By Walter Williams, syndicated columnist
If you're a poor adult in America, for the most part, it's all your fault. That's true, at least today, whether you're black, white, brown or polka dot.
According to the definition the U.S. Bureau of Census uses, a family of four with an income over $18,244 is not poor. The poverty cutoff for a single-person household is $9,359, and that for a two-person household is $12,000. With those definitions, the poverty rate was 11.7 percent, or about 33 million Americans living in poverty in 2001.
If the system was properly funded, perhaps there would be more programs with emphasis on job training and parenting, which could help break the cycle of generational welfare dependence without allowing small children to starve by proving a point to the parents.
I discovered that I showed up to work to often and literally did the job. I've never failed a drug test, the reason being I've never liked drugs. Nor could I afford to go to a doctor just for the heck of it.
One thing in the story I noticed is minimum wage jobs and the assumption that these people working them get raise's. In most case's wrong. They are worked short hours so they are considered part time. I've saw people worked 40 hours a week all the time till almost 6 months. Then just before the law would say they are full time they get laid off or on short hours. That way they stay part time. They may make a little better than minimum wage but they never get the benefit of full time employment.
Also some places have high turn overs. In other words you make just enough money to get there every day. I had a manager come to me and say none of the people working for you have a phone! I told him, "We pay them minimum wage, So we're lucky they find a way to get here!"
A education or training is a good thing for anyone to have. But this being Georgia it's who you know or who you are related to.
in the US, everyone is educated enough to know that having children you can't afford is self defeating.
the major reason it continues here is the government check
I got an education. I worked for 24 years and I now make a decent living.
Don't tell me that I am succesful because of who i'm related to or who I know.
I am succesful because I WORKED for it!!
If everyone else will work, they will be successful too.
I think they have different rules for them. I know people who are in jail. They are male, and they have jobs waiting on them to get out.
if you aren't racist, then you must be sexist.
what level of education do you have? what degree did you obtain?
my wife is educated. has a master's degree. she has no trouble finding work and in fact had she not stopped working when we had kids, would be making much more than me.
btw, she also worked in a job with people she didn't know before she went to work there.
it's not about who you know, it's about what you are willing to achieve.
just as this article says, people who are willing to work for what they want, get it. that includes taking the time to get an education and doing the job no matter what it takes.