Ameliorating Poverty and Income Inequality in Detroit
I debated whether to put this in Non-Detroit as a national/global issue, or here.
But I settled on the 'Discuss Detroit' forum on the basis that I'm curious about how people would propose to ameliorate these issues in DETROIT.
I think that too often people on every side of this [[and other) issues decide that its a national or global problem and therefore not about them, or their neighbour or their city, or their state/province.
For the sake of discussion poverty can be both 'absolute' [[not enough income to survive without charity/gov't help) and relative [[ a standard of living well below the norm).
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My opening thesis on poverty in general, then Detroit in particular.
In General: Poverty is a function of two large groups the unemployed, and the working poor.
The former includes the unemployable [[severe disability, close to retirement age serious criminal record etc.) as well as those who seek employment but for a number of reasons may not find it.
The latter features people who work, but can't get enough hours, or have such a lousy wage that even a 40-hour week doesn't pay the most meager bills.
Detroit: Faces all the issues that exist around the world and the U.S. with respect to poverty, but additional barriers based on race, and mobility in particular.
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So assuming that no matter one's politics, we can agree there should be enough jobs to go around, and that anyone willing to work 40 hours should have to eat, cover 1/2 decent shelter costs and other basics [[medical care, clothes etc.)
How do those issues get better addressed in the context of Detroit?
I'm not looking for any solution that requires the U.S. Federal government or social revolution.
Practical changes in laws, existing programs, infrastructure investments and the like at the municipal or state levels.
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FYI what triggered this is the NY Governor's proposal for a minimum wage of $10.50 per hour in NYS and $11.50 per hour in NYC [[roughly $12.25 Cdn and $13.45 Cdn) in support of a living wage. Specifically he noted the American Dream that anyone working fullt ime could be self sufficient.
Where do I get the extra money?
The solution has to first be about creating new jobs and expanding the economy. Raising the minimum wage doesn’t add new money into the system. Employers will have to pay for the raise by passing the cost on to you and me in the form of higher prices. If the price of pizza goes up, where do I get the extra money? I’m already struggling just to live now. If enough people can’t afford it and stop buying, the pizza guy goes out of business.
And about needless wars and killing:
MSNBC, October 2, 2014
New rules meant to temper the civilian death toll from unmanned U.S. drones won't apply in the fight against terrorists in Iraq and Syria, the White House says. Rules Obama said last year would stem civilian deaths in Iraq aren't being applied to women and children in the new war against ISIS.
Incidents of civilians being killed by drones have helped fuel resentment for the United States in places like Yemen, Pakistan and Somalia. President Obama said civilian deaths were a facet of every war.