NYC Mayor Suggests Paying Poor

[Herman Munster]

WTF is this? Bloomberg is making the poor to be dogs and if they are good, they get a treat.

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/POVERTY_PLAN?SITE=7219&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2006-09-18-22-37-46

NEW YORK (AP) -- Poor New Yorkers who make healthy choices - such as staying in school and regularly seeing the doctor - should be rewarded with cash to help break the cycle of poverty, Mayor Michael Bloomberg suggested Monday.

The idea, which has seen success in countries including Brazil and Mexico, developed out of an anti-poverty commission's report released Monday. The commission did not specifically propose using rewards but did suggest the city find innovative ways to help its 1.5 million poor lift themselves out of poverty.

The commission, headed by Time Warner's chief executive, Richard Parsons, and the president of the nonprofit group Harlem Children's Zone, Geoffrey Canada, said many New Yorkers are locked in a cycle of poverty in which built-in conditions trap them into failure. For example, those who fall behind on vaccinations and doctor checkups may suffer from poor health and struggle to keep jobs.

Paying modest rewards might help break those patterns, the mayor said.
"We want to reward those who have the initiative to go out and try to make their lives better, and if the system is stacked against them making their lives better, that's what we're trying to change," Bloomberg said.

[GreenPartyVoter]

1. I prefer the idea of universal healthcare and lifelong public education

as stepping stones to leveling the playing field.

[Cleita]

4. Exactly. This works better.

:-)

[annabanana]

6. So do I... but at least this beats

imprisoning people for being poor.

[Nobody]

7. Why not do both?

A little extra money could be the difference between having to choose two of

A. Groceries

B. Heat (or electricity depending on season)

C. Water

Or if you're a renter, your rent keeps increasing faster than your wages can keep up. Then your choices are one of

A. Rent

B. Groceries

And try not to get too far behind.

Once the cycle of poverty is broken with universal health care, lifelong public education, a little extra cash when it's sorely needed, AND on top of that a society that values education far higher than it does now, we can really start to be the kind of civilized society we all claim to be. We can't claim to be civilized if some of us are barely making it while others do nothing to earn their overabundance and refuse to share.

[KamaAina]

2. It's official. We have just joined the Third World.

The idea, which has seen success in countries including Brazil and Mexico, developed out of an anti-poverty commission's report released Monday....

In countries such as Mexico and Brazil, there has been widespread praise for World Bank-supported programs that give financial rewards to parents for sending their children to school and regular doctors' visits.

World Bank-supported programs?! Great. Let's have Wolfowitz run whatever's left of our "War on Poverty". :sarcasm:

[Poppyseedman]

3. Incentives work

If they can get people to take better care of themselves and improve their lives, is that a BAD THING?

[xchrom]

5. i want to see the poor get ''more'' period.

i have no problem with giving a child money for say good attendance -- but i want to see his/her parents or parent get more money as well.