Week 14: Immigration

A couple weeks ago the streets surrounding Georgia State campus rang with the sounds of  militant protest. The march stopped abruptly on Courtland Street where the police turned car around and blocked the street. According to GSU's Signal 7 students were arrested - even worst that they were illegally residing in the United States. The protest, "Undocumented & Unafraid," challenged the House Bill 87 which sought for a restrictive, Arizona-like immigration reform.


Who do you think is poor(US & Globally) ? *Why are people poor(US & Globally)?
What is being done about poverty?      * What should be done?

Immigrants and refuges leave their county some by will and some by force, but all with the common goal for a better life. Unfortunately better lives do not reach all.  Many, if not most-all, immigrants and refuges in the US  and abroad suffer from poverty. Especially due to racism and prejudice that is subjected them by the indigenous population. Undocumented workers are forced to accept low "under-the table" wages. As we discussed earlier in the semester, low wages branch into every aspect of life from food to health benefits, transportation and more. 

Here in Georgia the consequences for being a undocumented alien are more severe according to HB 87 that passed the Senate a few days ago. Legislation for immigration is at the hands of the federal government which is why states like Arizona and Georgia will/ might find their bills overturned as unconstitutional. Conversely, President Obama has a more inclusive concept on how to combat immigration including addresses Mexico to mitigate the problems that cause Mexicans to flee to the US.  President Obama also signed the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization(CHIP) Act, which now has a provision that will include legal immigrant children. 

An all-inclusive overalhaul of immigration is needed. One that considers the needs of all included. For years America has been able to accommodate immigration, however prejudice and unjust the policies have been.   So far no policy has been able to resolve the problem of accepting immigration in a better way than our ancestors. Americans have created this stigma about illegal immigrants: that they are taking  jobs from citizens, that they drive down wages, and take welfare benefit. These myths are constantly circulated, and there must be truth to combat these lies. 

Week 12: Housing & Community Development

Who do you think is poor(US & Globally) ? *Why are people poor(US & Globally)?
What is being done about poverty?      * What should be done?

Housing should only consume 1/3 of a person's income.But people can spend up to 90% of their income on housing. Sadly people can literally go broke paying their rent or mortgage.  The government attempted to resolve this housing problem by creating public housing. the legislation passed provided grants for cities that could create affordable housing. Atlanta was actually the first city to create affordable housing projects. Conversely, Atlanta was the first city to completely raze all its housing projects. With funding from the Hope VI grant, many cities were able to revolutionized affordable housing. The grant allowed cities to destroy their current project housing and construct mixed-income housing. For instance Atlanta built Capitol Gateway, Auburn Glen, and Centennial Place, mixed income houses that offer section 8 recipients the opportunity to live among a diverse culture of residents. 

The former structure for families to be eligible for assistance was that they must have an income less that 60% of Atlanta’s MSA median income. When a family that is eligible for assistance accrues an income of 140% above the allowable income for eligibility they will be required to either move or pay market value.  I believe that structure can lead to a disincentive for families to maximize their income, and the restrictions of unemployment and conduct codes may not adequately minimize any disincentives to progress financially. The initial design of these mixed income houses was to create an environment where families are distanced from concentrated poverty and surrounded by varied socio-economic statuses, this would allow for estimated financial, social, and economic progression.



Some apartments accept rent on a sliding scale, that allows residents to pay rent based on their income. I feel that allowing people to pay rent propotionate to their earnings, allows them the independence to pay their rent with their own earnings but have the ability to live within their means.



 

Week 11: Social Security

Social Security began under Roosevelt's New Deal, and was like an assurance to
Basically it was a scam to make people feel safer. The average life expectancy for men was 58 years old and 62 for women. Social Security was only  intended to support a small number of citizens, but as we saw a rise in technological and medical advances people began to live longer and healthier lives. The disparity between the the  number of workers to the number of beneficiaries grew. This ,thereby, made Social Security further and further unsustainable.

Table 1: Life Expectancy for Social Security
Year Cohort Turned 65	Percentage of Population Surviving from Age 21 to Age 65		Average Remaining Life Expectancy for Those Surviving to Age 65
	Male	Female	Male	Female
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990	53.9 56.2 60.1 63.7 67.8 72.3	60.6 65.5 71.3 76.9 80.9 83.6	12.7 13.1 13.2 13.8 14.6 15.3	14.7 16.2 17.4 18.6 19.1 19.6

Table 2: Americans Age 65  or Older 1880-1990
Year	Number of Americans Age 65 or Older
1880 1890 1900 1910 1920 1930 1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000	1.7 million 2.4 million 3.0 million 3.9 million 4.9 million 6.7 million 9.0 million 12.7 million 17.2 million 20.9 million 26.1 million 31.9 million 34.9 million

Who do you think is poor(US & Globally)? & Why are people poor(US & Globally)?
 
 Senior citizens and people who live on fixed incomes are in a precarious predicament that leaves them dependent on the stipends a checks they expect to receive. Senior citizens receiving Social Security checks, etc. have to create a budget that allows them to live comfortably without sacrificing food or their health. The problem is that often the checks and other subsidies are not sufficient to live. Unexpected situation arise hospital bills or housing problems or anything that can disrupt the budget.

What is being done about poverty?
Recently President Obama announced the Recovery Act which was a one time distribution of $250 for retirees and people with disabilities. Programs such as Social Security are in effect to subsidize and facilitate seniors and disabled citizens who are unable to work and maintain a living. Pension are also available to some workers who have contributed to receive monies after they retire. Pensions are wrought with problems including, and mainly because, companies will leave the accounts unfunded, accountants responsible for maintaining the accounts steal or mismanage funds, and other disastrous situations. 
What should be done?
Social Security benefits are extremely mismanaged. There have been consistent cost of living adjustments (COLAs) for beneficiaries when there has not been an increase to contributions. Take away the income cap that allows a person earning $97,500 to contribute the same amount as a person making $500,000 a year. People with enormous earnings a year most likely have a 401k as well as other forms of investment that can rely on to survive are retirement. As stated in this weeks lesson,  COLAs were reduced by .5% or 1% a year then over half of the problems with social security could be resolved.

 

Session 10: HealthCare

America has one of the worst healthcare systems among developed countries, yet there is little done to counteract the issue. 28.6% of young adults (aged 18- 24 years ) and 26.5% (aged 24-35). With there being a healthcare options for the children and elderly, there is little coverage for the other ages. Healthcare insurance is not cheap, we realized that during the research for the budget analysis program. Countries like Canada, France, and especially Sweden have amazing health benefits. Comprehensive plans that ensure the well-being of the entire population. Although plans like those in countries require higher taxes and greater contributions from the population. 
Who do you think is poor(US & Globally)?


Why are people poor(US & Globally)?


What is being done about poverty?


What should be done?

Week 8: Policy Responses to Poverty: Social Welfare and Tax Policies

1)Who do you think is poor, both in the United States and globally?
&
2)Why do you believe people are poor in the United States and globally?

The poor are the people who qualify for and who are below the United States poverty line. Based on the findings from the PowerPoint it is obvious that the Welfare Reform of 1996 left more people in poverty if not leaving people in far worse condition than when they were receiving benefits. The US poverty line does not adequately encompass the entire poverty class.




3)What do you think is being done about poverty (e.g., specific policies and programs in the United States and globally) and how well do you think poverty is being addressed?

EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit), Food Stamps, TANF(Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) are a few programs that were created to provided assistance to low income families. I think the EITC is a great way to get money back to families, but it does not address their day-to-day struggles and only provides assistance once a year. Also people who do not know how to best manage their finances will not allocate their monies efficiently. Food Stamps give families what the poverty line is based on... groceries. The problem with Food Stamps is that they just recently included a healthy option for food such as fresh fruits. I feel like these programs are a starts and possibly a bandage that only elongate the problem.


4)What do you personally think should be done about poverty in United States and globally (e.g., specific private and government policies, programs, etc. that you would recommend)?


I think there ought to be more focus on financial literacy. Places like Check Cashing stores, Title pawns, rent-to-own stores often lead to financial destruction.

Week 6: Poverty & Wages

Last year I went to the capitol with the women's rights organization 9 to 5. Our reading for the week used findings from  the same 9 to 5. At the capitol we wrote letters to our legislatures about the minimum wage and how it cannot provide a living wage for hardworking Americans.

From this week's discussion I saw the real minimum wage needed for a family based on how many/ how old the members in the family. When you take those numbers and include the gap between the richest 30% and poorest 30%, there is a great disparity for people who have and have-not. In communities where there are less people with disposable income, there is most likely a correlation to lower pay, longer work hours, and less time with family. The minimum wage has a direct correlation to lifting people from poverty. If the bottom 30% of people in America have an average disposable income of 11% there is little room for savings, donations, and time contributions to the community. As we learned in our budget projects, workers and especially workers with families must make hard decisions and are sometimes in lose-lose situations.

Who do you think is poor, both in the United States and globally?"

Based on this week' reading people who make the minimum and below thw minimum wage can be classfied as poor. For instance a waitress making $2.13 an hour is generally unable to salvage enough tips to make a decent living. Gloabally women a generall poorer due to lack of education, lack of access to jobs, and if employed lower wages.

"Why do you believe people are poor in the United States and globally?"

Based on the reading the system that supports a federal minimum wage that is unsustainable to a decent living created a cycle of poorer communities.

What do you think is being done about poverty, and how well do you think that poverty is being addressed?

There are too few organizations addressing this problem for instance 9 to 5 and others

What do you personally think should be done about poverty in the United States and globally?

In our readings we discussed the fact and myth about raising the minimum wage and how it will promote self sufficiency among Americans.

Below is:
* a diagram of the United States and which states pay above, below, and level with the minimum wage.
* a diagram based on the 2008  presidential elections for Democratic and Republican states
* a digram outlining the richest and poorest states.

Observing which state are politically Democratic or Republican, there seems to be a connection between a state's political ideology and their stance on minimum wage. For instance, states that are recognizably Democrat like California and Maine pay more than the minimum wage. Where in Republican states like Georgia and Alabama, the minimum wage is less or none. Also a correlation between the states with money and their minimum wage rates.

 

	States with minimum wage rates higher than the Federal		States with no minimum wage law
	States with minimum wage rates the same as the Federal		States with minimum wage rates lower than the Federal
	American Samoa has special minimum wage rates http://www.dol.gov/whd/minwage/america.htm http://godlesspaladin.wordpress.com/2010/08/10/liberal-states-vs-conservative-states-which-are-better/ Showing latest available data.  Click on a region to zoom in and then mouseover to view state names.  Show map full screen Legend:   23 11     0 -21 (No data) Rank   States   Amount   # 1   Vermont: 22.67  # 2   New Hampshire: 21.4  # 3   Massachusetts: 18.69  # 4   Minnesota: 16.3  # 5   Maine: 16.06  # 6   Iowa: 14.57  # 7   Utah: 14.19  # 8   Hawaii: 13.71  # 9   Nebraska: 12.82  # 10   Connecticut: 12.63  # 11   North Dakota: 11.47  # 12   Rhode Island: 10.51  # 13   Washington: 9.87  # 14   Wisconsin: 8.07  # 15   Kansas: 7.85  # 16   New Jersey: 7.71  # 17   Virginia: 6.74  # 18   California: 6.51  # 19   Oregon: 5.92  # 20   Idaho: 5.42  # 21   Pennsylvania: 5.33  # 22   South Dakota: 5.29  # 23   Michigan: 3.73  # 24   Indiana: 3.33  # 25   Montana: 3.19  # 26   Ohio: 3.12  # 27   Colorado: 1.61  # 28   West Virginia: 1.23  # 29   Maryland: 0.77  # 30   Wyoming: -0.19  # 31   New York: -0.64  # 32   Kentucky: -0.86  # 33   North Carolina: -1.03  # 34   Illinois: -1.17  # 35   Delaware: -1.49  # 36   Missouri: -2.89  # 37   Alaska: -4.98  # 38   Tennessee: -5  # 39   Arizona: -5.78  # 40   Arkansas: -5.93  # 41   Alabama: -9.97  # 42   Georgia: -10  # 43   South Carolina: -10.63  # 44   Florida: -11.21  # 45   Texas: -11.85  # 46   Oklahoma: -12.07  # 47   Nevada: -13.37  # 48   New Mexico: -17.69  # 49   Mississippi: -18.43  # 50   Louisiana: -20.95  Weighted average:

Week 2: Poverty in the US

It is not new news that African American and Hispanic Americans are historically far more impoverished than their American counterparts.


Lets compare:
Non Hispanic White adults in 2005 8.3% (16.2 million)

Non-Hispanic White Children in poverty in 2005 was 9.0%

African Americans in 2005 was 24.9% (9.2 million people)

African American Children in poverty in 2005: 34.2% (3.7 million) 

Hispanic population in 2005 was 21.8% (9.4 million people)

Hispanic Children in poverty in 2005: 27.7% ( 3.9 million)

Look at the substantial difference between the percentages between Whites, Blacks, and Hispanics.

It makes me wonder how historically it is harder for a minority to overcome prejudices and stereotypes. It is harder to get a job, maintain a job, or be perceived in a positive light. 

Based on some of the finding in the video, I think poverty can be caused by circumstance. Think about Imminent Domain and how it displaces residents. From the late1950s to the 1970s a state issued order for low-income Atlanta residents to move from their houses. http://album.atlantahistorycenter.com/store/Advanced_Search.aspx?g=Buttermilk%20Bottom

Razing mostly African American communities, the city of Atlanta was essentially built on the back of poor residents who were seen as disposable. As history repeats itself, Atlanta just recently razed all of it's public housing without any solid plan to relocate all the residents. I feel like poorer communities are often ignored and overlooked, though there are programs in place to subsidy income, food, education, and childcare. I recommend more programs that offer self-motivation, self-reliance, and empowerment. I am a Public Policy major at the Andrew Young School, and we study the effects of public mobilization to empower a community.

MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOALS

•               End Poverty
             and Hunger
  
•             Universal              Education
•             Gender
  Equality
•                  Child
      Health
•            Maternal
   Health
•              Combat
  HIV/AIDS
•            Environmental Sustainability
•           Global Partnership

Global Goals to fight poverty

There are 8 United Nations Millennium Development Goals are planned to be reached by 2015. 

_________________________________________________________________________

1)      Who do you think is poor, both in the United States and globally?

Based on this weeks discussion minorities in America are stastically  poorer. Especially when women are heads of households. I  believe this trend is based on the historical principles of white supremecy and the well-maintained status quo. Affirmative Action is a law that states that  when candidates are being reviewed the candidate who has historically been disadvantage get an advantage. The fact that a law was enacted to level the playing field further proves the historical imbalance between the minorities and the majority. Between jobs, housing, and quality of education I feel that racial identities and discrimination play a major factor in contributing to the amount of poor people in America.

Globally there is poverty among third world countries developing nations and even in developed countries. Just a moment ago I viewed a commercial for ChildFund,  an organization that distrubutes donor-funds

2)      Why do you believe people are poor in the United States and globally?

  
 I believe a good majority of people are poor due to factors such as generational poverty, lack of quality educational,and the minimum wage pay rate. A proper and throurough education is the foundation for becoming succesfull in life. When students drop out of high school, their chances for success drop drastically.Also the likelihood that they will have children at a young age and out of wedlock. This can lead to a cycle of generational poverty if a young mother or father with no  proper education then their is a ability to sustain an decent living.

Globally people are poor because corrupt governments rob their citizens of a decent living. In third world countries

3)      What do you think is being done about poverty (e.g., specific policies and programs in the United States and globally) and how well do you think poverty is being addressed?

Welfare food, food stamps, TANF, and even the HOPE scholarship are instances where the government attempts to level the field for poor individuals and their families. The HOPE Scholarship proves as a perfect example of government assistance gone awry.HOPE started as a scholarship that would provide children of low-income families the opportunity to  

4)      What do you personally think should be done about poverty in United States and globally (e.g., specific private and government policies, programs, etc. that you would recommend)?

 I think the US government should focus on education to ensure that high school graduates can at least obtain a decent job. I think less attention should be concentrated on the prison system, but instead on reforming mentalities because felons and people with a criminal record are less likely to find a job with a livable wage or any job at all.