Can you end poverty by giving people money?

Question

I've seen some democrats in here make statements to the effect that poverty could be stopped in this country if poor people would be given money from rich people. I'm assuming these individuals are very very young and naive. Let's take a little survey here: who thinks that the average poor person would make their way out of poverty within six months, and stay out of poverty for a lifetime, if they were given several thousand dollars? My experience working with the poor population is that the typical poor person would use the money on foolish things, and would end up still poor, still uneducated, still blaming the government and bad luck on their plight.

DAP: I was a public assistance caseworker for 28 years. My average caseload consisted of approx. 2,000 families each year. By the way, what do YOU do to assist poor people?

I said several thousand, not two thousand. Do people take the time to read these questions thoroughly?

Answer 1

People are not poor entirely on accident. Yes, you have some good people that lose their jobs due to company closures and other hard luck scenarios, but they are the people who have the determination to dig themselves out of it - which makes my first statement still hold true.

I don't think giving hand-outs is the answer at all. Why? Well because making foolish choices in life is part of what made them poor in the first place. Choices such as dropping out of high school, babies having babies, and living lives of crime are just a few examples. Not to mention with all the opportunities for obtaining college education, which directly relates to gainful employment, are rarely used. Instead, too many want to sit around and point the blame elsewhere for their lack of personal responsibility. Why should the rest of us pay them for our hard-earned success? These grown adults are not our children.

Judging by past behavior, I do agree with you. They would spend it on foolish things, still remain uneducated, and still blame everyone around them. They'll simply be sitting around waiting on the next hand-out, kind of like our welfare system crisis now. Giving a hand-out does not teach personal responsibility.

There's an old proverb that is true to the word: "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime."

Answer 2

Giving a poor person money can temporarily help alleviate poverty to some extent, but it's not a workable long-term solution. Assuming the poor person didn't blow the money on frivolous things, I don't know how two grand could turn someone's life around overnight. Rich people would have to give poor people two thousand dollars every month or two to have any serious impact.

Here's what I've discovered about the wealth redistributors: they don't care so much about ending poverty. After all, you're not a good person if you ask others to give up THEIR money to help poor people. Anybody could do that! There's no morality or generosity in that. And I don't see many of them seriously compromising their standard of living to do all that they can. I'd have much more respect for 'em if they gave away even half of what they own, which I'm sure most of them could do without quite reasonably, because at least it'd be voluntary. But they don't care about that. It's much more about taking something away from rich people. That's why you can't expect them to say that thousand dollars alone would be enough. It'll never be enough and they'll want to keep taking until the rich aren't rich any more.

Answer 3

Jesus said we will always have the poor with us. And its not just because there werent any socialist govts back then, it is simply what happens by virtue of peoples choices and circumstances.

I understand that we're always going to have people that need assistance like the disabled, young children, and some elderly. But I dont think income redistribution, blaming the middle class, or even the rich for that matter is the answer. I never knew one rich person that mugged a series of poor people in order to pay for his education and get a good job. Many do it by hard work and a very select few are born into rich families. Many millionaires and billionaires are self-made meaning they started out being poor.

You cant empower the poor by taxing the rich. You can however help them by doing tax cuts which Bush did. But I dont hear any credit going out EVER to Bush for helping the poor because who does it really matter most to?

If you pay people to be poor, youre going to have A LOT of poor people.

Answer 4

poverty doesnt end by handing money out for the poor. that can just make things worse because the poor people are going to begin to rely on the money people are just handing out to them. thats the wrong thing to do. also, if you give a poor person money, the automatic thing the poor person would do would to be to buy some food and clothes. how can you guarentee that's what the money will be used for? how do you know the poor person isnt going to spend the money they are given on drugs? drugs could be part of the reason their poor in the first place? giving poor people money is definately NOT the answer for solving poverty.

Answer 5

Actually the answer to this can come from a little research into lottery winners.

I bet almost all lottery players, and therefore winners are poor. And how many of those winners of millions stay rich for the rest of their lives?

Not a lot I would be willing to bet.

Answer 6

You said the "AVERAGE" poor person-- let's start there.

I think the average poor person, given some money to "bootstrap" them would help-- But a job has to come very quickly after that. Grants for poor to go to college are good investments. Simply giving a poor person money only helps as long as that money lasts.

So just how many poor people have you worked with?

Somebody who has hope of doing better will do so given some help. Somebody who doesn't care will not do well regardless of what you give them.

So, let's see- you were a case worker- That means you were paid to do your JOB to help the poor.

I'm sure you've noticed that many of them didn't have the means, skills, upbringing, common-sense to get them out of their lot in life.

Answer 7

How to reduce poverty,
1. a high school education becomes mandatory,you can't quit.
2. if you get thrown out of school,you belong to the military for 6years,active duty,they'll finish your education.
3.No work , no eat,welfare is gone,period
4. no college money ,trade 4 years of your life for 4 years college.Do college then government service to repay your debt.

We'll take care of the old,disabled,widows and orphans,all others get off their butte.

Answer 8

Let's take a historical perspective. We have spent trillions of dollars during the last 40 years to fight poverty, and all we have gotten is more poverty. How did that happen?

Answer 9

Do parents not teach their kids the old basic cliches any more?

If give a man a fish, he'll eat for day. If you teach a man to fish, he'll eat for a lifetime.

Give them job skills, not money.

Answer 10

Give a poor person a few thousand dollars and they will buy drugs and a bunch of useless luxuries and then they will be broke again.