Dateline NBC - Sun. 7/25 @7pm to feature Athens, Hocking Co.

[The Enforcer]

This thread is a Big Example of whats WRONG with America, Both Sides Playing the blame game instead of coming together as ONE to try and find a Solution and FIX the problems

[footballfan]

What's wrong with America.....GREED. Corporations are chasing multi-million dollar profits while shipping work to the lowest bidder. I think it is a problem that never will be solved through politics. The disparity between the rich and those in poverty is an embarrassment in this country. We throw millions at people who can sing, act, play a game, or entertain yet we have got coal miners struggling to put food on the table. Of course there are those that live in poverty that CHOOSE to live in poverty and do nothing to better themselves because they will be GIVEN a handout...that isn't right either. Where is the middle ground in this mess?

[Yossarian]

Poverty is not a political issue. There are those impoverished in any administration like it or not. The only real question is what does the richest country in the history of the world do with people that are in need. They could be ignored or they can be helped. To me they must be helped. In helping some you may be enabling some but we do not have a choice. We cannot let children starve because their parents made terrible choices. If we are to truly be a moral country we must help the helpless. I have no sympathy for those that play the system any more than I have the self rightiousness to let children suffer. If by helping some others get a free meal so be it.

[JChipwood]

Food stamps are available to those in need that qualify and it is easy to get them and the need standard is really not that low. They could be a little higher to reach out to others but the current governor of Ohio has cut the budget so much that people are waiting up to 30 days to get any help with food assistance and then the USDA makes them wait another 5-7 days to get a card in the mail. He isn't going to cut the porgram itself but has and will probably cut the administration of the program which in the end delays the program and causes people to be hungry longer. Also in cutting the budget he puts more people in line for assistance by cutting jobs. Huge problem is that administration jobs and jobs not requiring human contact are entact. Most DJFS offices have a limited staff to deal with food stamps and that is the bulk of the traffic. Yet they have multiple supervisors that hide from contact and don't deal with people. Also the amount of jobs derived from the budget at the state level is amazing and they just gobble up budget monies that would allow a much more streamlined process. The money is given to the states to hand out but the states have to determine their budgets for administration and that is where our current state gov't has failed.

I think a little research could go along way in determining a few things about helping our area and creating jobs. That is the bottom line in our country is lack or work especially in our area. Jobs that pay a certain scale in California, New York, or even Columbus, heck almost everyhere in the US have to pay alot more in those areas to attract workers due to cost of living but in our area they could pay a little less and attract ALOT of workers saving the company tons of money over time.

Lots of people on the system want to work and try but can't find stable employment. Sure some don't want to and say they can't, some are lazy but alot more are looking and no jobs are around. Some work at restaurants or even hospitals and still rely on medicaid and food assistance for help. Good jobs would equal better economy. Cut free trade and encourage companies to produce in areas that wouldn't require such high wages. If over seas companies are willing to pay a ton of money to ship products here and accept less proffit for goods then American companies could compete again. The of course the CEOs of companies need to have limited incomes and limit the number of management personnel in comparison to the worforce rather than everyones friend being a manager or supervisor to get a pay increase.

[rockyraccoon]

We have the fattest poor people in the world, so I don't think anyone is starving. If they are going hungry, they aren't taking advantage of the help that is out there.

As for the topic, I really don't understand how someone could say "it's MSNBC's fault for putting ***** in office", then calling him "that man" and saying children shouldn't be exposed to "That man" (that's just funny right there) and then say "It's not being political".

FIDO is right about that area being impoverished for decades, much like appalachian areas in KY and W.VA and Ohio, so how anyone could make the claim that it is "That Man's" fault shows a complete disconnect from any reality.

[kantuckyII]

I just don't think he is a suitable topic for young people. He's a child slayer..a Jew hater, a liar...enemy of man and God alike. Destruction is in his path...he is an anti-christ, perhaps demonically possessed or at least, guided by the prince of darkness...


.....then again, I really don't want to discuss him..

[JChipwood]

I also forgot that food stamp alotments are really high for household sizes, much more than my family spends or is able to spend on groceries.

We need not blame anymore and come together to help find a solution. I don't mean just take up donations but really get involved and solve these issues. The rich could do alot if they wanted to in regards to creating work and helping others but that isn't likely to happen.

I also think food banks should exist for individuals not eligible for food assistance and clothing programs geared toward givng out hand-me-downs to families like "adopt a family" or something based on volunteers or a minimally paid individual. Goodwill and Outreach are great but they have paid employees and directors making good oney and are funded by "our" donations then charge more than most can pay for items and usually give stuff to their friends and family first then sell the rest. Even the food banks that are affiliated with the state have directors making pretty good wages. Why not just have paid employees doing the work and getting paid rather than someone in "charge" that does nothing with the people and does nothing to earn the money other than show up for work and maybe go to some meetings as a face figure.

[JChipwood]

KII,

You are officially brainwashed and have no business talking politics to anyone, allow people to make their own informed decisions. Your beliefs are yours and that is okay with me and your right but don't push stuff like that on others. The "change" is still better than the previous 8 years.

How is that oil spill working out for Halliburton and your boy Dick? Wait until they announce the official cause of the leak creating the explosion. I think we will all see that it was a concrete issue and steps to cut time and cost created a huge problem for lots of people.

[kantuckyII]

I'm just giving you a reason why I feel he isn't an appropriate topic here on SEOP and I think this all thread should be removed. I'm not brainwashed..au contraire!

[JChipwood]

The thread is no worse than most others on here. I didn't see it as political in itself, the debate has turned that way and the reason to the problem may be political but the thread itself was just informational. At work on Thursday we were made aware of the show and of course with my job I tuned in to see what was said and how things were portrayed. They could have shown alot worse situations because they exist around here. What i saw is what I see everyday, it is a shame. Job creation will help our area greatly. Otherwise the answer is moving a will result in a population decrease in SEO. This is our home, we need to help get things back on track, TOGETHER!

[noreply66]

I'm just giving you a reason why I feel he isn't an appropriate topic here on SEOP and I think this all thread should be removed. I'm not brainwashed..au contraire!

If you thought the topic should have been removed- you should have reported it and not post what you did.

[orange-n-brown 365]

Well I watched this and was in tears that our country has come to this...we are quick to take care of other countries but cannot and will not take care of our own people! we all think our lives are bad and then we see something like this to wake us up and make us quite wallowing in our sorrows...everyone needs to wake up and look around you and see what is happening in your own back yard.....

[JChipwood]

your right 365, unfortunately I see it every day and have become somewhat hardened to it but change needs to happen soon. We really need to all contact Strickland and let him know about future budget cuts in the administration of the programs. I admit DJFS has too many supervisors but the workforce must stay entact or even become greater in numbers to handle the volume of requests timely. If the local offices are cut or close then nobody will get services timely and that may result in people going 40 - 60 days wihout food assistance. Can you imagine waiting to find out if you were eligible that long. Our office gets a bad rap but like I said earlier, I deal with the same issues as we all saw last night probably 15 - 25 times per day everyday! I have contacted him but honestly he doesn't care, he just wants more people in those same lines waiting because he cut us by almost 40% last last year and may do the same next year if not sooner. I really think we may be okay this year because it is election year but next year things will change for the worse. What you saw last night is day to day life for alot of our neighbors.

[rockyraccoon]

I just don't think he is a suitable topic for young people. He's a child slayer..a Jew hater, a liar...enemy of man and God alike. Destruction is in his path...he is an anti-christ, perhaps demonically possessed or at least, guided by the prince of darkness...


.....then again, I really don't want to discuss him..

I assume you are joking, but I don't understand why you politicize this topic and then say it should be removed because it is political, then you run down "that man" and then say you don't want to talk about him. Funny, in a sad way.

[dazed&confused]

Everything is too big these days. Big corporations, big government, big Global interests. But SE Ohio has suffered these hardships for years. This isn't something that just happened, it's just worse now because there are no more lifelines. Yet Wall Street rallies....Let the good times roll! We need to make stuff here again. The factories are all shut down and the jobs sent to Mexico or China. I'd start by working over China for subsidizing their currency. Of course they own all our treasuries we issued to cover the tax breaks that everyone wants but no one wants to sacrifice for. Then, I'd get rid of that hideous NAFTA. What a rotten law! But that would spoil Wall Street's party.

[NYBuckeye96]

I watched the program and thought they could have done a better job of how they presented the poverty that has plagued southeastern Ohio for generations. The food bank story was really good, but other than that, I think I would have presented the rest in a different way.

[Der_Kommissar1968]

I just don't think he is a suitable topic for young people. He's a child slayer..a Jew hater, a liar...enemy of man and God alike. Destruction is in his path...he is an anti-christ, perhaps demonically possessed or at least, guided by the prince of darkness...


.....then again, I really don't want to discuss him..

I assume you are joking, but I don't understand why you politicize this topic and then say it should be removed because it is political, then you run down "that man" and then say you don't want to talk about him. Funny, in a sad way.

He's not joking. He's as serious as cancer. But then again, it's why his politics lack credibility with any reasonable person. He's perfectly harmless though. Folks mainly ignore his zaniness much like you'd ignore the disheveled guy standing on the street corner talking to himself and asking for a dollar so he can catch a bus to a job interview.

[seofan_via_dublin]

[WhiteWhiskers]

If I was that one woman I sure wouldn't go on national TV telling about the poor conditions in my life and how bad things are for my family with a cigarette in my hand as she did Even the poorest seem to have money for cigs and the booze

[JChipwood]

The one little boy was drinking a Pepsi so I guess he wasn't poor either or didn't deserve help. Geesh, people can be in need and still have something, sure people shouldn't smoke and people in need could save money drinking Kool Aide but who is to say the producers didn't buy her cigs or buy the little boy the pop. The blame game continues and so will the problems until we drop the blame and do something to try to help.

It may take all of us bugging our worthless politicians, several are from our area yet do little to nothing to try to bring in jobs that are worth anyhting and most don't even try to keep the jobs here that we have. Company owners and politicians are equally selfish!