Times are so good…

[Presentation]

I did not know where else to put this but I need to put it somewhere. Warning, its not boating related.

Where I live the various charity organizations claim we have a homeless problem. Now I drive all thru the city and don’t see any however they claim they are there. They also have decided something must be done.

So what are we doing? Finding the homeless a home? Nooooooooo. We have created an area to simulate the living conditions of the homeless person and are taking people with homes there.

Anyone else hear about this?

Then they ask for money since, per ‘project hope’ there are 38,000 people that live just above the poverty line in the Fox Cities.

And how do they define “just above the poverty line?†Thank for asking by the way They define it as making under $50,000 / year.

Participants will do activities. This “Exercise includes role playing to see how families on a fixed income make decisions on buying groceries vs. children’s medicine.†Want to make it accurate? Change the roll play to deciding on spending the money on cigarettes or video games.

Those that know me well know the philanthropy my wife and I support. Part of the responsibility of having the power to help others is the responsibility to help others in a way that does the most good.

Kinda makes you wonder what they plan to do about the prostitution problem, hey?

 

[Quint4]

...a few months back a local church organization near where I live had high school kids spend the night in cardboard boxes to get a feel for the "homeless"the media gave it front page coverage..
....I have spent 15 yrs as a public safety official ( out on the streets) and deal with the "homeless" frequently. I can truly say 90% are products of their own choices in life....ok speech over....going to Cleveland boat show in the morning !

 

[mark buckwalter]

...a few months back a local church organization near where I live had high school kids spend the night in cardboard boxes to get a feel for the "homeless"the media gave it front page coverage..
....I have spent 15 yrs as a public safety official ( out on the streets) and deal with the "homeless" frequently. I can truly say 90% are products of their own choices in life....ok speech over....going to Cleveland boat show in the morning !

I learned that first hand one afternoon a few years back. We had a "homeless" man that stood by the road, leading into one of the larger shopping centers, with a homeless sign written on an old piece of cardboard. As the traffic would stop to enter the shopping center he would go car to car asking for donations. One day as he strolled up to my window with his sign I said I could do one better than spare change. I offered the man a job on the spot for $9 an hour. This "homeless" man laughed at me and said "I can make more than that standing here."

That REALLY made my day :smt021

 

[RonF]

Here in Palm Beach County they are all over the place. They even work in shifts. A guy will ride up on a bike, take over, and the other guy ride away. It's like an organized business.

 

[SearayPaul]

Several years ago a local radio personality did a report on the homeless pan handling on the streets of Greenville. The reporter took on the roll of a homeless person and "worked" the corner of a busy intersection. He made enough money every day for an entire month to have a hotel room, eat out, and pay for his personal living expenses. I forget what the annulized amount was but it was not trivial. On days the weather was too cold or too wet he did not report for "work" and still could afford to pay for his motel etc. That report really opened up my eyes and I quickly changed my donation habits.

In addition he met several other homeless people that had a high tech campsite in the woods that they called home. It had all of the latest camping conviences and was camafloged from the rest of the area. The camping site was just a short commute to "work" every day. I am sure they were laughing at all the fools donating to them.

Best of all none of these people payed taxes or FICA but they had access to healthcare at the local hospital at no charge since they were indigent. Quint4 thanks for all of your help on the streets dealing with the homeless etc.

Now back to boating...

 

[AndersonAcres]

Wait. I'm confused.

If $50K is just above the poverty line, and if, as I've read elsewhere, being rich is defined by many in D.C. as earning over $75K a year, then the middle class is a very narrow income band indeed.

No wonder 'the middle class is shrinking'. It's being defined out of existence.

Must be the new math. :smt100

 

[Aquia185]

Who the heck would ever say 75K a year is rich? Oh wait...bet it was the 16 year old working at McDonalds :smt043

 

[mark buckwalter]

Wait. I'm confused.

If $50K is just above the poverty line, and if, as I've read elsewhere, being rich is defined by many in D.C. as earning over $75K a year, then the middle class is a very narrow income band indeed.

No wonder 'the middle class is shrinking'. It's being defined out of existence.

Must be the new math. :smt100

WOW....75k is rich? Gee....being rich sure don't feel like I thought it would. :smt017

 

[Dancin Dave]

maybe its 50 k combined household income and 75 k per individual in the D.C. area, combine a husband wife in D.C. scenario and you have rich(by there definition) Frankly it aint rich, its middle class.