The rich are getting richer -- right? Steven Cunningham: Gazette News Online

[Larry]

I propose that the problem with welfare and social programs is not that they are too radical... but not nearly radical enough. I think we need to go in and break the chain by any means necessary. That includes taking children out of these situations they are born into.

And, rising from the graveyard of long-dead threads, is this one of mine that you're reminding me of.

[The Sisko]

Interesting idea Larry. But didn't we (sort of) already try centralizing all the bums, 'er poor people in one part of the city? I think they were called "projects" and they suffered from some well known problems. Heck, even many homeless people avoid homeless shelters which is also similar to what you've described.

You do get an "A" for effort though.

[Prosperity]

My 59 year old mom was feeling reflective about her own upward mobility past weekend. She noted that she didn't have indoor plumbing until she was 18 and now she has 5 toilets in her house.

People measure upward mobility differently I guess.

hmmm that's a good thought

on the other hand, I wonder what people in the future would say? Poor people (and by that i mean poverty, not "working class") have had plumbing in Baltimore for a long time. TV's too. What passive technological wealth have they gained? Smart phones?

[mardi gras skin]

I'd just like to note that mcsluggo is completely eating every else's lunch in this thread.

Which is not surprising, because he is a Phd Economist. You might want to listen to him when he discusses areas of his expertise. It beats the crud out of the anecdotal stuff some of us bring to the table.

I have no doubt that what he's saying is dead on. But the implications most people will take away from what he's saying, worked out in the lives of lower income families, doesn't necessarily follow.

As I'm reading the stats, I'm asking myself about the resources poorer people have that wealthier people don't have or are unwilling to take advantage of. How can we creatively re-think our economic situation in order to live within our means but beyond our economic status? Lower income families have the means to live a more prosperous life now than at any time in our past if we tap into the rich array of resources others take for granted.

Regarding the implications of big picture economics on the lives of poorer families, anecdotal evidence is beneficial...even necessary.

hmmm that's a good thought

on the other hand, I wonder what people in the future would say? Poor people (and by that i mean poverty, not "working class") have had plumbing in Baltimore for a long time. TV's too. What passive technological wealth have they gained? Smart phones?

Information. I've been able to transform what I spend and what I own as a result of easily accessible information.

This year, I outfitted my living room with about $7000 worth of furniture for $1000. Craigslist, online tutorials, the library, the Baltimore Restore, online discount fabrics, furniture message boards, etc. gave me access to a whole new world. I felt like Neo downloading all the information I needed to fly a helicopter...only it took a month instead of a minute. I even learned how to re-upholster a sofa and sew pillow cushions. Turns out, upholstery isn't hard, I just never had access to the information I needed before. And I've already shown several other people how to do it so they can live beyond their means too.

Similarly, information has allowed me to pay substantially less than retail for appliances, cars, a new bathroom, meals, etc. This aspect of wealth doesn't show up on my tax statement but I'm living more comfortably now on less income because part of my prosperity gains are measured in information rather than dollars.

[Baculus]

So, is Paul Ryan's budget that great?

[zoony]

And, rising from the graveyard of long-dead threads, is this one of mine that you're reminding me of.

Larry,

It is a must that you read this article.

http://www.gladwell.com/2006/2006_02_13_a_murray.html

Power-law solutions have little appeal to the right, because they involve special treatment for people who do not deserve special treatment; and they have little appeal to the left, because their emphasis on efficiency over fairness suggests the cold number-crunching of Chicago-school cost-benefit analysis. Even the promise of millions of dollars in savings or cleaner air or better police departments cannot entirely compensate for such discomfort. In Denver, John Hickenlooper, the city's enormously popular mayor, has worked on the homelessness issue tirelessly during the past couple of years. He spent more time on the subject in his annual State of the City address this past summer than on any other topic. He gave the speech, with deliberate symbolism, in the city's downtown Civic Center Park, where homeless people gather every day with their shopping carts and garbage bags. He has gone on local talk radio on many occasions to discuss what the city is doing about the issue. He has commissioned studies to show what a drain on the city's resources the homeless population has become. But, he says, "there are still people who stop me going into the supermarket and say, 'I can't believe you're going to help those homeless people, those bums.'"

[Prosperity]

Information. I've been able to transform what I spend and what I own as a result of easily accessible information.

This year, I outfitted my living room with about $7000 worth of furniture for $1000. Craigslist, online tutorials, the library, the Baltimore Restore, online discount fabrics, furniture message boards, etc. gave me access to a whole new world. I felt like Neo downloading all the information I needed to fly a helicopter...only it took a month instead of a minute. I even learned how to re-upholster a sofa and sew pillow cushions. Turns out, upholstery isn't hard, I just never had access to the information I needed before. And I've already shown several other people how to do it so they can live beyond their means too.

Similarly, information has allowed me to pay substantially less than retail for appliances, cars, a new bathroom, meals, etc. This aspect of wealth doesn't show up on my tax statement but I'm living more comfortably now on less income because part of my prosperity gains are measured in information rather than dollars.

I admit, even though I've never had a lot of money I've generally been able to buy or live where I want because I can find really good deals if I'm patient.

On the other hand, almost all that information requires reading comprehension. And while I think that literacy is probably a safe assumption for most people... I don't think it's a safe assumption for those in poverty.