http://www.openleft.com/diary/19706/report...

It is with great humility that I write the third essay for the Poverty in America series here in honor of January as Poverty month. I am not a writer. I am not greatly impoverished. I am a member of the working class (an art teacher) who has a mortgaged (albeit "handy-man-special) house and a husband who works as a retail clerk in an antiques store; I have been extremely poor in the past, and was very lucky to be able to get a decent enough job to place me in a situation where I'm more than one paycheck from disaster, possibly even two. With that disclaimer as to my lack of credentials, I'd like to say some things regarding the old and new poverty.

Poverty is as old as money, older than feudalism, as old as "civilization". A society with any base in a class system necessitates a "lower class" (think about how elitist that term is in and of itself, "lower" class" middle" class, (monkey in the middle?) "upper class", "ruling class", oh how lovely :scream: ) When we talk about old poverty vs. new poverty in American society we have to recognize that the source of both is the same, although many who call themselves the "new" poor don't qualify as yet according to the statistics. The true new poverty is no different, and with the numbers of the poor growing, many people are starting to realize that the "old poor" paradigm of extreme poverty and homelessness: addiction, alcoholism, and mental illness, is just not that prevalent, and not significantly different from society as a whole. This will especially become clear as more join the ranks of the extreme poor and recognize none of those stigmas within themselves. .

As the "newly" poor start to realize that poor is poor is poor, and as more become poverty stricken and become more associated with truly poor people as friends and family members start having severe problems, hopefully more of a call will go out to help the "old" poor, as well as the "new", by taking a look at the root causes, extreme and egregious economic imbalance and an immediate need to supply housing.

A good friend of mine wrote the following to me in discussing this issue:

The history of the human race IS the history of the poor. It is not so much that it is hidden - it can be found all over the place right out in plain view - it is that we are led to look in the wrong places and are distracted and deceived. We are led to think that it is the story of the big people that matters, the wealthy and powerful.

You will rarely go wrong if every time you hear a story about what happened, describing what the "important" people did, if you immediately assume that the story has been hijacked and perverted and distorted to serve the needs and desires of the wealthy and powerful few. Ask yourself this: "OK, which poor people actually accomplished these things that the upper class is claiming as their own?"

Further evidence to these wise words is just how the true history is being shortchanged:

From: Lies My Teacher Told Me
by James W. Loewen

p. 206 Nothing that textbooks discuss--not even strikes--is ever anchored in any analysis of social class. This amounts to delivering the footnotes instead of the lecture! Half of the eighteen high school American history textbooks I examined contain no index listing at all for social class, social stratification, class structure, income distribution, inequality, or any conceivably related topic. Not one book lists upper class or lower class. Three list middle class, but only to assure students that America is a middle-class country. "Except for slaves, most of the colonists were members of the 'middling ranks,'" says Land of Promise, and nails home the point that we are a middle-class country by asking students to "describe three 'middle-class' values that united free Americans of all classes." Several of the textbooks note the explosion of middle-class suburbs after World War II. Talking about the middle class is hardly equivalent to discussiing social stratification, however. On the contrary, as Gregory Mantsios has pointed out, "Such references appear to be acceptable precisely because they mask class differences."


Some great words of wisdom from the Homelessness Marathon Site, this article was written specific to Katrina, but could be applied to so many places now, Cleveland and Detroit coming immediately to mind:

# If racism is the elephant in the room, the war against the poor is the Tyrannosaurus. Over the past thirty years, we have gone from being a country with surplus low-income housing units to a country with millions of units too few. The housing infrastructure just isn't there anymore to take in the Katrina refugees. It isn't there because America stopped investing in public housing. And America stopped investing in public housing because of a radical political agenda to invest, instead, in the bank accounts of the wealthy. The dead and desperate of the Gulf Coast bear witness to the folly of letting rich people run our country.

# The new homeless and the old homeless are the same. Part of the war on the poor has been the relentless demonization of homeless people as drunks and crazies. That was never an accurate image, note from maryf, as stated above, similar to society as a whole)but it's true that some people put themselves more in the way of homelessness by drinking just as some people put themselves more in the way of it by building beach houses in a hurricane zone. Either way, we are confronted with the same question: Do we wish to be the kind of society that lets people die in the streets -- as they are dying now -- or the kind where we help each other out, no matter what our foibles? We must choose to be a society that lends a hand, and to truly make that commitment, we must do away with the old divide-and-conquer distinctions between poor folks and "normal" people. AS WE HELP THE NEW HOMELESS WE MUST HELP THE OLD HOMELESS TOO.

http://homelessnessmarathon.org/2008/09/as...

(Be sure to check out the date and time of this worthy radio event at the home page of the Homelessness Marathon http://homelessnessarathon.org >http://homelessnessarathon.org )

So if the old poor and the new poor are basically the same, formed from the same insidious toxic soil of greed and consumerism, why do we discuss old and new poverty as different? For one thing, many think that this is a new problem, that its a different problem, so we have to discuss some of the false perceptions that have arisen. The problem has the same root cause, unbridled avarice; its merely become bigger, as the corporations et al grab more and more of the pie.

It is also the perception of many that the "newly" impoverished are perhaps more "worthy" of consideration and services than the "old" poor. That since everyone has been affected by the recent downturn, those who have suddenly become poor, deserve the most sympathy, "it was not their fault, they had a turn of bad luck." The "old poor" are considered, by many, to have caused their situation, to have made the wrong choices, to have no will power, or to be trying to beat the system, as shamefully exemplified by the infamous chimera of the "Welfare Queen", one of the worst propaganda creations of the Reagan era. The reverse, most reading this already know, is quite false. These old poor are victims of the system in the exact manner that the new poor are. All deserve justice and relief.

When we talk about worthiness we need to ask, what makes a person worthy to have housing, food and healthcare? What makes a person not worthy to have them? Does the length of time of their poverty come into play? Does the fact that they are working or not make them worthy of whether they should be granted the basic human right to basic human needs? When will we recognize this as a ploy to separate us, or, as said in the Homelessness Marathon quote, "we must do away with the old divide-and-conquer distinctions between poor folks and "normal" people." If I may add, the "old" poor folks, the "new" poor folks, the "normal" folks, are all the same folks!!! Please if we don't get this we're truly doomed.

On a tangent, a kind of crazy aspect of the "new" poverty is that finally poverty has gotten a little bit "cool". One friend of mine bemoans, righteously, that poverty is never "the flavor of the month", well for some it almost is, as another friend of mine wrote me:

That old/new poverty thing is right on the mark. I've been starting to meet some of these 'new poverty' people and some of them are flat out delusional. I actually got, "We're on a budget, I'm laid off. Hahaha!" Then she got in her Lexus. ..

People are starting to be proud of their thrift store finds, their clothing swap parties, and finding it cool to talk about...and they are still people who need to recognize the truly horrendous situations some live with.

There are 50,000 homeless in Detroit, for instance, 50,000 in a city with many, many foreclosed and boarded up houses, many falling down from years of neglect. This is wrong.
As fellow poverty advocate JeffR said so succinctly when mentioning that Detroit lost 51% of its population between 1950 and 2007: "It's the final outrage perpetrated on the homeless in Detroit that they can't get housing in that sad ruin of a city."

The main problem in regards to the housing situation, is that many see the people evicted and foreclosed upon as victims of a greedy system. They most certainly are. What many continually forget however, is that the true housing crisis is the one that started years ago, and that the "old poor" have had to contend with it for years, including such indignities as waiting lists, unacceptable demands made on their liberties, (room checks, piss drug tests in front of witnesses et al), and just plain not enough units.

The problem really started when housing units started to be destroyed without being replaced or when they changed status from Section 8 housing to private housing. Nearly two decades ago HUD started financing the renovation of schools, warehouses, etc., into housing. The basic loan/grant program had a stipulation that the builder would provide income-based housing for so many years. Guess what folks, those years have come to pass, and fewer and fewer subsidized housing units can be found. And more are being destroyed...and there are 50,000 homeless in Detroit, and millions more in the rest of the country. Some have been homeless for a long time, some are new to this horrible state, all need help.

Quick action, call your representatives and ask them to address homelessness in your area...Remind them of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights article 25(1) that JeffR brought up in the first Poverty in America essay:"Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control."

As I come to a close, I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention how welfare and welfare reform have played a hand in the ranks of poverty, both old and new. Here are two articles sent to me by a good friend:

Myth: Welfare increases poverty.
Fact: The more welfare, the less poverty -- both historically and internationally.
Summary

The historical evidence is clear: welfare reduces poverty, and the lack of it increases it. In the 1920s, fully half of all Americans could not make ends meet. Roosevelt's New Deal programs had reduced poverty to about 20 percent in the 50s. Johnson's Great Society reduced this to 11.1 percent by 1973. Since the rise of the corporate special interest system in 1975, individual welfare benefits have been shrinking, and poverty has been steadily rising...
article at link:
http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-welfarepov... >http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-welfarepov...
Ten years after welfare reform recipients decline while poverty rate increases
Safety net of services and support that once protected the poor lies in tatters
article at link:
http://www.mediatransparency.org/story.php... >http://www.mediatransparency.org/story.php...

Finally, as I complete the writing of this on Martin Luther King Jr.'s actual birthday, it is fitting to quote him on poverty:

"Let us be dissatisfied until rat-infested, vermin-filled slums will be a thing of a dark past and every family will have a decent sanitary house in which to live. Let us be dissatisfied until the empty stomachs of Mississippi are filled and the idle industries of Appalachia are revitalized. . . "

and on justice:

"On the one hand, we are called to play the Good Samaritan on life's roadside, but that will be only an initial act. One day we must come to see that the whole Jericho Road must be transformed so that men and women will not be constantly beaten and robbed as they make their journey on life's highway."

and on moral courage:

“Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right.”

In Peace, Justice, and Solidarity. Mary

copyright: peoplesing.org

Still a great article, good site to look at...

"We often hear the question asked , "What shall we do?" Here is an opportunity for doing something now. Every man and every woman present may do something by showing that we fear not a mob, and, in the midst of threatenings and revilings, by opening our mouths for the dumb and pleading the cause of those who are ready to perish."


This quote from the last that you post of Angelina's speeches, is priceless enough to warrant another kick for this thread via my continued rant here.
When some feel that they are more oppressed than others, or that others are wearing their oppression too much on their sleeve, and resent them for that regardless the righteousness, we start to forget that all oppression is one oppression, that those in power are not really working on being bigotted or prejudicial, they are fostering these things in order to divide and conquer all the oppressed masses. Thus with each issue we must become one with each group, as you say , we are all gay, we are all homeless, we are all of all colors, we are all of all beliefs, we are all genders, we are all workers at every job, and all those bereft of work, all handicapped, mentally ill, we are all oppressed..

And we must all to the greatest of our capacity use our voices, spread our stories, tell it like it is...(Sojourner Truth comes to mind...)

City of Middletown says warming station in church breaks zoning laws
By Heather Yakin
Times Herald-Record
December 20, 2008 6:00 AM

MIDDLETOWN — The warming station for Middletown's dispossessed has opened — and if city officials try to stop the operation, they may run afoul of federal law.

The station, at the former First Presbyterian Church building on Orchard Street, provides a warm place at night for up to 20 of the city's homeless. The station is the work of Middletown clergy, service organizations and the Emergency Housing Group.

The City of Middletown sent its fire inspector Tuesday to check the premises for problems. Nothing of note was found, said Public Works Commissioner Jacob Tawil.

Alex Smith, the city's corporation counsel, said the station is a residential use, not permitted in the district, and the city will file a zoning violation against the church.

In 2007, the city barred adult care facilities, charitable institutions and similar uses for the downtown business district, where the church is.

The Rev. Jack Lohr, pastor of the United Presbyterian Church, which was formed when First and Webb Horton Memorial Presbyterian merged, said the clergy sought legal advice. They were told the use would be grandfathered under old zoning; that city zoning illegally bars religious uses downtown; and that the federal Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act of 2000 could protect the station as an exercise of religion.

Lohr said the warming station is a faith response to homelessness, backed by the community, and that with it, the city is a better place for everyone.

"This is what churches do," Lohr said. "At the bottom, no one should have to be out there on a night like last night."

Wednesday night, four people sought shelter at the church.

more at link:

http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/...

Although the traditional memorial day for the homeless is December 21, longest night of the year, Denver held theirs the 18th, see articles at links, and don't forget the homeless in your town...

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/news/2008... /

http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article....

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/metro/2...

Homeless in camps told to leave or be arrested, I don't believe the numbers listed here are anywhere near realistic, where is the compassion?


'Bamboo City' is home to about 30
By Liz Neely and Anne Krueger
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS

June 13, 2008

SPRING VALLEY – Sheriff's deputies converged on several homeless camps in Spring Valley early yesterday, warning people to leave or be arrested.

Biocom
The primary target of Operation Clean Sweep was a swath of land – referred to as Bamboo City by deputies – off Quarry Road near the Spring Valley Swap Meet. Authorities believe as many as 30 people live there in tents and ramshackle shelters about 20 yards from homes.

“I think that you all know that you're trespassing,” Sgt. Marco Garmo told the dozen men and women found there yesterday. “I can't give you a time frame for when we'll be back. . . . We want to give you the opportunity to get all your personal belongings and leave.”

Sweeps are generally triggered by an increase in property crimes or complaints from residents and business owners. This one was prompted by a rash of thefts and a fire in a tree two weeks ago. Authorities could not say how many sweeps have been conducted countywide this year, and counting the homeless population can be tricky.

Walter Sanford, executive director of the regional task force on the homeless, said 101 homeless people were counted in Spring Valley during a one-day survey conducted in January. Only seven were counted in 2006.

Countywide, 3,856 homeless people were counted last year, compared with 3,033 in 2006.

Other major homeless encampments in the county are in Mission Valley near the Fashion Valley mall and the police station on Friars Road, the Pala area in North County, near Carlsbad's strawberry fields and in the canyon by La Jolla Parkway.

A sweep is planned this summer near Via Mercado in Rancho San Diego.

Near the Spring Valley Swap Meet, most camps were nestled deep in a thicket of bamboo. Deputies last cleared the area in 2005.

Giant piles of trash dotted the property, made up of four privately owned parcels that cover about 10 acres. Discarded clothing, bikes, toys, golf clubs and broken electronic equipment were piled high. Some people had mattresses, makeshift cooking areas and bathrooms. One person had hooked up a small television to a car battery.

Living in a camp gives homeless people a feeling of safety they can't find sleeping on the street, said Sanford from the homeless task force.

“In these bushes, you have the illusion of privacy,” he said. “On Broadway, you're open and vulnerable.”

The team of 12 deputies, a crime prevention specialist and a psychiatric clinician talked with the people camped near the Spring Valley Swap Meet as well as four others living in the canyon or the brush in camps or tents set up near Jamacha Boulevard and Sweetwater Springs Boulevard.

“I don't want to go to jail,” one homeless man told Robin Siminoff, a crime prevention specialist at the Lemon Grove sheriff's station.

“I don't want you to go to jail either,” Siminoff said. “I want to get you some resources.”

Homeless people were given a small bag of supplies and a list of shelters and other homeless resources.

Most have drug convictions. One man was arrested for violating his parole. One man was a registered sex offender, but checks in with his probation officer as required, deputies said.

From her backyard patio, Jessica Ramirez and her grandmother watched deputies work. Ramirez, 18, said the homeless are loud and one once urinated in front of her grandmother.

“We've had problems with them,” she said.

Thank you so much, and forgive me for the inordinate wordiness of my post below:

Once again, Bobbie, you have shown what a grasp you have of human nature, in this case the tribal nature. As you infer even the free thinkers, which I believe you and I and others here consider themselves, have a need for community, for a sense of belonging to a group: different than the group(non)think group mentioned in this forum who seem to have to attach themselves to one idea or mindset, the free thinkers like to recognize and applaud the different thoughts and ideas which each individual mind produces. That said, the free thinking people still revel in community, still relate as a "tribe" if you will; it is the applauding of each person's mindfulness and refusal to buy into a set thought pattern which gives us our commonality. But we do forget sometimes that to "deny" a "membership" of one to a group may result in the unfortunate isolation of some individuals perhaps even more individual than the majority of us. These are frequently the true initiators of new thoughts which may well be our salvation; and as you say we must look into our shadows to recognize where we have neglected or ostracized others (more on the shadow later) who may have a wealth to contribute in regards to ideas and plans of action.

That said, I like to think you and I, and hopefully others, are in a group that can produce more thoughts and ideas that can perhaps help solve the humongous problems we are facing. To me the first priority is to address, and force in some way the PTB to address, the exponentially growing economic and social justice problems in this world, poverty being the most egregious. The human rights to a home, to a sense of belonging to a community, to have food whenever needed, to be recognized and respected, and to feel safe, are rights denied to the poor, and as this group numbers in the global majority and includes most of us to some degree, to be able to sustain humanity we must be sure to see all provided with the basic needs so that each may contribute of themselves without having to place survival as their top priority.

The recognition of the shadow side which you discuss and each of us has is critical to our growth as a community. We have to start to see where we are neglecting, abusing, ignoring, snubbing, other members of the human race including in this little DU world. To place oneself in another's shoes may be cliche but is perhaps the best way to see one's shadow, to see where we have done wrong to another. To quote Matthew 25 once again with you, my dear friend, "whatsoever you do unto the least of my brethern, you do unto me", Thank you for being, Bobbie, you have put a mirror in front of my face, you have made a difference with me, which will hopefully help me make a difference with others.
hugs, Mary