Culture and Poverty

2) Why do you believe people are poor in the United States and globally?

I think that this question can go in two directions. First of all I think that there is a chance that people can be poor because of the rise in illegal immigrants who are moving to the US. Employers prefer to higher them becayse they can pay them much less then a legal person who is wanting to work and therefor the illegal people can and will accept any for of job that they can get. Many times they find ways and connections so that they can get good jobs. They are taking away from unemployed people and low income families to find decent jobs and better their situations. Another idea I have is that the rise in illegal immigrants can also give rise to homeless and poor people in the areas and all over the country. They come here in hopes of a better life, but because they are illegal there are also plenty of employers who do not want to take any risks with hiring them and so they end up not working and just adding to the amount of poverty stricken communities and homeless people. If they do not have the paperwork and documentation that the jobs require of them to show, then they must settle for anything that will pay them in cash or under the table and therefor they result to anything in order to be able to support their families, even though this may be entirely too little to support a family. 

4)    What do you personally think should be done about poverty in United States and globally (e.g., specific private and government policies, programs, etc. that you would recommend)?

I am a US citizen but I was born in Mexico and came from there. Both of my parents are legal citizens, and we know the hardships of moving from one country to another. However having said that I think that the US government should be taking matters into their own hands and try and solve this issue of allowing so many illegal immigrants to be moving here. If they truly want to be here and work here then there are ways to do it correctly. These people are coming here and get paid under the table, and then they don't even pay taxes or anything. They are adding to the negative aspects and hardships of our economy instead of helping us to get out of this recession. This is not and should not be a matter that is just left up to the states. We need to all pull together and as a nation help stop this situation and epidemic. The amount of illegals in this country is growing every day and soon there will be no way of stopping it. These people can not just come here and get the easy way out when there are US citizens now who are fighting to keep a job or even trying to find one. We should have the priority over a good job, rather then someone who is getting the easy way out and not helping in any way. 

Community Development And Housing Policies

3)      What do you think is being done about poverty (e.g., specific policies and programs in the United States and globally) and how well do you think poverty is being addressed?

       

I think that in terms of housing and the community there are more things that are being done than what I expected. One for example is the Housing and Community Development Act of 1974. Being able to provide rural areas and urban counties with money and grants to expand affordable housing and to improve the areas in neighborhoods is a wonderful thing. It is allowing all areas (regardless of their wealth) to have a clean, safe neighborhood. I was also surprised to learn that there are over 13,000 public housing developments in the United States. Also there are Community Development Corporations (CDC's) that are put in place in many cities and they are run by a small staff who primarily serve in low and moderate income neighborhoods. CDC's produce jobs, as well as improve housing and develop human services in neighborhoods.  

4)      What do you personally think should be done about poverty in United States and globally (e.g., specific private and government policies, programs, etc. that you would recommend)?

Based on the lecture there apparently is still many families that are spending a minimum of half of their salary to rent or try and own a house and that can sometimes not even include maintaining it in well conditions. Perhaps there could be more grants going towards trying to remodel or even fix some of these homes so that these people were not living under such harsh conditions and risking getting sick. Also perhaps the states and the actual cities could focus on where they are instead of the big picture. If we were to start small and then work in our own communities we would slowly see improvement. Perhaps holding certain fundraisers or having clubs that offer people the opportunity to go into these homes and help fix or build, I have learned from my own experiences that many time people are more than willing to provide their time and offer help but they are unaware that this is happening in their own community. Making people more aware and asking for their time might help get these projects moving a lot faster.  

Social Security

3. What do you think is being done about poverty (e.g., specific policies and programs in the United States and globally) and how well do you think poverty is being addressed?

                      I think that the United States is doing an excellent job in addressing poverty by having programs like social security.This is a way to secure people, especially those who are older and and injured or sick, with the ability to collect money and compensate for the lack of income from in other areas. It is a program that has been working well and continues to be a tremendous asset to this country and its people. Also Medicare is something that has helped many, and in my personal experience I know my grandma is very lucky to receive money from the government. People like her who have lost a spouse and have no way of working rely on programs like these and others to help them get by. These programs have decreased the mount of people that are or would otherwise be in poverty in this country. And no matter what I think it can definitely be something that will remain for many years to come. 

4. What do you personally think should be done about poverty in United States and globally?

                    I think the main answer to this question would be for the amount of people that are working and paying into the social security funds to be increased. The more people that we have paying then the more we can support using this program. It was once working properly without so many risks and worries for what would happen in the future and it has the potential to get back to being that way. However as of right now I would be worried as to whether future generations are going to have the same security as those that have these programs now. If they were more strict and controlled better then perhaps less problems would arise and more people could benefit. 

Health Care Policies and the Poor

1)      Who do you think is poor, both in the United States and globally?

Based on the lecture from this week it is hard to answer this question because the entire thing was about poverty and poor people, but instead the focus was on health care. I did notice however that one of the slides mentioned that the majority of the people who are uninsured were poor or in poverty and of those uninsured the highest region with 18.2% was the south. Therefor I can say that I believe that the majority of poor people in the United States are located in the Southern areas or regions. Unfortunately this means that the majority of those in poverty are young children and people under the age of 24 because they have some of the highest rates out of those that are uninsured.

2)      Why do you believe people are poor in the United States and globally?

When trying to tie in the weeks lecture to this question I thought of the slides and the lessons and came to the following conclusion. Perhaps the people who are uninsured and are not covered with a good health care plan are the ones that are poor in the United States, this could perhaps be because they are trying to worry about making other ends meet and this is not a priority. Also I learned that the highest rates of those that are uninsured are Hispanics and Non Natives. Maybe these people are too busy having to find jobs and making a living in a new country and therefor have to worry about education and a house and food rather then worrying about health care and a medical bill. They are maybe having to sacrifice one thing for another and at the time food and a roof over their heads was the priority. People may also be poor in this country and around the world because without the proper health care and regular doctor visits one minor illness can become something much worse and could in the end interfere with their ability to work. If this gets too out of hand maybe they lose their jobs and can't afford to get another one, or afford the medication to get better and return to work, therefor adding to the cycle of poverty.

3)      What do you think is being done about poverty (e.g., specific policies and programs in the United States and globally) and how well do you think poverty is being addressed?

Right now to help those who are in poverty and in need of health insurance there are different policies that are out that are raising public awareness of ethnic and racial disparities in health care as well as expanding health insurance coverage, and improving the capacity of providers in under served communities. Medicare and Medicaid have also been around for some time to help those who need the extra hand in paying for hospital,doctor,and medical bill costs.

Policy Responses to Poverty

       

3)      What do you think is being done about poverty (e.g., specific policies and programs in the United States and globally) and how well do you think poverty is being addressed?

                Before this lesson i would have to admit that I was unaware of all the different programs that are set up in the United States to help those that are in poverty and make sure that others do not get into that situation. As of now there is medicare and social security; two which are very common. I did not know about Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, and Aid to Families with Dependant Children. These are working to help families and work with needy children to meet needs for home and food. I also liked reading about the Entitlement Programs that state that the states are responsible to provide assistance to all those that need it and are entitled under the law. After I started thinking about it all I also thought about how in Georgia we even have the HOPE scholarship which offers to pay for your education in any college just as long as you can maintain grades. How much better can it get than that and with an education and degree anyone could go out and be at the same level as others to compete for a good, decent job.

 

4)      What do you personally think should be done about poverty in United States and globally (e.g., specific private and government policies, programs, etc. that you would recommend)?

        After seeing all the programs that are out there and all the help that is being offered I think that the United States is actually doing a lot more than i ever expected. They are trying their best to help out everyone and anyone that may be in need. The government does not neglect anyone the right to help or assistance.

Poverty and Wages

1. Who do you think is poor, both in the United States and globally?

 I think that my views on this question have changed somewhat. At first I thought that it was up to people to be more motivated and to try and make a better living for themselves and take up different opportunities, but now I understand another side to this. There are definitely problems with wages being so low, and for people making minimum wage there is no way that they can make a living out of it and survive and be considered to be over the poverty minimum. Of course there would be even less of the chance that a person making this little would be able to support anyone else, much less a family. They not only can not make enough but they have to almost be forced into keeping their jobs (as bad as they are paying) because they can not spare to  have zero income coming in and can not take the time to go out and try to get a better education or better career. 

 

3- What do you think is being done about poverty and how well do you think poverty is being addressed?

                I think that perhaps there is a good amount of work being put in to solving or at least improving the rate of poverty, however it seems as though all the campaigns that we learn about and groups who are out there, are somehow unheard of. If it were not for this class, I probably wouldn't know who half of all of them were so I know that means that many of my friends or classmates are clueless as well. The media needs to do a better job of getting the word out there, and then we would maybe see more improvements.

4.) What do you personally think should be done about poverty in the United States

             I think that in the United States, there should be a way to fix the minimum wages being offered and perhaps increased more or to fit the minimum to be able to support someone on their own. Even if someone if working at a dairy queen or a Wendy's as a cook or cashier, those are still major corporations, and with the amount of money that they have coming in each day/week/and year, then perhaps they could offer to their employees that they will pay for their school, if they promise to commit to work with them later on or climb the business ladder. Those are just ideas from me at this point but perhaps if something like this could be done, then we would see more people in school and working while at the same time making a living for themselves and therefor everything would work in a circle to decrease poverty and increase the economy.

The Economics and Causes of Poverty

Even though I believe that perhaps a little bit of each question is incorporated into each week's lesson, this week there was one that completely made me rethink that I had written on it before and that was number two.

1)      Who do you think is poor, both in the United States and globally?

 

In a certain way, I think that a family who is living on one salary or maybe even two part time jobs would be poor here, and most definitely in another country with their income being much lower. Also, maybe someone who is not necessarily not educated but was living in the wrong neighborhood at a wrong time, would be prone to poverty because based on economic status and way of life they would not be eligible to as many opportunities. Another answer to this question could be someone who has come from a bad family, or has had a bad family history either due to violence, low income, or drugs; although these seem so far fetched, they could easily later on in life lead to many problems, one being poverty.

2)      Why do you believe people are poor in the United States and globally?

 

 

At first I though and had said that people were poor for many different reasons, but the one I thought to be most true was because there was a lack of motivation in those people to get out and get jobs and move forward. After the lessons this week, I also would like to add that perhaps it is because they do not have the right education to be able to get out and get started. Or also, because the nation or world's economy at that time is at a low point, making it hard for the average person to get by, and nearly impossible for an already poor person. I hadn't taken into perspective how important the economic status of a nation was on the poverty rate for that place. Of course if that nation (such as ours right now) is in a recession, then it will be incredibly hard for someone to be able to finish an education and be able to get a somewhat well paying job when you are competing against hundreds of people who are perhaps better qualified then those others for that job. The higher and better the economic status, the more the poverty rate will decrease and allow for improvement. 

  

4)      What do you personally think should be done about poverty in United States and globally (e.g., specific private and government policies, programs, etc. that you would recommend)?

 

  I think that now that our very own nation is going through a recession we have a better understanding of knowing what it is like to have to get by without certain things and perhaps "luxuries" that we were once used to. Now would be the best time to address poverty in our nation as well as others and have people maybe be more understanding about the situation and want to try and help out more. Even though we are on a decline financially, there are still plenty of people out there making a lot more money than the average person who could do a lot like volunteer time to help these poor people our of the poverty world, and also donate money and supplies to those whose job is making sure poor people get out of bad neighborhoods and into a job or school.

Blog 3 Poverty in a Global Context

For me this week, one of the major questions that I had more opinions on after the lesson was the one asking why we believe people are poor in the US and globally. Also, I thought about number three which asked how well we think poverty is being addressed.

2)      Why do you believe people are poor in the United States and globally?

After this week's lesson my views are somewhat the same and also changed a bit. The video we watched on Ulearn showed how the world and its countries and economy have changed over the last 200 years. At first there was not much change, but when we get to the present we can see a huge difference in countries and how rich people are and also how much they are expected to live. I beleive that perhaps because the US is such a wealthy country and has many people who are very well off and over the average income, then the government may not "see" the poverty taking place and affecting us, because realistically it is not bringing us down any more or any less and so since we can still be considered a wealthy nation it becomes hard to look after those who need it.
Another contributing factor in my opinion is that women make up large percentages in many countries, and the web links showed that in many places they are the last to eat when food is scarce and therefor they have the lowest education. With little or no education then they can not move forward and expand their incomes, leading to a never ending cycle of low income, food, and poverty. 
Other countries on the other hand have a low income, low life expectancy, and therefor a high poverty rate. With no one in the country to bring up the standard of living and make it wealthier, then they are lagging behind and become more and  more poor with less opportunities to help their citizens.

3)      What do you think is being done about poverty (e.g., specific policies and programs in the United States and globally) and how well do you think poverty is being addressed?

I believe that poverty is being addressed better than what I initially thought it was. There are researchers all over the world trying to gather information and notify everyone everywhere, especially those in rich nations, about the world's poverty and ways in which we can help. We continue to improve medicine and with transportation now and days we can send and receive help much faster than we ever could. Developed worlds try to aid those in need, and in come welcoming places they try and teach them about our government and the way we run our systems so that they can learn from that and improve their lives.
We are already on our way to improving education in all rural and urban areas and allowing all children the same possibilities. In the US we also provide electric power, clean water and sanitation, which are huge demands to living a longer life. If the United States keeps their promise of giving .7% of GNP to poor countries in need, then perhaps other rich countries would follow in our footsteps and slowly the poverty rate would decrease, in our nation and around the world. The UN Millennium goals are wonderful and the plan is all set up, now we must stick to it and go forth to a better time.

Week 2 Persepectives on Poverty

1.) Who do you think is poor, both in the United States and globally?

This week after learning the new material I had not even realized how the geographical location that a person(s) live in would and could also effect how much money they can make. The standard of living can change from city to city and even from one state to another. I think that if a family can not take care of their kids in a health situation, even if they are working but they are fearful of their kids getting sick because they can not afford medicine or even a doctor's visit then they would be, in my opinion, poor.

2.) Why do you believe poor people are poor in the United States and globally?
This week's lesson taught me to change a bit of why I thought that people are poor in the United States and around the world. Now, I can see that many of the poor people in our nation could be poor based on their location where they reside, or perhaps because they can not get out of a bad neighborhood or area that they are in. In the power point it stated that almost the majority of people living in poverty were in the South. That definitely took me by surprise, I was expecting the number to be less, also most were African American and Hispanics. The power point also said that almost 40% of the people that were located in areas of poverty lacked even a high school diploma. This could be a major factor as to why people are poor in the US as well as in any other country, and why certain areas could have more or less of a poverty issue.

4.) What do you personally think should be done about poverty in the United States and globally?
Last week my views and ideas were that the united states was doing a good job in preventing and helping to fix the problem of poverty. Now I have to change just one thing about my response. I do think that the United States does very much and a well job in helping people of all types and ages to overcome this problem, however after this week, i think that there could be more emphasis put on the idea of education, and helping to provide places and school, and materials to all the children that are located in those areas that are highest in the nation for poverty. Perhaps helping them finish school and get even a high school diploma would help them to see how to further their knowledge and would want to pursue even more education or get jobs.

My Idea's On Poverty

I believe that each person has their own idea of what it is to be poor and what poverty consists of, and I believe that that is fine, and each one of us should be allowed to express what we believe and how we each feel about it. This is why I enjoyed having to think about and answer these four questions because not only do I have the opportunity to get my ideas across but I can also have people see what i believe and what I understand to be the meaning of poverty. 

1)      Who do you think is poor, both in the United States and globally?

        In my personal opinion a family that consists of perhaps three or more people living under the same house and not to mention with young children and making anywhere along the lines of 25,000 dollars or less would have to be considered poor. I don't think that there is any way that an income like that would be able to support a family and give them not even the "wants" in life but the necessities that they would need in order to survive. Globally however, in my opinion it takes much less than that to be considered poor. In many countries the people do not even have a means for any income much less a "small" one by our terms. They live on a day to day basis with out even the help of their government or those around them. 

2)      Why do you believe people are poor in the United States and globally?

         In my personal opinion I think that a majority (not all) of the poor people in the United States are poor because they do not have the motivation and the drive that they require in order to move up in life and try to better themselves. Many of the poor people could just as easily have a job even in a fast food restaurant and try and make a small income for themselves to try and pay for food and for clothing that they could use to better their life and health as well as their appearance.  Another major reason for poor people both here in the US as well as globally us that wide and growing use of alcohol and drugs that sometimes lead people in the wrong direction and to lose everything that they once had or could have had, leaving them with nothing and out in the streets. 

3)      What do you think is being done about poverty (e.g., specific policies and programs in the United States and globally) and how well do you think poverty is being addressed?

        In my opinion the United States is doing a good job with helping in the fields of poverty and those in need. They offer opportunities like tax deductions, living assistance, disaster reliefs, child care and child support; just to name a few. My parents were unfortunate enough to not be able to pay for any of my college. I live at home right now and I was given HOPE to pay for school as well as took out loans. All of these options are available to anyone in need and they are there for us to take and use them to our benefits. Unfortunately I have not had the privilege of being able to travel and visit many countries but from what I cans see and hear on the news and from school I know that not many of these if not non of these opportunities are available in other countries and therefor not much is being done to help those in need. 

4)      What do you personally think should be done about poverty in United States and globally (e.g., specific private and government policies, programs, etc. that you would recommend)?

        Personally, I think that the United States has done and is doing everything in their power to get people off the streets and lead them in the right directions with the opportunities and benefits they are providing to all their citizens. I would hope that other countries would take these and also offer these same opportunities to the people in those countries and take it as a means of help and perhaps then their economy would rise and the standard of living would as well.