Tonight’s “This is This” conversation will be about local poverty. Mark Yardas, one of the discussion group’s founders, has arranged for several speakers to come and address the presence of poverty within the Idyllwild community. The evening is called “Local Poverty Summit.”
Karen Patterson, executive director of the Idyllwild HELP Center, will likely be the moderator, according to Yardas. She has helped arrange for several other speakers including Captain Tony Poe, head of the Hemet Salvation Army, and Jim Lineberger, executive director of the Community Pantry in Hemet.
Also on the agenda will be Carlos Navarro, director of state and federal categorical programs and compliance for Hemet Unified School District.
The panel and subsequent discussion will touch on issues such as:
- What are the roots of local poverty, and what can we do as a community to address this issue that will affect one in every two Americans by the age of 65?
- Is poverty a failure of character or a failure of our economic and political systems, or all the above?
- What strategies and programs have been most successful in addressing the problem of poverty?
- How are young people on the Hill affected? Does the issue of poverty have anything to do with the recent spate of break-ins?
- What responsibilities (if any) do those of us living above the poverty line have toward those less fortunate?
Yardas stressed that the focus will be on what the local community can do about this issue.
The session begins at 7 p.m. at the Caine Learning Center, a new location for the conversation.
Courage is answering tough questions with solid truthful answers.
1) What are the roots of local poverty?
ANSWER: bad choice in academic education, bad choices in building a support system, weak skills in adapting to diversity, high temptation to entertainment, lack of solid work ethic and dedication.
2) what can we do as a community to address this issue?
ANSWER: In a free society, you have to allow people to make bad choices take risks and fail. Then those with jobs, income, cash, good support system, good education, good work ethics are burdened and guilted and taxed to carry the weight of others.
3) Is poverty a failure of character or a failure of our economic and political systems
ANSWER: failure of character just as poor math skills combined with greed and entitlement – as well as loose laws, allowed people who can't afford a car to buy a mansion.
4) What strategies and programs have been most successful in addressing the problem of poverty?
ANSWER: take away free will in a free society? unlikely. Most people at a young age 15-25 are not skilled to make the right choices in education fields. All the English, journalism, librarian, liberal arts, music, social studies etc majors in college are out of work. For 99% of the students, those are not academics that have jobs waiting for them. When those kids graduate at age 25 with 100k in student debts and no paying career prospects. They want free cash thru taxes from others who didn't party through out the college years.
5) How are young people on the Hill affected?
ANSWER: They learn from others about working the system, getting free stuff from Food Banks, and playing music at Cafe Aroma, while thinking they too will be on American Idol some day. Because everyone is entitled to be a millionaire in America?
6) Does the issue of poverty have anything to do with the recent spate of break-ins?
ANSWER: Those are crooks. poor doesn't equate thief. unless it's legislated by law into taxes.
they are probably out of work construction workers from the 909.
7) What responsibilities (if any) do those of us living above the poverty line have toward those less fortunate?
ANSWER: set up a fund, donate YOUR cash to whomever you want to subsidize, if you like playing sugar daddy, but keep your hand out of my wallet. Been working since I was 13 and I worked 3 dirty jobs during college, and commuted 140 miles every day round trip doing internships to build up my professional skill set and career. Those in the poverty line wasted their time and money, and now they want to waste more of someone else's money.