Thank you for sharing this story and for stating what I was thinking too. How can a $2-3K stimulus check "lift a family out of poverty"??? It sounds like a permanent condition, doesn't it - being lifted out? My state, right next to Boston, last week announced the median monthly rent on a two bedroom apartment (0.6% vacancy, essentiall…
Thank you for sharing this story and for stating what I was thinking too. How can a $2-3K stimulus check "lift a family out of poverty"??? It sounds like a permanent condition, doesn't it - being lifted out? My state, right next to Boston, last week announced the median monthly rent on a two bedroom apartment (0.6% vacancy, essentially 0) for each county. These stimulus checks would barely cover two months of the state median rent. I'd like to see some numbers around just how long this will keep those children out of poverty and how exactly that happens. Sounds like magical thinking to me.
Throwing money at the problem will not solve poverty any more than a bandaid will cure cancer. Child poverty exists due to a lack of well-paying jobs for the parents or caregivers. Well paying jobs depend on employers, consumers, and users paying the real cost of services and products. It also depends on our political representatives stepping up and becoming leaders creating policies that bring careers to their constituents. Here in WV our governors and representatives have profited from keeping us dependent on coal for decades beyond when any clear sighted person could see it was going out. The Manchin and Justice families have sorely cost this state for their own personal benefit. Much of rural WV may well not afford broadband at over $100/month even as it becomes available.
Actually, it's my understanding that throwing money at the problem is one of the best ways to solve it, IF the money goes directly to the poor with no strings attached.
The fact is, the best money micro-managers in the world ARE the poor. They don't have the luxury of wasting it. When you give them money, they typically spend it on the most important useful things that have the biggest impact on their lives. Their problem isn't poor management skills. Their problem is lack of money.
Agree 1000%, Joseph. When examining poverty, it must be done not only with an eye formed from values of middle class but with a knowledge of the values AND strong resources of the poverty culture.
And let me ask a question of everyone on this forum….. what socioeconomic class do you consider yourself a member of : poverty, middle, or upper class?
I'm kind of no-class, dependent upon social security. I own my manufactured home, but not the land upon which it sits, paying a landlord $400/month for a "lease." I never thought I would end up here, but lost my 'money' in California real estate. I'm happy, but this situation depends upon politicians and could be devastating. I'm a doctorally prepared RN, retired after an amazing and wondrous career, and totally dependent upon social security.
I agree with this sentiment except that there are many more reasons in addition to lack of well-paying jobs. Medical concerns, childcare, transportation, stacking and segregating poor families in areas of no available employment, lack of any quality education opportunities, and much more.
My school district is registering students for the next school year. The vast majority white middle to upper class families. I belong to a FB group of many of these families. So many parents are complaining and being very hateful on the fees charged to them for various supplies, music and sports enrollments, graduation fees, driver’s Ed, etc. the fees range from about $150 to about $800 total depending on age and how involved a child is. I was quite sick of it, and had to remind them that most were getting $250 per child x two months that would most likely cover those expenses. And add to that the “free” $12,585 per child taxes pay per year. One family with three children will be receiving $1500 in unexpected monies by the time these fees are due. While no one agreed with me, there was silence after that observation.
Please remember politics is the art of the possible. One has to start somewhere. I spent my career working with severely mentally ill people, all poor and some with children. There's no doubt in my mind that an extra bit of cash will help them and us, their advocates, find solutions to some problems. Half a loaf is better than no bread at all and it's not helpful to trash something because it's not the total solution. The ACA is a good example of something that missed the ultimate mark -- single payer-- but is still very valuable.
I don't believe anyone here is trashing the program, just disputing the conclusion that it has ended poverty for those receiving the short-term extra money. There's no question in my mind that it's program that is helping many people but, unless/until it's a permanent program, it cannot actually "end poverty".
Lifting people out of poverty is about SO much more than money. Being an educator, I felt myself stymied so many times by the challenges I felt because I compared myself as a member of the “middle class” and applied my values instead of trying to understand the power of theirs. It wasn’t until I became a student and advocate of Dr. Ruby Payne that my entire perspective of the “poverty culture” changed dramatically. I’ll reference her landmark text.
Same question occurred to me. Not to mention that the stimulus checks are not a permanent source of income for those receiving it though I've read that the extra $$ have helped some to focus on education and/or retraining so they can (hopefully) lift themselves out of poverty.
The stimulus checks afforded me the opportunity to repair my 2000 Subaru and continue to have wheels. I volunteer at the local foodbank and benefit from their services. To be old and poor is no joke, even though over-educated and cognitively intact.
Thank you for sharing this story and for stating what I was thinking too. How can a $2-3K stimulus check "lift a family out of poverty"??? It sounds like a permanent condition, doesn't it - being lifted out? My state, right next to Boston, last week announced the median monthly rent on a two bedroom apartment (0.6% vacancy, essentially 0) for each county. These stimulus checks would barely cover two months of the state median rent. I'd like to see some numbers around just how long this will keep those children out of poverty and how exactly that happens. Sounds like magical thinking to me.
Throwing money at the problem will not solve poverty any more than a bandaid will cure cancer. Child poverty exists due to a lack of well-paying jobs for the parents or caregivers. Well paying jobs depend on employers, consumers, and users paying the real cost of services and products. It also depends on our political representatives stepping up and becoming leaders creating policies that bring careers to their constituents. Here in WV our governors and representatives have profited from keeping us dependent on coal for decades beyond when any clear sighted person could see it was going out. The Manchin and Justice families have sorely cost this state for their own personal benefit. Much of rural WV may well not afford broadband at over $100/month even as it becomes available.
Actually, it's my understanding that throwing money at the problem is one of the best ways to solve it, IF the money goes directly to the poor with no strings attached.
The fact is, the best money micro-managers in the world ARE the poor. They don't have the luxury of wasting it. When you give them money, they typically spend it on the most important useful things that have the biggest impact on their lives. Their problem isn't poor management skills. Their problem is lack of money.
Agree 1000%, Joseph. When examining poverty, it must be done not only with an eye formed from values of middle class but with a knowledge of the values AND strong resources of the poverty culture.
And let me ask a question of everyone on this forum….. what socioeconomic class do you consider yourself a member of : poverty, middle, or upper class?
And more importantly….why?
I'm kind of no-class, dependent upon social security. I own my manufactured home, but not the land upon which it sits, paying a landlord $400/month for a "lease." I never thought I would end up here, but lost my 'money' in California real estate. I'm happy, but this situation depends upon politicians and could be devastating. I'm a doctorally prepared RN, retired after an amazing and wondrous career, and totally dependent upon social security.
Middle-class. I work for a living, and don't have the option of quitting. I'm paid well enough to not have to be a particularly good money manager.
I agree with this sentiment except that there are many more reasons in addition to lack of well-paying jobs. Medical concerns, childcare, transportation, stacking and segregating poor families in areas of no available employment, lack of any quality education opportunities, and much more.
My school district is registering students for the next school year. The vast majority white middle to upper class families. I belong to a FB group of many of these families. So many parents are complaining and being very hateful on the fees charged to them for various supplies, music and sports enrollments, graduation fees, driver’s Ed, etc. the fees range from about $150 to about $800 total depending on age and how involved a child is. I was quite sick of it, and had to remind them that most were getting $250 per child x two months that would most likely cover those expenses. And add to that the “free” $12,585 per child taxes pay per year. One family with three children will be receiving $1500 in unexpected monies by the time these fees are due. While no one agreed with me, there was silence after that observation.
Please remember politics is the art of the possible. One has to start somewhere. I spent my career working with severely mentally ill people, all poor and some with children. There's no doubt in my mind that an extra bit of cash will help them and us, their advocates, find solutions to some problems. Half a loaf is better than no bread at all and it's not helpful to trash something because it's not the total solution. The ACA is a good example of something that missed the ultimate mark -- single payer-- but is still very valuable.
I don't believe anyone here is trashing the program, just disputing the conclusion that it has ended poverty for those receiving the short-term extra money. There's no question in my mind that it's program that is helping many people but, unless/until it's a permanent program, it cannot actually "end poverty".
Word.
Lifting people out of poverty is about SO much more than money. Being an educator, I felt myself stymied so many times by the challenges I felt because I compared myself as a member of the “middle class” and applied my values instead of trying to understand the power of theirs. It wasn’t until I became a student and advocate of Dr. Ruby Payne that my entire perspective of the “poverty culture” changed dramatically. I’ll reference her landmark text.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1948244187/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_api_glt_fabc_36908SA0ATEJ6348E79H
Have posted Amazon link.
Also available through Dr. Payne’s company AHA Process
https://www.ahaprocess.com/
I tried to find out how they came up with their numbers. Seems there is a claim of research done. Maybe I’m just too tired to look further, but I’m no closer to understanding their claims for how they know that poverty levels are dropping. https://www.urban.org/research/publication/2021-poverty-projections-assessing-impact-benefits-and-stimulus-measures
Same question occurred to me. Not to mention that the stimulus checks are not a permanent source of income for those receiving it though I've read that the extra $$ have helped some to focus on education and/or retraining so they can (hopefully) lift themselves out of poverty.
The stimulus checks afforded me the opportunity to repair my 2000 Subaru and continue to have wheels. I volunteer at the local foodbank and benefit from their services. To be old and poor is no joke, even though over-educated and cognitively intact.