1 in 2 Americans poor or low income

[JaneV2.0]

Yes, that was powerfully written. A primer for the empathy-challenged.

[flowerseverywhere]

It is important for our overall society to provide this teaching and care, so that we can collectively break the cycles of poverty in our communities.

but are we breaking the cycle? Are we winning the war on poverty with what we are doing? From what I have read, the percentage of children of the group of those in poverty is rising. And these children are apt to attend schools that are located in close to war zones, full of violence and drugs. Something like 40% of children born today are born to a single mother, and many of those go on to raise the child without the financial and emotional support of the father so naturally many will join the ranks of the poor. Even in the best of times, when the coffers were overflowing schools have been unable to do the job of educating our poorest youngsters. Now that our government officials have not been good stewards of our money and our economy and we are in a bad situation how can we possibly expect things to improve for the poor?
I for one see nothing but belt tightening, and some at least will be at the expense of the poor. Of course all of us would love to see every child have the opportunity to have a good life, good job, enough to eat, roof over their head, warm coat in the winter etc. How can that be accomplished? If someone could tell me I would put my heart and soul into the solution.

[flowerseverywhere]

I also had to post this article about a mother who managed to get off welfare, similar to what Redfox is describing. maybe the need is to increase welfare and food stamps...

http://www.thenation.com/article/165...fare-i-knew-it

[redfox]

No, we're not breaking the cycle of poverty... But we could. Clinton's so-called welfare reform was a draconian disaster. I hated it. The article you posted names it well.

[gimmethesimplelife]

It's just my thought that governmental interference into the free market played a large part in driving manufacturing offshore. A little less interference might bring them back.
Also, if our government limited itself to it's constitutional mandate, that interference could have been avoided.

My thinking is that free markets worked in the days of Henry Ford paying more than he had to so that his workers could buy his product.....And in the fifties and sixties, until the US started losing manufacturing jobs so that the wealthy at the top of the chain could hoard more of the wealth.....I personally don't believe in free markets as they work against too many in their current form - but I don't believe in communism either (though what I have heard of how things are done in Cuba interests me a great deal) as it does not seem to motivate human gumption much.....I have always believed in the social democracies of Western Europe with high taxes and wonderful safety nets and a great quality of life we don't have here BUT look how that's ending up, on the edge of being Gone With the Wind.....So I don't have the answer is my point, but I don't believe free markets are an acceptable answer to the majority any more than these other options are.....Just my two cents worth.....Rob