Let's talk about POOR U.S. CITIZENS no one else is this election year!

[Catalist]

! Americans are pissed and don't like anyone, but they are watching OWS.

OWS is a bunch or retards that no one listens to or cares about.

It really is a little early to make that call. We really don't even know who they are yet. Young people with college debt out of work, older workers who have been displaced by the recession, union workers still afraid to commit, and many more.

We know it is not a manufactured "grass roots" movement like the Tea Party. In fact they openly admit they are using plays right out of the successful Tea Party handbook to sign up new members. And, as much as Democrats would like to marry them, OWS are as unhappy with Obama as they are with Wall Street Bankers. And, with global implications tied in with the European debt crisis, this movement can go anywhere.

To tell you the truth, I remember the the day last fall that Republicans changed their talking points from What is OWS? to being against OWS. That was the day I ordered an OWS bumper sticker.

The smart money says let's see where OWS is headed. Frankly, I think Romeny has already typed himself as part of the 1%. This is foolish. These are angry independent Americans who are angry with both parties, and Romney has already chased them away. OWS is not going to be courted by Obama. Democrats held both houses of Congress with Barry in the White House, and no one went to jail. There was not even a hearing.

OWS will have a convention. Anything is possible.

 

[Catalist]

OWS is a bunch or retards that no one listens to or cares about.

I think you could probably find a similar quote from a monarchist describing the founders. if the message is populist it is never anything to lightly dismiss. So anyway what is it you like about Wall Street buying our politicians?

Oh, good. Let the OWS go start their own country.

Haven't you heard, they already did. It is called the United States of America.


You want an aristocratic 1%? Move to England!

 

[Catalist]

! Americans are pissed and don't like anyone, but they are watching OWS.

OWS is a bunch or retards that no one listens to or cares about.

Yeah, the only thing I see OW doing is committing crimes ~shrug~ OW does not stand for anything worthwhile like the Tea Party does.

Please name three pieces of legislation that the Tea Party can take credit for, and support them with explanatory links. Thank you.

 

[Catalist]

How do you turn people into productive citizens so they aren't liabilities anymore? Do we expect anything of those people when it comes to turning their lives around?

OWS are a good example of why we have a large class of dependents. They are good about wanting everything and whining to get it, but they do little else to help themselves.

Apparently, the whining wasn't enough so they are pooping everywhere in hopes of getting sympathy. Can't imagine why it's not working.

How nice, someone actually on topic!

Just because I am lean to the left does not mean I want anything less than a dollar's worth of effort for every tax dollar paid. Excluding verified disabled people, everyone who gets a check, should work, even if it is picking up trash in a park all day.

Just because I believe in government lending CITIZENS a helping hand, like unemployment, SNAP, or health care in tough times, does not mean I endorse freeloading.
Anyone gets a check, they must do some kind of work. This to me is non-negotiable.

 

[naturegirl]

How do you turn people into productive citizens so they aren't liabilities anymore? Do we expect anything of those people when it comes to turning their lives around?

OWS are a good example of why we have a large class of dependents. They are good about wanting everything and whining to get it, but they do little else to help themselves.

Apparently, the whining wasn't enough so they are pooping everywhere in hopes of getting sympathy. Can't imagine why it's not working.

How nice, someone actually on topic!

Just because I am lean to the left does not mean I want anything less than a dollar's worth of effort for every tax dollar paid. Excluding verified disabled people, everyone who gets a check, should work, even if it is picking up trash in a park all day.

Just because I believe in government lending CITIZENS a helping hand, like unemployment, SNAP, or health care in tough times, does not mean I endorse freeloading.
Anyone gets a check, they must do some kind of work. This to me is non-negotiable.

I seriously doubt you are a true liberal. Probably more like most Americans, a Fiscal Conservative and a Social Liberal. True liberals believe the government should give them free food, free housing, free phones and free health care. No way in heck do they expect to work for it when they are supposed to get it for free.

Free costs the people that pay Federal Income taxes.

 

[Catalist]

Yeah, the only thing I see OW doing is committing crimes ~shrug~ OW does not stand for anything worthwhile like the Tea Party does.

That happens when you watch trash media, the only things you see are what they want you to see.

Like the OW committing felonies as they demand what others work for. Nah, that obnoxious group of wanna-be-freeloaders doesn't impress me one bit.

However I do agree with the OP about many of his points concerning the poor in our country. I do not see the OW crowd accomplishing anything worthwhile towards those points. OW has done way more damage then it has done good, they are an embarrassment to the nation.

Oh, come on. We have a group of middle class Americans stretching themselves for the first time since the great depression of the 1930s. Let's see what they can do.

Tea Party was orchestrated by right politicians like Dick Armey that has been revealed for what it is, propaganda by the 1%. However, without their radical bravado, we would never have given birth to OWS. In fact OWS is still following the Tea Party play book for organizing. Plus they have learned from Tea Party mistakes by not disclosing their issues too soon. Kinda funny how the Tea Party screwed themselves, and advanced their competition, eh?

This is going to be one hell of an election if average Americans actually get off their ass, and we will have the Tea Party to thank for organizing OWS. Can't wait to see the show!

 

[Catalist]

By the way, I think Mitt Romney has missed an important opportunity to appeal to middle class voters here. As members of the middle class slip into the low income category, Romney could have come up with alternatives not only to help the middle class, but help the poor build lives.

Not only would this have been good for the economy, and Romney's election chances, it would have been a chance to do something for someone beside the 1%. Everyone is tired of hearing about the 1% and their fictional problems.

I am sorry, but I don't see Romney worrying about me. When guys like me start turning to OWS and away from the Democratic Party, American has a problem. And, what is that you ask? Wall Street owns the Republicans, and rents the Democrats. Neither gives a damn about me. In 2009 and 2010 Democrats had the White House and Congress. We had the biggest financial crisis in history. No hearings were held, and no one went to jail.

The Tea Party has been obstructionist, and has accomplished nothing that helps the middle class. Nothing is getting done in Washington, and Americans blame the Tea Party. I predict this will be their last election. Out as fast as they came in. OWS says vote incumbents out, and so far, I agree! Americans are pissed and don't like anyone, but they are watching OWS.

Wait the teaparty hasnt done anything and you like OWS? Uh something tells me you're faking the old center of the road mentaltiy or you really just dont pay attention to politics. OWS is a bunch of thugs, commies and nuts who shit on the street. TeaParty people dont shit on the street, are very clean and constantly take out career politicians of both parties, something you stand for correct?

I mean this in all sincerity. When I saw the the Tea Party for the first time, I was enthused. I believed I was witnessing a grass roots movement that would change America. Then the racial accusations were made, and this detracted from me. Then it was two years of Tea Party politicians acting like children failing to meet compromise in Congress. Compromise like it or not was a cornerstone designed by our founding fathers. The debt ceiling debate was like watching grade school children. Then I read up on Grover Norquist and realized he was politically naive.

 

[Catalist]

By the way, I think Mitt Romney has missed an important opportunity to appeal to middle class voters here. As members of the middle class slip into the low income category, Romney could have come up with alternatives not only to help the middle class, but help the poor build lives.

Not only would this have been good for the economy, and Romney's election chances, it would have been a chance to do something for someone beside the 1%. Everyone is tired of hearing about the 1% and their fictional problems.

I am sorry, but I don't see Romney worrying about me. When guys like me start turning to OWS and away from the Democratic Party, American has a problem. And, what is that you ask? Wall Street owns the Republicans, and rents the Democrats. Neither gives a damn about me. In 2009 and 2010 Democrats had the White House and Congress. We had the biggest financial crisis in history. No hearings were held, and no one went to jail.

The Tea Party has been obstructionist, and has accomplished nothing that helps the middle class. Nothing is getting done in Washington, and Americans blame the Tea Party. I predict this will be their last election. Out as fast as they came in. OWS says vote incumbents out, and so far, I agree! Americans are pissed and don't like anyone, but they are watching OWS.

Wait the teaparty hasnt done anything and you like OWS? Uh something tells me you're faking the old center of the road mentaltiy or you really just dont pay attention to politics. OWS is a bunch of thugs, commies and nuts who shit on the street. TeaParty people dont shit on the street, are very clean and constantly take out career politicians of both parties, something you stand for correct?

I mean this in all sincerity. When I saw the the Tea Party for the first time, I was enthused. I believed I was witnessing a grass roots movement that would change America. Then the racial accusations were made, and this distracted many Americans. Nothing was done to correct the racist image. Then it was two years of Tea Party politicians acting like children failing to meet compromise in Congress. Compromise, like it or not, was a cornerstone of democracy designed by our founding fathers. It is not a dirty word. The debt ceiling debate was like watching grade school children. Then I read up on Grover Norquist and realized he is a naive idiot.

The Tea Party had it all, and just pissed it away.. I asked a question. I did not intend to sound like a fact. What legislation has the Tea Party accomplished? Looks pretty much like they are wasting everyone's time, and polls show the voters are picking up on that. No Jobs Bill - blame the Tea Party.

So, I am going to have to sit through four more years of mediocre Obama politics until Republicans figure out that they should have nominated Jon Huntsman simply because the guy could actually win an election! I am as angry with the right as I am at the left. You have all let America down with your petty ideology. Which no one cares about except you.

Now OWS. I'll say it again. This is a REAL grass-roots movement, that has not defined itself. But, we all know the Tea Party hates them. The more you hate them, the stronger they will become. OWS is a wild card, and could do anything. But, one thing we know for sure, they will not be associated with the right.

Why? Because you idiots offended them before they even stated what they are trying to do. Romney loses, and so do I.

Hell, Bill Clinton is sitting in his office licking his chops as he makes plans for Hillary's White House run in 2016. Laugh at the Clinton's all you want, but everyone owes them.

 

[Catalist]

This Week in Poverty: Obama

No one, neither party, wants to talk about poor U. S. CITIZENS, yet we send bombers to Libya, troops to Afghanistan, and food to every international disaster. Why don't we take care of our own poor first?

Give them education, training, and opportunity. Prepare them for a world where we all make our own breaks. We should not allow a single immigrant into the United States until all of our CITIZENS have been given a REAL opportunity to improve themselves, (that is opportunity, not free lunch), We need to take care of our own first! Because when we do, we can tax them too!

I happen to be a liberal Democrat, but that is not the point. Neither party is addressing this issue. We need to turn our citizens who are liabilities into assets. This is not a political idea, this is an American concept. If we get everyone paying, everyone pays less! The only ones who should not have to work are the totally disabled. This is not a partisan concept, this is an American concept!

it”


Bill Clinton:
"When I signed the Welfare Reform Act in 1996, requiring able-bodied people who could work to do so, there was legitimate concern that there would not be jobs available for them because they tended to be under-educated and to have less experience, and tha when the economy slowed down, as it inevitably would, they would be the first laid off. While there have been some problems, welfare reform has been largely successful. The welfare rolls have dropped nearly 60%, more than 7 million people, by the time I left office, and have continued to drop since. In 2000, the percentage of Americans on welfare reached its lowest point in four decades. During the economic downturn of 2001, many of those who came off the welfare rolls were able to stay in the workforce in part due to policies designed to help them succeed",
Bill Clinton on Welfare & Poverty

In addition, Census Bureau data show that between 1993 and 2000, the percentage of low-income, single mothers with a job grew from 58 percent to nearly 75 percent, an increase of almost 30 percent.Welfare Reform in the United States Requires Welfare Recipients to Go to Work - 23k

In 1997 Obama opposed an Illinois welfare-reform bill, proposed by Republican senator Dave Syverson, which sought to move as many people as possible off the state welfare rolls and into paying jobs.
Obama's Voting Record and Policy Positions Prior to His Election As President - Discover the Networks


Despite its success, or perhaps because of it, President Obama and his allies are doing all they can to destroy welfare reform. Mr. Obama’s $862 billion stimulus package last February essentially abolished welfare reform by subsidizing the expansion of welfare rolls. The federal government now pays states 80 percent of the cost for each new family they add to their welfare rolls, a move that eliminates states’ incentive to push welfare recipients into the job force.
BAUER: Ending welfare reform - Washington Times

Partly as a consequence of the infusion of federal welfare funds, welfare rolls increased in 2009 for the first time since PRWORA was enacted, growing 5 percent as 200,000 more
Americans were added.
Welfare Reform Essays and Articles at eNotes

Why does this administration want to put more people on Welfare?

You make me yearn for George W. Bush. If his presidency had been challenged to solve the problems of the poor, he would have read your post and said, "Make it work," and walked off.

 

[Catalist]

The Democrats don't want to help them, they want them to stay put, they need their vote. The Republicans want to help them stand on their own.

Let's talk about POOR U.S. CITIZENS no one else is this election year!

Wrong. Democrats want to help them.

Republicans want to:

Suppress their vote No they want legal US Citizens to vote so their vote matters

Let them starve Give a man a fish and he'll eat for a day, teach him to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime. Keeping someone on the government dole doesn't help them, it makes them slaves for their vote.

Make sure they can never get an education Let's get education back to where it was before so every Johnny, Susie, Dick and Jane earn their grades. They aren't given passing grades to "keep from hurting their feelings". All the money in the world can't make someone WANT to learn.

Let them die No this is ACA, if they're over 50 and need a kidney transplant they'll have to weigh the benefits of "letting them get it" .

Grind them down into the dirt Not sure what you mean by this but Dems want a chosen few to stay "below poverty level, dirt poor" so they can "give them free stuff" for their vote.

Not something that can be denied.

You have been watching too much Fox News.

Taxpayers want value for every dollar paid.

Believe it or not Democrats know the value of a dollar just like Republicans!

 

[SFC Ollie]

Bullshit......

 

[Catalist]

We have the richest 'poor' in the world.

That's not the point. The point is, the poor are quite poor compared to the wealthy whom they envy.

The uber-wealthy you refer to as being envied make up such a small percentage of our population.

And don't you think "envy" is too weak of a word?
When one envies something they really desire, they do what's needed to attain it.

I would use the word 'jealous'.

The opportunities are the same.
How one chooses to utilize them makes all the difference.

Before Rderp jumps and calls me callous and uncaring; I realize this probably reads that way.

I have empathy for our poor. I've been there, I still have family that are.

A lot of us are about 2 paychecks away from losing it all.

I just don't see the point in begrudging someone else's good choices/fortune.

Your initial premise needs to be reviewed. Not everyone judges the success of their life by dollars in the bank or investments.

Money is just one of those things to most of us middle classers that we have to keep track of. Actually, I think of it as a pain in the ass. I have almost two hours of bill paying to handle this holiday weekend, and I resent the waste of my time.

There are a lot of people out there who view a pile of money as the goal. I think those of us who are a little more balanced see money as tool to build things, not as an end in itself.

I have said it many times, and it is not an original thought. America is about opportunity. I feel sorry for those who see that as a gate to making lots of money. The Declaration of Independence promises "the pursuit of happiness" not property for a reason. I am afraid that is something we can not teach.

In my opinion anyone who does not realize that love is the meaning of life is truly missing the best parts.

 

[Catalist]

Uh, the majority of so-called poor in this country own TVs, PS3s, etc.

If you want to see poor, go to Afghanistan, idiot.

But don't worry, Obamination and goons in Congress are making sure the "poor" get their welfare/unemployment checks extended every year so they don't feel like getting out of bed for work anymore.

This Week in Poverty: Obama

No one, neither party, wants to talk about poor U. S. CITIZENS, yet we send bombers to Libya, troops to Afghanistan, and food to every international disaster. Why don't we take care of our own poor first?

Give them education, training, and opportunity. Prepare them for a world where we all make our own breaks. We should not allow a single immigrant into the United States until all of our CITIZENS have been given a REAL opportunity to improve themselves, (that is opportunity, not free lunch), We need to take care of our own first! Because when we do, we can tax them too!

I happen to be a liberal Democrat, but that is not the point. Neither party is addressing this issue. We need to turn our citizens who are liabilities into assets. This is not a political idea, this is an American concept. If we get everyone paying, everyone pays less! The only ones who should not have to work are the totally disabled. This is not a partisan concept, this is an American concept!

Before you throw the word "idiot" around, I think we would all like to see a link verifying what you say, genius!

You can't provide that because poverty is a statistic, and I don't think you understand that either.

 

[MuadDib]

Naturegirl... The Democrats know that, they just don't want their voting base to know that. They'd rather the poor stay put, until they are needed to be "counted" on Election day.

Not to mention being kept on the plantation and CONTROLLED.

Capitalizing doesn't make your lie any truer, proven liar.

The T is correct. Chattel slavery was abolished in December 1865. Slavery to government and bureaucracy is alive and well.

The more you keep government out of your daily life, the more free you are.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Just about 2000 years ago someone wrote that a man said "the poor will always be with you." So far they were right. But I doubt seriously that they would consider most of what we call poor, very poor.....

 

[Catalist]

In America we have the richest poor people out there.. I am sorry if you have a roof over your head, food in your fridge and a car to drive you are far from being poor. even the homeless in our country have it better then the poor in 3rd world countries. What is wrong with our country is everyone wants a hand out not a hand up..

If you are going to use a word like "everyone" you are going to have to provide a link or eat your words. This is a very sloppy bit of posting.

 

[Catalist]

Let's talk about POOR U.S. CITIZENS no one else is this election year!

Wrong. Democrats want to help them.

Republicans want to:

Suppress their vote

Let them starve

Make sure they can never get an education

Let them die

Grind them down into the dirt

Not something that can be denied.

The poor are well taken care of in this country, so well in fact they pass down their welfare checks like an inheritance.

A lot of people make comments off-the-top-of-their-heads without links to support their remarks. How can we have a debate with no facts and only opinions?

 

[American Horse]

OWS is a bunch or retards that no one listens to or cares about.

Yeah, the only thing I see OW doing is committing crimes ~shrug~ OW does not stand for anything worthwhile like the Tea Party does.

That happens when you watch trash media, the only things you see are what they want you to see.

And if you don't directly examine information from the venues you don't approve of you only see what you want to see.

 

[MuadDib]

Prior to LBJ's Great Society, the poverty rate was about 19%. Since we started the War on Poverty, we've thrown about $15 trillion into it which is, coincidentally, roughly equivalent to our current national debt. Things that make you go Hmmmm...

For all that money spent over the last 50 years, the poverty rate still hovers slightly above 15%. $15 trillion dollars only improved it by about 3.5%.

No program in American history has ever done more to destroy the stability of poor families, particularly poor minority families, than Welfare. That's why you have so many baby daddies and baby mommas running around out there today. They don't have to take responsibilty for their behavior or actions. They expect the government, i.e. the taxpayers, to take that responsibility for them.

 

[Catalist]

Prior to LBJ's Great Society, the poverty rate was about 19%. Since we started the War on Poverty, we've thrown about $15 trillion into it which is, coincidentally, roughly equivalent to our current national debt. Things that make you go Hmmmm...

For all that money spent over the last 50 years, the poverty rate still hovers slightly above 15%. $15 trillion dollars only improved it by about 3.5%.

No program in American history has ever done more to destroy the stability of poor families, particularly poor minority families, than Welfare. That's why you have so many baby daddies and baby mommas running around out there today. They don't have to take responsibilty for their behavior or actions. They expect the government, i.e. the taxpayers, to take that responsibility for them.

I am with you on the point of taking personal responsibility.

I would like to see a link to that $15 TRILLION spent on poverty over the last 50 years.

You just can't drop a number that size without backing it up.