James, I am not sure from where you get your information, but this country has NOT done more for than poor than any country ever. Germany, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Denmark, and numerous other European nations have far fewer people living in poverty per capita than the United States.
Further, the pull yourself up by the bootstraps arguement is ridiculous and a myth. There have been relatively few people who have ever pulled themselves up by their bootstraps. Before we had institutionalized welfare programs there were private self-help organizations that abounded across this nation in urban areas. Unions also played a key role in provided relief to the poor and unemployed. The issue here is unequal and gross misdistrubition of wealth in our society. I am interested in exactly what sort of relief efforts could have been provided with the 30+ million dollars in tax subsidies that the City Council provided to the downtown Target Store. I know that that Target store has not and will never create enough jobs to justify the level of subsidies it has recieved. This city, and the wider nation, provides millions and billions of dollars in corporate welfare while ignoring the 45 million people living in abject poverty in this nation. -Brandon Lacy Campos -Powderhorn Park -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of James E Jacobsen Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 8:53 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: [Mpls] Fw: poverty Though some African Americans might well have the problem of not being good 'employees', It wasn't African Americans I had observed, they were mainly white. And stop giving me the rationalizations. Any restranteur will tell you the average time of employment for a dish washer is about 3 weeks, the ones who are still there after three weeks get promotion and raise in pay, and the more dependable they are the more they go up. In 1965 (thats 37 years ago) the LBJ admin. got war on poverty legislation passed and this country since has done more for the poor than any country ever and where are we now, reference poverty and associated problems, --all the numbers are bigger--, and with continued shootings, crime, drugs, etc.. Figure it out. James Jacobsen // Whittier _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
