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.”

Dominique Book Blog #3

The last few chapters in the book The American Way of Poverty was interesting because I never looked at the problem like they interpreted it. The first point he makes is “breaking the cycle of poverty involved finding ways to help people with their addictions, their mental illnesses, with diseases such as HIV/AIDS, and with the host of dysfunctions that pushed ever more people toward spells in jail and prison.” This stood out because I do believe if you start to help fix the serious issues in our people the other issues will suffice and the numbers will start to decrease in poverty. It’s always been said that change starts within you or within our people. To change the world you have to change yourself first.

The second point is “most complex part of the anti-poverty puzzle is about building up security, creating firewalls against re-current hardship once people have gotten educational qualifications and found employment, and ensuring those people have enough opportunity and economic security to stay out of poverty not just for a while but permanently.” I found this to be very true one who has done everything right should always be good and secure no matter what happen they shouldn’t have to worry about falling back into that poor spell when they have done everything they possibly could to get out of it. These companies should offer security of benefits even if they can’t actually secure ones position in the company.  

Lastly the last point is when someone stated “the only people who can solve poor people problems, is poor people.” I feel indifferent about this statement because other people can help (i.e. the government, social workers, community) poor people just have to be willing to take and accept that help. A lot of poor people are prideful and think they can do it on their own and don’t want anyone’s help. There’s nothing wrong with needing a little help. As long as you do what you are supposed to nobody can say they gave you anything but that you earned what you have.

TYLER STEPHENS

            At the end of page 236 and the beginning of page 237, “The American Way of Poverty” states that the idea of worker cooperatives, communally owned homes, and shops in which low income people could use government issued EBT cards not just to buy food but to purchase a host of other consumer items.  While EBT is very helpful to low income families, I still feel like EBT should also be used for other necessities such as soap, cleaning supplies, and plastic ware.   A lot of times people of low income people still aren’t able to afford these other necessities because they are so limited to resources.  EBT is a resource that should help families in all ways possible as far the basic needs.     

On page 240, “The American Way of Poverty, Onek discusses the importance of stopping people from going to prison in the first place, through more investments in anti- truancy programs so as to help troubled teens stay in school, drug treatment services.  Research shows that 40% of people in prison don’t need to be there.   I feel for teenagers that end up in jail because most of the time they act out because of the lack of guidance.   The lack of guidance leads them to substance abuse and turning to gangs to find the love they need.   Keeping teens out of jail can also save a lot of money. 

At the bottom of page 274 they discuss bettering schools generally in the communities the school operates in.   A lot of schools in the ghetto areas already lack resources within the community which produces a weak school system.  In these schools systems they most of the time get their funding from the government.  With this little money they are unable to get good books, desk and lack other school supplies.   With the unstable environment they live in they tend to produces gangs, drug trafficking, homelessness and hunger.  A lot of times students depend on school in order to eat.  While in school they are hungry and being hungry makes it hard for a lot of them to focus.   Investing more time in to making the community a better place will enhance the quality of their education.  

Book blog #3

I really enjoyed reading this book and it definitely opened my eyes on how blessed I really am. I have a lot of things that not a lot of other people have. I am able to provide for my family and children, and I am so thankful for that. In the book Joann Page talks about breaking the cycle of poverty. One thing that is mentioned is helping the children have a safe place to learn which was stated by Martha Sanchez (Ambrasky, 2013). This can be done in a variety of ways, but one of the most important ways is state funding for school programs and programs such as free tutoring or school lunches for these kids who might be under privileged.
There are a bunch of stories in this book where people explain poverty in their families and how it has affected their life. I sub teach and I see/hear it almost every time that I sub; and that it kids making fun of other kids who love in the trailer court here in town. I have heard several times making fun of those kids and telling them that they are to poor to live in a house, etc. It is really sad that kids at such young ages are getting made fun of just because they live in a trailer.
In the reading it also talked about the federal poverty line and how some families barely miss the qualifications to become eligible for welfare. My friend and her husband and went thru a time when their son got really sick and was in the hospital for 3 weeks and the husband ended up looking his job and they went to go get some help and they told him that he made $3 to much in order to get help. $3, that is it. It is so frustrating for the people who work and barely scrape by and they might need just a little help in a hard time in their life and they are told that they make $3 to much to get help for their family. And then the government wonders why so many people don't work. They don't work because for one daycare is to expensive and if they don't work they can get more state help.
The book also mentions the "do right" mission. There are people who think they have no power if they live in poverty. Unfortunately money talks and money rules the world. If you don't have money, you are not in that upper class of people and might not have the resources needed.

Reference: Ambrasky, S. 2013. The American Way to Poverty. How the other half still lives. Nation Books. New York, NY.

Savannah Regis blog 3

Savannah Regis 

Blog 3 

1. On page 277, when he begins to talk about ways to improve the classroom he makes the point that it always starts with the teachers and that really stuck with me because its true, yes, having up to date technology, books and other resources is extremely important but it starts with a teacher engaging a student. A good teacher can make a student grow and learn in way they may not thought possible. When reading this passage I thought about my math class junior year of high school. I've always considered myself bad at math and just accepted that it was something I would never be good at, I honestly just gave up. After earning a D in geometry my sophomore year I was really checked out but I had a new teacher my junior year for Algebra 2, Ms. Sweeny. She was really the first teacher to make me feel like math wasn’t something I just had to "get through" but it was something I could actually do and be good at. I struggled at different points in the semester but she always took her time and was patient with all my questions, she truly changed me as a student that year and she was only 1 of the 5 teachers I had. She made my entire year better and showed me by going in with a clear head and confidence can make all the difference. Teachers like this would be critical in impoverished communities where student confidence is not high, we need teachers to not only help and push the students but help them develop the skills to build their confidence.  

2. In the passage "Putting the Brakes on Homelessness" (266), Abramsky states that " three in ten of America's homeless population had been in the foster care system at one point" (267), and that really shows what our foster system is lacking, guidance and stability. When they turn 18 they are far from prepared to join the real world, a lot of the time they have not been given the skills to go support themselves or the education to continue on with school. I support Illinois raising the age to 21 before all benefits are cut off and think other states should join but their needs to be more job training and life skill building in our foster system to better help these kids. I have always wanted to be a foster parent because I understand what a big issue it is for the state, if I could help one or two kids by giving them a loving, stable, more permanent home I would feel like I made a difference.  

3. On page 317, Abramsky discusses how as a society we need to do more to help people in poverty and remove the stigma of living in poverty. I completely agree with that, most people would not choose to live in poverty but that is the situation they have found there self in. We should help these people build the skills to improve their life and community, we have a responsibility to help our community members. A lot of times people look at poverty and homelessness as a personal problem but it is actually a societal problem. Poverty effects everything, the economy, housing, schools, crime rates, etc. By helping people who live in poverty we will improve aspects of our own life. 
   

Cynthia Libby Blog #3

In Chapter Two, Abramsky talks about homelessness and the problem with making eighteen the cutoff age for foster care. This really intrigued me because I just wrote my policy research paper about youth homelessness and under the Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, there are some shelters that will provide assistance to those in need up until the age of 21. According to the book, one in four homeless young adults in Massachusetts had recently left foster care. My question is, how can our society expect a teenager at the age of 18 to be able to survive without health insurance, a steady job, or the maturity to act as if they are not a teenager anymore? There is a major difference between 18 and 21 in regards to maturity level. Just because someone turns 18 does not make them mentally prepared to live like an adult even though in our society when adolescents reach the age of 18 that is the marker of adulthood. Even though increasing the age in which kids can still receive benefits from foster care will not solve this crisis, it seems like a good place to start. After all, in 2011, there were almost 190,000 inmates who had a history of foster care (about 15% of state prisons) and the cost of incarcerating former foster youth was about $5.1 billion per year (Abramsky, 269). Not only is this a huge amount of money, but these inmates may have had a better chance at escaping poverty and jail if they had been able to stay on the benefits of foster care for a few years longer.

One quote that stuck out to me is on page 317. Abramsky is summing up some thoughts on breaking the vicious cycle of poverty and says, “…we need far more policy deposits in what I’ll call the empathy bank. We need a societal commitment to share the pain during hard times and a willingness to think through the long-term consequences on one’s community of not so doing.” I 100% agree with this statement, unfortunately, we live in a very selfish society. Maybe if everyone would read this book then there would be a chance we could make a big breakthrough in eliminating poverty, but otherwise, the “me first” attitude that our society tends to have is going to be hard to break. Imagine if more people could realize the power of working together as a whole rather than creating such a large divide between people.

My last thought is in regards to the entire second chapter of Abramsky’s book. While he makes extremely good points and they all make complete sense to me, I found myself a little confused and overwhelmed by all the different approaches and strategies to end poverty that he spoke of throughout the entire book. Altogether, what I took away from this chapter was that the approach to ending poverty is multifaceted and while yes, the government plays a crucial role in ending poverty, we as a society also play an arguably bigger role. Abramsky is trying to educate people about this vicious cycle in the hopes that the more knowledge we have as a society, the better chance we have to come together to end poverty. 

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

Elisa Ransom Blogger 3

I am so glad that it touched on having better schools in the communities because without better schools, our children will not have much to look forward to when it comes to education.  Stable economic environment tend to not produce gangs, street level drug markets, hunger, homelessness, and all the other daily facts of life poor kids have to navigate in their communities.  The point that Abramsky was trying to make was that without good schools in the communities problems would arise in such a way that violence would take precedence over schooling.  If schools produce a great environment for children then less things outside of school would probably happen by way of trouble.  

When Abramsky brought all the unique stories into his book explaining what poverty had done to their lives I think that was the best way to make the book come alive, otherwise I think it would have just been a book full of statistics and ratios.  Abramsky took the lives of others and allowed them to tell their stories.  Poverty is not something that is new to society.  It has been around for as long as time can remember.  Dealing with the haves and have nots is nothing new.  The issue how will we as a society combat the problem of poverty. 

The federal poverty line is somewhat hard to maintain when when your family is only dollars away from qualifying for welfare.  on page 148 Abramsky talks about how families who do manage to qualify for welfare just simply can not raise a family up to the poverty line because the cash assistance is just not enough to help get them there.  the government wants people to get off of welfare but only assists them to live meagerly from paycheck to paycheck not allowing them be able to stand up on their own two feet.  Many people who are poverty based will work but when the jobs are only paying minimum wage this forces them to fall short and have to depend on the government to assist them in their daily living situation.

Stephanie Flier Blog Post #3

Stephanie Flier

Blog Post #3

On page 317 Abramsky discusses the fact that we as a community need to strengthen ourselves in order to help our most vulnerable. I couldn’t agree more with Sasha in these few short sentences! I completely understand why we go out of our way to help various other countries, because in the end they have resources to offer us as well. However, I feel that there is another way to make a difference in other countries without ignoring the fact that we need the resources just as much right here on our own soil. I will continue to wish for a world where there aren’t starving and homeless children on American streets, as well as all across the world.

On the last few pages of the book Abramsky really touches on the fact that we now know the problem, however if we chose to turn a blind eye and not act, that is simply our own stupidity. Sasha says that we now know what it wrong, as well as how to repair it, we just need to take action. I honestly don’t have much to comment on with these statements, only because I fully agree! As the richest country in the world, there HAS to be something else we can do!

Another section that really caught my attention was when Abramsky mentioned that million dollar companies could help the poverty stricken situation. I feel that they could offer small jobs to people that are willing to work, possibly donate left over goods, or even services, and then possibly provide them with benefits. Also, big companies such as hospitals could set various days throughout the year where they offer services at a very low cost or for free. I have a hard time believing that one day a month, or year offering free or discounted services would do anything negative for these multimillion dollar companies. After reading and reflecting on this book, I feel that as a nation there is entirely too much that we aren’t doing to better our economy.