Hmmm..... reality bites

So I spent four years away from the great city of Chicago to see an incredible amount of hitchhikers in southern California and a few of them while overseas in Japan. The four years i had prior to that adventure driving around in Chicago there were always homeless but not as many as I have seen the past year back.

From a majority of men a few years back spread throughout the city at random and not as frequent, to an alarming number of individuals now found at gas stations, highway exits, and other public intersections. It saddens me as this people are spread throughout the city that we can't consolidate the groups and somewhat guide them in the right direction since we lack one. While millions have been affected by the recent economic crisis, for those already at the bottom of the barrel in life it has taken away the few benefits or resources they used to have to now fix other issues that affect middle class America. God forbid you sell a car or downsize in suburbia, let us find a way to bail you out.

Where is the bail out for the homeless???

Chicago Coaltion for the SELECT Homeless

WOW- this group of speakers made me really think about what the hell i am doing as a justice studies major.

I thought that we were about aiding all of the people and assisting the masses, without exclusion. The one speaker turned out to be the biggest hypocrite ever after having "hustled" her way through life to find Jesus and sobriety. When she said that they can chose to be sober in order to benefit from the programs i almost jumped out of my seat. My frustrations with this woman are the same many others share and are the reasons as to why little to no movement is occurring to solve the problem. PEOPLE LIKE HER ARE THE PROBLEM.

I ask how many of the homeless she felt are substance abusers of sorts and she replied in jest "all of them." Hmmmm, if that is the case, i think we are going to have a huge problem. Must be nice for her to have found sobriety and now reap all of the government benefits she is denying so many from receiving.

DOLLAR MENU CRAZE

While times get tough, the fast food giants have opted to capitalize on the dollar menu. Nowadays the only chain without one seems to be starbucks. AS obesity rates skyrocket for Americans what better solution than a poor quality and high in fat diet?

Hmmm. I don't think the rich are as affected by this type of marketing. People in poverty have been making the wrong health choices for a long time and this new trend to cure and lure in individuals based on financial hardships is brilliant and disgusting at the same time.

Dallas TEXAS & Poverty

well they say everything is bigger in texas and it was no different when it came to the issue of homelessness.

As a group we decided to divide up the city and each examine a different area of hunger and homelessness.
Once I looked at the Mayor's report and conducted some additional online research, I felt as if my issue of race was a key player in this city. While Michigan and Ohio may be experiencing widespread poverty levels, the racial lines were not as black and white as my city in Texas.

The "higher the hair, the closer to God" mentality down in Texas does nothing for their standard of living. The minority groups down there pass their white counterparts on a higher level than in comparison across the nation when looking at data. At any rate, my group presented our findings last week and concluded that the information provided was rather vague and not as direct as we would have liked.

We shall see how this city and many others pledge to end poverty turn up in a few years.

Illinois Poverty

I can't think about the poverty level in Illinois without addressing the main region in poverty, Chicago.

According to the mayors reports we were given, a key factor in our region is a lack of affordable housing. As for the entire state, i don't think that is as much of an issue. My friends located in southern Illinois tell me they face poverty issues but the cost of living is significantly lower downstate than what we are dealing with way up here.

Reality is, as i have traveled across the state, I am never really faced with poverty outside of the Chicago metropolitan area. While i am sure the entire state is affected by it to some degree, the concentration is most visible here in the city.

Dino's definition of poverty

I view poverty as circumstantial. $18,000 a year to an individual versus a family of four is an entirely different standard. I think that the term poverty is thrown around too loosely nowadays and when i hear of soccer moms getting coffee in the morning and their nails done on weekends crying about living in poverty the argument does not work for me.

DINO's DEFINITION
If you are without a home or on the brink of losing your home you are living in poverty.
If you are malnourished and lack proper food and water you are living in poverty.
When you go to the ER for a simple cold or fever you are probably living in poverty.
All of the undocumented workers making less than minimum wage are living in poverty.

The college student making 10 bucks an hour in a $500 a month studio is not what i would consider poverty, i call that life.