The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #99746 Message #1992412
Posted By: Bobert
10-Mar-07 - 07:22 AM
Thread Name: BS: Poverty in the USA
Subject: RE: BS: Poverty in the USA
I don't have much time this morning but would like to point out jsut a couple things for thought and Janie, having been in social work for 35 years (which I find incredulous since she doesn't look a day over 35 to me...) will remember...
One thing that came out of the Great Society and War on Poverty was federal funds for all kinds of little things... Theye were called Title XX (20) funds and they provided social workers with a menu of serices that could be purchased...
GUEST, member brought up the woman working as a secretary and had to make a choice between riding the bus or walking an hour to work and, yeah, these are the choices that we as social workers used to have resources to purchase... Under Title XX the Richmond Department of Welfare purchased bus tickets and social workers were able to furnish them to needy clients...
....some of which were very much like the WICS lady who was trying to do the right thing and hold a job but there were also physically and mentally disabled people who needed to get to appointments, treatment sessions and to rehablitation centers...
But then along came the Reagan administration and all Hell broke loose as Title XX was reeled in big time and social workers became scroungers, beggers and cab drivers... This opne change in our nation's resolve to fund programs to help the poor was the first shot fired accross the bow of folks who really had no idea how to lift themselves out of poverty...
The one Title XX program that was cut that I found most hurtfull was the "companion porvider" program where younger and more mobile clients (and non clients) were paid a few bucks to go into the homes of eledery poor and help with grocery shopping, cooking, housework, etc... This was wonderful program even though at the time the limit was 12 hours per week but those 12 hours were the difference between absolute misery and just plain misery for our elderly...
Yeah, there has been this right winged idea that money isn't the answer and I would agree that money, in itself, isn't the answer but it is part of the answer and if we are going to have a realistic discussion about poverty it is going to get around to money, folks...