Session 14 - IMMIGRATION

Immigration reform and securing the boarders is a very divided issue!

People throughout the United States remain divided about creating a legal pathway for illegal immigrants to enter this country. The U.S. Congress needs to address the issue of boarder security, legalization and guest worker visas. According to the video "Matters of Race and The Divide" illegal immigrants are contributing to the economy by  purchasing goods and services, paying taxes, and providing labor.  International migration is a central force in reducing global poverty and inequality if done properly.

I feel that our U.S. Congress should pass legislation allowing "all" immigrants from around the world legal citizenship into the United States.  We cannot discriminate and allow citizens from one or two countries special access to legal citizenship.  Legalizing immigrants allows for transparency, consistency, accountability and equality among every citizen living in the United States.  Every citizen and corporation would be responsible for paying the proper payroll taxes on their wages. This would also lead to higher wages for many workers who are earning less than minimum wage and reduce poverty.  We  must allow an equal and fair system for all immigrants that would like to enter the United States legally.

Session 13 - Housing and Community

I have learned a great deal of information about the "CDC" Community Development Corporation and how they operate.  I was  very impressed with the commitment and organization that each local CDC exhibits throughout their community.  The funding and leadership programs are the most essential aspect to helping redevelop individual communities.  Business and job opportunities are the two key factors to a healthy and prosperous community. The CDC gives individual small business entrepreneurs the opportunity to learn how to operate and develop a viable business model through the involvement of workshops and mentoring programs.  The programs help small business owners with funding and training to run a community based business.  Other programs such as the workforce initiative provides ex-offenders with training and job opportunities through local businesses.  The program helps ex-offenders stay on the right path to a successful and productive transition back into the community and reduces the chances of re-offending and ending up back in prison.  The Community Development Corporation (CDC) is an excellent Government sponsored program that continues to help  striving communities with the growth and development of each individual communities need.

Session 12 - Social Security

Blog Update - The Governments' Response to the poor!

The intent of the Social Security System to provide income security for the Aging and Disabled Citizens continues to be one of the most challenging Government Programs. 

While the Social Security Benefit Premiums for Medicare Part A,B and D increase each year for the elderly and disabled, the cost of living payment does not increase at a significant rate to cover the new premiums.  The beneficiaries continue to scrape by barley on enough to survive, sometimes going without food or needed medicine. They are constantly making adjustments to their everyday living arraingements by deciding if they have to go without electricity or winter clothing which continues to drive many of them into poverty.

The Governments' Response to trying to make the Social Security System more solvent will continue to be a major challenge due to the many obstacles by congress and other constituents.  There are many ideas from various parties, but none of the current ones being used are addressing future problems.  The band aide that congress has affixed to the current issues of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security is a temporary fix only.  The cost of health care is continuing to rise at astronomical rates and the population of the elderly continue to rise.  The unemployment rates continue to rise, leaving the social security system with enormous deficits and decreased funding for these programs.  The service delivery aspect of the program needs to provide more sound care for the beneficiaries.  The elderly and disabled should not be forced into poverty because of the increased premiums being passed along to them.  They should be provided with adequate insurance that is affordable and adjusted to their income level. We must find better and more permanent solutions that will help address the current and future issues. 

Session 11 - Health Care

I have learned that the Governments response to health care reform is mixed with emotion!

President Obama passed a health insurance plan to help many people in need of affordable health care.  The insurance coverage will help everyone overall, but many people disagree because they feel it is too expensive.  We must consider the current costs that tax payers are currently spending on the uninsured population today.  Not only do we subsidize services through taxes, but we also pay high, high, high insurance premiums.    Taxpayers already spend billions upon billions of dollars year after year in medical costs  for the uninsured.  

I feel that the health care plan that Obama passed is a great start to helping people living in poverty, uninsured and under-insured.  This health program shifts much of the cost from the Government to the insured. There are many people suffering from catastrophic illnesses that need necessary treatment or procedures and  their current insurance will not cover them.  The Obama health plan makes insurance affordable and addresses many of the issues I mentioned above.  The Government must continue addressing the issues of the poor, impoverished and all citizens in need of help with innovative programs such as Health Care Reform.

SESSION 9: POLICY RESPONSES

Blog Update: I have learned that the Governments' Response to poverty sometimes lacks the full potential for success.

The movie American Dream was very eye opening!  The programs aim to move women from welfare to work is an excellent goal, but the Government was not prepared to deal with the family as a whole.  The focus on the jobs for the mothers was a one sided approach by the Government to quickly move people off of welfare.  The program would have benefited the family as a whole if every member of the family was included in the Governments' planning process of the program.  The Governments' focus should have included an education program that encourage the children to stay in school and a GED program for the mothers that did not finish school. Each mother needs to be given an equal opportunity for advancement.  Mothers without a high school diploma are not able to move up the ladder and earn more money.  Keeping the mothers at the same level of income continues the poverty cycle.  Some of the mothers never have a chance to make an amount of money well above 130% of poverty.  The Government needs to make a concerted effort to focus some attention on helping the mothers that don't have a high school diploma.  A mother with a GED would earn more income and help to move their family off of Welfare and other Government Assistance.

Session 7 - Poverty and Culture

I was shocked to learn that 63% of hourly wage jobs in Atlanta pay less than $10.50/hr!

A family of three cannot survive off of this low wage.  This amount does not cover full cost of living for a family of three.  I see why so many people are living in poverty especially with the high percentage of hourly workers making so little money.  I feel that the minimum hourly rate needs to be set to an amount sufficient for a family of three.  This standard minimum hourly rate should be determine by  including all costs associated with current living expenses such as: rent, utilities, food, car, clothing, gas, etc.  The amount also needs to be adjusted every 6 months to reflect any inflation.  The United States Government needs to do allot more to remove people from living at or below the poverty line and help people become more self sufficient without having to apply for Government Assistance.

Session 6: The Economics and Causes of Poverty

Blog Update!  Let’s talk about income inequality and its link to poverty.

Income inequality has a strong link to poverty throughout the world.  A disparity in income distribution creates a wide gap in income levels between the rich and poor.  During times of economic distress when the rich continue to get richer and the poor continue to get poorer the gap widens and many working class citizens are forced into poverty.  As income levels stay stagnant or decrease for the average working class citizen they continue their slide down the slippery slope into poverty, but yet the rich increasingly become wealthier.  The rising costs of consumer goods ie: food, clothing, housing, etc continues to place the average working class citizen into this situation because their pay does not increase with the rising costs of consumer goods and services.  The rich person does not have to worry about rising costs of consumer goods because their endless bucket of gold will protect them from being forced into poverty.

Session 5 - Povery - Global Context

I have learned that globalization can be good and bad for the United States.  Allowing import and export between the United States and various countries opens the doors to a  free market with consequences. A cheap labor work force and more people living in poverty.  Corporations begin to reap  the benefit of saving money by sending jobs overseas for lower wages and laying off people here in the United States.  Global Technology increases efficiency in the work place, but also puts people on the unemployment line.  We must not forget that for every job eliminated, the U.S. tax base decreases.  More people are placed into poverty with the loss of jobs and the people living in poverty are not provided with some of the basic necessities when the Governments tax base decreases.  I feel that the Government and Private Corporations need to invest more money into creating good paying jobs.  Increasing the minimum wage could also help to keep people from living in poverty.

Session 4 - The Geography of Poverty

Update to: What I think is being done about poverty?

The video titled "Do Neighborhoods Matter" speaks to the heart of the problem about children and families living in poor neighborhoods.  Children and family members are drastically affected by their surroundings.  Neighborhoods infested with abandoned/ rundown housing and crime affects the health and well being of all members of the community.  I agree with Professor George Galster statement "Neighborhoods should constitute a small percentage of low income families."  Improving neighborhoods could be accomplished by additional State Government Intervention.  The State and Local Government throughout the United States need to work on expanding  the "Inclussionary Zoning Policy" program.  This program mandates that builders must set aside a portion of new housing for low income families.  Neighborhoods would become more diverse and intern this would help to move more families out of poverty stricken neighborhoods. When families are afforded the opportunity to better their lives with better schools for their kids along with better neighborhoods to live in, their quality of life improves substantially.

Session 3 - Poverty In The United States

Update to who I think is poor in the United States and Globally:

After watching the video “Down and Out in America”, I have learned how poverty is affecting farmers.  I did not think much about how poverty affects rural America and the World.  This video shed some light on how agricultural corporations are taking over the farming industry by forcing small farmers out of business.   Small Farmers are not able to compete with the pricing of large corporations and are losing their homes, land and equipment due to foreclosures by banks and are being forced into poverty.  When this happens the families are not eligible for government assistance programs “Welfare, Medicare, Food stamps, etc.” 

I feel that the government should help small farmers with additional subsidies to help maintain their farm land.  I also feel that the Government should regulate the Agriculture Business by placing limitations on the purchase of farm land by Agricultural Corporations.  When companies become too large they tend to force out the competition.  This leads to Small Farmers being run out of business by the large Corporations.  Placing limits on the amount of agriculture land purchase by Big Corporations would help save farmers from losing their land and having to be forced into poverty.

Session 2 - Poverty Perspectives

Who I think is poor, both in the United States and globally!
I think people living at or below the poverty threshold are considered poor.

                                                                                                                                  Why I believe people are poor in the United States and globally
Some people live in poverty due to the lack of employment and scarcity of jobs within the job market.

                                                                                                                                  I think the following is being done about poverty?

The Government has established the following programs to help address poverty within the United States:

                                                                                                                                   WIC, TANIF, FOOD STAMPS, MEDICAID, HOUSING ASSISTANCE, and other programs.

                                                                                                                                  How well do I think poverty is being addressed currently in the United States and globally?

I  feel that poverty is not being addressed properly in the United States and globally.  The Government along with other Nations need to spend more money and resources on reducing poverty.

                                                                                                                                 What do I think should be done about poverty in the United States and globally!
                                                                                                                                 I feel that the methods used to calculate the poverty threshold values should be changed to reflect current market prices for the year that calculations are to be used, not the previous years data.  More funding from the Government and Private Sector should be used to help reduce poverty here in the United States and around the World.