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Selatius

(20,441 posts)

51. What's crippling the US is privately-funded elections.

Fri Mar 9, 2012, 07:21 AM

Mar 2012

If the US had adopted a public election mechanism like the nations of Europe, Japan, Canada, Australia, etc. we'd actually be closer to Canada in terms of living standards than Mexico, especially with millions of people living in poverty including children and nearly 50,000,000 without health insurance.

It's the money. It always has been. It's why Congress simply passed a health insurance bill with no Public Option. It's why my state requires that I make less than 400/month before I could get, for instance, Medicaid. That's ludicrously low. A lot of things are skewed towards the interests of the rich. Poor people, frankly, don't have the money to elect people who look after them.

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2 children found living in abandoned bus in Texas [View all] Bozita Mar 2012 OP

Seems to me the neighbors knew of these children. Why in bill blue blazes didn't snappyturtle Mar 2012 #1

The neighbors might not have known these kids were on their own. Lasher Mar 2012 #2

yes - why didn't they try to contact the parents Skittles Mar 2012 #4

Splendora, TX arely staircase Mar 2012 #43

same reason why cars fled an accident scene I went to recently - "did not want to get involved" wordpix Mar 2012 #56

Hope they find a good abelenkpe Mar 2012 #3

My first thought as well. PotatoChip Mar 2012 #7

I'm with everyone else - if you see children looking dirty and unkempt and no shoes even in winter Smilo Mar 2012 #5

Remember we are talking of Texas, they is NO local Government outside of Cities happyslug Mar 2012 #19

Thank you. Delphinus Mar 2012 #53

No, you didn't. Speaker Mar 2012 #54

I did NOT say that, I pointed out no LOCAL Government happyslug Mar 2012 #58

There is a child abuse hot line in all 50 states. proud2BlibKansan Mar 2012 #64

So what? How do you find out about it if you do NOT know about it. happyslug Mar 2012 #66

Google it proud2BlibKansan Mar 2012 #67

How can a person who has no Computer "google it"???? happyslug Mar 2012 #70

that will come a quite a surprise to my county commissioners' court, county judge, county sheriff, arely staircase Mar 2012 #60

A FEDERAL Government Employee happyslug Mar 2012 #61

well, i would consider the county gov. to be local, but even within arely staircase Mar 2012 #62

Not just Texas. That's the case in most of the west. Xithras Mar 2012 #68

11 and FIVE? xxqqqzme Mar 2012 #6

So there was no adult caring for them? That's what it sounds like. Quantess Mar 2012 #8

There was a Adult, but she was working 12 hour shifts happyslug Mar 2012 #10

Oh, now I see it. Quantess Mar 2012 #13

The Children were with an ADULT happyslug Mar 2012 #9

What are you talking about? LisaL Mar 2012 #20

Under the law, that is sufficient happyslug Mar 2012 #25

Under what law its sufficient? LisaL Mar 2012 #26

You should check your state's Welfare Regulations happyslug Mar 2012 #59

Even though some can't comprehend what you are saying, it is great that you are DeschutesRiver Mar 2012 #72

Thank you for taking the time to say this Horse with no Name Mar 2012 #37

I remember the CHIP program and then Governor Bush of Texas happyslug Mar 2012 #39

the kids are experiencing gross neglect, thats grounds for foster care firehorse Mar 2012 #24

Have you done Children and Youth work? I have, and nothing in the article shows gross neglect. happyslug Mar 2012 #47

did you look at the bus? filthy, no water, lacking food, trash everywhere... firehorse Mar 2012 #48

Maybe we should just criminalize poverty JAbuchan08 Mar 2012 #49

This wasn't a personal opinon of Happyslug - it was the law's position. nt DeschutesRiver Mar 2012 #71

Sad, but True. Throckmorton Mar 2012 #52

Eyes Open flamingdem Mar 2012 #11

This is how many children live in the U.S.A. hunter Mar 2012 #14

You are so correct! southerncrone Mar 2012 #29

I do not think you've seen much of the third world flamingdem Mar 2012 #33

We're not "third world" hunter Mar 2012 #35

What's crippling the US is privately-funded elections. Selatius Mar 2012 #51

Amen brotha. eom xtraxritical Mar 2012 #38

+10000 wordpix Mar 2012 #57

So did these children fall through the cracks in the social net? bayareaboy Mar 2012 #12

But Mitt Romney's not concerned about that. Arugula Latte Mar 2012 #17

Here's a video link: Quantess Mar 2012 #15

Great Aunt? Where are the kids parents, aunts, and uncles? nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #16

Parents are apparently in prison. LisaL Mar 2012 #18

Both of them? Do you have a link to the info? nt Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #21

The info is in the OP. LisaL Mar 2012 #22

Their parents are believed to be in prison for embezzling money from Hurricane Ike victims in 2008. Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #23

If the parents are in prison, didn't the state assign a guardian for the kids southerncrone Mar 2012 #30

Excellent question. Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #32

I imagine the parents didn't want children to go to foster care so they probably LisaL Mar 2012 #42

Children in our society today are disposable. southerncrone Mar 2012 #27

I suspect that there never were any kids. Snake Alchemist Mar 2012 #28

Who is making things up? southerncrone Mar 2012 #31

Or, as we call it in Texas........ DFW Mar 2012 #34

US Postal Workers... Galraedia Mar 2012 #36

Wow, this sounds like a real-life version of "The Boxcar Children" Art_from_Ark Mar 2012 #40

I thought the same thing, I loved those books when I was a kid in ther 90s. Odin2005 Mar 2012 #44

First thing I thought of, but without the older sibblings. joshcryer Mar 2012 #50

those poor children blondie58 Mar 2012 #41

!!!!!!!!!!!! Odin2005 Mar 2012 #45

Spam deleted by uppityperson (MIR Team) asfghjkyu Mar 2012 #46

Talk about a failed system we have one madokie Mar 2012 #55

we are a third world country. CTyankee Mar 2012 #63

I read this a couple of days ago, and realized that the parents were most likely in prison... midnight Mar 2012 #65

They are in prison and it has been known from the beginning. LisaL Mar 2012 #69