Blog # 3 McDade

Ambraskyy makes very good points at the end of why Poverty must not exist anymore in the U.S. I never knew poverty was at an all time high for Americans. I guess if you have never been to other places to see , you become blinded of only what is in front of you. I really enjoyed reading her last parts of the book as she discuses her hopes for this book is to present a roadmap to change, a blueprint for new War of Poverty in which I feel we need to address these issues that exists whether we are physically there or not. It will in the end affect all of us. Also standing up for change helps deliver clear understanding for our government. Another key point she addresses better schools and communities in which we desperately need for our later generations. Education as he explains is important in which lacking it can cause great poverty for one. It also can cause more hunger, violence and drug dealing due to no productivity throughout the day. Ambrasky hits on key facts as to why change is so imperative. Lastly, he talks about better health care reform, in which we have seen the Affordable Care Act change America for the better . I think all Americans need insurance so that they are being faced with higher costs for medical attention. Ambrasky's bravery to address these disparities America faces is important and should no longer be silent.

Muller- Book Blog #3

One point Abramsky made was that she hoped that the real life stories she provided give the reader a better sense of empathy towards those in poverty. I know that it did just that for me as a reader. The experienced she describes early on in the book made me realize just how many people are effected by poverty. I never truly thought about it or thought deeper into it but poverty is truly everywhere and Abramsky makes that a true point by providing the reader with each experience she had when she traveled across the country meeting individuals and families that were in poverty.

Another point made was preventative measures. Many people have low levels of education, are single parents, or struggle to pull themselves out of poverty. By providing a person with knowledge and preventative measures on how to prevent themselves from falling into poverty that could be of huge assistance to a person.

Abramsky also found that just one social welfare program or one government assistance program will not help everyone in poverty. It is clear that each situation is different and each person needs to be assisted in a different way.

Blog #3 Good people in society

In chapter two “Breaking the cycle of poverty” discuss the people that are out to help people become better. JoAnne Page a lady from the book who is an executive director from Fortune Society. She has a great heart to help people with addictions and mental illnesses. No matter how much failure they                                                                                                                                                                              have she still see the better in them. JoAnne Page said

“Where you don’t eat fresh vegetables, go to the emergency room instead of the doctor, cut your medications in half, make choices between heat and eating, your kids weigh less doing the winner. That’s poverty”.

She is right that is poverty and that is a person life. Image a single mother trying to live a positive life with that. Single mothers and other people have to make hard decision every day. JoAnne Page is doing a good cause for the people in her community. She make connection with her clients and let them know she there. Having that connection make the person feel someone is there for them. That give them hope that they can make better decision for themselves. One person that attended Fortune Society tells how they have help him. He was on drug for a very long time and was down on life. Once he came to the place he have been clean for two years. He tell how being there helped him get his life back on track. (238)

            Martha Sanchez is another lady who fight for a clean environment in the schools and community. In the area she lives in the school is in a polluted area. The children are being affected by the pollution. Children having a hard time breathing and coming home with upset stomachs. She did a lot of protecting and meetings to get changes for the school. She got the planet that was polluting the area shut down and better air for the school.  (242)

            There is the Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards that are used for low income people. These cards help families afford food for their families. The EBT card is a great benefit to people but limits do come with it. The EBT do have limits to what food people can buy. People cannot buy high brand food on the card. Example: steak and lobster. Government should allow more things to be brought on the card. Soap, tissue, and other personal things.  (236) 

Crystal Edwards

This was a really good book, it was very enlightening on various view-points of poverty. I have always been aware that there are those who are less fortunate then we are. This book was a real eye opener to the causes of poverty. One of the things I liked best about the book was how Ambrasky discussed breaking the cycle of poverty. The most successful way of doing this is through education and empowering individuals in their ability to provide for themselves and their families. There are so many families that are under privileged and they do not know how to help themselves. Through education and programs that enlighten and help individuals and families learn how to work and earn a living and how to manage their finances wisely.

I also enjoyed the many sections on helping individuals with their addictions, mental illnesses and diseases as a way to break the cycle of poverty. Ambrasky discusses JoAnne Page’s work with individuals in need. Page played a key role in many individuals’ lives through her work and dedication to helping others. Page advocated for individuals that not many were willing to sacrifice for. Page know that in order for these individuals to turn their lives around and to rise out of poverty they would need ground to stand on. This is not feasibly possible without assistance in many of these situations.

There are so many issues with poverty, reasons for poverty and effects of poverty. Poverty effects all members of a family unit in different ways. One of the issues that the book discusses was the federal poverty line. Many families that are struggling on a daily basis to make ends meet, maybe due to loss of jobs or jus tough times may not be eligible to any assistance because they make just enough to set them over the poverty line. When our children were younger it was not feasible for me to work, even though we really needed the extra income. My husband alone made enough just to put u over the limit for help with day care. Without that assistance, we could not afford for me to work at the time. This is the case for many families, not only with child care. They are hard working families trying to make ends meet are not able to and do not qualify for any help, these families are left feeling hopeless.

Ambrasky was fantastic at pointing out that most of the time poverty is not a choice. Individuals are often left with the effects of poverty due to another life altering situation. I would definitely recommend this book to those who need a greater understanding of poverty. Overall I give this book 4 stars! 

Kaila Phelps Blogger #3

On page 240, a man named David Onek talks about how there is an “importance of stopping people from going to prison in the first place.” Once someone has a record it is nearly impossible to find work. This then results in people working for their money in different ways like selling drugs and doing illegal activities. If people work hard in the beginning it will pay off in the long run.

  

On page 277, it talks about the importance of education. When living in poverty the school system will not be as advanced as a location with higher property taxes. This is something that will be challenging to fix. However, It is important to get a good education because employers like to see that it is possible to teach their new employers and that they will work hard in that type of setting.

On page 317, it talks about how we should “strengthen ourselves…as a community” This is something that I honestly believe in. When people living in a community work together it is easy to see the difference in the way people respond to certain situations. Being a strong community will also help with less crime rate. I think this happens because people are less likely to want to steal from their friends and neighbors. I think being a strong and reliable community can really improve poverty and crime rates.

blog #3 JAsmine James

This book has made me look at my family and others around me in my community and recognize some of the problems. When I was reading this book I pointed out my community issues such as, how families are depending on pantries and thrift stores to feed and clothe their child. I look at how mothers are begging for free turkeys and hams and maybe groceries at churches and community centers during the holiday times so that they can feed their families. Foreclosure signs are all over the inner city and suburban communities. While reading this book I was able to look at my community and realize that there are a lot of people living in poverty and trying to make ends meet for their family. Just reading on these subjects gave me a better view on how poverty looks.

Throughout the book Abramsky made a lot of points on what poverty looks like and how to prevent it. In the text, Abramsky makes it clear that families across the nation struggle to afford housing and other necessities. Homes in certain states have mortgages that are far too much for the family to handle and keep up with. Abramsky writes about the many reason people fall into poverty whether it be sickness, job loss, or a crash in economy everyone has a different reason. According to the text, for example, Frank Nicci, lost his leg to an infection that was due to his diabetes. His wife and he only made $20,000 a year (Abramsky, 2013, p. 113). It is sad to see that many members of today's society struggle to make ends meet. It is sad that since he is injured his money is affected because he is out of work. It’s sad to see some struggle to make enough money to pay for housing and not enough to take care of their children with food and clothes.

I found this book very informative, another piece of information I found informative was the author thinking about ways to prevent poverty. According to the author there are four major revues sources that could prevent poverty: A public works fund to protect against mass unemployment; a new educational opportunity fund to dramatically expand access to, and affordability of, higher education; A poverty mitigation fund built up from the introduction of a financial transaction tax and energy profit taxes; and Money to stabilize Social Security and start reducing the national deficit, made available from higher taxes on capital gains, high end inheritances, and the income of the most affluent of wage earners. According to the author if we are to use revenue sources we could change our expectation of society and prevent some impoverished neighborhoods.

 

 

Welcher-Miner Blog #3

On pg. 237, in the chapter titled “Breaking the Cycle of Poverty”, Ambrasky writes of a conversation with JoAnn Page, a Holocaust survivor and executive director of the Fortune Society.  Although I know relatively well (via education not experience) what side effects come with poverty, her words put it in to blunt persepective.

“Poverty is when the money that you need isn’t there and you have to make choices that compromise your health or your future or your ability to care for your family.  Where you don’t eat fresh vegetables, go the emergency room instead of a doctor, cut your medications in half, make choices between heat and eating, and your kids weigh less during the winter.  That’s poverty.”

Her work to rearrange funding to support helps to change the cycle.  As Ambrasky so often speaks, poverty is truly a situation perpetuated by the government and their lack of will to address the situation.  Compassionate people with goals and grit, those like Page, inspire me.  She is a difference maker and reading of the positive effects she has on those who walk through her doors restores some faith in humanity.    It might be in baby steps, but it takes individuals like Page to force the process and bring light to the issues relative to poverty.

In this very same chapter, Ambrasky addresses a critical issue – the state of poverty and education. 

“So long as the broader conditions limit children’s learning potential – so long as kids are homeless, coming to school hungry, living in communities broken down by drugs and gangs, attending schools so short of funds that class sizes are soaring and textbooks becoming luxury rather than a necessity – good teachers alone will not be sufficient.”

He speaks of stability in society leading to less disruption in classrooms and ultimately higher educational attainment.  Ambrasky addresses the topic of charter schools and their attempts to improve the educational settings for poorer children.  Yet, non-educational reforms will most benefit these children, especially those in deeply impoverished areas, on a more mass scale without the necessity of celebrity financial support.  Those living in poverty are at a disadvantage in every stage of the educational journey.  This is an especially alarming part of the book to me as we, the residents of Illinois, are currently struggling to make ends meet in school districts all over the state.  Faculty are losing their jobs and schools are closing down, lending to bigger classroom sizes and thus an increasingly inefficient teaching/learning environment. 

What I took away from reading this book, as a whole, is that poverty is a multifaceted problem with no single cause or single solution.  Ambrasky proposed countless policy changes and strategies, but in the big picture, we as a society are most accountable.  We must educate ourselves and accept the reality that poverty can and does happen to anyone regardless of the job they have, car they drive, or house they live in.  It can happen at any time, and it is crippling.  Ambrasky closed chapter two by writing,

“As a country we have the political tools to break both old cycles of poverty and also the new ones produced in the wake of financial collapse.  Add in a credible dose of empathy and moral imagination and indignation, and there’s no reason we couldn’t … shrink the problem of entrenched poverty.”