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2005-09-07 Home Front: Politix
Katrina Proves War (on poverty) is a Quagmire
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Posted by Bobby 2005-09-07 07:44|| || Front Page|| [11126 views since 2007-05-07]  Top

#1 The War on Poverty was only a partial success. Its main failure was the philiosophy that simply helping people who won't or will not actively participate in securing their future and their family's future will doom any effort and to quit wasting resources on those and reapply them to others who will. Second it allowed the program to defuse through layers and layers of patronage and corruption on state and local levels which changed the mission from solutions to maintenance and dependence to secure politicial power. The failure to tie metrics [standards of outcome] to funding meant that it would never be solved and only become the model for our education system as well.

For those of us who were aware of our world in the 1950s, a hell of a lot of poverty then has been reduced, but the definition of poverty has shifted as buearucrats kept moving the goal line and thus kept themselves employed. There are still places you can find traditional poverty in America. However, just consider what is considered poverty by buearucratic definition.

"The following are facts about persons defined as "poor" by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports:

— Forty-six percent of all poor households own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and porch or patio.

— Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.

— Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.

— The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens and other European cities. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)

— Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.

— Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television. Over half own two or more color televisions.

— Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.

— Seventy-three percent own a microwave oven, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.

Overall, the typical American defined as poor by the government has a car, air conditioning, a refrigerator, a stove, a clothes washer and dryer, and a microwave. He has two color televisions, cable or satellite TV reception, a VCR or DVD player, and a stereo. He is able to obtain medical care. His home is in good repair and is not overcrowded. By his own report, his family isn't hungry, and he had sufficient funds in the past year to meet his family's essential needs. While this individual's life is not opulent, it is equally far from the popular images of dire poverty conveyed by the press, activists and politicians."
source - http://www.foxnews.com/printer_friendly_story/0,3566,132956,00.html

The manifestation of poverty in NO as we seen on television has many fathers. If we're rebuilding Iraq without the crooks, thugs, and kleptocrats that ran the place before, we certainly have the means to rebuild NO without the same here. The question is whether we have the will to do so.
Posted by Gleamble Claviter9685 2005-09-07 09:31||   2005-09-07 09:31|| Front Page Top

#2 GREAT facts to store away, there GC9685! We've got to remember that the poor here in America are doing MUCH better than many middle classes in other countries. Yes, many in N.O. are "poor" according to today's standards, but place them there with what they have now just 30 years ago, and they were living like kings!

We certainly don’t talk about race — even though in Washington, as in New Orleans, the face of poverty is most often black.

I, myself, am so sick of this argument it makes me wanna puke. We give and we give (taxes and private donations), yet it's never good enough. I do wonder what Ms. Milk has done herself? I imagine she can more than afford to donate at least some money, if not time/effort down on the coast. In reply to the "black/poor" issue, I always think of the amigos who are dying to get here just to pick strawberries/pour concrete. Don't hear them complaining about anything, do ya? I'm sure they qualify as "poor" too. Yet, they work harder than most others I know to provide for family (here at back in Mexico), live 10 people to an apartment, etc. It's time we get some outcomes for the BILLIONS we have spent in the "war on poverty." I realize there will ALWAYS be those with us that can't work (physically), but when you won't work, that's a whole different ballgame.
Posted by BA 2005-09-07 09:46||   2005-09-07 09:46|| Front Page Top

#3 When watching the coverage over the last week the thing that struck me was the number of poor that are way over weight.
Posted by Cheaderhead 2005-09-07 11:30||   2005-09-07 11:30|| Front Page Top

#4 BA - Good points.

People forget what we here in the United States take for granted - where the 'poor' here would be considered 'rich' in most of the rest of the world - yet it is never enough.

I think Mrs Milk should visit a 3rd world country like the Philippines or India or even Mexico - and I dont mean to stay in the glamours 'resorts' or 'hotels' but get her ass out there to where the real people live. Live it up in a one-room shack with no running water (never mind the cable TV or phone system).

“Don’t worry,” we told her parents in Finland. “That’s not happening where we live.” We explained the geography of the city, the great divides of Rock Creek Park and the Anacostia River. No drive-by shootings and young men killing each other in our neighborhood. That was the other Washington.

Translation:

These are not our people! Those are the unwashed masses - your spawn will never have to associate with the likes of them!.

Typical liberal...
Posted by CrazyFool 2005-09-07 12:11||   2005-09-07 12:11|| Front Page Top

#5 When watching the coverage over the last week the thing that struck me was the number of poor that are way over weight.

You cold hearted SOB! I don't have a pool and walking the course screws up my swing.
Posted by Penguins Dawg 2005-09-07 14:25||   2005-09-07 14:25|| Front Page Top

23:53 Jan
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