giddyup - almost without exception, anyone with a full-time job is able to afford food, housing, child care, health care, and transportation provided they manage their finances correctly. is that what you're saying?
From the article: "Avoiding long-term poverty is not rocket science. First, graduate from high school. Second, get married before you have children, and stay married. Third, work at any kind of job, even one that starts out paying the minimum wage. And, finally, avoid engaging in criminal behavior. If you graduate from high school today with a B or C average, in most places in our country there's a low-cost or financially assisted post-high-school education program available to increase your skills." Seems like this article is a primer for young marrieds of any race, but it flies in the face of Jesse and Farrakhan's message and Williams is black so he speaks to his race. I know that life gets more complicated as you get older. BELIEVE ME, I KNOW. I'm in early middle age and my life story includes divorce, health problems, death, childrearing, business failure and IRS harassment! BUT if you follow the plan outlined by the author, you should more than likely be able to make it. The young couple who do all these things but suffers a major illness or accident with attendant expenses will be the exception to the rule, but then that proves the rule. And our society offers Medicaid. <b>I've met too many people who would rather drive a new truck and enjoy cable TV and run up their cell phone bill than to cut back on something to have health, disability or life insurance.</b> Fine. That's their choice but don't then complain about the sytem. Life doesn't owe you everything you want because if you are spoiled (Lord knows we are spoiled in America) then you want things you haven't earned and don't really deserve when you get right down to it.
I've met too many people who would rather drive a new truck and enjoy cable TV and run up their cell phone bill than to cut back on something to have health, disability or life insurance. Spoken like a true insurance saleman I would go one step further. I am completely shocked about how much $$$ the average person spends on their car(s). which are a depreciating asset(s). I look at those fancy $40+K Lexuses and wonder what kind of debt they are swiming in and what financial goals down the road are lost (college education for their kids, retirement savings, etc.)
This thread has wandered to places that I had not expected, as usual. After reading the article, my first impression was WTF. The article started off saying poor people need to get their act together, take responsibility for their lifes, get a job, and get off of the public dole. This is your basic tough love (or compasionate conservatism) that Republicans like to spout. It hard to argue that the basic premise that getting and keeping a job is a key to getting out of poverty. Saying that one needs a high school diploma to get that burger flipping job is a bit off topic. So far so good. A basic Republican op-ed piece targeted at the problems of their non-constituents. The in between the line implication is that non-constituents need to fix their problems. In this case, reducing the number of people in poverty would mean reducing the amount of federal/state monies spent on entitlement programs and the more money thus that can be cut in taxes for the rich, their true constituents. The article then drifts into singling out black people, as if blacks are the only group in poverty. Here is where my BS meter gets pegged and where I wondered about the color of Mr. Williams skin. Here is also where I start thinking that there will be very few poor black people that will actually read this article. Thus, Mr. Williams is preaching to the choir, which is likely not black and not in poverty. The goal of the article is not to help poor black people, but to state to others that poor black people need to fix their own d*mn problems. If Mr. Williams spends the majority of his days speaking to black people about this same message that would be one thing. If Mr. Williams is a professor at an evil, liberal university, one might suspect that he just french kissed whitey's *ss.
"The Children's Defense Fund and civil rights organizations frequently whine about the number of black children living in poverty. In 1999, the Bureau of the Census reported that 33.1 percent of black children lived in poverty compared with 13.5 percent of white children. <B>It turns out that race per se has little to do with the difference.</b> Instead, it's welfare and single parenthood. When black children are compared to white children living in identical circumstances, mainly in a two-parent household, both children will have the <b>same probability</b> of being poor. How much does racial discrimination explain? So far as black poverty is concerned, I'd say little or nothing, which is not to say that every vestige of racial discrimination has been eliminated. But let's pose a few questions. Is it racial discrimination that stops black students from studying and completing high school? Is it racial discrimination that's responsible for the 68 percent illegitimacy rate among blacks? The 1999 Bureau of Census report might raise another racial discrimination question. Among black households that included a married couple, over 50 percent were middle class earning above $50,000, and 26 percent earned more than $75,000. How in the world did these black families manage not to be poor? <b>Did America's racists cut them some slack?</b> "
"Hi, Mr. Black Person. We know that for part of your life we told you that you were less than human and we hated you. We also know that you didn't get to go to good white schools and colleges. Guess what? We will let you be human now. We really expect you to succeed in our white world. If you don't, we will most likely complain. Oh yeah, and don't forget to raise your kids in the proper white way so thet they can also succeed in our world. If not, in 50 or so years we will really start to complain. Thanks. Oh yeah, let's not hold a grudge about your past treatment, OK?"
You obviously don't know me very well. We live very frugally. I despise brain dead materialism. We buy most our clothes at thrift stores etc. I needed a "nice car" (used truck) to get to work, until I couldnt drive because of my back. It would of cost me 400 a month to get on my wife's insurance. If I had that to spend maybe I would have a "nice car". (not really because I could care less). We can do better about the people without insurance and the cost. It is a world of haves and have nots when it comes to health care. Now that my wife stopped teaching and went to work for a small business, we have to find way to have her insured. It would be 400 a month to get her on mine. Her boss pays 700 a month for her own insurance. Its a joke. Your right. Your place of employment should not dictate your health care. If you want to talk about priorites, lets talk about the millions of working americans without insurance. Or do you have that many fingers to point at them? Lets talk about outsourcing as much as immigration and terrorism too. This is all only going to get worse.
Until the U.S. has universal healthcare, the U.S. will be the backwards and snot-nosed younger brother of the rest of the Western World.
Giddyup, most of the bbs is not poor and likely white. You are not reaching your target audience Why don't you grow a pair of balls and take this missive and deliver it to the poor blacks who need your instruction? Otherwise you are just a whiney, do-nothig beyatch like they allegedly are. I'm sure they will be swayed when you tell them Walter Williams is black.
Of course I don't, so please don't take it personally. I've just seen so many people with "mis-placed" values. Did you look into other insurance options. Where I live, for $400/month, you have to be about 60 years of age for it to cost that much.
I have it right in front of me. Employee + One spouse = $382 with UnitedHealthcare from my employer. So really its more like $320 just for her right now, with mine being $90. We were hoping it would be a little less than that. It sucks. If I was a teacher in the state of Texas (like my was was), with a wife and child, health insurance would be about $450 a month. And we know what teachers make. I just think it's a bit much. They were going to change it by having Texas teacher's insurance all in one pool, but I don't think it ever happened.
If there are any over the age of 45 or so... If younger then their parents heard it. History is cool, ain't it? Or, of course, a five year old could hear it today if they went to certain parts of the country or read certain types of websites/books.
Rates vary greatly by state...in some states, a la NY, you can't charge different rates for the same plan...so you end up subsidizing others if you are healthy or young....my united healthcare plan in TX (2500 deductible) costs me about 60 a month...b/c in texas they can offer a different rate based on your info...i'm also only 28, so that helps...
Typical ugliness from you. Yawn. And much of the BBS is liberal, so I have zeroed in on my target audience!
So your over-generalized address to "Mr. Black Person" is not accurate? That was my point. However, we do agree on your last statement. Anybody can hear something ugly from someone else but that doesn't mean that the fight for civil rights was lost.
Dependent rates on employer-sponsored plans are typically brutal-- especially on state employee plans (at least in NC). I have written several health plans on dependents when one parent was employed by the large group. The cost of dependent coverage was astronomical and those people could do better buying individual coverage. The benefits may not be as comprehensive but neither is the cost as punitive. Take your preference.
Sorry giddyup, this audience is too smart for you to float the idea that blacks who are poor are generally poor because they are lazy and stupid - like I said, if this is an issue you are concerned about, why don't you do poor blacks a public service by imparting this message to them rather than to us? Why are you posting this stuff otherwise? To express to us that you think poor blacks are poor because you think they are lazy and stupid? We know you think that way, I would have expected nothing less.
Here's the plan suggested by Williams: "Avoiding long-term poverty is not rocket science. First, graduate from high school. Second, get married before you have children, and stay married. Third, work at any kind of job, even one that starts out paying the minimum wage. And, finally, avoid engaging in criminal behavior. If you graduate from high school today with a B or C average, in most places in our country there's a low-cost or financially assisted post-high-school education program available to increase your skills." Did you notice that there was no mention of the race of anyone who might pursue this lifeplan? Show me again where I said that blacks were lazy or stupid? I await your apology-- not forthcoming per usual. Why don't you take up the argument rather than criticize me uselessly?
I'm not sure I follow you. Are you saying that your message is to tell liberals not to help out poor blacks?
