Just a Thought (The Poor)

I have been pondering about the poor. The poor are used to advance the political causes of Republicans and Democrats. That fact is undeniable. The Democrats treat them like the golden cow and lament their plight. They insinuate that the Republicans only favor the rich. However, what is the truth here ? 

The fact is that government programs have been in effect for the poor to use for many years. Billions of dollars if not more have been spent on federal programs to assist them. One need only do a little research to find programs that cater specifically to the poor. Yet The Left would have us believe that Republicans only pad the coffers of the rich and well to do. And remember Republicans as well as Democrats voted these programs that are designed to benefit the poor into law. 

So, the poor haven't been ignored, but they have been used as political pawns for a long time to advance political agendas. I favor helping the poor, but I abhor those who use them as pawns in the name of social engineering and partisan politics.

Comments

[Rain]

Which is why we need to have real discussions about what can actually be done. We know some poor simply cannot function in society, can't hold down a job because of disabilities. Some have lost the jobs they used to be able to do quite well as those jobs have gone to other countries.

A lot of people, and I've known more than a few, are just one accident or illness away from being on the street. These are people who would like to work but simply cannot get the kind of jobs that pay enough to live on and put something aside. I don't know the solution but do know that it's a problem because if people lose hope, they become dangerous. You cannot just say it's their fault unless you have looked at individuals.

Sometimes works programs help them get training sufficient to get living wage jobs. My niece was like that in Oregon. One can say she wasn't using good judgment before but she had four small children. It's children that often suffer for the parent' lack of wisdom. Anyway she got one of those government jobs that does training which was begun under Clinton, I think. It's been awhile. Anyway it gave her sufficient training to get a real job when the two years was up. She's worked steadily ever since but she simply hadn't had the training before to have a real job.

In the PNW, a lot of men who worked in the forests, papermills, and sawmills, have lost work due to changing ways of wood-- like so much being imported, etc etc. Those guys often quit school early with the idea they could do this work and didn't need education. Now they have a problem but it does leave us all a problem when there is poverty. The solutions aren't tweaking the rescue nets but rather figuring out how people, who can, can get jobs that let them work with dignity to supply their own needs.

Contrary to how some want to see the poor, most want that. They just don't know how. Romney has basically unsaid what he's been saying for the last six months about the poor which this time bit him. He made Rush mad that he even liked a safety net at all because to Limbaugh there should not be one.

They say most of the impoverished are children and you sure can't blame them for their state even if the right does about this whole problem.

Who knows, maybe if Romney actually gets in, he'd do more about this than Obama is able given how he has been blocked so much by the Republicans and filibuster. The only question is would the Democrats be any more honorable and actually put the needs of the people ahead of partisan gain? I don't really know but my guess is probably not in today's atmosphere...

[Rain]

You know one of the worst abusers of government safety net programs in my region turned out to be a guy and his wife living in a million dollar home. He had been a chiropractor and had a 'back injury'. So they got everything they could and used their own money to take fancy trips. These weren't the legitimate poor but the con-men who milk any system. That's what needs to be looked at as they are stealing from the genuinely needy.

[Paul]

Talking about creating jobs looks fine from a politician's point of view. It will get him, or her, points with the voters. However, to actually create real jobs is another matter. Where are all of the jobs that supposedly have been created on President Obama's watch ? Someone please show me ! People who take money designated to assist the "legitimate poor" should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law !!

[Rain]

Statistically there have been jobs created. And unemployment is supposedly down to 8.3%. But what I am talking about here is training not jobs. If the people can't do them, the jobs will do them no good. We supposedly are bringing in a lot of foreign engineers because the jobs need doing and Americans can't do them. So goes the argument. And I use supposedly a lot there because we only know what we are told, the statistics they give us. Who knows what it really is? but if there has been job growth every month for the last 4 or 5 (something like that) then the jobs are growing. But the poor generally can't do them and that's the problem. I heard one commentator saying that like in Pennsylvania, a lot of the young guys just figured they'd work in the factories. They then found those factories going overseas. We can do something about that by making it less lucrative for companies to do that through tax policies; but in the end, it still takes training for some work. AND that means either industry has to step up to the plate and provide it (something they aren't showing themselves eager to do) or we the people, we have to be willing as a culture to find a way to get that training to those who can benefit from it. It won't solve the problem for those who simply cannot work for assorted disabilities. I have heard that the returning Vets are suffering big unemployment numbers. There again, their jobs may not have provided training for jobs here. Don't we owe them that?

[Rain]

To add to this, Huffington had a big story on our crumbling infrastructure. Now that does require jobs to fix (if anybody is willing to pay for it) but it also takes training and muscle to be able to do. You can't just send someone out to fix say an airport without training and working with an experienced crew. If unions are standing in the way of letting more people do these jobs, that's something government can also do something about. During the Depression, the CC did a lot of tremendous buildings like our Timberline Lodge. Now it's more rebuilding and fixing our crumbling bridges, highways and evidently airports. It's more complicated though to do things today than I think it was back in those days. more rules without a doubt and many because there are so many more of us.

[Paul]

My dad was in the CCC-he was a cook. Offer training in fields where jobs exist. That works for me. A lot of government regulation does slow down the process.