General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIt Is Expensive to Be Poor
http://m.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2014/01/it-is-expensive-to-be-poor/282979/Most private-sector employers offer no sick days, and many will fire a person who misses a day of work, even to stay home with a sick child. A nonfunctioning car can also mean lost pay and sudden expenses. A broken headlight invites a ticket, plus a fine greater than the cost of a new headlight, and possible court costs. If a creditor decides to get nasty, a court summons may be issued, often leading to an arrest warrant. No amount of training in financial literacy can prepare someone for such exigenciesor make up for an income that is impossibly low to start with. Instead of treating low-wage mothers as the struggling heroines they are, our political culture still tends to view them as miscreants and contributors to the cycle of poverty.
If anything, the criminalization of poverty has accelerated since the recession, with growing numbers of states drug testing applicants for temporary assistance, imposing steep fines for school truancy, and imprisoning people for debt. Such measures constitute a cruel inversion of the Johnson-era principle that it is the responsibility of government to extend a helping hand to the poor. Sadly, this has become the means by which the wealthiest country in the world manages to remain complacent in the face of alarmingly high levels of poverty: by continuing to blame poverty not on the economy or inadequate social supports, but on the poor themselves.
Its time to revive the notion of a collective national responsibility to the poorest among us, who are disproportionately women and especially women of color. Until that happens, we need to wake up to the fact that the underpaid women who clean our homes and offices, prepare and serve our meals, and care for our elderlyearning wages that do not provide enough to live onare the true philanthropists of our society.
Lady Freedom Returns
(14,120 posts)historylovr
(1,557 posts)redqueen
(115,103 posts)Aerows
(39,961 posts)Do you remember iverglas, and if that old DUer lived in Canada?
I dunno why this just popped in my head.
ConcernedCanuk
(13,509 posts).
.
.
She got banned almost 2 years ago.
Apparently she offended too many people, although my discussions with her weren't among them.
Iverglas was wise, but without patience, and could be very abrupt with those that argued with her.
She and seabeyond (who is presently on temporary "vacation" from DU due to hidden posts) participated in the same groups/forums.
Iverglas was one of the first DUers - joined in 2001
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=100133&sub=trans
I sorta miss iverglas.
CC
Kurovski
(34,655 posts)I was wondering why my synapses were firing. At least they still kind of work.
Bradical79
(4,490 posts)Expensive in both money and time. I don't have time to go into all the details, but there are so many ways to get stuck into horrible feedback loops that just bury you.
JNelson6563
(28,151 posts)Aren't too keen to be talking about what Jesus said regarding charity and helping "the least of these". Nope.
Fucking hypocrites.
Julie
turns into "What would jesus democratize" with the impending fate.
What would Jesus Detonate.
1000words
(7,051 posts)Often, they are temporary solutions that do little to provide peace of mind.
raging moderate
(4,297 posts)thank you. sometimes the truth heals.
angstlessk
(11,862 posts)MindMover
(5,016 posts)but this statement hits it outa the park ...
"we need to wake up to the fact that the underpaid women who clean our homes and offices, prepare and serve our meals, and care for our elderlyearning wages that do not provide enough to live onare the true philanthropists of our society."
Arugula Latte
(50,566 posts)Hear that, poor people? You shouldn't have started out without money, so you have no one to blame but yourselves.