Economic Report: NYC considers rewarding poor for making healthy decisions

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/4236

Economic Report: NYC considers rewarding poor for making healthy decisions

Economic Report:

If your poor in New York City, but make healthy choices, you could be soon seeing a tax break. The proposal from Mayor Michael Bloomberg is one of a series of potential plans developed by the city’s anti-poverty commission. The report is intended to help find ways to help lift the 1.5 million poor escape the cycle of poverty. The thought is that if a poor person gets regular check-ups or stays in school, they should be rewarded. Studies show the poor get stuck when they skip doctor visits and end up missing work days or losing jobs.
Posted 09/20/2006 - 6:03pm

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Excellent idea!

Though I hope that it comes with protection of the poor from getting fired for taking a day off of work to see the doctor or call in sick; OR comes with a way to pay the poor people who have to take off work WITH NO PAY to go see a doctor.

AND it should pay for the doctor's visit.

AND, for rewarding kids to stay in school, it should provide the financial backing needed so that no kid has to leave school to go to work to help support the family.

If the new policy comes with a way to ensure that the poor actually CAN go visit a doctor without repurcussion, whether employment or cost-related, and provide a way financially for a kmid to stay in school, I think it's a fucking brilliant plan.

I also think that food stamps should come with mandatory nutrition classes, and should be ineligable for use on any boxed or pre-made foodstuffs, junk foods, or non-nutritious rot.

And welfare should come with job training, job finding help, and a couple years of checking up with the newly employed to make sure things are going well and that they aren't slipping into old routines that lose them jobs, lead them to quit, or otherwise get back on welfare.

[Deja Q]

2. Cool!

:applause: