Various gov'ts have tried the same thing and it has mostly failed, because the gov't has not a clue on how to build and maintain those complex's. There is no reason why each unit needs to cost $425,000 per. Good housing can be built for a fraction of that cost. Crime infested hell hole ? Yep. You're correct, BUT that is due largely because of a lack of proper security measures and a nearly complete lack of control of who is living in those places. Good clean, safe housing can be built and MAINTAINED , but the gov't does not know how to go about it. It takes a team of professionals who specialize in running large complex's.
How about people go to work and provide for their own housing and security? I think that's a proven system that works a lot better than one in which the government takes from those who do work and gives to those who do not, while those who do not sit around and complain that they need more.
Well, lets take a look at those adults who are working full time at a minimum wage job. I see some adults working at fast food places because that is the only job they can get. They generally are the "sweepers and cleaners" not the cashiers. I know of an older woman who obviously has arthritis in both hands and it looks to me like she is in pain. She is doing the best she can with her limited abilities. My heart breaks for her. she is exactly the kind of person who the gov't should help.
So what did you use for money while you were in the Orient (China? Thailand?) for those 7 years.? How many single moms with 3 kids did you help? As for information on the homeless, its all out there. For example, Florida has the 3rd highest homeless population in America, with >27k homeless. One old study (2014) estimated that each homeless person cost the state about $31k. As for the high number of homeless in California, one hard and fast rule of human nature is that what ever you reward, you will get more of. So all the efforts made out there to coddle the homeless simply attracts more homeless. About 1/3 of all the homeless in America are in California. It's in the news! And of course, you are also an expert on construction and h btw, greed isn't about how many cars you have or don't have, or about how large or small your home might be. Greed is contributing nothing and expecting to receive more and more in return from people who earned it. Warren Buffett is one of the richest men in America, and has given away $51 Billion since 2006. Yet you would say he is greedy because he has so much. I would say he is one of the most generous and compassionate people in the world. Finally, less than 2% of workers earn the federal minimum wage.
I never suggested that I had much money while living in Asia. I could take care of my basic needs, rent, food elec etc etc. However, I did help one person who had a child. And, I regularly also bought food for some street urchins. Not much I grant you but I did feel good about it. One youngster I particularly recall was dashing in and out of KFC to grab leftovers . His pals took that food and then kicked him to the ground. I had one of the waiters bring him inside and I bought him a full meal. I had the waiter explain to him that he must eat it all and not take any of it outside.
Not really; it's not your business and I don't believe in boasting about charity. My husband and I donate to various charities and belong to volunteer organizations. Most recently we are supporters of MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.
WOW ! Really ? That's amazing. that equals $ 720/wk. If I was not disabled, and deaf, I'd come out of retirement for that wage.
Now that is down right silly. Rubbing two sticks together to make fire ? Oh, please, give me a break. Definitely don't need furniture ? You don't consider a bed to be a need ? A tooth cavity is not life threatening , but it can become so if it gets abscessed. Skin cancer can usually be handled easily IF it is caught early. BUT, if a person waits and waits it can be deadly. Medical/dental care is a need. What you are actually proposing is that some folks should live like cavemen.
This is interesting to me because I've been eating inside at McD's regularly for the past 2 weeks. Watch the employees involved in serving customers (Crew Members). They seem to work nonstop. Average McDonald's hourly pay in our town (2023) ranges from approximately $8.62 for Cashier to $11.20 per hour for Crew Member. There are 4 McD's here and there are 5 crew member positions listed open right now. Most McDonald's restaurants are franchises, who have the ability to set their own prices independently from Corporate. I imagine the cost of living is a lot higher in Maine than in Georgia.
So, to recap, you have never done much of anything to help others, spent what you did have living the high life (or maybe the low life) in Asia, lived in Mexico, thereby avoiding US taxes, and started this thread to complain about how folks who do the most should do more. Got it.
We’re talking about two different things. I am talking about what it takes to survive as a biological being, the true, basic necessities of life. You are talking about what things civilized people “need “ in their day to day lives. Those are two very different things. One is based on biological life, the other is based on cultural norms.
Almost all of the stores that we go to have help wanted signs out, and some of the stores are only open part time now. The IHOP is some days open until 1-2 pm, some days closed completely, and the Hardee’s closes at 2 every day, and hour later for drive through. And if you get there even close to that time, they refuse service. I think that Richard has no idea how many of the large and well-known companies in America are now shutting their doors and going bankrupt, mainly because of the economy and people can’t afford to buy as much anymore. Taxing the company even more will only make everything worse, and the more companies that shut down, the fewer people will have jobs. Even the giants, like Amazon and Walmart are closing some of their stores and warehouses.
To switch things up a bit, one of the biggest arguments for higher employee wages is how much upper echelon people like some CEO’s make. People gasp and get angry when they hear that a CEO is knocking down a million + a year whilst they make a paltry $10 or whatever per hour. In truth, the average employee doesn’t have the experience, knowledge nor wants to go through what that manager, owner or CEO has had to go through to get where he or she is in life. It’s a given that there are some folks who could fall into a barrel of crap and come out holding a hundred dollar bill but those are the exception because most people who have stuff are those who put forth the effort and are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they have. To me, legitimate personal accomplishments shouldn’t come with an after the fact price tag. If a person goes through the lengths it takes to succeed, then there shouldn’t be anyone or a government there telling that person what he or she has to do with the benefits of their success. If they not only do the work and yes, use every loop-hole that is legally available to them to keep more of what they earned, more power to ‘em! Now, all that said, a politician who goes into office with a few thousand in his or her bank account and comes out 4-6 years later with a few million; that’s greed. Matter of some thought, every bit of money over what a politician’s salary is supposed to be whilst in office should be taken and used for veteran and homeless initiatives.