks, Clarifies Definition of Budget Cut

crenshaw.house.gov

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

A few months back a report was posted that Hammond La is one of the worse places in the US to live. The major contributors were petty crime and lack of food availability. I just don’t see it.

therefore what?
you read a report that did not jibe with your anecdotal experience, therefore??

 

[JimEverett]

“Various/whatever reason” isn’t good enough
I need the ‘poor by choice’ proponents to show me their work

"Choice" is a loaded word.
The point is that many, imo, are incapable (if someone wants to say by "choice", then fine) of holding that $75,000 a year job. The ones that are capable will not stay in poverty very long.

At the same time, I also think poverty itself can very quickly create a situation where a person otherwise capable becomes incapable. Poverty has a very strong effect on mental health. That can manifest itself as "choosing not to work" or something like that.

 

[guidomerkinsrules]

In part because said programs have been rife with scandals, abuses, misuses, mission creep and corruption.

yes Reagan did an excellent job of propaganda against assistance programs
and conservatives certainly do not pass up an opportunity to make the perfect the enemy of the good
this is mostly an overblown notion

 

[Krodwhodat]

this is mostly an overblown notion

I totally agree!

 

[DavidM]

again this is a democrat fear/scare tactic and it is incorrect. Trump is increasing the budgets for these programs every year, but not at the rate we are previously growing. he is slowing growth.

PolitiFact - It's wrong to claim Trump budget cuts $845 billion from Medicare

As Joe Biden edges toward officially running for president, he has been taking on President Donald Trump over his plans

www.politifact.com

i posted this before and i think it cant be said any better

During 2020 Budget Hearing, Crenshaw Denounces Democrats’ Character Attacks, Clarifies Definition of Budget Cut

crenshaw.house.gov

I think you are entirely misunderstanding my point.

We have, in this discussion, commentary about the safety net programs in place as a distinction that lifts up the quality of life of America's poor in comparison to elsewhere in the world, so I absolutely do think it's relevant to acknowledge there is, and has been, a strong current of opposition to those programs.

The caveat to the article that I posted stipulated that this isn't relegated to now, and by extension to that, a single political action.

All of this - whether cuts in funding and benefits, or slower growth - have to take into account the financial pressures being felt by a growing number of people to afford not only basic necessities, but things like health care and education - certainly among the poor, and increasingly among the "middle class". (See all the many discussions we've had about concerns like health care, housing costs, and education.)

 

[Krodwhodat]

I think you are entirely misunderstanding my point.

We have, in this discussion, commentary about the safety net programs in place as a distinction that lifts up the quality of life of America's poor in comparison to elsewhere in the world, so I absolutely do think it's relevant to acknowledge there is, and has been, a strong current of opposition to those programs.

The caveat to the article that I posted stipulated that this isn't relegated to now, and by extension to that, a single political action.

All of this - whether cuts in funding and benefits, or slower growth - have to take into account the financial pressures being felt by a growing number of people to afford not only basic necessities, but things like health care and education - certainly among the poor, and increasingly among the "middle class". (See all the many discussions we've had about concerns like health care, housing costs, and education.)

i appreciate your response

 

[livefromDC]

And maybe I am sheltered living in small town USA. But I do frequent, all major cities in La, Alabama, Tennessee, ms, and Florida. I see grocery stores everywhere.

I also see a lot of dollar stores. To Crosswatt point, I understand to an extent. But then that goes back to choices. I live in pumpkin center. We have 1 dollar store, 2 Convenience stores, a salvage food store and 2 stop signs. However, in both directions there is a grocery within 5 miles. Choices

This is like saying, "I dont know why Louisiana's fishermen complain about depleted fishing areas, I see seafood everywhere I go in Louisiana. There's no shortage that I can see." As someone not familiar with the fishing industry, my passing observances would really foolish. There's people that spend far more time than me studying populations, quantity, etc.

And 5 miles to shop for groceries without a car or steady transportation is very difficult. But you're just going to ignore the data published by the US government about food deserts. They exist. Your passing observations discount many, many factors. And you're not really concentrating on it, it's just in passing.

 

[N.O.Bronco]

again this is a democrat fear/scare tactic and it is incorrect. Trump is increasing the budgets for these programs every year, but not at the rate we are previously growing. he is slowing growth.

PolitiFact - It's wrong to claim Trump budget cuts $845 billion from Medicare

As Joe Biden edges toward officially running for president, he has been taking on President Donald Trump over his plans

www.politifact.com

i posted this before and i think it cant be said any better

During 2020 Budget Hearing, Crenshaw Denounces Democrats’ Character Attacks, Clarifies Definition of Budget Cut

crenshaw.house.gov

Calling it "slowing growth," is a pretty generous way of saying budget cuts. It's reducing expenses on the government's side of the ledger, it's increasing expenses to the average person using those programs or with needs those programs are aimed at providing. Almost none of his proposed budget actually attempted to address underlying costs for consumers, they simply provided less financial support to those people or programs to pay for them.

And your link only addresses one of the proposed cuts mentioned in the piece provided FYI. The vast majority of the GOP/Trump's proposals for cutting the safety net are outside of Medicare. And cutting taxes(aimed predominately at the wealthy, and in the process exacerbating inequality, while simultaneously advocating for drastically cutting the social safety net, while increasing military spending, has been the long-held position of the majority of the GOP).

 

[DavidM]

And 5 miles to shop for groceries without a car or steady transportation is very difficult. But you're just going to ignore the data published by the US government about food deserts. They exist. Your passing observations discount many, many factors. And you're not really concentrating on it, it's just in passing.

Much of the problem, as it is whenever people try and reach conclusions about issues they don't adequately understand, is compartmentalizing each consideration.

Don't have reliable transportation to get to the grocery store? Walk! Sure, and it's easy to make that suggestion when you aren't aware enough to account for other factors, or willing to look at the bigger picture. What about the single mother working two jobs and already struggling to balance her time and obligations? Maybe she can walk to the grocery store, and maybe that's also another hour in her life she can barely find time for.

There are some lazy people hanging out on old sofas in front of TVs, and yet others who are lucky by birth and sitting around in leather and marble adorned clubrooms drinking expensive scotch, but many people are working hard just to fall somewhere between not getting by and slowly getting ahead.

 

[Ambush]

This is like saying, "I dont know why Louisiana's fishermen complain about depleted fishing areas, I see seafood everywhere I go in Louisiana. There's no shortage that I can see." As someone not familiar with the fishing industry, my passing observances would really foolish. There's people that spend far more time than me studying populations, quantity, etc.

And 5 miles to shop for groceries without a car or steady transportation is very difficult. But you're just going to ignore the data published by the US government about food deserts. They exist. Your passing observations discount many, many factors. And you're not really concentrating on it, it's just in passing.

Thanks for the reply, but you don’t know anything about my altruism and philanthropy. If you would like to come work at Our Daily Bread, I will happily get you an apron and a hair net if you so desire.

 

[Ambush]

Much of the problem, as it is whenever people try and reach conclusions about issues they don't adequately understand, is compartmentalizing each consideration.

Don't have reliable transportation to get to the grocery store? Walk! Sure, and it's easy to make that suggestion when you aren't aware enough to account for other factors, or willing to look at the bigger picture. What about the single mother working two jobs and already struggling to balance her time and obligations? Maybe she can walk to the grocery store, and maybe that's also another hour in her life she can barely find time for.

There are some lazy people hanging out on old sofas in front of TVs, and yet others who are lucky by birth and sitting around in leather and marble adorned clubrooms drinking expensive scotch, but many people are working hard just to fall somewhere between not getting by and slowly getting ahead.

The single mother and situations like that, I think are where we can make strides. Instead of bickering about the fringes. I think that single mother has access to food, but is it food to make you happy? Kids get tired of eating rice with a hint of day old ground meat. Also that mom, doesn’t have time to prepare a hardy meal.

We promoted a young lady in ville platte a couple years ago. About 6 months after her promotion, we were doing her evaluation. I asked how things were going with the responsibility of being a manager and a single mother of 3. She said, mr Ambush, I can now buy my kids nice things for lunch. Absolutely crushed my heart.

After that day, I comb through our team members and look for people that I can increase their wages. Now don’t get me wrong, they have to perform. However we have dramatically increased the wages of our team in the last few years. And I am proud of that(I struggle budget wise sometimes, but it always works out.)

 

[Ambush]

Calling it "slowing growth," is a pretty generous way of saying budget cuts. It's slowing expenses on the government's side of the ledger, it's increasing expenses to the average person using those programs or with needs those programs are aimed at providing. Almost none of his proposed budget actually attempted to address underlying costs for consumers, they simply provided less financial support to those people or programs to pay for them.

And your link only addresses one of the proposed cuts mentioned in the piece provided FYI. The vast majority of the GOP/Trump's proposals for cutting the safety net are outside of Medicare. And cutting taxes(aimed predominately at the wealthy, and in the process exacerbating inequality, while simultaneously advocating for drastically cutting the social safety net, while increasing military spending, has been the long-held position of the majority of the GOP).

I may have the terminology wrong, but slowing growth is not budget cuts.

Example, your budget is $10,000. Normally you get a 5% increase, this year you only get a 4 % increase. I may be wrong, but I’m not. lol

 

[DavidM]

Thanks for the reply, but you don’t know anything about my altruism and philanthropy. If you would like to come work at Our Daily Bread, I will happily get you an apron and a hair net if you so desire.

I applaud you and everybody else working to make a difference. And that's a lot of us, since our consumerist society of cheap goods allows us to pass along old clothes and other items, and make those quick donations as we check out at the register to whichever various philanthropic group is looking for assistance.

All of that adds up to an important contribution to helping the less fortunate, but also a very unreliable and inadequate cumulative approach on its own.

We can charitably put food in bellies and shoes on feet with relative ease because we live in a society where those exist in abundance (which shouldn't be confused with ease of accessibility, fwiw). My wife and I throw away food each week (I think, in part, because much of what we buy is oversized for our needs) but the average poor person doesn't have the same easy access to our unintended excesses.

 

[DavidM]

The single mother and situations like that, I think are where we can make strides. Instead of bickering about the fringes. I think that single mother has access to food, but is it food to make you happy? Kids get tired of eating rice with a hint of day old ground meat. Also that mom, doesn’t have time to prepare a hardy meal.

We promoted a young lady in ville platte a couple years ago. About 6 months after her promotion, we were doing her evaluation. I asked how things were going with the responsibility of being a manager and a single mother of 3. She said, mr Ambush, I can now buy my kids nice things for lunch. Absolutely crushed my heart.

After that day, I comb through our team members and look for people that I can increase their wages. Now don’t get me wrong, they have to perform. However we have dramatically increased the wages of our team in the last few years. And I am proud of that(I struggle budget wise sometimes, but it always works out.)

I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "bickering about the fringes" but I have a lot of respect for your overall point in this post. It gets to the related concept of livable wages in this country; pay somebody enough to live on and they become less reliant on government assistance and charity.

As for fringes, I think the bigger problem is there are those people who too often categorize the single, hardworking moms as existing among the fringes.