Joanna - Thanks!  Total oversight on my part!  My boyfriend was a VISTA volunteer so I doubly chagrined! :)

#1
Recognise our shared humanity: what is said does not mean that we do not see them as sub-human, in fact the media is portraying conservatives as in-human because they don't want their earned income to go towards people who don't want to work, i'm not saying that some people who got in there can't get out, i'm just saying that some people who can get out of poverty do not because they do not want to rely on themselves

#2
Housing is (maybe it's now was) the only property that does not depreciate in value. habitat for humanity, the only way to get poverty stricken people off the streets, ignored good business code and many homes are breaking down. to provide quality shelters is something different than quantity shelters. the shelters you are talking about would not be cost effective in the short or the long term. As for 'racial injustice', i have personally talked to many people who form the communities who, though they can, do not leave, it's what they are used to, and i don't want to force people out of their choice of residency. i'll agree that public education is bad (it needs to be tougher actually, in my view), college education is inflating faster than the inflation rate (which needs to be fixed, colleges are greedy). but the dependability on public transportation is easily fixed if money is thrown at it with good administrating.

#3
economic human rights is nonexistent, it is a safe word for socialism. Capitalism, the basis of our economy, makes people who want to work for their pay earn what they work for. Conservatives do not want people (that's not everyone who's under the poverty level, just many) to make a living off other's hard work (i mean forcibly).

#4
ok, this one is fine, voice your opinion, but let conservatives voice their opinion as well

#5
i'm Catholic and i've never heard of this. however, it's a good idea, end poverty through charity, not through government

#6
legislative action is not the right way, it'll be a mess and be a waste of money. simple as that

#7
Volunteerism is good, it'll help with making low-income housing if you cut out the middle man who wants to get paid for the work they do

#8
donation is fine no problem here (unless you count the large sizes for women. meaning that low income women are rather hefty and are unhealthy)

#9
this is a completely fine way for your cause, with lower demand the corporations would lower prices

#10
we can't help Katrina, bush was unprepared for it and it tends to move slowly. the smaller organizations were in there the day that the danger was gone to help everyone out.

however, if you were in New Orleans now, you'd see that the immigrants from central and southern America dominated the city.

Donating toy, books and children's clothing is in jeopardy due to the new Consumer Protection Agency law set to start on Feb. 10, 2009. In an effort to get protect children from lead, all toys, books and clothes intended for children under 12 will need to be certified lead free before being sold, donated or even just given away.

"Recognize our shared humanity"

The first and most important step, in my opinion.

"Socialism" alert!

Yeah, thanks for playing, Steve.

1. Silence Neo-Conservative Ideas2. Educate every citizen and provide job training3. Promote Civil, and Military Service4. End the Drug War and it's harmful effects on society5. Create Affordable Housing that favors ownership over rent6. Effective Public Transportation system7. Universal Health Care8. Higher wages for the working and middle class9. Ban outsourcing of American Jobs10. Deport Illegal Aliens

Zach - I like most of your ideas, but what's your deal w/undocumented workers?  How do they link to poverty in your mind?

Judith - that is really dismaying news!!  Do you know if anything is being done about this?

Try this solution on for size - then tell me why it won't work:
Give $1 million dollars to each and every American citizen, including the disabled, calling it damages and reparations for what has been done by the Bush Administration. That money will be used by each citizen to buy back their homes, fix their cars, buy food for their families, and pay for the needs of their children. The money would have one condition: no recipient could voluntarily quit their job or close their business for 3 years (repayment would be required as a disincentive to quits and closures).

The only people who can stimulate this economy are WE, THE PEOPLE. The proposed Obama package will be filled with pork and utterly useless, like the Bush package. Finally, this proposal would cost the government only $250 million dollars, not $300 BILLION, adding nothing to the national debt and saving billions for infrastructure! Let the PEOPLE choose.

The only reason politicians haven't offered it before is because they know the idea will work. Unless and until you, our representatives, create a viable direct-impact stimulus proposal like this for America, you should not even consider giving yourselves raises. If you can't increase the cap on Food Stamps, or the COLA on Social Security, then you are not competent to deem yourselves, "raise worthy". The people are the only ones who can make that judgment. And right now, we say that you must give US that 1 million apiece so we can right the economy by keeping what we worked so hard to get.

Incidentally, the only persons who would pay taxes on the million dollar American bail out would be those individuals who have adjusted gross incomes from last year's IRS taxes in excess of $250,000. The maximum tax on the bail money would not exceed 1% or $10,000. All those earning less than $250,000 would not be taxed on their bail money at all. Perhaps this would force the IRS to recover taxes that are owed but never paid by the same large corporations and Wall Street bankers you bailed out last fall.

AND STOP LISTENING TO ALL THESE SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS!!! Your only interest right now must be in the welfare of this country.

Leslie - there are 305 million people in the U.S.  Your proposal would cost $305 trillion.  I could sure use the $$ though!  Heck, I'd take just five figures to pay off my student loans!

Okay, let's say that it would be $305 trillion. How much has been spent on all the bail outs for Wall Street, Detroit and banks? Will that bail out money stimulate anything but the already wealthy? My reckoning has it at $15 trillion we will NEVER see, nor have an opportunity to use right back into the economy. So, I would amend the proposal and tell Congress to rescind ALL the bail outs and give ALL the bail out money divided equally to every citizen and forget a "stimulus package" that will be like throwing a firecracker at a tank.

Think it over. Who buys the food, the cars, the fuel for homes, the homes, the clothing, etc. in this country? AIG? Nope. Detroit? Nope. The crooks on Wall Street? Only for themselves. Shopping for anything by every citizen puts the money right back into the failing businesses, the huge student loans :-)), the car sales, the grocery providers, etc.

Now tell me why this is NOT true and therefore not workable? Your article today touched on everything I mentioned in the first post. The thing is, in order to effect real change the ideas must also be broad, radical and done with the consent of the people. I'm pretty sure that if an American was asked whether they would rather have $100,000 or more, or give that money to some corporate whiner who can't handle his business, most people would say GIVE US THE MONEY. There is absolutely no doubt that it would get spent right back into the economy.

Leslie,

I agree the bailout is a disaster and unfair.  I don't disagree with you in principle.  However, these stimulus checks can also be fleeting.  I want to write more about this in a post to come soon.

Leigh, yes there are efforts to modify the Consumer Protection Act. You can find some efforts right on this site. Contact your senators/congressmen. http://www.change.org/ideas/view/save_handmade_toys_from_the_cpsia

Judith - I voted on that. Thanks!

Another thing people can do is to volunteer with local Drug Free Communities Coalitions and Weed & Seed Coalitions.  These coalitions are made up of residents, youth, schools, churches, human service providers, police, businesess, etc. of an area all working together to fundamentally change an impoverished community.  These coalitions work on a variety of issues at the same time to improve schools, increase job training and job availability, decrease crime, rebuild physical community, lower the availability of drugs and alcohol, etc.  I work with a Weed & Seed Coalition in Tucson, AZ and we're happy to involve people living outside of our low-income, high-crime area in our projects.   

Pat - thanks for the suggestion.  I remember hearing about a Weed & Seed group when I was working in Tampa, FL.

Yes Pat & Judith. All of those things are great as projects. However, my question was one of economic impact. Will 305 million American millionaires crash or reinforce the economy? Nobody seems to have any idea as to the potential positive or negative effect of my Bail Out America suggestion. It's not cumbersome. It's simple. It has no pork attached. It's sleek. I don't think it can create a recession or depression. And it IS financially do-able. Rescind the Wall Street bail money (for bad faith by the Wall Streeters). Rescind the banking bail money for the same reason, and suspend payment to Detroit. They won't need it if there are 305 million millionaires in the USA. As each Cabinet head goes through each line item, put that into the Bail Out America pot. Also, if it seems too unwieldy, make those checks structured: $1 million to every American structured over 4 years of pay out every 6 months. That's $125K every 6 months over 4 years. Who couldn't work their homes out of foreclosure with that? Or find a bit to give to charities? Or infuse  all the manufacturers with capital earned from sales?
I'm asking because I'm serious. I've been posing this solution to all the legislators/politicians I can contact. I've also posed it to the Obama economic team. So far, no real answers, either positive or negative. Mostly, the replies have been more selfish, such as "how will I be able to find funds for the pet projects of the lobbyists that got me here?" That only pisses me off. So I'm asking: poke holes in my economic solution, if you can.

There is an online group called freecycle.org that I am a member of that is used to give away clothes and household items that you no longer want or need.  Everything must be given away free of charge.  It helps to keep things out of the landfill and it gets needed items to people in your community who need what you no longer want. 

freecycle.org

Leslie, I think your idea sounds great (even fun!) in certain ways, but I think it would create a huge amount of inflation and have a devastating impact on society  in the long run. If everyone could be counted on to pay off their mortgages, would that stabilize the mortgage industry or destroy it? No one would need a mortgage, so there would no longer be a mortgage industry, but what about the next generation of citizens who didn't get the million? How would they buy a house? What about the people who would take their million and gamble it away or be defrauded by scammers? There are a lot of potential pitfalls with this plan. What about the people who lose their work ethic because they no longer need money to survive?  Wouldn't the next generation demand another million because it was unfair that we got this one time stimulus?  Can we keep printing money and not have inflation?

Leslie,  The debt would be staggering too. The debt for this year I heard is going to be around $1 trillion. That's the first time it's ever been that high, and people are freaking out about that number and its potential impact on our economy. Your idea would cost about $305 trillion.

Okay, Leslie, I'm intrigued. Suppose the amount is lowered to $250K, since that seems to be the amount under which most Americans earn, for anyone over a certain age, like 21. Then, if someone uses the money to purchase, say, a solar unit or one of those individual wind generators, they can get back 50% of the cost, once it's installed. In other words, if they use the money - or credits, maybe - to purchase something green, they could get back a percentage. That would keep people working who would be inclined to quit after receiving a million dollars, plus, it would increase the demand on green products, including cars, which would get more people working. I also think it would allow people to catch up on mortgages, but not pay outright for a home. Lenders would be required to ignore the stimulus in figuring income, so there wouldn't be a bunch of houses built or purchased, only to go back on the market when the stimulus money was gone.

Also, what about a National Clean Out The Basement/Garage Month? I have a whole garage full of stuff I might need some day, that has been there for 7 years. Before I moved, it was in my basement. Advertise months in advance and send out contact information for people in the area (like freecycle.org) and drop-off points to get stuff to people who need it anywhere in the country.

Just thinking out loud.

The Earn Income Means Testing for Public Assistance such as Food Stamp ,Assistance, SSI, SSDI, should be replace with a buy-in-program for recipients can keep all their benefits. Without being penalized. Barriers to employment still exist today against hiring persons with disabilities is not just persons with disabilities, welfare recipient as well still face employment barriers today.Because employers thinks it
cost too much, to insured them.
There is too, disincentive to work and wants to work and have savings account's, save for their future there are at risk losing food stamp, cash assistance, SSI, SSDI, benefits. He or she should not be penalized for trying to better his or her self being successful in their own communities. There is a need for this change to happen that will enable recipients and persons with disabilities, senior citizens who is on fixed income to live comparable to live. They risk losing Food Stamp, Cash Assistance, SSI, SSDI, Benefit if they go to work, and wants to work, having savings accounts and wants to save for their future. Thank you for your attention in this matter. Sincerely, Jocelyn Gallant Salem, New Hampshire

Hi Leslie,

I'm all for giving voice to the voiceless and promoting change!  I second your ideas.  I also believe high expectations, good work ethic, and accountability are HUGE for empowering those in the lower socio-economic stata.

What often differentiates the poor and the rest are mindsets.  The mind creates perceptions.  Perceptions create reality.
Living in the now and in the moment are often the mentality of the poor.  Goal setting and delayed gratification are middle-class values.

Education is key.  Changing and empowering the minds and perceptions of the poor so they have the necessary tools and skills to move up to the middle class.

Great thoughts!

See also
http://azoptimist.wordpress.com/?s=poverty 

Ok... You guys, I have solved poverty in America!  Maybe, just maybe if we didn't just give all our money to other countries we just maybe wouldn't need to raise coorporate taxes.  And maybe, just maybe then more coorporations could function in our country and offer jobs to the many AMERICANS who aren't lazy, and genuinely want honest work. 

Well Judith, you claim that my Bail Out America plan would create inflation and wreck the mortgage industry. Why? If the plan was structured as I posted in the second comment, $250,000 a year would not be enough to destroy that industry. It wouldm however, be enough to encourage very low rates for interest on just about everything. I would think that many persons would still play the market, stash money into 401Ks, start savings, etc. Of course others could be victims of scams as well. How exactly is that any different than the here and the now of the mortgage, banking and scamming industries?

See, I think that it does matter whether the amount is $800 or $1 million. The economy will have a better shot at righting itself with the larger amount paid out in increments than with the paltry amount of $800 being proposed along with a ton of pork for lobbyists. I live on SSDI. What did the $300 I received (government discrimination of the disabled lives) do for the economy? Or the $600 you received? It all came at a time when the "gas crisis" drained everyone. And there wasn't a crisis at all! If I received $125K right now, a large amount would go to pay off my mortgage because I am at high risk of losing my home. However, not all of it could go to the mortgage. There is still the cost of heating, lighting and food. Not a bit of these basics has gone down, despite the end of the gas crisis, upon which everyone claimed they needed to raise prices to cover "costs". Please.

The mortgage industry, as with all other industries that prey upon the people, would always survive. They might just have to reduce their bonus plans for their CEOs, but so what? You still haven't poked that hole in my theory. The next generation will still be able to buy a home but this bail out would keep those interest rates fixed and low. You are focused on one industry. I'm suggesting that EVERY industry will benefit because every industry will be accessed or accessible by everyone. However, a real, bonafide Bail Out America can't have any impact unless the amount is enough to enable Americans to participate in the economy.

Lee, I can get behind that $250K amount rather than $1 million for everyone. However, I believe that $250K total is the BARE MINIMUM that it would take to Bail Out Americans.

I don't know about the credits thing. Sounds good but all such credits and the process of applying for them would need to be pared down significantly. They are unwieldy proposals right now.

Any really large Bail Out would require that provision of not quitting jobs or closing businesses for 4 years. Quit or close and the consequence would be to pay the taxes on the bail money. The IRS can be a powerful incentive to stay open.

Cleaning out your garage wouldn't be hindered at all by the Bail Out America plan. In fact, you could actually employ somebody, like a teenager who would NOT be eligible, to clean it out for you.

As I've thought about this idea more, I've also recognized that $1 million or $250K for each citizen is actually overbroad. You have to eliminate everyone under 18 (the legal age to vote or enter into contracts). Sure, they might be working from age 16 on, but I don't think that they should have access to the bail money because they are also dependents. The parents would be the receivers only.

The same rules would apply to criminal offenders. They can't get Social Security or other benefits after conviction, so they should not receive bail money (no matter how badly they might need it). Frankly, I have to kind of wonder whether or not the crime rate would decline, particularly if potential or current criminals knew that there would be a total loss (maybe even a restitution) of the bail money.

As I said earlier, most of the ancillary aid to the needy programs could be suspended, but never discontinued altogether. If the employed and business owners are required to keep their jobs and businesses, then the disabled would still be entitled to whatever amount they are currently receiving and the 5% COLAs that never make much impact. There would probably need to be some regulation of the gas/utility industry, since that is the one place I see price gouging as a real potential.

People are still going to look for the lowest prices and the most for their money. The only difference is that MORE people would be able to participate in the economy. That should go a very long way to eliminating poverty in this country. The secondary benefit will be in the lack of government incentive to keep raiding Social Security (which is why it's always in "crisis"). The Social Security tax could even be slightly increased in order to bolster ONLY that program.

Keep trying to poke those holes, folks. I'm not an economics wizard. I'm just a person of poverty looking at ways to make sure that my population doesn't increase. This is a very good discussion. Maybe somebody out there is listening.....

Leslie, how would giving everyone $1 million create inflation? To put it very simply, with $1 million dollars of disposable income, many would rush to buy expensive cars, clothes, homes, etc. With demand being so much greater, prices would go up. Way up! Hence, inflation.

How would the mortgage industry fail if everyone is given $1 million and used it to pay off their mortgages? The industry would be gone because there would be so little demand for mortgages that the people who worked in that industry would change jobs. There would be no monthly mortgage interest earned by mortgage bankers and no commissions to be earned by mortgage brokers, so they would have to get a different job (or just loaf off since they too, would have their million).

When the stimulus was gone and the next generation needed mortgages to buy homes, the mortgage industry would be in a shambles. Mortgages would be more expensive because they would have to start a new system. We need a banking and mortgage system that is stable, reliable and sustainable, and this plan would definitely make the banking system even more unstable.

I think you plan could help on a much smaller scale, but not with $1 million which is what I posted my comments in reference to. It is interesting to think about, however. It is interesting to study the economies countries with high inflation and realize what a terrible problem it is.

Also, it would be very difficult to get people to work even with the 4 year requirement to not quit your job. Think about human nature. Not everyone is industrious or smart with their money.

Judith, I think you may have overlooked the idea of incremental pay outs, as proposed in the subsequent postings. Incremental pay outs would not and could not create an inflationary economy simply because those increments are not enough. They are certainly not enough to destroy mortgage companies, since homes and taxes are generally far higher than the increments.

Ask yourself what you would do with $125K right now, knowing that you will have to wait 6 months (could be more of the government set the pay outs over 8 years rather than 4) before you received another influx. Do you earn so much at your job that $125K plus your earned income will buy your home, pay your taxes, food, utilities, car or car repairs, etc.? If that is true then you are in that upper, and smaller percentage of Americans who are not impacted by our current economic crisis. And, you are in the minority.

The majority of Americans right now fall FAR below the "magic" $250K per year earned income status. What we have right now is an economy almost identical to Mexico: the very, very rich and the very, very poor - with nearly ZERO middle income earners or class. Equalizing the economy with incremental pay outs will make a huge impact on restoring the middle class of America, simply by enabling them to "buy back" that status. That "buying back" would FEED the mortgage industry and encourage competitive rates. It would also force the credit industry as a whole to rethink their usurious and predatory schemes, reducing credit card debt and dependency overall.

Neither of us has a crystal ball. However, I do know that you can't stop a train by throwing a balloon at it. We are on a runaway train of economic damage. Rather than derailing the beast, or letting it run amok, why not think of rerouting it toward an upward hill? The incremental influx of bail out payments to Americans would very likely slow this poverty train, allow Americans to reinvest in their own futures, stimulate the economy by increasing demand for production, save back billions in government programs that may not be so badly needed (like Food Stamps) and offer a sort of "time out" for the states to develop their single payer medical and health care programs, thus forcing the insurance and medical industry maggots to quit feeding on businesses and individuals.

As for housing, you tell me where you think you can find a stick built home and property, taxes and all, for under $125K. NOBODY is going to sit on that bail out money except the very, very rich. And they already paid cash for their homes in the first place, thus establishing that the mortgage industry can and will survive people being able to pay higher down payments or extra on their principles.

Sorry. I have to call this hole in my proposal "unmade". By the way, your reference to the economies of the EU is also fallacious. I have many friend overseas and, trust me, the mortgage and banking industries are flourishing, even WITH universal health care and higher fuel costs. They actually have a middle class and inflation is apparent in their supermarkets only slightly. In fact, bread at Wal Mart here costs MORE than it does in any bakery or market that I've been in (and I've been in plenty) in any EU country or Breat Britain. The dollar buys almost nothing, yet the Euro and the British Pound are very strong. Most of all, the quality of life in the EU is far better than what we have here now.  But I digress...

Keep trying, though. And may I point out just one other fact? The United States government has already been making incremental pay outs for reparations for almost 60 years. The idea was to buy the people they paid into extinction (that's how it first started). Later, it became Congressionally mandated. Ladies and gents, I give you the Navajo Nation, Alaska natives, and all per capita recipients. The only codicil was that all of the welfare programs remained in place, so there would be a disincentive to education and employment. There was never a mandate to work (still isn't) or build businesses. Mortgage lending was inapplicable because HUD builds all the homes and the rent on the homes is under $100 a month. They are a microcosm of total government support.

It didn't exactly work the way the government planned, though. The Navajo Nation, in fact nearly every tribe in America, beat the system by becoming industrious. Who owns all of the casinos outside of Vegas and Atlantic City? They also developed their own water and utility companies. And mortgage lending was never harmed by those who chose to live off the reservations. Their per capita payments went to cars, their homes, food, etc. Indeed, many nations developed their own banking, construction, and manufacturing industries. The catch is that you must be Native American to benefit.

Incidentally, I seriously doubt that around here we would have our one Wal Mart, three grocery chain stores and various gas stations, much less the motels and other services, if it were not for the regular distribution of the per capita payments. Hurt the economy? Not hardly. It's just a Bail Out America program, in increments, on a smaller scale. And, it works.

Leslie, thanks for that last fact. As a per cap recipient, we're pretty proud of turning ourselves away from extinction. My father would never have believed it.  I just want to point out - before the snarks these revelations always seem to generate - that taxes are paid on the per cap (my pc was $750 for last year), as if we made a profit on the land "sale", and welfare is adjusted when that payment comes. As a matter of fact, my concern about the $1 million came from reading about nations who pay so much that the kids don't feel they need to finish school or to work.

I'm still chewing on that penalty for quitting a job or closing a business. I liked it at first, but you couldn't penalize a person who gets laid off, or force a business to stay open if it isn't making a profit, and I'm afraid there would still be a lot of that at first.

Could there be a point on an existing measurement device (GNP, inflation, something) at which the incremental payments ceased? I wouldn't want a stimulus to turn into a prop.

The main idea is that money gets to the people, without having to trust it to trickle down. That's been tried a couple of times, and it just doesn't work. In our case, the 'reparation' comes to the nation, and we decide how much goes for per capita and how much goes to build schools and elder care facilities, and provide security. WE decide. And, as you point out, it works.

Sorry for injecting my personal circumstances into this discussion, but I'm very interested in following up on the ideas, and hope, too, that someone is listening.

Lee, I'll be one of the first in the cheering section always rooting for the Native American populations to foil the lethal intent of our government and its policies. I was there when control was wrested away from the BIA (I was the Director of the Social Services Department for a western Nevada tribe.) The policies that came out of the Department of the Interior, particularly during the late 70's and 80's were monstrous. The memos were shocking. The damage to an entire culture was atrocious. And then the light bulb went on when the courts cleared the way for the smoke shops, the gas stations and, best of all, casinos.

The per capita payments vary from judgment to judgment, tribe to tribe. A friend here receives $800 quarterly (Potawatami tribe, I think). I'm a non-Native, but please don't hold that against me :-)) The taxes on the payments also vary with the settlement/judgment agreements. While you may be taxed on your distribution, others are not. The point was that large, structured payments to Americans CAN work, and that such payments have already been demonstrated to positively impact both local and national economies.

You are correct, of course. A person should not be penalized for being laid off. Presumably the economy would be strong enough through the payments to forestall lay offs. And a struggling business that could not continue to operate through the pay outs should also not be penalized. Fair is fair. This is where rulemaking has to come in.

I suggested that these pay outs only last a fixed number of years. I'd rather see them run for the shorter period of 4 years ($125K per 6 months ending at the point of distribution of a million each) instead of a longer period, simply because something lasting beyond a 4 year point DOES become a prop or habit. So I think it would be enough to build into the plan its own "sunset". In the 4 years of the plan we will be able to clearly see how its working by the GNP, unemployment rate, and new business/existing business health.

I absolutely agree with you about this trickle down idiocracy. It never worked. That is exactly why the one-time "charity" of $800 proposed by the Obama team will do nothing. If charity really begins at home, then the only people who should be recipients of a bail out program should be the American homes. Like you said, the Nations made their per capitas work by getting the money directly to the people, and by deciding how to invest the rest in their culture and industries.

A planned "extinction" backfired and created an economy and several industries- all done with millions in direct payments. The incremental Bail Out America plan, with some tweaking mostly to set the rules, which should be done by an advisory council of REGULAR Americans, will work. I still haven't heard yet why it can't be tried.

But how can we get the notion through the political process? Is there an anti-poverty organization or ten that would be willing to lobby as hard for it as the corporations will against it? Couldn't it be an idea fostered by Change.org itself? If it was adopted here, couldn't we use the power of the Web as its engine? And (last question) wouldn't the Bail Out America plan touch every cause listed on this web site, perhaps eliminating most of them? This is where the "thinkers" need to come in.

Congress must on ending poverty in this country.

1. Is to changes the earn income means testing and replace with the buy-in-program when it comes to Public Assistance such as food stamps/cash assistance and SSI, SSDI benefits with the buy-in-program in place so that people with disabilities goes to  work and wants to work  and save for their future without being penalized.

Jocelyn Gallant
Salem, NH

View Point From A Disabled American

What I would do with $125K if Social Security Disability didnt hold it against me....

First....  I would buy a forclosed condo... 1. This would save HUD's rent voucher program a lot of money if everyone on SSD could do this.  The average savings would be $500 + per month per person on the program.  2.  It would help the banks on some of their foreclosure debt thus they wouldnt need so much bail-out money.  3. The goverment wouldnt have to put some much money into building affordable low income housing.

Second... I would buy a green car....  1. This would stimulate the auto industry or at least the ones that build a car worth buying.  2.  It would reduce air pollution.  3.  It would help support new jobs in renewable fuels here in the USA instead of supporting foreign oil imports. 

Third... I would stimulate the economy by buying the simple necessities of life that I have done without since being disabled like healthy food versus potatoe, rice and bean diet, warm cloths and shoes for winter, vitamins to promote better health and less Medicare spending, I can afford to heat my home when it is cold, put gas in my car so I can get to health care, pay AIG auto insurance on time (another bailed out company)....

These are all win win situations for the economy, the government and me.  Thats is a lot of stimulating and savings for just one single person.  You do the math on just the disabled alone and see how much that is.  Basically the government gets it back in saving and companies get a stimulated by a trickle up.  It does not make sense to keep using the trickle down theory which is what the bail-outs are! 

Too bad you Americans can't get beyond thinking that the universe revolves around you. Poverty is a WORLD WIDE  catastrophy and unless it is approached on that basis efforts to eliminate it will only contribute to increasing disparities between the HAVES and the HAVE NOTS.
It's time to start thinking of the community of mankind on a global scale and take steps to deal with it on that level.
See my website about poverty, homelessness and addiction at...
http://downbutnotout.synthasite.com/

Sharon is right. We can halt poverty by using ourselves as the tool of economic recovery, if only we can get the government to see it from this point of view.

As for you, Ron, who here ever said that we think the Universe revolves around us? It has been the American economy and American initiative that has helped to create programs, organizations and industries that address poverty in every country. Do you even know your history? Whose idea was it to form the United Nations? Canada's??

Yes, poverty is a worldwide problem. It's a problem whose impact has reached more Americans than ever in our history. Knowing poverty has helped us look at the needs of other nations and take action. For decades we have provided aid to the hungry, even to the extent that we have ignored our own people. I think that has changed now. We feel what they feel and we can use our own experience to forward ideas and assistance, when we are asked and when we are able. I hope that time is coming soon.

Worldwide poverty is a worldwide problem. You have a responsibility to defray it the same as we. What do you gain in eliminating any poverty anywhere by spewing venom at a country now completely in touch with the problem? What is your plan to eliminate it across the world, besides name calling and narrow vision?

Consider yourself challenged.

I love a challenge and I'm not a great historian, but it seems that using the United Nations as a defense of American policy is a little strange. To the best of my knowledge, America is years behind in paying it's membership there. Correct me if I'm wrong.
How's this for an idea to reduce poverty. Cut your military budget to a level of purely defensive status and stop selling weapons on the world market to countries that should be using the money to feed their people.
I really didn't mean it to be read as spreading venom, but after cruising this site for several hours, I was dismayed at the way the posts were discussing poverty as though it were a local problem unique to the good old USA. I have a world wide following on my website and communicate on a regular basis with people around the globe and although my discussions of my experiences are local in nature, I try to address the the big picture when I can.

The way that i see it is that humanity has limitless potential for better or for worse. You see people starving every day. You also see people that try to help thos people every day. But the main strength of humanity is in its numbers. If we could just bring people together that would bring the change that is needed. We all just need to unite and come together to truley better the world. One person can help but many can resolve this problem for good.

This How I feel some people & the mosty to all young people espacailly. I have no problem talking to any positive person cause They know how they feel what other people is going though something & we as positvie people want to see a lot of changes & have that faith & hope that going to take some place during the years to come.  We as people need to stay strong & positive cause you have negative people trying to bring down the positive down & try to take their happiness from them. Let me say something about Negative people they could never get right in their life & they always like to hurt a good positive person, they never learn to move on with their life & alawys like to complains with their dam Drama & non-sense that is going on.I be gald to give a much pefect exp. I'm a kind a person to be real with people & I when i have to say something i moved on if i say i don't like to have sex with people that is not my type & i will keep it real & say it & moved on with my life & keep it moving with positive who i enjoy talking to & don't just have to deal with sex talk & it can deal with other things in life as well & that how you hold a good talk with other positive. But when a negative person comes to you oh that person is fat & you reuse to have sex with any fat person & you keep saying so much well move on stop saying it over & over cause you're hurting yourself cause you won't get off that problem & this why i'm talking negative person cause they never be happy & keep compilaning & never will have a furture in them cause they can't right & leave any positive person alone. This the reason why i'm dealing with any positive person cause I would like to help & as a return a person will help me as well. As a good positive person that will have a future & have a much better change life & people will like you more without that compiling with the Drama & non-sesne that is going on & people are very tired with all that msss that is going on. This is why Im not letting no one to take my or someone esle happiness from us cause negative people will never learn so the best thing is to blocked & easre them out of your life & learn to move on with positive person that makes you happy  & you will get some where with in life  with a positive person than a negative person. This what I want this year & beyond the years to get much better in life without deal with any negative person.

Ron, I only used the United Nations as an example of an idea placed into reality by America. I never said anything about whether or not we were behind in our dues. We certainly have had no business at the UN table under this treasonous President Bush, and Cheney (affectionately known as the f**king Prince of darkness!). The trampling of our own inherent rights by his administration has been shocking. It has also resulted in this phenomenal increase in homelessness and poverty, particularly for veterans in our own country.

I have no problem in cutting the federal budget, including the military, drastically. I believe that our way out of poverty is to take away all the pork gone to idiotic special interests. We also MUST get out of Iraq. We all know by now that it was merely an excuse for Bush to enrich and empower his cronies. However, he tied our hands and our voices. Clearly he didn't get it all done because we were heard in 2006 and crushed his power in November.

How long will it take us to work our way out of the Bush quicksand of destruction? Who can say. I hope that it can be done by making our voices heard on every level. I saw it happening in the House the other day when I tuned into CSPAN. Every single Representative who spoke had a single line in common: they have been inundated by our messages and are expected to respond to our demands, particularly for accountability.

It's really difficult to overcome the arrogance of politicians. The only way we have is to threaten their cozy positions by withholding our votes. That is what I say in my faxes and e-mails. That seems to be what my fellow Americans are saying as well.

Americans are basically very good hearted. But we can't help the world out of poverty if we can't get our own under control and in recession. I have absolutely no doubt that we will always try to help anyone in need. I think Darfur is a good example.

The Bush administration worked VERY hard to keep that situation out of the media and out of our sight. It didn't work because we didn't allow Bush to censor the Internet. So gradually Darfur became a cause that received our attention, and many bills were drafted to ease the suffering of the people there. Our dictator of a President killed those bills while he could. After 2006, several got through.

America has gone through 8 years of unprecedented oppression. We haven't experienced anything like this since the Revolution. So it took another revolution to get our voices and demands back to the table. I have high hopes that you will see the ugliness of the Bush years replaced with the compassion of our people in the form of the end of our occupancy of Iraq, the closing of Guantanamo, the stabilization of our economy by cutting crap out of the budget, and a surge in world volunteerism.

John (above) had a good point: unite for causes. Sheer numbers will make things happen. However, before we can unite the world we have to unite our own country. It's in shambles but we are a resilient nation. We will bring it back better and stronger than before, without war.

We never wanted war and we have been ashamed of what Bush has done to an innocent country. You can't convince me that we couldn't have found and captured or killed Osama immediately - IF BUSH HAD WANTED US TO. He didn't. And he absolutely did not care one iota about how we were perceived by the world.

So, give us a chance to build back our integrity, and take back our country. When we do, and while we do, we will also give all that we can to ease the suffering of others in the world.

I saw a great cartoon a while back. Junior and senior were side by side. Senior was wearing a t shirt with an arrow pointing at junior saying, "Im with stupid." Junior's t shirt pointing to senior said, "I'm with Satan." If Obama lives up to 10% of expectations, the world will begin to heal. I hope expectations are not high enough to make Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} disillusionment inevitable.
Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} I went into hospital for surgery on Jan 19. They were supposed to do an exploratory routine and if possible repair the blockage of my small intestine. They did the exploratory and found a narrowing of the intestine, but felt that perhaps there was a twist in the intestine that released itself without their seeing it during the operation. They did not remove the narrow portion of the intestine while they were at it and I am afraid that this was and still is the problem. If that is the case, I will have to go through the whole procedure again in the near future. I am very upset that they did not remove the narrow portion while they were in there. I feel that hoping that the blockage somehow disappeared during the operation all by itself and subsequently doing nothing with the existing narrow portion was irresponsible and has left me in the position of being unable to carry on with my life for fear of it flaring up again. I wonder how they expect a blockage to disappear without any evidence of its being there, and I am of the opinion that the failure to remove the narrow portion which I believe is far more likely to be the cause of the problem than something that they have never seen and probably never existed. I am therefore left in the position of anticipating a return of the symptoms and further surgery to follow due to unreasonable over caution. I am home now and recovering from a fruitless surgery. At least I now know that it isn't Cancer.

Sorry about the html. I copied the last half of the message from a MS Word file. Guess that won't work.

Yes  I agree with being aware of our and others humanity. By knowing when we help our fellows we aid ourselves.  And by believing we have the capacity to end poverty that 100% of poverty will be wiped out.

The Truth as Told by the Unheard

According to gov. own figures, 65% are the working poor. That is people, recognized as living under the federal poverty level, of 40 million out of around 240 million of the USA population.  But the real count would be 3 times that number.

If someone gifted with words, and images, with a kind producer, or editor were to cover the reasons for homelessness, as seen from the eyes of the poor- Poverty  could end by 2018, if not before. 

This would happen when light is brought to an untold story.    "The greatest Agony IS the untold story."

It is true, let me tell others how the Safety net is Broken. In every state whi has General assistance- help based soley on lack of income, people eligible for General relief or town aid are routinely denied the aid need to prevent or recover from homeless. The denial is based upon re-invented laws.

Progams are designed to aid 1/4 of the need As with subidized housing, yet  the media provides the public with the idea that if every one isn't on the program, it is because they are too lazy or stupid to sign up.  There is a WAITING LIST any where from 2 months in states like Montania. To 15 years
in NYC.  Maine has a waiting list to get onto the waiting list.  then its 5 years or more.

These are my three elements are needed to accomplish this goal.

The first before listing the other elements is a belief, that poverty can end.

 
1) The poor is given a voice, that is media carries their words their answers, that they are humanized.

2) That everyone is paid a livable wage-this include the Federal poverty level being raised to include ALL of lives basics not just food.  But Rent, Health care, Utilities, car and home repair, and entertainment, plus a vacation.  This was said back in 1948 or so in the UN's Universal Rights.

3) That the US and state Courts respect the Claims of the poor, as in civil rights cases brought without lawyers. That they are HEARD Not just dismissed on bogus excuses.

There are more elements, but this is the basics.

 People are Homeless merely because they are underpaid. Poverty Programs merely place band-aids on the problems and Do to inadequacy of the programs designs there are not enough band-aids to go around.  It will cost LESS to cure poverty, then to allow it to fester.

Jan LightfootLane

"The moral test of govt. is how it treats those in the dawn of life, the children; those in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy, and the handicapped." the greatest nation, we need to provide the basic human right of health care to all of our citizens.