G,

I hear your voice on this thread as rational and compassionate. I hear that you are genuinely interested in ways for people to be empowered. As I said above, I absolutely agree with you that education and training are very important pieces of any policy designed to minimize poverty. I don't think you accept that full-employment, if that were possible, would not end poverty, or that many poor people work, work hard and work full-time. They work in necessary jobs that will never pay well. I don't think you understand that many people can not work.


I do not expect that government can solve all of this. I don't think there are ideal solutions. I think that we as individuals and as communities of people must also be responsible for ourselves and for others.

And I also think that over the last 25 years, our public policies have continued to tip too far in the direction of the haves. I don't think there is balance now. We are not taking care of our own. We are not helping our own be able to care better for themselves.

Anger is a natural reaction to suffering.

The pendulum swings. It needs to swing back the other way now.

Janie