Well if you've been following my blog, you can probably tell that I'm an idealist. I admit it. To me, it means that I believe another world is possible. So naturally, I had to write a blog on what I'd love to see in this world. There's no way that God put too many people on the planet and not enough resources. People are living in poverty because of the huge unequal distribution of wealth in the world. I'm in no way suggesting that the we take from the rich and give to the poor, I just wish people would look out for each other. Wouldn't it be great if, as a society, instead of putting emphasis on getting what you wanted out of life, we made it our job, our responsibility to meet the needs of the people around us? Some may argue that it's not in human nature, but I would argue otherwise. I've met some genuinely good people in my life. It's definitely possible. There will always be people in need and I know I can't change the world, but believe me, I will keep trying.
On a less serious, emotional note, thanks for following my blog all semester, oh mystery reader. Who knows if I'll ever write in this thing again, but it was fun while it lasted. Enjoy your life... we only get one of them!
You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you will join us and the world will be as one.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Detroit Poverty Summit 2008
Homelessness and poverty have been issues that have interested me for some time now. So when I heard about the Detroit Poverty Summit last year, I skipped school for the day to check it out. In theory, it was amazing to think about hundreds of Michigan residents getting together with our governor and other high-powered officials to discuss the problem of poverty. I couldn't tell you how excited I was to attend. Jennifer Granholm and some high profile people made speeches and then we all broke into smaller classrooms. I chose "Race and Poverty". At the end, each region made a list of priorities for the next year.
picture of Governor Jennifer Granholm at the event
Is it enough though, to hold one educational event one year? How many other states are taking the same initiative to end poverty? Why aren't these events held every year so we can check progress? Why aren't more low-income and homeless individuals included in the process? I'm not sure how much has been accomplished in each region one year later but I appreciate the effort of the few to benefit the many
website: http://www.michigan.gov/poverty/0,1607,7-253--204835--,00.html
Is it enough though, to hold one educational event one year? How many other states are taking the same initiative to end poverty? Why aren't these events held every year so we can check progress? Why aren't more low-income and homeless individuals included in the process? I'm not sure how much has been accomplished in each region one year later but I appreciate the effort of the few to benefit the many
website: http://www.michigan.gov/poverty/0,1607,7-253--204835--,00.html
We know how we're all affected by this recession...
but how are the homeless affected?
Well, homelessness was an issue before the economic recession, so it certainly hasn't improved. Many agencies and non-profit organizations have found it difficult to make budget cuts with a such a limited budget to start with. In addition, the number of homeless people in the United States has risen dramatically since 2007 (by almost 20%!) with foreclosures and unemployment.
According to economic sources, the recession is officially over. It'll take quite a while for the economy to bounce back but we will bounce back. But what about the homeless? In 2008, it was reported that the poor were still recovering from the recession in 2001. And that one wasn't nearly as bad. The poor will be feeling the effect of this recession long after the economy is back where it was.
Well, homelessness was an issue before the economic recession, so it certainly hasn't improved. Many agencies and non-profit organizations have found it difficult to make budget cuts with a such a limited budget to start with. In addition, the number of homeless people in the United States has risen dramatically since 2007 (by almost 20%!) with foreclosures and unemployment.
According to economic sources, the recession is officially over. It'll take quite a while for the economy to bounce back but we will bounce back. But what about the homeless? In 2008, it was reported that the poor were still recovering from the recession in 2001. And that one wasn't nearly as bad. The poor will be feeling the effect of this recession long after the economy is back where it was.
Homeless hit hard by H1N1
http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/sns-health-swine-flu-homeless,0,2606961.story
Since I know no one is going to click on this link, I'll give you a quick synopsis of the article, written December 8, 2009.
According to the article:
-the homeless are way less likely to get an H1N1 vaccine
-the homeless are way more likely to suffer from serious complications if they get H1N1 (three to six times more likely than the average person
-many free clinics have ordered their H1N1 vaccines but have yet to receive their supply
So what's being done?
-the National Health Care for Homeless Council prepared a manual for all shelters and soup kitchens and such for the prevention of the spread of influenza and H1N1
And there you have it folks.
Since I know no one is going to click on this link, I'll give you a quick synopsis of the article, written December 8, 2009.
According to the article:
-the homeless are way less likely to get an H1N1 vaccine
-the homeless are way more likely to suffer from serious complications if they get H1N1 (three to six times more likely than the average person
-many free clinics have ordered their H1N1 vaccines but have yet to receive their supply
So what's being done?
-the National Health Care for Homeless Council prepared a manual for all shelters and soup kitchens and such for the prevention of the spread of influenza and H1N1
And there you have it folks.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Something new I found out about today...
Warning: not specifically related to US politics
Kiva is an non-profit organization that links donors to entrepreneurs in developing countries to help them out of poverty. It's more of a "lending process" than a donation. When the business takes off, the entrepreneur repays the loan and the lender is free to take that repayment or re-loan it to another entrepreneur.
http://www.kiva.org/
So, I know what charity I'm donating to this year. Merry Christmas!
http://www.kiva.org/
So, I know what charity I'm donating to this year. Merry Christmas!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
minimum wage
The new federal minimum wage is in effect for 2009. Minimum wage workers can now expect $7.25 an hour, as opposed to $6.55 an hour prior to 2009. While it's great that Congress finally passed a law to raise the minimum wage, empirical data has shown that anyone living on a minimum wage salary makes less than $15,000 a year, below the poverty line ($23,500). Based on this data, and recent inflation rates, it's easy to see that a minimum wage salary, common among the unskilled/uneducated poor population of this country, is not enough to be pulled out of poverty.
The other side of the argument is that raising the minimum wage would actually be a detriment to the country. As employers are forced to pay employees more money, many legislators and interest groups believe that employers will want to hire more skilled workers, leaving out anyone from inexperienced high-schoolers to the unemployed poor. In addition, they say raising the minimum wage would cause high-schoolers to drop out (supposedly, a minimum wage salary is enticing enough for some to quit school and not go to college), reduce other job benefits (though healthcare reform might debunk that claim), reduce competition, and cause suffering in Third World countries that are home to multinational corporations.
While I'm no economist nor political scientist, I did my research! While raising the minimum wage to mirror the cost of living wouldn't bring everyone out of poverty, it would definitely reduce the number of people living below the poverty line. Many studies have shown that unemployment rates would stay the same with an increase in the minimum wage. If unemployment did increase, the change wouldn't be a major economical one. Based on my research on welfare reform (I did my essay on it!), a raise in the minimum wage would decrease the number of people in government assistance programs. The average minimum wage worker is an adult, contrary to popular belief that minimum wage workers are teenagers living with parents. The bottom line is, the current minimum wage, though better than it was last year or two years ago, is not fair. When kids and families are affected, the issue becomes a moral one.
Still interested? Watch "30 Days: Minimum wage". It's a enjoyable way to approach the issue. The link is posted below.
http://www.fancast.com/tv/30-Days/62565/562085655/Minimum-Wage/videos
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Reach out to the homeless in Grand Rapids!
If you're passionate about putting an end to poverty, start locally! There's nothing more humbling than turning your heart to those that others may turn up their noses to. I've done some asking around and found some faith-based organizations for the homeless (which is more up my ally). I'm gonna check each of these out when I get the chance. Y'all should too!
Dégagé Ministries: Our Mission: To reflect the love of Christ to all who come through our doors by building relationships and offering programs that foster dignity and respect.
The Other Way Ministries: A Christian ministry that walks alongside Westown urban families as they strive to grow spiritually, relationally and economically.
Mel Trotter: Mel Trotter Ministries exists to demonstrate the compassion of Jesus Christ toward the hungry, homeless and hurting of the Grand Rapids area. A friend of mine spends a lot of time here and has nothing but good things to say about the work they do.
Guiding Light Ministries: Guiding Light Mission exists to provide a healing community
that allows broken individuals to discover a new life in Christ. We provide food and shelter while equipping men with social, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual skills, thereby preparing them to serve.I'll keep you people posted as I volunteer with these different organizations.
Until next time...
Ain't no party like a political party 'cause the political party don't stop!
I know that political parties are important to the function of a democracy and all, but I can't help but LOATHE them, especially with the system we've got going in the United States. It's hard to have any warm and fuzzy feeling for Democrats and Republican when all I see are personal agendas. But, alas, they are a necessary evil.
For instance, after the House passed their version of health care reform, the Republican National Committee released this statement: "Today with help from their liberal House allies, President Obama and Nancy Pelosi finally got what they have been creating behind closed doors these past months -- a government-run health care experiment that will increase families' health care costs, increase the deficit, increase taxes on small businesses and the middle class, and cut Medicare." I'm not trying to be bias by only providing an example of a Republican attack on Democrats (believe me, I tried google-ing "examples of democratic bias" but the results were mediocre at best). This is just one example of many attacks commonly seen in Washington. Couldn't they just say, "this is what passed through the House and this is why we're unhappy about it"? Or is politics like a worse, adult-version of high school? If the latter, count me out.
Campaigns have become personal attacks which make the average voter feel like they're choosing the lesser of two evils instead of feeling 100% confident in their choice. No wonder we have lower voter turnout than some other democratic countries.
My suggestion (though not likely to ever happen) is to change our electoral system to proportional representation, a multi-party friendly system. PR is aimed at matching the percentage of votes per party to the number of seats that party gets in the legislature. We'd still have a few major parties, but imagine all the minor parties that would get a vote. So long manufactured majority! Hello coalition government! (can you tell I'm in more than one political science class? :] ) Well blog readers, thanks for listening to my fairly negative political babble! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
In the words of Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon on SNL's Weekend Update, "Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow!"
For instance, after the House passed their version of health care reform, the Republican National Committee released this statement: "Today with help from their liberal House allies, President Obama and Nancy Pelosi finally got what they have been creating behind closed doors these past months -- a government-run health care experiment that will increase families' health care costs, increase the deficit, increase taxes on small businesses and the middle class, and cut Medicare." I'm not trying to be bias by only providing an example of a Republican attack on Democrats (believe me, I tried google-ing "examples of democratic bias" but the results were mediocre at best). This is just one example of many attacks commonly seen in Washington. Couldn't they just say, "this is what passed through the House and this is why we're unhappy about it"? Or is politics like a worse, adult-version of high school? If the latter, count me out.
Campaigns have become personal attacks which make the average voter feel like they're choosing the lesser of two evils instead of feeling 100% confident in their choice. No wonder we have lower voter turnout than some other democratic countries.
My suggestion (though not likely to ever happen) is to change our electoral system to proportional representation, a multi-party friendly system. PR is aimed at matching the percentage of votes per party to the number of seats that party gets in the legislature. We'd still have a few major parties, but imagine all the minor parties that would get a vote. So long manufactured majority! Hello coalition government! (can you tell I'm in more than one political science class? :] ) Well blog readers, thanks for listening to my fairly negative political babble! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!
In the words of Tina Fey and Jimmy Fallon on SNL's Weekend Update, "Good night and have a pleasant tomorrow!"
The healthcare war
Since we talked about healthcare reform in class last week, I thought I'd give my opinion because I'm sure the readers of my blog are just dying to hear it :)
I'll start by explaining what I know about what the bill could offer:
-expansion Medicaid eligibility
-barring insurers from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions
-immediate reduction in drug costs for Medicare recipients
-allowing Medicare families to keep their children on their insurance plan until age 26
-banning lifetime limits on coverage
-new investments in community health centers
-efforts to increase the number of primary care physicians
-public option that would allow citizens to purchase a cheaper insurance plan from the government
-new requirement for employers to provide coverage for employees
-institution of a new review process for insurance companies
-etc.
All of this would be funded through new taxes and cuts to government run health programs, like Medicare.
Let me start by saying that I believe healthcare is a basic human right. We can all agree that the current healthcare system in the U.S. is in need of some major changes. That being said, I think legislation for this reform is being rushed through Congress. I appreciate the fact that President Obama is trying to make do on his campaign promises, but reform of such magnitude takes time. I would take more solace in knowing that the reform was being well thought out. Instead, it seems to be legislation for legislation's sake.
Another thing is this very controversial "public option", which is, to my understanding, was the forethought of the reform. In a effort to please everyone, the public option has been considerably reduced. I'll admit, the idea of our healthcare being in the hands of our government is scary. What's scarier, though, is the millions of people without healthcare in this country. So I did some research! In an ideal world, the public option would cut costs of healthcare for many living under the poverty line. However, according to Steve Pearlstein of the Washington Post, "The evidence ... is Medicare, which spends about 2% to 3% of its budget on administration. But if a government-run plan had to spend its own money to collect premiums, market itself to customers, maintain a reserve, and manage care in a way that lowers costs and raises quality — none of which Medicare now does ... its administrative costs would be nowhere near 2% or 3%." Now, I'm no economist, but that sorta defeats the purpose when we're trying to cut the cost of healthcare for the average american's pocketbook while simultaneously dealing with our $1.4 trillion deficit.
It's gonna be really interesting to see how this healthcare thing all pans out. If successful, I'd be proud to be alive during one of the biggest social reforms in our nation's history. If not... well I'd rather not think about that. Anyway, I feel like I'm not informed enough to give a wise opinion, so please feel free to leave your thoughts. Any other opinions would be appreciated.
I'll start by explaining what I know about what the bill could offer:
-expansion Medicaid eligibility
-barring insurers from denying coverage to those with pre-existing conditions
-immediate reduction in drug costs for Medicare recipients
-allowing Medicare families to keep their children on their insurance plan until age 26
-banning lifetime limits on coverage
-new investments in community health centers
-efforts to increase the number of primary care physicians
-public option that would allow citizens to purchase a cheaper insurance plan from the government
-new requirement for employers to provide coverage for employees
-institution of a new review process for insurance companies
-etc.
All of this would be funded through new taxes and cuts to government run health programs, like Medicare.
Let me start by saying that I believe healthcare is a basic human right. We can all agree that the current healthcare system in the U.S. is in need of some major changes. That being said, I think legislation for this reform is being rushed through Congress. I appreciate the fact that President Obama is trying to make do on his campaign promises, but reform of such magnitude takes time. I would take more solace in knowing that the reform was being well thought out. Instead, it seems to be legislation for legislation's sake.
Another thing is this very controversial "public option", which is, to my understanding, was the forethought of the reform. In a effort to please everyone, the public option has been considerably reduced. I'll admit, the idea of our healthcare being in the hands of our government is scary. What's scarier, though, is the millions of people without healthcare in this country. So I did some research! In an ideal world, the public option would cut costs of healthcare for many living under the poverty line. However, according to Steve Pearlstein of the Washington Post, "The evidence ... is Medicare, which spends about 2% to 3% of its budget on administration. But if a government-run plan had to spend its own money to collect premiums, market itself to customers, maintain a reserve, and manage care in a way that lowers costs and raises quality — none of which Medicare now does ... its administrative costs would be nowhere near 2% or 3%." Now, I'm no economist, but that sorta defeats the purpose when we're trying to cut the cost of healthcare for the average american's pocketbook while simultaneously dealing with our $1.4 trillion deficit.
It's gonna be really interesting to see how this healthcare thing all pans out. If successful, I'd be proud to be alive during one of the biggest social reforms in our nation's history. If not... well I'd rather not think about that. Anyway, I feel like I'm not informed enough to give a wise opinion, so please feel free to leave your thoughts. Any other opinions would be appreciated.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Remember when we learned about interest groups??
Well, that got me thinking, are there any interest groups for the poor/homeless? I'm glad I asked myself that because there ARE interest groups that serve just that purpose. Several of them actually.
As we already know, interest groups are organized groups of individuals sharing common beliefs about the current political system who actively attempt to influence policymaking (off the top of my head! Woo-hoo!)
Here are a few of the ones I researched. Pay close attention; there will be a quiz at the end of this blog.
Fannie Mae- You might have heard of this group since the recession started. Their main goal is to help prevent foreclosures (foreclosures have greatly increased the number of people living on the street since 2008).
http://www.fanniemae.com/index.html
National Center for Homeless Education- Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, this interest group wishes to meet the educational needs of children in poverty.
http://www.serve.org/nche/index.php
National Coalition for the Homeless- Their goal: to end homelessness. How?: by focusing on four areas: housing justice, economic justice, health care justice, and civil rights, along with organizing several educational programs and annual events.
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/index.html
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans- Homeless veterans make up for about 23% of the homeless population. This interest group makes government programs available to the country's homeless veterans to help them get out of poverty.
http://www.nchv.org/index.cfm
National Student Campaign for Hunger and Homelessness-This group is dedicated to the education of students so that they may meet the immediate needs of people living in poverty and advocate for long-term policy change.
http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org/home
Of all the interest groups I researched, I would join YouthBuild USA because they focus on people (specifically kids) in high-risk areas/ situations so that we may prevent the behavior that leads to a life in poverty.
http://www.youthbuild.org/site/c.htIRI3PIKoG/b.1223921/k.BD3C/Home.htm
That's it for now folks... no quiz this time!
As we already know, interest groups are organized groups of individuals sharing common beliefs about the current political system who actively attempt to influence policymaking (off the top of my head! Woo-hoo!)
Here are a few of the ones I researched. Pay close attention; there will be a quiz at the end of this blog.
Fannie Mae- You might have heard of this group since the recession started. Their main goal is to help prevent foreclosures (foreclosures have greatly increased the number of people living on the street since 2008).
http://www.fanniemae.com/index.html
National Center for Homeless Education- Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, this interest group wishes to meet the educational needs of children in poverty.
http://www.serve.org/nche/index.php
National Coalition for the Homeless- Their goal: to end homelessness. How?: by focusing on four areas: housing justice, economic justice, health care justice, and civil rights, along with organizing several educational programs and annual events.
http://www.nationalhomeless.org/index.html
National Coalition for Homeless Veterans- Homeless veterans make up for about 23% of the homeless population. This interest group makes government programs available to the country's homeless veterans to help them get out of poverty.
http://www.nchv.org/index.cfm
National Student Campaign for Hunger and Homelessness-This group is dedicated to the education of students so that they may meet the immediate needs of people living in poverty and advocate for long-term policy change.
http://www.studentsagainsthunger.org/home
Of all the interest groups I researched, I would join YouthBuild USA because they focus on people (specifically kids) in high-risk areas/ situations so that we may prevent the behavior that leads to a life in poverty.
http://www.youthbuild.org/site/c.htIRI3PIKoG/b.1223921/k.BD3C/Home.htm
That's it for now folks... no quiz this time!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Poverty in G- Rap
Last week, our school newspaper did an cover story on the rising poverty level in Grand Rapids. It's a pretty interesting article and the topic hits close to home. You all should check it out!
http://www.lanthorn.com/m/15-poverty
http://www.lanthorn.com/m/15-poverty
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
One word, many reactions.
WELFARE!
Democrats love it. Republicans hate it. But in times like these, there's no getting around it. Low-income or no-income citizens can't simply be told to "get a job". They need help to get back on their feet plus a system that supplies incentives to not stay in the system. That's where we come in. A government needs to look after its people and more importantly, people need to look after each other. This is where that whole individual interest vs. collective interest thing becomes a problem. Sure no one wants to pay more taxes. The fact of the matter is that a nation cannot prosper when its people aren't properly taken care of. When about 54% of our tax money is spent on defense (i.e. military, weapons, and war.... YUCK!), I think we can consider some serious budget reconstruction so that no human being goes hungry under our watch.
Now it's time to dispel some myths about the current welfare system.... GET EXCITED!
Myth: People on welfare are usually black, teenage mothers who stay on ten years at a time.
Fact: Most welfare recipients are non-black, adult and on welfare less than two years at a time.
-Over half of all recipients stay on welfare for two years or less.
-Teenagers form less than 8 percent of all welfare mothers.
Just some food for thought. That was fun, wasn't it?
Until next time...
P.S. If you're interested in sources for this data, just let me know! :)
Democrats love it. Republicans hate it. But in times like these, there's no getting around it. Low-income or no-income citizens can't simply be told to "get a job". They need help to get back on their feet plus a system that supplies incentives to not stay in the system. That's where we come in. A government needs to look after its people and more importantly, people need to look after each other. This is where that whole individual interest vs. collective interest thing becomes a problem. Sure no one wants to pay more taxes. The fact of the matter is that a nation cannot prosper when its people aren't properly taken care of. When about 54% of our tax money is spent on defense (i.e. military, weapons, and war.... YUCK!), I think we can consider some serious budget reconstruction so that no human being goes hungry under our watch.
Now it's time to dispel some myths about the current welfare system.... GET EXCITED!
Myth: People on welfare are usually black, teenage mothers who stay on ten years at a time.
Fact: Most welfare recipients are non-black, adult and on welfare less than two years at a time.
-Over half of all recipients stay on welfare for two years or less.
-Teenagers form less than 8 percent of all welfare mothers.
Just some food for thought. That was fun, wasn't it?
Until next time...
P.S. If you're interested in sources for this data, just let me know! :)
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Dear Professor Kilburn
You'll probably be the only one who reads this, but I will openly share my opinions and pour my heart out nonetheless. To anyone who's reading this and is not my American Politics professor (Hi mom!), boy are you in for a treat! :) The topic of this blog is one that I've always been fascinated with: homelessness and more specifically, (and for the sake of this project) homelessness in America. Coming from middle class America, I've never had many experiences with the homeless or the poor. But this year, I found myself drawn to the Heartside district, arguably the poorest neighborhood in downtown Grand Rapids. It wasn't a comfortable place for me. To actually see people sleeping on the sidewalk and begging for food and money was not something I expected to see so close to home.
And now understand why they say "ignorance is bliss". I can no longer say I don't know who the homeless are or where to find them. My goal this year, and with this blog, is to educate myself and my fellow bloggers about what it means to be homeless in America. Maybe this information will inspire someone to lead a more socially responsible life... who knows?? All I know is that I don't want to be ignorant anymore.
So until next time...
And now understand why they say "ignorance is bliss". I can no longer say I don't know who the homeless are or where to find them. My goal this year, and with this blog, is to educate myself and my fellow bloggers about what it means to be homeless in America. Maybe this information will inspire someone to lead a more socially responsible life... who knows?? All I know is that I don't want to be ignorant anymore.
So until next time...
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