Quote:
Originally Posted by DrPhil
The success of government safety nets is subjective, even when based on stats, and based on what you expect the outcome to be. If you expect large populations in cities to not be impoverished when they are on government assistance (as some expect) you may see the majority of U.S. cities as evidence that such safety nets cannot and do not work.
If you expect for people to simply be better off than they would be without the safety nets (being underemployed and impoverished but thankfully having $20 to their name instead of $1 to their name because of welfare) then you may see the majority of U.S. cities as evidence that such safety nets can and do work.**
**This is simplifying the issue. There are people who truly use the safety nets as a cushion and do not remain on government assistance for longer periods of time than necessary.
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That's my charity colored glasses kicking in. I just wrote an article for my organization's newsletter about one of our youth workers who was accepted to 12 colleges/universities on full academic scholarships. He'll be going to Stanford this fall. He grew up on public assistance and his father was incarcerated throughout his youth. His mom alternately worked 2 and 3 jobs to keep them going, so he had to take care of his younger siblings. He grew up in the most wealth-depressed community in the county.
He had moral support from his mom and an incredible work ethic. He busted his ass and now volunteers to help younger kids see their potential. When I think of low-income neighborhoods, I think of people like this young man and his family. I see SO MANY people just like them who are working hard but just can't put a hand on the money to move forward - at least not without the advocacy of orgs like the place I work.
For the most part, nonprofits just act as brokers between the haves and have nots, taking generosity and turning it into on-the-ground results by giving people the tools and capital they need to get ahead.
I think the idea that mobs of people are milking the system is ludicrous.