Brandon - I'm not sure what you consider "pulling oneself up by one's bootstraps," but I suspect you are completely wrong no matter how you define it. I read a study sometime in the last year about the movement of people between economic groups in this country. I'm sorry I can't remember where I read the study. The study divided everyone into 5 different economic "quints," those in the 0 to 20% income group, 20% to 40% group, etc. Almost no one stayed in the same quint their entire life, and this included people in the top and bottom quints. And the majority of people moved at least two quints during their life, either up or down. This of course isn't related to Minneapolis issues. But it is necessary background in understanding that people are not stuck in any economic status in Minneapolis. If they have been in the bottom quint their whole lives, it is likely because they are either lazy or unlucky, or both. Most people can and do change their economic status during their lives.
Someone posted the awakening he had at a camp where one of the young campers said that he and his neighbors weren't likely to make it past twenty-five. That was bravado and perhaps naivete on the part of the camper. Even in the worst part of Chicago, the vast majority of residents survive past twenty-five. A lot of them might go to jail, but I bet there's a pretty low chance of the store manager ending up there. In the same manner, personal responsibility of a young adult in the poorest sections of Minneapolis makes a huge difference in their future life. I have no doubt that it is hard for a young Black person to get a job in Minneapolis, but I also believe that responsible behavior will usually get them there. Mark Anderson Bancroft ----- Original Message ----- From: "W. Brandon Lacy Campos" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "James E Jacobsen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>; <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, August 15, 2002 9:26 AM Subject: [Mpls] poverty and Minneapolis > 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 > _______________________________________ 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
