Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Grassroots Movement?

Per the OD a coalition of Mohawk Valley Community Action, RCIL, MVCC, Catholic Charities, Utica Safe Schools Healthy Students, and other organizations plans to combat poverty.

Sounds benign enough. Who does not want to combat poverty?

One major goal will be to educate the public and get rid of misconceptions that the only people dealing with poverty are “lazy” and on welfare, she said. There are many people who work very hard but can’t get by on what they make, Turner said.

Another effort will be to conduct voter registration campaigns to give people more of a voice in changing their own struggles, she said.

Huh?

How do "misconceptions" keep people poor? How will "voter registration campaigns" get people jobs?

Training people for jobs and working to create an environment where jobs can flourish will help combat poverty . . . But that is not what is being proposed here.

The inclusion of Utica Safe Schools Healthy Students made me take notice. If you can remember back to 2002, this organization was born under rather opaque circumstances and had some rather disturbing plans (since removed from the UCSD website). (Note: This organization was created under a Federal Dept. of Ed. Program that was promoted by both Presidents Bush and Clinton).

“We’re trying to create almost a movement – a grassroots movement . . .”
The coalition members want to “create a sense of urgency and almost outrage” in order to motivate people to bring about the necessary changes . . .

"Outrage?" Over What? "Necessary Changes?" What changes?

No, this is NOT a "grassroots" movement. All these organizations are funded by GOVERNMENT with OUR TAX DOLLARS . . . And they will use our tax dollars to promote public outrage -- a/k/a public intimidation!

The objective here is anything but combating poverty. The program is geared to (1) ensuring a steady flow of taxpayer dollars into the coffers of friendly not-for-profits, and (2) influencing the political process.

The ultimate goal is to give the Government more control over People, rather than the other way around.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well said. Our area is dominated by a type of huksterism that has nothing to do with attacking and remeding the real problems. You see the same names and faces, hear the same shop worn slogans and read the same mushy OD editorials promoting this jibberish. How long have we been fighting the war on poverty with the same arsenal? We never seem to hear these anti poverty types address the real problems of teen age pregnancy, a failing public school system, young mothers without husbands, drugs, disrespect of basic standards and laws and the host of other societal characteristics that are at the root of poverty. One has to conclude that the anti poverty industry much like the racial healing one, actually prefers things as they are.

Anonymous said...

We could easily get rid of half the alphabet soup gang and nobody would notice. They live off the taxpayer. Time to cut back and force consolidation. Eliminate the duplication.

UticaSux said...

This smells like an Oneida Co. brewed version of our own little Acorn. I can just imagine!