Checkbox Checked!

To solve what or how people end up poor is an impossible problem to solve. Getting people out and back up on the feet is an even larger problem but one which every great society both feels a responsibility and a duty to put a good effort in providing the necessary tools and resources in place. In thinking of the many different situations and histories of those caught, having tools and resources is not enough. If it was just a matter of taking the same path back up that brought you down, not as many people would not be poor. The problem is, you have to make a change to rise up out of poverty. Either a different lifestyle, different workskills, different way of thinking, something has to change. Finding the right combination of changes and tools/resources is not always apparent. Mentorship is what is missing. The person, persons, or even reference that help solve the problem and make the breakthrough. There are no problems that cannot be solved with time and effort. To crack how to provide this in an efficient and scalable manner would be the fortune the discoverer.

If you listen and read current rhetoric about deregulation, cutting taxes, issues, etc. from the conservative base the idea that these would be better controlled at state level is just another way tactic at more easily managing and controlling where these issues are decided. The motivation comes from the idea that state legislation’s are more easily manipulated and controlled and that the majority of Americans do not pay as much attention to state politics as they do on a national level. The only thing that usually gets peoples attention at the state level are hot button issues such as Gay Marriage, Legalization of Marijuana, Taxes, or Immigration control. So when you hear this buzz solution, just remember the motivation is to pull power down to local state legislation where pressure and influence can be applied with less questions, attention, and scrutiny. Rome was not built in a day, Divide and Conquer in bite size pieces.

One of my favorite issues brought up about how democrats had the white house and majority in congress and was unable to execute their agenda. It is funny how quickly people forget that just one person in congress can filibuster a bill forever. So please, do yourselves a favor and when you hear someone recite this little white lie, remind them that an up and down vote was not gotten due to the threat of republican filibustering everything that came down.

Funny thing happened recently. A friend of a friend removed me as their friend on Facebook. What prompted this was two separate discussions involving the Arizona immigration law that passed earlier this year where I politely stated my views. I am not bothered by this, it was not someone I have ever been close to. But if I had to state my case over I would make the following two points:

1. You cannot make generic laws and expect them to be interpreted for a specific groups of people, needs, wants, or ideology. It applies to everyone. Here is an example: If you and a friend are walking around in a public park and one of you has an open container, say a glass of wine to be civil, and a cop stops your friend. While the officer is dealing with your friend you could go to jail if you happen to not have any ID on your persons. It is a stretch but laws can be interpreted strictly for their intended purpose or loosely as a means to an end for law enforcement. They are their to protect your rights, or at least that was the idea.
2. You cannot expect a). smaller government, b). lower taxes, and c). high level of services from law enforcement and social services when you pass laws that over burden the system. You only get to pick two. Actually if you expect C then both A and B are out, but you get the point. Small and Nimble or Large and Prepared, take your pick. You cannot have both.

Treat the symptom, add resources, or change the system, but do not expect magic and miracles from a system that is already overloaded.