On the south side of Dallas, Nena Eldridge lives in a sparse but spotless bungalow on a dusty lot. At $550 each month, her rent is just about the cheapest she could find in the city.
After an injury left her unable to work, the only income she receives is a $780 monthly disability check. So she has to make tough financial choices, like living without running water.
Every day, she fills bottles with water from a neighbor's house and takes them home. She washes her hands with water heated in an electric slow cooker. She uses a bucket to flush the toilet.
"I'm tired, but I don't have nowhere to go and I don't have enough money to do it," she says, fighting back tears. But she adds, "I'm not living on the streets. I'm not homeless."
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In America, the land of opportunity and ingenuity, there's no reason for this. We need to think outside the box to fix these problems. We take care of people around the planet but we can't figure out a way to make sure our own citizens can't live independently.
ReplyDeleteWelfare is the tarnished example of a screwed up program. As soon as someone reaches a certain income level, they "cliff" off and get no benefits. In turn, that causes the recipient to make a painful decision; stay in their home or get a job that won't meet their needs. Why not 'ween' them off while encouraging them to work and get better training. The same way we teach our kids to leave the nest. You don't wake up one day and say, ok, time to leave and get a job and pay all your own bills. You help them as they learn to help themselves.
But the current system doesn't encourage people to work.
It's not going to fix itself under the current format and it's not brain surgery.
I believe that mass government housing projects were tried many decades ago, as a matter of fact, I believe that they were referred to as "The Projects". We see what happened with that great idea. Now take that idea but instead of using 10-story high apartment complexes, spread them out in bungalow style homes and you still end up with, the projects, only this time they are not gigantic monstrosity's welcoming visitors coming into the city. These areas will turn into slums just like every other government entity designed to fix the housing inequality issues. Maybe shelters are the best way to go.
ReplyDeleteNow that the government is trying to place section 8 out into the suburbs I'm going to have to assume that the suburbanites will move to the exo-burbs.
So well said 6:53.
ReplyDeleteThe Elderly living off minimal
S.Security are definitely in
trouble .
Our Gov. is responsible for all
the Welfare recipients with children.
One child, let them get help---After that ,
stop Welfare cks. for any other children.
Providing Birth Control would help free our
Country of a Tremendous debt!!