winston: blog 
winston's blog
poverty in the usa
Published Jul. 3, 2009Views: 1207
Why do most folk speak of poverty worldwide and then speak of poverty in the USA as if it's similar? I've traveled to some poor countries, seen the poor in the USA, and searched the internet for poverty stricken areas of the world. I conclude that the ONLY country in the world where the poor are FAT(comparatively speaking) is the USA...why is that?
Filed under: Lifestyle
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GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:21 a.m.
Kick the politics out of it and preach to the less privileged that they can make a difference by becoming part of the productive world. While perhaps only a small percentage might get involved, they would be the winners in the end. There are a lot of people out there that can do, they just need somebody to tell them.
Hey, this is getting deep, I must be getting drunk or something.
JOO
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:21 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:22 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:23 a.m.
GOLO member since February 15, 2009
July 4, 2009 12:26 a.m.
The government has been showering the less fortunate with money for years and obviously that is not the answer.
I know the people on this forum is sharper than the 535 wingnuts sitting under the dome in D.C.
Let's just take the time and figure it out. But, more money is not the answer, we have already proven that time and time again.
JOO
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:26 a.m.
I agree with you, Tidbit. Even trying to eat healthy at restaurants can be expensive. You can buy one salad at McDonalds for the price of a "Value Meal." I can see how people view the meal as a bargain.
GOLO member since April 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:27 a.m.
GOLO member since July 13, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:27 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:31 a.m.
JOO
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:31 a.m.
Back 'in the day' (I'm older than dirt), you did not pass unless the teacher said you did. Now, unfortunately, "public education" has no standards, it's body count education. And you're right, they pass students who have no business being passed. And it's not necessarily done on a 'special education' basis.
For too long, public education has been far removed from teaching rock solid core subjects until they are mastered. Math, reading, writing - just not important enough apparently.
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:33 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:33 a.m.
I had one in my class this year who couldn't tell you how many months were in the year nor can she divide or multiply unless she has a calculator. How is she going to be able to follow a recipe?
I kept stating that she needed to come out of my NC state history class and have some real skills taught to her by her special education teacher. Everybody acted like I was trying to avoid having her in my class. *sigh*
GOLO member since April 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:34 a.m.
As long as government makes it easy, easy is what it will be.
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:35 a.m.
Those who don't teach in a classroom (many no doubt haven't even been in a classroom for a full period in decades) make the decisions YOU have to live by, and you know how wrong those decisions are.
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:38 a.m.
Many in my family are in education and I hear stories like the one told over and over and over. *I sigh with you*
GOLO member since February 15, 2009
July 4, 2009 12:39 a.m.
NC legislature is also opposed since we don't have free breakfast & lunch in the summer either.
During the school term, the free lunch program provides two of the three meals to children below high school level. If the family gets food stamps, they should be OK, even in the summer.
How many of you are wanting to give two meals a day to subsidized students over the summer? That's 60% of the students in Wake County.
The FAP(food stamps) money could go directly into the EBT card, if one trusts the parent to feed the child.
Let's say a single mom of one gets $280 in food stamps, plus $60 or so federal money = $340 plus 10% more if Bev took the stimulus money. That's $30 a meal for the kid during school week, or a little less than $6 a meal at home for the one kid.
A country woman can do wonders on assistance, from ribs to roast. Have a house, leased BMW, OK, couple of thousand in the bank, OK, but a penny too much = nothing.
GOLO member since January 20, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:39 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:40 a.m.
Those that don’t try should be dropped from the system. It will take a few years but at some point there will be more trying because they see what happens to those that didn’t that came along before them.
JOO
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:42 a.m.
Those that don’t try should be dropped from the system. It will take a few years but at some point there will be more trying because they see what happens to those that didn’t that came along before them."
But if you look at the drop out rates, those who NEED to stay in school already don't. And the parents? Don't care either apparently.
I think one law NC came up with actually had the right idea though, tying getting a drivers license to actually staying in school and have passing grades. Not that passing grades really means they learned what they should have - bodies must be moved up to the next grade level anyway...
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:44 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:46 a.m.
The numbers (of those leaving school early) would surely increase, but down the road, more would try.
To break this crazy cycle we are in with education there will have to be some drastic measures at some point.
JOO
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:49 a.m.
GOLO member since January 20, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:50 a.m.
I agreed with that. I still do.
I understand that poverty is a hard cycle to break, but education is truly helpful.
Winston -- I like the 2x4 and Sharpie law! LOL!
GOLO member since April 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:50 a.m.
I understand. I agree, in theory. My daughter back in high school used to get so frustrated by those disruptive ones, when the teacher wouldn't tell them to shut up, she did! She ended up graduating half a year early and it wasn't soon enough for her, she hated high school and all the drama and nonsense of it.
I feel sorry that teachers have to suffer the fools that are present too, because they "have" to be there.
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:51 a.m.
dj, I firmly believe the government should have LIMITED access to hand outs, not micromanage what people do with them. Limited time you can use programs, for LIFE, not consecutive years.
When you give someone something free, they will take it more times than not and learn nothing from it unless they know it's their one chance to get their life together.
For decades government gave and gave, it did nothing but create a class of population that expected it forever, and demanded it be given to them. They met the low bar provided, intentionally and willfully.
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:54 a.m.
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 12:56 a.m.
yes, you can drive a BMW lease since the "equity value" is less than nothing. The car doesn't count against someone who uses it to take a household member to medical appointments, either.
If we worked at it, we could figure out how to qualify for services, but I bet we don't want to.
GOLO member since January 20, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:57 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:58 a.m.
GOLO member since April 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 12:58 a.m.
GOLO member since February 15, 2009
July 4, 2009 12:59 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:03 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:07 a.m.
Yikes! It's already 1 a.m. Where did the time go? :-)
GOLO member since April 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:08 a.m.
GOLO member since April 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:09 a.m.
Therefore, everything must boil down to education or the lack of education.
Every state spends a large part of its budget on their education system and it seems to work for some but not for others - - ummm a conundrum for sure.
So if a school can turn out a loser and a high performing student at the same time, then education must begin and be maintained from the home, because the school produces both successes and failures.
This scenario is the precise definition of insanity - - our education system does the same things over and over and continues to expect a different result. Not possible.
If education is the key - - the system must be revamped.
JOO
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
July 4, 2009 1:09 a.m.
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 1:10 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:10 a.m.
It is hard for those who are not self motivated to succeed to do so without the support from family on a daily routine at home. We're talking about kids, even at the high school level, who don't understand the overall importance of getting that education without the influence of adults at home.
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 1:13 a.m.
GOLO member since July 7, 2007
July 4, 2009 1:15 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:15 a.m.
I must look at the back of my eyelids for now but I will be checking in from time to time to see who can solve this puzzle.
Good night everyone and have a HAPPY and SAFE 4th.
JOO
GOLO member since July 2, 2007
July 4, 2009 1:17 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:18 a.m.
It drives me crazy that all of the "best practices" that I learned in graduate school are rarely allowed because of central office or legislative mandates.
I wish teachers and parents had more voice. If you look at who makes these decisions, rarely are they teachers. It's usually businessman or people who rarely actually teach others.
GOLO member since April 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:23 a.m.
GOLO member since July 7, 2007
July 4, 2009 1:24 a.m.
And there, in a nutshell, is the reason the public school system is a failure. It is not the teachers, but it is the parents who expect someone else (school) to instill what used to be taught at home and administrators that haven't a clue nor seem to care that their creative education policies are killing potential daily.
Too many parents now expect schools to instill the basic societal norms such as behavior, respect, heck, even potty training is not complete for some who enter pre-school or even kindergarten!
I have two sisters still teaching, one retired from teaching now. I've heard it all over the decades they have taught. And it gets worse with each passing year.
GOLO member since July 11, 2007
July 4, 2009 1:27 a.m.
My parents purchased a set of luggage for each of their children as a high school graduation present. We were then informed it was time to pack them and move out. I thought that this was abuse at the time, but now I'm glad that they did this!
GOLO member since April 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:28 a.m.
The last two principals that I have had spent less than 6 years in a classroom. I've had 21 years experience. And heaven knows that if I open my mouth to share something, I sound like I'm against change -- which I'm not.
I also wish that legislators would throw their ideas to real live teachers before introducing them on the floor of the General Assembly.
GOLO member since April 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:34 a.m.
GOLO member since July 7, 2007
July 4, 2009 1:36 a.m.
GOLO member since January 25, 2008
July 4, 2009 1:36 a.m.
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