Monday, April 18, 2016

Goodwin: Book Blog 3


1.              Abramsky (2013) discusses the fact that our government needs to think about our children’s future. He explains that our states need to create an account that allows for the state to set aside a certain amount of money when a child is born for higher education. Once this account is created, parents can then contribute as their child grows. The concept of this program is to encourage low-income families to educate their children about higher education, as well as begin saving money for their child’s education. I agree that this concept is a great idea, but with many state’s current economic troubles, states would struggle to come up with this extra money. However, if a tax, such as a small sales tax on a particular item was put into place this would assist with helping to create revenue. Once a source of revenue was created, the program would then be funded and I think the program would benefit all.
2.               Individuals’ suffering from homelessness is an epidemic that continues to affect many Americans each year. “A 1995 study found that three in ten of American’s homeless population had been in the foster care system at one point in time” (Abramsky, 2013, p. 267).  Based on this study, Abramsky (2013) states that we need to provide more support to children once they have aged out of the foster care system. I believe that he hit the nail on the head with this concern. When a child turns 18, they are far from being prepared to enter the real world. However, when a child is in foster care that is what may happen to them. When this occurs, they often repeat the same mistakes as their birth parents, causing them different problems, such as being homeless. If we were to take the time to provide them with the necessary support and education, we may be able to decrease their chances of making the same mistakes.
3.               Often times our government likes a quick fix when it comes to solving problems. However, a quick fix generally only puts a Band-Aid on the issues and doesn’t provide for a long-term solution. Abramsky (2013) explains that the implementation of a job-training program is needed for individuals who are out of work. By implementing such a program, individuals would be given the opportunity to learn the necessary skills required in the workplace, as well as outside of the workplace. I agree that a job-training program would be beneficial for individuals who are currently unemployed. By allowing them such an opportunity, they would be able to build their skills, allowing for them to build their resume. 

 Reference
Abramsky, S. (2013). The American way of poverty: How the other half still lives. New York, NY: Nation Books


No comments:

Post a Comment