Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

You know I am like a broken record as every chance I get, I ask,  "Don't you think it's time for our country to have a dialogue regarding poverty?

It's difficult to believe that it's been 50 years since LBJ initiated an "unconditional war on poverty in America" to 'cure' and 'prevent' poverty.

Today about a third of our citizens are living in poverty (about a quarter of our children) Some would say we lost the war but perhaps what happened as one expert stated 'we just stopped fighting it.' 

All those social reform initiative programs of the 60's are not only still needed but the need for them is obviously greater.  The Right are trying their hardest to cut monies allotted for these programs/ eradicate the very same programs that actually cut the poverty almost in half in the  60's.

Check out one think tank's statistics:

61 % family's income falling behind cost of living
  8% feel they are getting ahead
29 %  feel they are staying even
25% to 34 % of report serious problems falling behind in rent, mortgage, or utilities payments or being unable to buy enough food, afford necessary medical care, or keep up with minimum credit card payments.

Minimum wage protesters taken in Dec 2013 not 1964

Think about the issues that our government leaders have been tackling lately: minimum wage, the Affordable Care Act,  employment, public education, affordable housing -  just to name a few. The very same issues as the 1960's.

Inequality is not only alive and well, it reigns. For one of the richest nations in the world very little of that wealth trickles down to those that need it. The social safety net needs to be expanded, not removed. We need support for early childhood education, childcare, job training, stronger unions, etc...

The face of poverty has changed as many of our middle class are now impoverished. The number of homeless is so great that  our local convention center was opened to house those in need during this extreme cold spell. We can't wait to eradicate poverty as we might be the ones on the street asking, Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?

Click here If you 'd like to read  LBJ 's State of the Union address