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.