whenhiphopdrovethebigcars said:Is it only my last paragraph, your actual quote, that you didn?t agree with, I can live with that
If it makes you happy to believe this, that is fine with me
whenhiphopdrovethebigcars said:Is it only my last paragraph, your actual quote, that you didn?t agree with, I can live with that
whenhiphopdrovethebigcars said:Yes it does and that?s fine with me too
edited to say I was referring to your post before of the last one, so yes it makes me happy and now good night (curtain)
whenhiphopdrovethebigcars said:"The poorest Americans have TV sets, microwave ovens, and cars."
Wrong. When I was in America last time, I saw people living on the streets, sleeping under bridges. They neither have the power plug for a microwave oven, let alone a T.V.
zonelistener said:
I did not read your whole post...so I am just going to get into this statement (I feel honesty is always the best practice).
Outside of the homeless you may have seen on the streets, this statement can be seen as fairly truthful.
I did some mission work in Mississippi and Alabama in college. We went to a really rural Alabama town - roughly about an hour away from any potential jobs. We were "winterizing" this one trailer home...and despite having no job, they had a TV with "The Price is Right" on in the background.
As we moved the cooler to get at a window, cockroaches and other assorted pests ran for their lives.
"Johnny, who is are next contestant?"
We winterized the windows, and decided to spend some time with the two toddlers of the house. One was lucky to have a dirty cloth diaper, the other only had a t-shirt.
"...And sarah, what is your bid on the bedroom set?"
"one dollar, bob."
The children were eating what was left of chicken breast, more or less nibbling at the bone marrow. The chicken was provided to this community by a butcher who took his "day old" meats, and donated it to these two nuns who helped the community.
"It's time for the shocase showdown..........."
God Bless America
Third World Country
anitram said:Or the social equality that makes sure a kid in Birmingham has the same education as one in Beverly Hills?
U2Bama said:I have heard of those two nuns down in South Alabama; they also facilitate health care services for many of the poor residents in, I think, Lowndes County.
~U2Alabama
U2Bama said:The BIRMINGHAM NEWS has done a good series on the region, known as "The Black Belt" because of the rich soil in the area. Here is the link:
http://www.al.com/specialreport/birminghamnews/?blackbelt.html
Since that report was completed, we have learned that help is on the way; Senator Jeff Sessions, a Republican from Alabama, and Senator Zell Miller, a Democrat from Georgia, have succesfull pushed legislation through to provide health care assistance and other aid to the poorest citizens of the region, along with funding for newe roads that will hopefully lead to more industry (Hyundai is building a plant there as we speak) and thus more jobs.
More recently, the Republican Governor of Alabama, Bob Riley, and the Democratic Governor of Mississippi, have teamed up to pass en economic initiative for the area, bringing more jobs and hopefully improving the quality of life. Let's hope it works; it's needed. This is the part of the South where the high rate f HIV infections are coming from.
Dreadsox said:
It is nice to see that partisan politics does not always get in the way of progress.
Dreadsox said:It is nice to see that partisan politics does not always get in the way of progress.
melon said:
They don't want real solutions. They just want some feel-good band-aid that looks good for the newspapers and fails in reality. That's because people thrive in elitism. How would Beverly Hills feel if Compton had the same quality schools? People say they want equality, but when it comes to actually doing something to attain it, they steadfastly oppose it.
In terms of equality in school funding, states could easily gather funds at the state, rather than local level, and distribute per-pupil funds evenly. But, after all, that would mean that rich Beverly Hills would be no better or worse in funding than poor South Central LA. And how could we live with ourselves if we weren't better than somebody?
Melon
melon said:
They don't want real solutions. They just want some feel-good band-aid that looks good for the newspapers and fails in reality. That's because people thrive in elitism. How would Beverly Hills feel if Compton had the same quality schools? People say they want equality, but when it comes to actually doing something to attain it, they steadfastly oppose it.
In terms of equality in school funding, states could easily gather funds at the state, rather than local level, and distribute per-pupil funds evenly. But, after all, that would mean that rich Beverly Hills would be no better or worse in funding than poor South Central LA. And how could we live with ourselves if we weren't better than somebody?
Melon
U2Bama said:
The current Governor made it a platform topic even before he announced his candidacy that Alabama's tax structure is immoral due to the burden it places on the poorest Alabamians and that the same tax structure does not apply education dollars where they are need the most int he poorer districts.
Why would he be doing this for a photo op or feel good measure if, right now, just over 6 months into his administration, he is pretty much DOOMED from being re-elected because of an unpopular tax reform plan? If I have ever seen a politician who wants REAL SOLUTIONS at the expense of pop appeal, it is Governor Riley. Guess what? Two chairmen of the State Republican Party, (the past chair and the current chair), have opposed his plan; the chairman of the state Democratic Party, a former U.S. Prosecutor, fully SUPPORTS the Governor's plan; the Business Council of Alabama supports it; Alabama Power Company supports it; Alabama Arise, a lobbying/advocacy group for the state's poor, supports it; The "Christian Coalition of Alabama" opposes it; the United Methodist Church conferences support it; the Episcopal Diocese supports it; the state Southern Baptists Convention supports tax reform in general; the Alabama Farmers' Federation opposes it; the timber interests oppose it.
~U2Alabama
U2Bama said:The current Governor made it a platform topic even before he announced his candidacy that Alabama's tax structure is immoral due to the burden it places on the poorest Alabamians and that the same tax structure does not apply education dollars where they are need the most int he poorer districts.
speedracer said:My own very rich and very Democratic hometown of West Bloomfield, MI has been consistently opposed to such measures for as long as I can remember.