DawgTalkers.net Forums DawgTalk Everything Else... MO Republicans Plan For Food stamps: "Ban sugary products, sea food, and steak!"

Swish, pick up the mic and listen. You've schooled me on the Middle East , now let me take you to school about welfare and education.

I worked in a school that serviced a government housing area. All residents were on welfare.

I was concerned about children living in poverty and designed an in service for my district. Insightful. Additionally, I did a great deal of research about children living in poverty and how it affected their learning.

Parents in poverty often would not attend conferences or return school communications. They rarely came to the school for functions. We were feeling some parents may feel intimidated or threatened by the school. We also understood that many of these parents had poor school experiences. Our goal was to try and offer something positive related to education.

One year, believing that everyone would surely want to help their child with their learning, the curriculum director and I designed a program at the school. It was a family literacy night. Each family to attend would receive a book....just for attending. Well, only one parent from the housing development attended. Overall, the event was very well attended. However, as usual, it was the parents of children who were doing quite well that attended. The parents who neded to be there were not.

The next year, I planned it once again. It was to be a family game night with fun learning games intended for the entire family. We personally went to the development two weeks in advance and talked with folks to advertise and left fliers. Ah, but this year we were taking it to them. We had reserved their community building thinking transportation may be an issue.

We went early anticipating a large crowd with the offer of free books and refreshments. Three parents of about 150 families attended. We took it to them, it was easy, no transportation required except your own feet, free refreshments, free books and great company. Many children came but only three parents.

Welfare, when used as intended is a wonderful program. The intention was to be a stepping stone for folks to get to a better place. This development was intended to be used in the same manner. Boy, oh boy, could you pick out the kids from the development whose parents were there as a stepping stone. Their parents were involved and fully emeshed in the learning of their child.

Conversely, you could also pick out the kids from the development whose parents were there making this a way of life. There was and is a difference.

Every one of the atrocities (with one exception) against children in my earlier post came out of this development. Interesting!

The third year we attempted the program, we advertised, took it to the development, offered refreshments and five dollars. Seven parents attended. However, the next day when we heard that some of the parents had put a bit of this money together to buy weed, we decided this was not a good practice to continue.

We understood that feeling powerless and apathetic was part of the issue. We reached out, we attempted to empower and we attempted to provide practical and simple ideas. Utmost care was taken to put those parents who attended in charge of the activities with their children.

An apathetic attitude is learned. Providing constantly offers nothing to empower or teach assertiveness. However, when folks take ownership for their path in life, it is empowering. These parents were apathetic and reaching out to them did nothing. They remained more concerned about where to get their next high or drink. Their children and learning were of little importance. In fact, back then, many folks just had more children to get more money. Sad state of affairs.

With this type of situation, this lifestyle is only perpetuated and the chances of their children living the same lifestyle are greatly enhanced.

This is not a white/black issue. Blame me, blame you, blame education, blame whoever you choose. Until people step up and take responsibility for themselves and their families, things will not change. Blame is not the message...self empowerment is.

Some changes need to be made in the welfare system. By Independent, Republican or Democrat it matters not. But change is necessary.

So pick up the mic....and start singing about the importance of being involved in the lives of our children for the betterment of all.

This is why I argue we have more of a poverty problem than an education problem.



Maybe, but I really argue it was put in to stop having people make noise. The last thing they wanted was a realization of MLK's "wealth redistribution idea" to gain steam. Welfare provides basic food needs.



Right, but the problem is that too many people get uncomfortable talking about the ugly past. We must acknowledge the ugly past if we want to go forward. It can be a simple "Hey, bad stuff happened. I'm sorry this is how things work out. I'm here to try and work hand in hand with you. Too many people believe the majority willingly rewrite and ignore the atrocities which befell on their group.

I work with some of the worst of the worst and I often want to blame parents.

Blaming these parents for the economic and social failures they and their families experience is more than a little irrelevant.

Kinda like blaming the 3rd class passengers on the Titanic for not making their own boat.

It's more than simple to blame somebody for failing themselves, but it takes a little more effort to try to examine the reasons behind their failure.

I've been in middle class schools and the school I am now and in both I've blamed parents. It's simple, but it doesn't solve or discover the problem.

I've seen success stories and I've also seen kids who were in my class on the news for the worst crimes imaginable. In both districts.

I'm with these kids 6 and a half hrs a day 5 days a week and I have an idea of their desires, abilities and disabilities. Their are diseases that have few apparent symptoms, but are disabling.

Hell yea their apathetic!

When someone expresses the desire to look beyond the symptom it's highly likely they'll be called a bleeding heart lib.

Oh well. Call me that if you want, but back up the "apathetic" claim with some solid research other than your own personal observations if you want me to buy in.

You got way more experience and insight on is topic than I will ever have. So anything you say about this I believe 100%

All I'm saying is, if you can tell these kids aren't being properly taken care of, what makes you think the government will?

When you advocate foster homes, adoption and all this as needed for thhe betterment of the child, yet then tell us hat most of those kids have hate and fear and resend to, it makes me question how well the system is working.

So you acknowledge that too many kids are growing up way too broken, but then turn around and call them lazy and entitled for remaining broken through adulthood.

The cycle has to stop at some point. We've been blaming parents for all this nonsense, and rightfully so, yet to no avail. The same tactic isn't working, it's time to do something different.

And that's really invest in our kids. Maybe we should have basic traing/AIT style housing for troubled kids-teens. It be an actual high school, well I guess like a boarding school, but funded by tax payers.

I would absolutely pay into something like that, because I'm investing directly in the kids in order to break the cycle.

Sure, nobody can replace mom and dad roles, but atleast learning trades and skills and other stuff makes them have a far better chance at being productive members of society over what we ha going on right now.

I appreciate you sharing that experience. I spent a few years living in a housing project at a very young age. I saw cops every day. I saw some terrible families. I also saw perfectly fine families. Elderly, disabled, and plenty of single-mothers that were working way harder than the Average Joe.

You are profiling based on income-family size ratio. Someone else might think race is the real indicator. Or gender. Or age. Or religion. Or occupation.

I support removing kids from abusive parents. I support punishing those parents. I don't support targeting people b/c of their income.

One thing that hurts is the absolute discrimination against men. 99% of the time the woman always wins custody even if she is a complete mess. I have known several men who wanted custody of their kids when the mothers were crack whores, literally, and the judge would rather give them to the mom than to a man even though he would provide a stable and loving home.

I had a friend who spent 4 years suing for custody to get his daughter away from his ex. She had been convicted of doing and selling crack 3 times while he was trying to get custody. They preferred the mother in jail to keep custody over the man who worked a job and had a stable home. It wasn't until her 4th conviction that landed her in jail for 10 year stint that he got custody and even then the child was kept in foster care for 4 months before they would let him have her. The man has never had, so much as, a speeding ticket. It's just ridiculous.

B

Don't want/need you or anyone else to buy in. The things I've seen speak for themselves. I understand that "research" only suggests but never proves. Anyone can find ay research to back up a position. Guess it's better to just complain and not offer solutions. All know, is if you are not part of the solution, most likely you are part of the problem.

First, I apologize for not showing my appreciation of your service and efforts to educate those who are less able to motivate themselves to learn. There are kids who'll learn regardless of the efforts of their teacher. It sounds like you were doing your best for those who need it most.

My response carried the tone it did because your post seemed to blame parents for their apathy. You also stated in a way suggesting your observation provided empirical evidence of the source of the problem.

IMO a solution to the problem of creating motivation for learning involves providing economic stability within the community, which would also provide physical and emotional security in the neighborhood. These priorities need to be established before learning can happen otherwise it's difficult for learners to focus on challenging material.

I'm not speaking of a welfare check. An economic system that provides an opportunity for a living wage rather than economy that rewards the destruction of American Standard of Living by sending work over-seas and stashing profits away from our country.

The willingness to understand that preferring an economy that provides for all citizens does NOT equate with socialism or communism is essential also.

You're right that anyone can provide research to support their point of view, but I believe it would be easy to claim that economic, physical and emotional security would help to provide a solution for the apathy you describe.

I believe that apathy is caused by the belief that there's no longer any point in trying because someone in that position will need to work harder to gain less.

Nn

I understand rock. It's just so unfortunte and frustrating when children become the collateral damage of the apathy.

Top 1% pay nearly half of federal income taxes

The top-earning 1 percent of Americans will pay nearly half of the federal income taxes for 2014, the largest share in at least three years, according to a study.

According to a projection from the non-partisan Tax Policy Center, the top 1 percent of Americans will pay 45.7 percent of the individual income taxes in 2014—up from 43 percent in 2013 and 40 percent in 2012 (the oldest period available).

The bottom 80 percent of Americans are expected to pay 15 percent of all federal income taxes in 2014, according to the study. The bottom 60 percent are expected to pay less than 2 percent of federal income taxes.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102581780

The top 1% have boomed through Obama's Term. Despite predictions of their demise, they have advanced much further than the rest of us. As their proportion of the pie goes up, so does their share of taxes. On the other end, the Bush Codes allow 47% to pay nothing, many even getting $5000 checks.

I noticed this in that article...

"The CBO said that the average federal income tax rate paid by the top 1 percent has also dropped since 1979—falling from 22.7 percent in 1979 to 20.3 percent in 2011."

Whatever the measure, the numbers show just how dependent the U.S. has become on the earnings of the wealthy. The U.S. is more dependent on the income tax than other countries, with 37 percent of total government revenue coming from the income tax, compared with 24 percent in other countries. Those countries depend more on consumption taxes and other sources of revenue.

With U.S. income taxes more dependent on the wealthy—and those incomes more dependent on the stock market—the U.S. government should hope for a continued rise in stocks to keep its coffers full.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/102581780

Thank goodness for the 1 percent! Otherwise it would be bread and water only.

those at the top tend to do well in a down economy because they have the resources to move their money globally, take advantage of things when they are cheap to buy, etc. They may have some temporary setbacks like the rest of us but they can use their resources to position themselves to do very well when recovery happens.

Yup. No Govt = Bread and water for everyone.

I think I'll handle the adjustment better than Bill Gates does. But at least he won't have to pay that burdensome tax rate...

Nope. No 1 percenter tax money=No Govt handout except for bread and water for everyone.

I thank goodness that Bill and the others keep you well fed on surf n turf instead.

Bread will be the only handout...

I'll lose the patent protection that the FBI is handing out for Billion Dollar Inventions. And I'll lose the Interstate Handout that I need to sell my products. And the SEC handout that keeps my fortune safe from Chinese Hackers. My port handout for the shipping channel. Military protecting my coastal estate from Russian Invaders.

How am I supposed to stay rich without all of these handouts?

No need to worry, Sarah Palin is watching them from her kitchen window.

You will be allowed to stay rich when you finally come to realize that Man does not live by bread alone.

Yeah, nookie has to be in there somewhere.

Were you saying Gnocchi with your mouth full?
Mmmmm Gnocchi...

Tax Calculator: The federal debt


The federal government must make regular interest payments on the money it has borrowed to finance past deficits – that is, on the national debt held by the public.

The Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the federal government’s net interest payments on that debt will total $229 billion in the 2015 fiscal year. Working Americans end up having to foot that very large bill to varying degrees based on each individual taxpayer’s adjusted gross income.

And the CBO expects that this challenge will accelerate over the next decade. Current interest rates are low by historical standards and higher interest rates means higher interest payments. It’s projected that net interest costs will more than triple over the next decade, reaching $808 billion in 2025.

These numbers pose a real threat. The CBO has issued warnings about the serious negative consequences that such high and rising debt and interest payments on the debt could have on both the economy and the federal budget.

“The large amount of debt might restrict policymakers’ ability to use tax and spending policies to respond to unexpected future challenges, such as economic downturns or financial crises,” the CBO said in a recent report.

In the same report, they also cautioned that continued growth in the debt could lead investors to doubt the government’s willingness or ability to pay its obligations, which would require the government to pay much higher interest rates on its borrowing going forward.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/15/tax-calculator-federal-debt/

$229 Billion to $808 Billion is the payment due FOR THE INTEREST ONLY!!! We are doomed.

229 billion.

319 million US citizens

$718 per man, woman and child.... just to pay the interest.

That is a decent vacation for a family of 4

I don't buy into all the interest payments or big debt BS.

It's a shell game between international banks the government and the Fed reserve. I hate the Fed Reserve. We should go back to government control and printing of our currency and tell the banking cartels to suck it.

The gov't cant run the postal service and you want them to handle the funds of our nation. . . sorry, imo thats a bad idea.

Well having it run by a group of folks who operate in the dark and are basically accountable to nobody is also a bad idea.

Dont get me wrong, I am not saying that bankers are good people! lol, well I am and I am a banker haha

What I am saying is that we do not need the government in control of our banking system. It has never worked for any other country and it never will.

OK, OK...Just give me all the money and I'll take care of it for everyone.

So tell me what makes sense about appointing the Fed to print US currency then LOAN it to the Government? NOTHING ABOUT THAT MAKES SENSE.

The fed is a private group of individuals and banks that have been granted the ability to create money out of thin air as they see fit! WTH?

This is the biggest fraud ever committed. EVER!

You do realize that they work DIRECTLY with the government when it comes to printing money. The FED is actually pretty conservative when it comes to this, until the gov't pressures them to print more.

Maybe you see it differently but I see this as two separate issues.. you have the banking system and then you have fiscal policy. The Fed, which dictates our fiscal policy, appears to me to be a shadow organization that operates in the dark and is accountable to nobody.

Yes they work with Uncle Sam. They got him by the short and curlys too! If you think for a moment that the Government runs the Fed, you are sadly mistaken. The Fed is run by 1%er Fat Cats that are "TOO BIG TO FAIL" and we should all trust them to do what is right for America! For example, they should be able to create money for the Government out of thin air, then loan said money to the government who in turn repays that money with interest (tax payer dollars). So where does this interest go? What happens to the money that is paid back? Smoke and Mirrors to rob the poor and middle class, that's all it is.

We have the money to cut corporate tax rates. Eliminate capital gains tax. Eliminate estate tax. Cut taxes for middle-class. Offer health care tax credits, corporate credits.

We'll cut spending to offset all of those tax cuts. And we'll cut another $580 Billion to offset the interest increase. And we'll have...crunch numbers...the same deficit as today.

Because we are serious about the debt and you are doomed!

Oh no, enlightened one. We legalize weed and tax the crap out of it. We put all that money into paying off the debt. My Platform is...
"Let Swish fix the debt problem!"

Vote early, vote often.

Or, we go to a flat tax on every citizen. You pay 10% or whatever on what you make. Everyone pays their share, no one pays more than the percentage. Wont happen, because thats the fair thing to do. The problem with everything is this. The ones who make the most money get too many tax breaks, the ones who dont make any money (or refuse to make money ) dont pay anything and get everythingfor free. The people that are in the middle, the hard working class that keeps this country afloat, get screwed.

I think we do need to address the growing number of people that pay nothing, especially those that get huge checks with zero taxes paid.

But 10% isn't the magic number. Rand Paul says its 17%, so we know its probably even higher than that. I'm middle-class, and I don't pay close to 17%. I don't have to kids to deduct either. I don't mind paying more taxes, but a lot of people will be in shock. Especially those with kids.

How do you not pay close to 17%?! I get taxed like 35%, and I make a good bit less than 50K a year.

Single filers: $405,101 to $406,750 or
Married filing jointly or qualifying widow/widower: $405,101 to $457,600

Fed Tax Rate= 35%

You sir need a new accountant!

Just looked at my paycheck. I get taxed 15.8% for federal only on my regular pay. now my commission thats taxed about 30-35%.

And see, the far right claim this is only a liberal thought process!

That makes sense. At the end of the year, what percent of your income was federal tax?