tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post8026459205918264274..comments2023-11-05T04:42:17.900-07:00Comments on Nomad: The Wealth GapScience Teacher Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16579558647324072199noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-2153525222984498172008-09-19T08:54:00.000-06:002008-09-19T08:54:00.000-06:00Christ Said, when asked about the poor. "The Poor ...Christ Said, when asked about the poor. "The Poor Will Always be With Us".<BR/><BR/>What do you think that means? Does Obama and Sen. Bidden know something we don't?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-25315848794078773752007-12-04T20:27:00.000-07:002007-12-04T20:27:00.000-07:00Well, hello, Nan. I can tell I'm going to have a l...Well, hello, Nan. I can tell I'm going to have a lot of fun with some of your political posts. ;) The bill Bush vetoed was an attempt to widen the opening towards universal healthcare a.k.a. socialized medicine. The poorest children are already covered under current programs. This particular legislation expanded the definition of "child" to age 25 and "poor" to $80,000. Puh-lease. President Kimball said, "We cannot be too often reminded that Church welfare assistance is spiritual at heart and that these spiritual roots would wither if we ever permitted anything like the philosophy of the dole to enter into our Welfare Services ministrations...The world's way deepens the individual's dependency on welfare programs and tends to make him demand more rather than encouraging him to return to economic independence." ANYWAY...I could go on and on. It's [capitalism] something I feel very strongly about. It's not a perfect system, but in a fallen world, it's an inspired one. Thanks for getting the juices flowing in this tired mom's veins. :)Ashleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06123739994946495088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-19154892374170809112007-11-21T11:32:00.000-07:002007-11-21T11:32:00.000-07:00"I don't know why they call it Hamburger Helper......"I don't know why they call it Hamburger Helper... it tastes just fine on its own."<BR/><BR/>Hey AQ! Yes, that's me, I hate people who have two incomes. Heaven help me, the day I join the working class and fund my children's missions and college educations and weddings.<BR/><BR/>Unless they all start shacking up and end up on welfare. Then they're not getting jack squat from me.Milliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09673273777386297395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-81667862442574038492007-11-21T05:23:00.000-07:002007-11-21T05:23:00.000-07:00Hola Millie! You dual-income household hater. :) S...Hola Millie! You dual-income household hater. :) Sometimes we gotta do what we gotta do to keep our families in the luxurious life of Hamburger Helper and Dollar Store shopping that they've come to expect.Arugula Queenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13201087371325938840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-66466657292550276872007-11-21T05:19:00.000-07:002007-11-21T05:19:00.000-07:00It is not without compassion when I say that I'm g...It is not without compassion when I say that I'm glad this bill got defeated. We simply don't need more gross government excess to be mismanaged and corrupted while taking money directly from the pockets of working class people. Thats how these things always shake down too. Illegal immigrants and those already on the welfare rolls will benefit while those busting their butt on a daily basis to feed their families like I am will see no relief and our children will continue to be denied the health care simply because we do work too hard. I loathe socialism ideals and that is exactly what that bill represents. Let's tax those who have drive and initiative to fork over to others who don't.<BR/><BR/>Paying 10% tithing every month has completely obliterated whatever middle class guilt I used to feel and I prefer to funnel my money into local humanitarian charities with a proven track record than a government entity. In my estimation <I>this</I> attitude of giving people more, more, more for nothing is what perpetuates the cycle of poverty.Arugula Queenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13201087371325938840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-81463452557164068992007-11-20T14:21:00.000-07:002007-11-20T14:21:00.000-07:00Great discussion. Too much to say, so I'll blog la...Great discussion. Too much to say, so I'll blog later in the week to follow up.Science Teacher Mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16579558647324072199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-80377691426675223092007-11-20T13:06:00.000-07:002007-11-20T13:06:00.000-07:00Kimberly, thank you. That households will have tw...Kimberly, thank you. That households will have two incomes is definitely assumed, causing higher prices on everything from groceries to houses. If people can pay more, why shouldn't companies charge more?Milliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09673273777386297395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-29468570516439921312007-11-19T07:43:00.000-07:002007-11-19T07:43:00.000-07:00Beautiful... So there are other people who agree w...Beautiful... So there are other people who agree with most of my political ideas.<BR/><BR/>Our discussion in my government class was on this topic this week - It literally hurt my heart to read some people's opinions on the matter. A lot of people have absolutely no compassion - it made me want to cry.<BR/><BR/>Just for the record - I don't think loving and consistent care giver means stay at home mom - I think it means loving and consistent caregiver. When I was growing up the one that was more loving and consistent was the one that went to work - not the one who stayed at home.Christyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15142636095145936798noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-42940974173823329652007-11-17T22:11:00.000-07:002007-11-17T22:11:00.000-07:00One of my biggest insurance company complaints is ...One of my biggest insurance company complaints is that they are publicly traded to raise huge amounts of capital for underwriting claims. So, really, insurance companies are not primarily interested in helping sick people, they are interested in making money for their shareholders. Profiting from illness just doesn't sit right with me.<BR/><BR/>I read an article recently arguing for some kind of standardized health care, in which the author could not fathom why big corporations (generally voting Republican) were so against the idea. After all, it is expensive health insurance that is making it harder and harder to hire American employees. It isn't just blue collar jobs that are being outsourced these days. And many companies are setting up business overseas because they can put all their resources into attractive salaries instead of pensions, 401Ks or health insurance. Some form of standardized health care might make a stronger American middle class.<BR/><BR/>Every social scientist always seems to come back to exactly the same argument, though. If we want a stronger, healthier society then we must have stronger, healthier homes. Hm . . . where have we heard this message before?Science Teacher Mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16579558647324072199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-81317665592524061152007-11-17T09:46:00.000-07:002007-11-17T09:46:00.000-07:00I read your post off of a link from Kimberly and I...I read your post off of a link from Kimberly and I was really impressed. Nibley's quote on keeping the poor on a leash was a stark representation of our way of thinking as a society. It is frustrating to know that no matter what amount of money or services we throw at people, outside influences and resources will not change people. Only when Christ is let into one's heart is change successful and we can't make people choose it. I guess that is the blessing/curse of free agency. I think you illustrated that beautifully in your post. <BR/><BR/>As a stay-at-home mom whose husband is self-employed, health care is a huge issue to us as well. Having a chronically ill daughter, I have come to the reality that insurance companies are extremely corrupt. I am not sure what socialized medicine will do for the quality of care in this country, but looking at the UK's model, it isn't pretty. As you and Kimberly pointed out, the world is an expensive place and only growing more so with each passing year. Thank you for putting a gospel perspective on our consumer society.Caitlinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16912424895580552533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-78503583565040599572007-11-16T22:48:00.000-07:002007-11-16T22:48:00.000-07:00I think it's interesting that Dr. Bezrushka emphas...I think it's interesting that Dr. Bezrushka emphasizes the importance of a loving and consistent caregiver (e.g. a stay-home mom) for a child's healthy development, and yet our society is exerting more and more pressure on moms to work.<BR/><BR/>There's cultural pressure in the frequent message that you must have a career to make something of your life, but there's also plenty of economic pressure (which is arguably cultural as well). My husband is a grad student, and we're finding that loans and assistantships only cover the living expenses for one person, regardless of whether a student is married or has children. The assumption is that either students will put off marriage, or their spouses will work. You also make the interesting point that homes are increasingly difficult to afford because so many are purchased with dual incomes. I hadn't thought about that before.<BR/><BR/>I suppose this is just one more instance where you have to do what you believe is right, then go forward with faith that the Lord will help you make it happen.Kimberly Bluestockinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18437063911115422205noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-70692883603898342972007-11-16T12:15:00.000-07:002007-11-16T12:15:00.000-07:00Sorry. Perpetuating the cycle.Sorry. Perpetuating the cycle.Science Teacher Mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16579558647324072199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-83060646790217908132007-11-16T11:12:00.000-07:002007-11-16T11:12:00.000-07:00I'm not necessarily advocating universal health ca...I'm not necessarily advocating universal health care. It is not without its problems, and there are some very interesting free market ideas on health care that could be useful solutions in the type of economy we have. And I really like what Mormon Millie says about choices. But what about young kids? Should they bear the brunt of their parents' bad choices? But how do you help the kids without perpetrating the cycle?<BR/><BR/>My brother did his psych rotation for med school at children's hospital in Washington DC. He has shared very little of his experiences there, but I know he will have a hard time forgetting what he saw. Children, who, by the age of eight (accountability) who are so distressed mentally between abuse of all kinds and horrors they have witnessed that there is very little hope for them to ever be put right. These children will grow up to inhabit prisons and mental institutions. While it is very easy to sit from our perspective and say there is "always a choice," those words are cheap to a child who after years of physical abuse witnesses his father kill his mother in a fit of rage one night. Add to that the limits on his intelligence from the drugs and alcohol his mother consumed during pregnancy. Society will take care of this person one way or the other, and I'd rather see the money poured into the front end than the back end. <BR/><BR/>The neighborhood two blocks north of the Capitol Building in Washington DC is one of the most violent in the entire country. Deosn't that say something about years of mistakes made by politicians of both parties? And since we elected them, doesn't that say something about the values of our society as a whole?<BR/><BR/>I don't know what the answers are.Science Teacher Mommyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16579558647324072199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-73234426779783791742007-11-16T09:41:00.000-07:002007-11-16T09:41:00.000-07:00Welfare the way the government does it doesn't hel...Welfare the way the government does it doesn't help "welfare people." It provides for their physical needs, but it doesn't help them. Neither would universal health care. It would only help their sense of entitlement. I've been in the uninsured boat before, and it is absolutely not easy and not fair, but you get through it and you eventually (hopefully) pay your bills and life goes on.<BR/><BR/>The government does enough now - some would even say "too much." I feel bad for mothers whose husbands abandon them (notice I said "husbands" and not "baby daddies"), the widows, the disabled, and the others Christ always mentioned, and we should absolutely be more helpful to them. I like to think I would, if I had more in my bank account. We're struggling on my husband's income, but my staying home was a choice, as was our having five children and my husband's public service occupation which will never make us rich.<BR/><BR/>So many of life's hardships boil down to choices, good or bad. That's what I hear when I read President Benson's words. When we teach people there's a better way of life, they'll hopefully respond and make something better of their lives and the lives of future generations. This has been true of my family.<BR/><BR/>Universal health care, to me, smacks of the government trying once again to limit our free agency.Milliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09673273777386297395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-35824581507852596052007-11-16T00:31:00.000-07:002007-11-16T00:31:00.000-07:00Even though we've qualified for Medicaid for our e...Even though we've qualified for Medicaid for our entire marriage, we used insurance from my husband's job for a few years. Between paying the premiums plus the deductible and other out-of-pocket stuff we ended up spending about 20 percent of our income on medical expenses one year. S-Boogie was in the hospital twice, but it still was not really an unreasonable year for a young family. After that we decided that we'd rather let them help us out with medical expenses and free up some of our money for other things like food and getting out of debt and stuff like that. I'm definitely more on the "government intervention" side of things, especially when it comes to health care. <BR/><BR/>You should read <I>Approaching Zion</I> by Hugh Nibley. It's long but quite good.FoxyJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17950095008611661757noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-82769485077250010932007-11-15T16:46:00.000-07:002007-11-15T16:46:00.000-07:00I agree with Maggie. I, too, have heard the reaso...I agree with Maggie. I, too, have heard the reasoning that "if the government would give me more money back, then I'd give." It makes a stink in my nostrils.<BR/><BR/>You've given me lots to think about and ponder. And don't even get me started on the veto of CHIP.Desmamahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04799831623274044784noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32806324.post-49422015454511143422007-11-15T13:48:00.000-07:002007-11-15T13:48:00.000-07:00That was really well put. I've been thinking a lo...That was really well put. I've been thinking a lot about this lately and you put a different perspective on it. Thanks.Maggiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04576716257914307725noreply@blogger.com