House GOP Anti-Poverty Plan: A Better Way
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WPDeac
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Just to supplement with the full report:
http://abetterway.speaker.gov/_assets/pdf/Full_Task_Force_Report_Poverty.pdf
http://abetterway.speaker.gov/_assets/pdf/Full_Task_Force_Report_Poverty.pdf
Deacon923
Scooter Banks
I read the snapshot. will try to read the full task force report when I get time.
First impressions: there are some good ideas and a lot of repackaged old ideas. The good ideas include restructuring benefits so that they don't phase out suddenly when a person gets a job or gets married and consolidating the eleventy-billion federal programs into some kind of more streamlined system (no detail, maybe the task force explains). Portability for housing assistance so people can more easily move to where jobs are. Allowing small businesses to pool 401(k)s.
The repackaged same old same old - we're gonna make those poors WORK, dammit. There's all this code about how the states are going to have more power to put work restrictions on benefits and "connect recipients to jobs". We've heard that song before, and the result is that those states who have always had the worst poverty problems and the lowest taxes (read: the old Confederacy) gladly put in max work requirements, but do little or nothing on the "connecting to jobs" piece. Maybe there's something in the program to help create these jobs that Mississippi is supposed to magically connect its impoverished citizens to. Otherwise, it looks to me like a perfect opportunity for the South to make it even harder than it already is for poor people to get benefits, and to make them jump through more hoops to get them - which will give the lie to all the supposed streamlining and holistic-ing they're talking about. Probably trying to make more programs block-grant programs. I also note that they want to link housing assistance to work requirements. Like putting more people on the street is a solution to any problem? How does that work out when you apply for the job and your return address is the homeless shelter? How's that tie into the glowing language about giving every poor kid a chance to succeed?
In the wait and see but skeptical category: "expanding access to retirement advice" sounds like a giveaway to the financial services industry. Likewise "New tools to expand access to basic banking services. This means reining in Dodd-Frank regulations to give you the widest possible array of choices, from community banks to small-dollar lending"... payday loans for errybody! Bernie's post-office banks are a much better idea than turning loose the payday lending sector to bleed the American poor dry(-er).
All the stuff in the "plans to improve schools and skills" category sounds good, will need to see details. The Pell Grant thing seems like a good idea.
All the stuff in the "Demand Results" category is a huge unknown. Could be good, could be bad. Past experience with Republican "accountability" measures for public schools gives cause for concern. Looks like some more big giveaways to politically connected private businesses are in this section.
First impressions: there are some good ideas and a lot of repackaged old ideas. The good ideas include restructuring benefits so that they don't phase out suddenly when a person gets a job or gets married and consolidating the eleventy-billion federal programs into some kind of more streamlined system (no detail, maybe the task force explains). Portability for housing assistance so people can more easily move to where jobs are. Allowing small businesses to pool 401(k)s.
The repackaged same old same old - we're gonna make those poors WORK, dammit. There's all this code about how the states are going to have more power to put work restrictions on benefits and "connect recipients to jobs". We've heard that song before, and the result is that those states who have always had the worst poverty problems and the lowest taxes (read: the old Confederacy) gladly put in max work requirements, but do little or nothing on the "connecting to jobs" piece. Maybe there's something in the program to help create these jobs that Mississippi is supposed to magically connect its impoverished citizens to. Otherwise, it looks to me like a perfect opportunity for the South to make it even harder than it already is for poor people to get benefits, and to make them jump through more hoops to get them - which will give the lie to all the supposed streamlining and holistic-ing they're talking about. Probably trying to make more programs block-grant programs. I also note that they want to link housing assistance to work requirements. Like putting more people on the street is a solution to any problem? How does that work out when you apply for the job and your return address is the homeless shelter? How's that tie into the glowing language about giving every poor kid a chance to succeed?
In the wait and see but skeptical category: "expanding access to retirement advice" sounds like a giveaway to the financial services industry. Likewise "New tools to expand access to basic banking services. This means reining in Dodd-Frank regulations to give you the widest possible array of choices, from community banks to small-dollar lending"... payday loans for errybody! Bernie's post-office banks are a much better idea than turning loose the payday lending sector to bleed the American poor dry(-er).
All the stuff in the "plans to improve schools and skills" category sounds good, will need to see details. The Pell Grant thing seems like a good idea.
All the stuff in the "Demand Results" category is a huge unknown. Could be good, could be bad. Past experience with Republican "accountability" measures for public schools gives cause for concern. Looks like some more big giveaways to politically connected private businesses are in this section.
Do you save for your own retirement?
WFFaithful
Well-known member
Yes, top down accountability is what we're missing.
dartsndeacs
THE quintessential dwarf
Seems like the best retirement plan is to just do a lot of coke. Then you don't have to work 60 hours a week saving up for it, and you can enjoy the shit out of yourself when you're 30 instead of 70. Just need to make coke legal and bring down the costs.