http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/us/17poverty.html?pagewanted=2&src=un&feedurl=http://json8.nytimes.com/pages/national/index.jsonp
This article discusses the impact the recession is having on US citizens. Frankly, the statistics are frightening. There is striking amount of extreme poverty, with 1 in every 7 adults in America eligible to for food stamps. Worst still, the immense disparity of poverty is worrisome. With 9% of Whites in Poverty, while Blacks and Hispanics are at rates of 25% or more. Not only do I see the fragility of these communities, but I also see the political will to help these communities dissipating. After tax credits and unemployment extensions end, will the President, Congress, and local governments just ignore the growing problem of unemployment experienced predominantly by brown people? With weak schools, slowing job markets (with continually more layoffs), and especially high cost of living in urban areas, a federal executive order or act such as the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 need to arise to combat compounding problems.
Helga Nyanffor
Responding to Helga Nyanffor's post recession raises poverty rate to 15 year high. The poverty rate is increasing by an alarming rate with continuous layoffs, cutbacks, and smaller budgets. This post made me think about this particular situation from a management perspective. As our current president tries to tackle this devastating situation I cant help but think about how many managers are hired to clean up or change situations in organizations that seem far beyond repair. I do believe that the economy will thrive again but I also believe Barack Obama will suffer because of his predecessor. In many organization where there are problems that are deemed irreparable psychologically people have already given up hope. Even if a new manager comes in to ignite change many people develop a temporary spark. If change doesn’t happen immediately people lose hope and revert back to the feelings they had before changed was promised. It seems that nothing is getting better but it also seems that the hope that people had when Barack Obama entered office is slowly fading. Have people lost patience? What does this mean for the future of our country?
ReplyDeleteResponding to Helga Nyanffor's post recession raises poverty rate to 15 year high. The poverty rate is increasing by an alarming rate with continuous layoffs, cutbacks, and smaller budgets. This post made me think about this particular situation from a management perspective. As our current president tries to tackle this devastating situation I cant help but think about how many managers are hired to clean up or change situations in organizations that seem far beyond repair. I do believe that the economy will thrive again but I also believe Barack Obama will suffer because of his predecessor. In many organization where there are problems that are deemed irreparable psychologically people have already given up hope. Even if a new manager comes in to ignite change many people develop a temporary spark. If change doesn’t happen immediately people lose hope and revert back to the feelings they had before changed was promised. It seems that nothing is getting better but it also seems that the hope that people had when Barack Obama entered office is slowly fading. Have people lost patience? What does this mean for the future of our country?
ReplyDeleteShawnta Washington
I'm reading a book on eugenics right now (War Against the Weak by Edwin Black) for another class and it made me think of your post. Eugenics is essentially "the study of, or belief in, the possiblity of improving the quality of the human species." Apparently, even before Nazi Germany, eugenics became popoular in America. What started out as mere theory turned into the the basis for some our most disturbing policies - segregation, anti-miscegenation and racial sterilization.
ReplyDeleteEugenecists believed primarily in the "survival of the fittest" rule but they took it to another level. The original idea focused on the notion that those less educated and impoverished would eventually die out. Eugenics became a means to that end in the sense that they decided to hurry the process by working through government policies. I am by no means a conspiracy theorist so reading about this really opened a whole new set of cynicisms I have about our government. Though eugenics died out after World War II, the thinking behind it seems to remain. The policies can end but the ideas stick with us forever. Maybe that's why we have this endless cycle of disparity between rich and poor. The disparities just go from big to bigger, depending on who is in charge. I think the only hope we have is in focusing on the incremental changes in our policies that alleviate the situation. And then hopefully, in our lifetimes, we can at least see the gap close to a somewhat decent size.
Conchita Campos
This is not surprising. Companies are still downsizing and people are either too qualified or not qualified enough for jobs. I agree with previous comments that President Obama unfortunately has a lot on his plate in correcting the past corruptions made by his predecessors. It is going to be a long haul before the economy balances out if it ever does. The middle-class is definitely being hit hard. I know many people still looking for employment and with unemployment ending this month, the poverty rate is going to increase more.
ReplyDeleteVictoria Warren