Portland, Oregon

Portland, Oregon

Wednesday, June 8, 2016

Mr Peppermint


Bob is addicted to soft peppermint puffs.  The source where we've always purchased them quit carrying them so he's been without, and not happy about it. Daughter ordered a big bag of them and they arrived yesterday. He's a happy camper again.
_____________________________________________

This week we went to Walmart Grocery on Monday especially to get one thing. I put that item on his list and he failed to put any in his basket.

Yesterday we went to Costco.

Today we have to repeat Walmart to get what he forgot on Monday.
_____________________________________________

He's actually been feeling a little better this week. Seems to have a little more energy and be a little sharper mentally. This is good.
______________________________________________

House Speaker Ryan is scheduled to reveal what he hopes will be the GOP plan for dealing with poverty in America, that pesky problem that keeps buzzing around Congress like a singing mosquito.

Do you have poverty in your family? Bob is from a very large family with a number of incidents of poverty.

On purpose I am writing this post BEFORE I'm exposed to Speaker Ryan's plan. If his plan can solve the following situations I'm all for it. Think about these examples as you ponder his plan.

1) Sister-in-law. Widow with only husband's Social Security as income. She's just moved into a government assisted apartment. She is a case of living breathing poverty. Tell me Speaker Ryan where does she fit in your plan?

2) Nephew. Never did well in school and eventually dropped out of school. Dropped out of several attempts to get GED. He's working. He mows yards for a living. No health insurance. No money for dental care. Bunks with guys in same shape. He's probably 50 now. Job training is not likely to work in his case. He has no money to prepare for his retirement years. If he gets chronically ill who pays? What happens as he ages? He is a case of living breathing poverty. Tell me Speaker Ryan, where does he fit in your plan?

3) Niece. Two terms in prison, many times through county detention center for drug addiction. She's 52 now and clean at the moment. Looking hard for a job but has no job skills and no employment history. No jobs are available because of her lengthy record. No health insurance, and no chance of preparing financially for her retirement years. How does she get food, shelter, and clothing? Speaker Ryan, do you have a job for her? She is a case of living breathing poverty. Tell me Speaker Ryan, where does she fit in your plan?

4) Niece (age 24). Mentally challenged, hearing impaired, has experienced two kidney transplants. What job do you have in mind for her? She is a case of living breathing poverty. Tell me Speaker Ryan, where does she fit in your plan?

It's one thing to walk the hallowed halls of Congress far far away, secure in the knowledge poverty is caused by lazy people who don't want to work. It's another thing to live and work with poverty. It can't always be solved with a job. It can't always be solved with money. Poverty is extremely complex. Please don't paint it as simple.

16 comments:

  1. Love your list of questions for Speaker Ryan. Am I wrong, didn't he cancel that speech because he thought he'd have to answer questions about Trump's teleprompter speech on Tuesday night?

    You are so right about the fact that more jobs can't solve the poverty problem. Some people are simply not employable, even if they look that way on paper. And let's face it, programs to help some of them get employable cost far more than it does to just give them them a bare bones of existence. One size doesn't fit all when it comes to helping the poor. Our country also doesn't seem to want to put any money into early intervention for mental health issues and drug abuse which could make a huge difference.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I could go on and on about the poverty cases in Bob's family. Most of these people are good people. They're not lazy people who don't want to work. One of the hardest cycles to break is that spiral of multiple generations of poverty. Bob had a wonderful step mother who came from generations of dirt poor poverty but good people. She had two children by Bob's dad. The girl made it. She had what it took to rise above her situation. The boy did not. Even taking him out of that environment and getting him a good job didn't do it. He went right back into that community of generational poverty.

      Education is the key I think but if the parents have no vision for their children how to we accomplish educating them? Bob is a twin, we had two children, his twin had two children, we never let our kids think there was another option to college. They never let their children think college was an option. The drug addicted niece I mention in the post is their daughter. His brother wanted his kids to get jobs and work. He thought education was a waste of time and money.

      Delete
    2. I agree. Education is important but family support of early childhood learning through college is not to be under rated like your brother-in-law did. Very sad.

      Delete
  2. I like those peppermint puffs myself. I may just have to order some and keep them in my stash. :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Good old Amazon to the rescue.

      Delete
    2. Yeah, I ordered a bag they sounded so good!

      Delete
  3. You certainly have a handle on this issue. There are many issues that get people into serious problems.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Poverty is an insidious problem that's incredibly difficult to deal with. It was such a problem for us with Bob's twin and his family. They made so many bad choices. Money just didn't solve the problem. I get really irritated when I hear government officials assuming poor people are just lazy and don't want to work. I also question when I hear people say they can get a job doing something. That's true but likely not paying enough to get them out of poverty but enough to stop any benefits they're currently receiving.

      Delete
  4. You and Bob have a very thoughtful and attentive daughter. I'm sorry to hear about the poverty issues in your family, life is hugely challenging for so many.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I'm pleased to be able to say our daughter is incredibly thoughtful and attentive. Don't know what we'd do without her. She is incredibly attached to her dad.

      Delete
  5. I was not aware of peppermint puffs.
    your poverty scenarios are troubling. It is easy to write people like these off as deadbeats. But when you put a name and a face to poverty it becomes personal and heart wrenching.
    WE dealt with generational poverty in our students families where I taught. You are correct about it being a very complex problem. Like I often say, if you hear someone say a solution to a complex problem is simple, they don't know what they are talking about.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As always I get my hackles up when I hear Republicans discussing their antipoverty plans because they're always bottom line about money. Success can only be measured in terms of money. They seem to see no faces to poverty.

      Delete
  6. My husband was partial to the peppermint candies -- not sure if they're called puffs. I still have a whole supply of them a decade or more old now, as I've not disposed of them. Don't even know if they'd be edible now.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That might be a good place for you to begin downsizing, or decluttering. Fun reading you still have a supply a decade later.

      Delete
  7. Sorry, but I have to ask...are you sure he forgot the item at Walmart? Or does he have a sneaky plan for getting that extra trip?

    I think few families are immune to the virus that is poverty. I have been wondering how Ryan will address some of these issues. It is certainly not a simple fix. Racism needs to be confronted as part of the solutions and social justice. i will give him a point for talking about it at all though.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I don't put anything past Bob. That man can lie with such a straight face you can't help but believe him. You'd think I'd be able to figure that out after 54 years but no, I'm never sure.

      Poverty is something nobody wants to put a face on. It makes all of us uncomfortable, some more than others. The fact is it's a measure of our society and nobody wants to think about that. It's extremely frustrating to work with poverty. The failures are many but we must not stop trying.

      Delete