REIMAGINING POVERTY

08/18/2008

REIMAGINING POVERTY

United States is a rich country, today one in a hundred American is a millionaire, and no doubt many of these millionaires reside among us right here in the Wiregrass. Thus the response to my article, “Who is paying Neal Boortz” was overwhelming. One would assume that anyone knowledgeable in in the ways of the stock market, would also know of the overall negative effects of the high price of oil on the US economy, the effect on the local governments, school systems, the plight of the truckers, the airlines and the auto industry would be self evident. That the higher income for the oil companies does not justify the damage to the overall economy, since our economy is not designed for a four dollar a gallon gas!

I am different than many, right? At least in my ways of thinking, so it is that even after Mr. Reagan told me that all the poor in the United States drive Cadillac’s and buy steaks with their food stamps and are nothing more than baby making factories, when they are not busy making meth in the back of their pickups, I am not convinced. I am also not convinced that we do not need a minimum wage, that every worker should buy his own health insurance and pay for his or her own retirement out of the money that the employers are not willing to pay them, and will not pay them unless the government steps in.

The poor that I know are hard working people trying to make ends meet, and many of them are really not stupid. For these, a reliable public transportation system would be a godsend. And they would be able to make it to work on time more often, that is if you have people that work for you.

Some of the poor are also those that have retired form jobs they held for thirty-five and forty years (teachers, county clerks, police officers in this area, veterans and the disabled), and their meager pensions and social security together do not cover their living expenses. I am at times shaken( as I am sure you are also) to read about the elderly breaking up their prescription pills, or going days and weeks every month without their medicines. Next time you sit down to a meal, imagine, the thirty eight thousand in the Wiregrass alone at the risk of going hungry, can they afford a car to get to work? And yes, I would not mind paying extra in fuel taxes so the disabled veterans do not have to wait for someone’s charity to get to the clinic. I write off my fuel expenses as a business expense any way, as do all the business people and farmers. Trust me, not all poor are “different” like I am, they don’t all drive a Cadillac, or buy steaks with food stamps, the people with Cadillac’s do not need a lousy subsidized transportation system any way. And as an added incentive for the health conscience taking off some of the raggedy looking vehicles of the roadways will clean the air and clear up congestion too, you could drive safely on the circle again.

WWJD? anybody?