Some thoughts on poverty

Right now there are 7 to 8 million empty homes in this country. Repos. Some need considerable work to be inhabitable. The gov't could set up a program where people could buy these and be given grants or loans depending on their income to rehab, swear equity, or the gov't could hire people to go in and rehab these homes.

For the more expensive rehabs, special loans could be made to vets. There is a program in effect now in many communities where police, teachers, and firefighters can buy inner city homes at great rates for moving in and stabliizing the communities, and this has also been done in some of the remaining projects, low rent for public servants. It has worked really well in bringing down crime.

The country is too big to count on the kindness of strangers or even neighbors. I have to honestly say that my experience with charity is that foodstamps are much more reliable, though many of the houses of worship do a great job supplementing food supplies for those whose foodstamps are inadequate and for the "working poor" who don't get foodstamps but need help with food.

I worked as a Aid to Dependent Children caseworker for several years and that is basically certifiying people for food stamps. Believe me, 99% of the people who get food stamps need them badly. There is not charity enough that could step in and feed so many people. There are so many poor people that no charity could afford to feed everyone. Without foodstamps, starvation would be endemic as it was and is in cultures where there are no government programs to feed the poor.

I think we have to get more creative with solutions to the lack of housing for the poor. I also feel some of those empty homes could be turned over to Dept. of Family services to set up group homes for those who are homeless because they are mentally impaired and need meds and help with day to day life skills management. The most vulnerable, the halt, the lame, and the ill. A country who leaves these on the street is headed for big trouble with God who does not like to see these little ones so neglected.

Remember that in the Preamble to the Constitution, it says a function of gov't is to "promote the general welfare."

Certainly individuals should be compassionate and share what they have, but governments also have to answer to God and have to provide for the poor in their midst or answer for it. In the bible, the "children of Israel" are always in trouble for not giving the tithe to the Temple which was a tax and part of it was used to feed the poor.

While I agree that private charity is best, it's not enough in such a huge, complex country. Private charity tho does an enormous job of taking care of so many, from schools on the Reservations to feeding the poor of Appalachia,who receive the most food stamps of any group in America because there just are no jobs in those hills and poverty is all to common. Private charity is immensely important, and groups like Doctors Without Borders and so many work on a global level to alleviate human suffering.

I think charity and aid offered by the government have to go hand in hand. Neither can really do the job alone.