I recently spent five days at the Carver County Fair, and had a chance to meet and talk with many people. One of the issues of concern with several was government assistance to people unwilling to work. I do not want to get into a debate over the percentage receiving government assistance that are trying to get a free ride. I would concede that some people are trying to get by without working, but personally I believe that is a small minority. I also believe that we should be careful not punish those who need and will benefit from assistance because of those looking to cheat.
This year we had the opportunity to attend a performance of Oliver by the Chaska Valley Family Theatre. You may wonder why I am changing the subject, but actually I am not. In mid 19th century England this musical represents how the poor were dealt with. I know many of us are unhappy with government assistance today, but I do not think that we should go back to an era when being poor was considered a crime. It was horrible treatment for people, and it also hurt the society as a whole by promoting crime and disease. In addition the nation lost the potential contributions of those whose only crime was being poor. In Britain in that era it was felt only those of the upper class added value to the society, but in the US we have always believed that all have potential.
I wish I had a miracle cure for poverty, and a way to rid us of the need for government assistance. I do believe it is critical to support families with children, and break the chains of Generational Poverty. The best way to do that is training and education, not only for the children but for the parents as well. Yes, we also have to create a tradition of work with the result of a better life ahead. At the same time we need to be careful and gradually reduce aid with higher earnings so that we do not create disincentives for better jobs. One of the goals of this assistance is to eliminate the need for assistance in the future.
Although, I feel our priority should be families, and a goal to wean most from assistance, there is a segment of the population that will always be dependent on government assistance either because of illness, disabilities, or chemical dependency. I believe that we need to develop a plan to help these groups as well especially those that might be veterans. For some it may be just to provide a secure stable environment while for others it may be providing an environment that will lead to fully utilizing their abilities.
I know many people believe that government assistance for the poor is just a bottomless pit that holds people and families forever. The reality is a little different. The War on Poverty dating back to the Johnson presidency helped reduce black poverty from 40% to about 31% from 1966 to 1969 and to about 23% into the term of George W Bush. Poverty among non-Hispanic whites dropped from 14.7% to 6.1% by 2006. The economist Martin Anderson who became a leading adviser for the Reagan Administration said in 1978 “The dismal failure’ of welfare is a myth” (From the Land of Promise by Michael Lind).
We are making progress in the war against poverty, but we may never wipe it out completely. It is important to understand that poverty is not only a burden on those caught in its grips, but it also affects us all. How many poor kids with talents that our country needs are lost because of the chains of poverty. Are we losing the next Teddy Roosevelt, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or Jonas Salk because they are growing up in poverty, and receiving an inadequate education and poor medical care.
This year we had the opportunity to attend a performance of Oliver by the Chaska Valley Family Theatre. You may wonder why I am changing the subject, but actually I am not. In mid 19th century England this musical represents how the poor were dealt with. I know many of us are unhappy with government assistance today, but I do not think that we should go back to an era when being poor was considered a crime. It was horrible treatment for people, and it also hurt the society as a whole by promoting crime and disease. In addition the nation lost the potential contributions of those whose only crime was being poor. In Britain in that era it was felt only those of the upper class added value to the society, but in the US we have always believed that all have potential.
I wish I had a miracle cure for poverty, and a way to rid us of the need for government assistance. I do believe it is critical to support families with children, and break the chains of Generational Poverty. The best way to do that is training and education, not only for the children but for the parents as well. Yes, we also have to create a tradition of work with the result of a better life ahead. At the same time we need to be careful and gradually reduce aid with higher earnings so that we do not create disincentives for better jobs. One of the goals of this assistance is to eliminate the need for assistance in the future.
Although, I feel our priority should be families, and a goal to wean most from assistance, there is a segment of the population that will always be dependent on government assistance either because of illness, disabilities, or chemical dependency. I believe that we need to develop a plan to help these groups as well especially those that might be veterans. For some it may be just to provide a secure stable environment while for others it may be providing an environment that will lead to fully utilizing their abilities.
I know many people believe that government assistance for the poor is just a bottomless pit that holds people and families forever. The reality is a little different. The War on Poverty dating back to the Johnson presidency helped reduce black poverty from 40% to about 31% from 1966 to 1969 and to about 23% into the term of George W Bush. Poverty among non-Hispanic whites dropped from 14.7% to 6.1% by 2006. The economist Martin Anderson who became a leading adviser for the Reagan Administration said in 1978 “The dismal failure’ of welfare is a myth” (From the Land of Promise by Michael Lind).
We are making progress in the war against poverty, but we may never wipe it out completely. It is important to understand that poverty is not only a burden on those caught in its grips, but it also affects us all. How many poor kids with talents that our country needs are lost because of the chains of poverty. Are we losing the next Teddy Roosevelt, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or Jonas Salk because they are growing up in poverty, and receiving an inadequate education and poor medical care.
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