The price of poverty

 

On some level, everyone is a consumer. You can be the staunchest anti-consumerist in the world, but at the end of the day, I’ll still see you in the toilet paper aisle.

A consumer marketing principal is that you (the consumer) purchase items with three “heads.” Your mind, which regulates the consumption of rational, or even survival items, such as deodorant, toothpaste, and food. A good deal of the companies that fall into this category are known as CPG, or Consumer Based Good brands (such as Unilever – which makes all of the products I just listed.)

The second place a consumer purchases an item from is their heart. These items are, you guessed it, products you love. You see a shirt, or a jacket, or a phone case, or whatever, and you want it – so you buy it.

At its core, the difference between the mind and the heart fundamentally seem pretty small, since they are both examples of consumerism. However, the defining difference here is that you don’t really need the stuff you want. This means that the products themselves are the differentiators between classes. The products in this class also do not cary much social-value. Who cares what brand of flip-flops you wear?

No one. So I’m not going to pay much attention to these two classes. For the context of what I’m talking about, they’re not important. The type of deodorant you wear doesn’t define your social status. The fact that you wear it does.

The third and final place consumers purchase items from is their genitals. These are items that, for whatever reason, you really really want. These products are luxury items, and generally speaking, they cost the most to own out of the three categories. These, more than any other products in existence, act as status symbols. A $20,000 Rolex, and a $20 Timex fundamentally do the same thing, but a Rolex says you’re well-off, and a Timex says you were recently in a CVS.

And it doesn’t even have to be something as extreme as a watch that costs more than my car, either. If you own an iPhone, statistically, you are perceived as more wealthy and well educated than your friend with an android.

This is great for brands, because often they make the most profit out of products in this class. One example of this is Porsche, who makes a higher profit per each car sold than almost any other auto maker in the world.

Now the question is, how does this correlate into our income inequality problem in America.

As it turns out, studies show that the people who cannot afford the items in the third class, are the people who often seek them out the most. This study found that Google searches for luxury items are higher in states with more income inequality.

Does this mean there is a direct correlation to poverty and Google searches for Gucci? No. However, it does shine light on the research patterns of the haves and the have-nots. Literally, more people google aspirational products in states where there are more extreme examples of poverty.

What this says is that people want — prepare yourself for a technical term here — crap. Our society places a heavy value on material positions. And the more expensive the item, the higher social value it brings to the consumer.

I was curious to see how much a t-shirt from Gucci cost. So I looked it up. $850. For those who care about fashion, it’s impossible to stay en-vogue without having deep pockets, or a second mortgage. It’s for this reason that cheap fashion is starting to rise, though it has a nasty dark side. The human cost to produce an economical but trendy fashion product is astronomical. The clothing in Walmart is literally created in sweat shops, forcing workers to work in inhumane and hazardous conditions, all for a t-shirt.

So, now that we have outlined a problem here, how is it fixed?

I’m not sure. There really is no Call to Action here. There’s no rally against consumerism; you’d just look crazy. I think the most important way to deal with the dark side of consumerism is to deal with it piece by piece. Address sweatshops, and than move on from there, for example.

The first step is knowledge, and, since you made it this far in my blog post, I can only assume you have left with a little more knowledge on the subject — which is good.

However, this is our last blog… which is bad. So, as I, the student must go off and forge new paths ahead, you, the reader must also do the same. You have done something to lead you to this blog, which is great. But it’s now your turn. Take it from here.

 

May 8, 2017April 28, 2017 by datingjesus

…NOW what?

Over the course of a semester, our class has learned plenty about wealth and income inequalities. We visited a homeless shelter and got to see just how people are impacted by poverty. We addressed the various subcultures that are impacted by certain policies such as red lining and pay gaps. We watched countless videos, read heart-wrenching articles about the plight of poverty, and listened to guest speakers address the situation from their own viewpoint.

But now what? There is now a moral responsibility on us to act upon what we have learned. We did not sit here learning about the atrocities that are occurring to turn a blind eye on the most vulnerable. After learning so much, how can you feel that there is not an issue that is amongst us?

So here’s my theory: if instead of sharing that Facebook post of participating in that lecture, go out and do good. I speak for myself, my classmates, and those of you reading this article. Whether you have been watching the news or reading our blog, it is well known that there are people in our communities that need help. Now is the time to do something and give back. Now is the time to act.

It does not have to be a major commitment. Donating your extra clothes, money, and time is sufficient. Writing letters to your legislators asking for policy changes is enough. Just sitting on the sidelines, that is not enough. So, as we get ready to shuffle off into the real world my last message is this: do good in the world, and help your neighbors. We are all humans, and we all could use some more compassion.

By Allison Smith

May 7, 2017April 28, 2017 by datingjesus

An eye-opening class…

This semester, we went through all aspects of wealth inequality.

We talked about women in poverty, low-income housing, food deserts, and so much more. I’m going to write about how this class has influenced me in the best way imaginable.

Before coming to this class, I didn’t know the meaning of wealth inequality but through experience I had a pretty good idea of what it was. I would gain a better knowledge of what families in poverty go through. I saw in the documentary Solar Mamas exactly how important women are in getting their families out of poverty. Many women who are in poverty or are homeless are single mothers. I learned that even though women are paid less than men, especially if you are a woman of color, they will always work hard to give their family a better life.

People in poverty may just need that one step to help them achieve greatness. That is when affordable housing comes into play. My family and I are in affordable housing. When I was researching this topic, I was sad to find that not many states have options for affordable housing. These programs help people with low incomes have a roof over the heads. Not many people know of affordable housing and I believe that if more people were informed, then there would be more energy put into providing it.

The last topic that struck me was food deserts. I had never heard of food deserts until we talked about it in class. It is something that I have seen in many rural areas but never paid much attention to.

When we were able to come up with ways to solve the problems of food deserts, it gave me a rush. Here we are in class and we were able to brainstorm ideas on how to help people and change their lives. We may have only been presenting to each other but it still felt amazing to come up with ideas.

This class has truly opened my eyes and made me view the world differently. It has been an amazing semester and end to my senior year.

By Arnelle Louis-Pierre

 

 

May 6, 2017April 28, 2017 by datingjesus

Free money. Say whaaaat?

How does a free monthly income sound? Amazing right? But how exactly would this work?

Universal Basic Income.

There are five characteristics to a universal basic income:

1. Periodic – regular interval incomes
2. Cash payment – appropriate way of exchange for everyone, no limits on spending rights
3. Individual – paid per person
4. Universal – available for everyone with no limits
5. Unconditional – no means to work or demonstrate willingness to work

This isn’t new. It dates back to the 16^th century, but we are still trying it out.

If this isn’t a new idea, why haven’t more communities adopted it?

This summer, the province of Ontario will begin a three-year project to test the universal basic income in 3 different cities. Randomly, about 4,000 individuals will be chosen to receive up to $12,570 annually.

The only requirement is the recipient must be between the ages of 18 and 64 years old and living on a low income. (However, the basic income should be universal, meaning anyone should receive the income, even the rich.)

Researchers want to find out what everyone is wondering: Will this program leave a positive impact?

The point of the basic income is to provide enough for individuals for basic needs, which include food, shelter, and education. There are no controls on how the money can be spent, which means people may not spend the money for the “right” reasons. There’s no control if they spend it on unnecessary desires or illegal activities.

I believe there are a lot of situations that can play out in the test project in Canada. I hope they’ll keep us posted.

By Nicole Pierce

 

 

May 5, 2017April 28, 2017 by datingjesus

About this semester…

I did not know what to talk about in this last post so I decided to touch on some of my favorite topics that we discussed this semester.

One of the most memorable discussions we had was about the wealth and income inequality in Connecticut. I remember talking about how Connecticut is among the wealthiest states in the United States, but also contains some of the poorest neighborhoods in towns such as Bridgeport and Hartford. I mentioned I had family in the Hartford area, probably five minutes from each other but the members of those families ended up in two different school districts.

One district was West Hartford and the other Hartford.

The differences between their schools were tremendous. According to West Hartford’s district profile and performance report, West Hartford only has 783 African American students in their school district which only amounts to 8 percent, while Hartford has 6,565 African American students, which amounts to 30.6 percent of the school district. The Hispanic community makes up 52.5 percent of the Hartford school district.

The way the government sets up districts lines is unequal and leaves the lower class with terrible resources, especially in the urban areas.

I also want to mention another topic, that people in urban areas not being able to access healthy and nutritional foods. This segment brought to my attention that supermarkets and alternative (healthy) options such as Whole Foods are usually in wealthier neighborhoods and suburban areas. We discussed why this might be and we came to the conclusion that it could be a number of variables for both the business and the consumers who shop there.

For the business, the crime rate may be a big factor in where they put their business, but for the consumer, access to transportation or prices may be a big factor in whether they shop there.

Basically, this class made me conscious of the world around us, and the reasoning behind everything and how America got to where it is and how it is now. This has been one of the best college courses because it always had me thinking and all of the coursework was very interesting, all thanks to Professor Campbell’s teaching style. Thank you.

By Tyler Jarrett

May 4, 2017April 28, 2017 by datingjesus

The burden of blame

Being poor and being anxious about money can reduce your mental capabilities. This loss is, on average, equal to losing 13 IQ points — about the same drop that would occur to a chronic alcoholic, or someone who had just pulled an all-nighter.

I’d wager a guess that most people reading this aren’t chronic alcoholics, but that most of you have spent at least one night in your lives without sleeping. Do you remember how that feels? Bleary-eyed, detached — like you’re somewhere else, lost in the fog. Now imagine trying to find work, to present the best you possible, to survive poverty in America while you’re stumbling through life, the weight of tomorrow’s uncertainty constantly weighing on your mind.

Poverty is a vicious cycle here in the U.S.A.’s capitalist, free market economy. When discussing poverty, people often place the blame squarely on the shoulders of the poor. Society often expects the poor to lift themselves up by their bootstraps and make a living for themselves – after all, everyone has equal opportunity here in the land of the free… right?

A large body of research suggests that much of our intelligence is based in our genetics, but that these genetics can only fully express themselves in nurturing, positive environments. People who live in neighborhoods with plentiful birds, trees, and shrubs have much lower incidence rates of mental disorders like anxiety and depression. Our environments matter; our environments shape our experiences and our realities. So tell me again, how exactly do poor people have the same opportunities as the middle-class and the wealthy?

I went to college, I met people with connections in the TV and film business, I spent my free time pursuing my passions and making friends –- all with the financial support of my parents. These are the opportunities that have given me a good life and a bright future. Had I spent that time worrying about money and the roof over my head, I can’t say I would have come out the other end the same way. Who knows how many brilliant, golden hearts there are out there, struggling under the murky veil of poverty.

The increasing pace of workforce automation pushing out human labor will put almost 60 percent of global jobs at risk within the next few decades. What exactly do we plan to do with all of those people who won’t be able to find work, tell them to figure it out themselves?

By Daniil Chupalov

May 3, 2017April 27, 2017 by datingjesus

Imagine by the year 2030…

…you could eradicate extreme poverty, inequality, injustice, and fix climate change. With the help and support of all 193 Member States in the United Nations, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of 2030 can be achieved.

Although the world has made remarkable strides by cutting more than half of extreme poverty rates since 1990, over 800 million people are still struggling on less than $1.25 per day.

By 2030, the SDGs hope to end poverty in all its forms, everywhere. The goals not only ensure economic resources and basic services, but also ownership and control over land and other forms of property, inheritance, appropriate new technology and financial services.

Targeting 169 aspects of these 17 Sustainable Development Goals may seem impossible to achieve by 2030. However, working together to transform our world free from poverty and achieving the SDGs by 2030 is practical and the solutions are easy. For example, The Lazy Person’s Guide to Saving the World is a call to action from your couch!

The smallest actions can make a big difference and the smallest person can be a big component to fix climate change and fight for equality. The Lazy Person Guide to Saving the World encourages everyone to do their part in sustaining the planet. Being a couch potato can positively help the planet. The UN highlights how the actions of sofa superstars, household heroes, and the neighborhood nice guy can impact the prosperity of the planet. Imagine by the year 2030, we can be agents of change and invest in the future we want.

By Ellen Callahan

 

 

 

 

May 2, 2017April 27, 2017 by datingjesus

Denial

I recently watched a Fox News video, a segment called FOX Faceoff featuring the host Matt Patrick and guest Quanell X. The topic was the removal of a confederate statues in New Orleans.

Quanell X is a Black activist who said he applauded the city for removing the statue, while Patrick, a white man, wasn’t a fan.

This video made me think about a bigger problem we have, when people deny that racism still exists while they also deny the intensity of our racist past. If people don’t see there is a problem, nothing will ever progress.

In the video, Quanell explains how some former presidents were slave owners and they would rape the slave women, while Patrick  dismissed that as if it wasn’t true. This denial leads to further racism in the country.

The scary thing is that the racism isn’t blatant anymore; it’s systematic, and institutionalized so that most people don’t even see it.

The first step to solving a problem is admitting that you have a problem and we will never solve the problem until America admits it has a problem. This goes deeper than just saying it. Americans must address the past realistically. Do not sugar-coat anything.

Quanell said, “In school, we never taught true history, we were taught the conqueror’s HIS-story.” We were taught what they want us to know and believe, and until true history is taught and the country admits its faults, change will not come.

By Donald Scott

May 1, 2017April 27, 2017 by datingjesus

Universal basic income is a terrible idea

The Economic Security Project, a group of technologists, investors and activists, are spending $10 million to test whether a universal basic income would work in the United States.

Everyone loves free stuff, especially free money. That’s the premise of a universal basic income. You can read more about the concept of a universal basic income (UBI) here, but the idea is that citizens receive an unconditional cash payment on an individual basis. Basically, everyone gets just enough money to make it by. It doesn’t sound like a bad idea at the surface level, does it? People will be lifted out of poverty. There will be no more homelessness. We will live in a wonderful place where no one goes hungry, cold, or exists without a home.

Except that’s not actually what would happen. There are several problems that will arise if a UBI is implemented.

First problem: where would the money come from? With 250 million people over the age of 18 in this country, the government would have to somehow come up with $250 trillion to fund a universal basic income if each adult gets $1,000 a month. And that’s only funds for one month. Oh, and don’t forget everything else that the government has to pay for, like national defense, foreign relations, and the like. In 2016, the total revenues in the United States were just under $3 trillion. So, to fund a UBI and literally nothing else, we’d have to increase our budget by roughly 100 percent.

Second problem: Even if we somehow come up with the money to fund it, a universal basic income doesn’t create incentives to work. At the bottom of the ladder where people make minimum wage for jobs that they hate, it would be hard to convince them to clock in and work hard when they’ll get money anyway. And this goes back to the first problem: How are we going to fund this damn thing?

Third problem: it’s morally wrong. If a UBI is funded, the money will come from taxpayers. That means the government will take money earned by hardworking people who make over the UBI and give it to those who don’t make enough money, or in other cases, any money at all. Taking money from someone without their consent and giving it to someone else is stealing, whether it’s a thief on the street or our own government.

You might say that the government does that now with taxes, but money that goes toward public services is different. Tax dollars that go toward things like fire or police departments, public transportation and roadways provide people with things they need. Protection from criminals, buses, trains and roads to get people around are necessary to have a functioning society. If the government can raise enough money to fund this program from willing participants, then that’s great, fund a UBI, but what are the chances of that happening?

It sounds great on the surface. Give enough money to people so they can survive and thrive. Stop people from having to work dead-end jobs that they hate just to pay the bills and put food on the table. I want to end poverty in this country just as much as everyone else, but a UBI in America just isn’t feasible. Humans have had to work hard to survive for our entire existence on this planet, and for the foreseeable future, I don’t see that changing. We all must do things that we don’t like to survive, and today, that means staying at that dead-end job that you might not like, at least until you can find something better.

By Lindsey Allen

May 1, 2017April 27, 2017 by datingjesus

Poverty is a complex situation that needs your involvement

Part of the American Dream is working hard to succeed — many of us hope to own a home in the suburbs with a white picket fence, steady job and healthy family.

It is easy to get caught up in the notion that those who are poor do not aspire for this American Dream — or at the very least, that they do not want to work for it.

However, that is not always the case, as many other complex issues lie at the heart of poverty:

High fines and targeted ticketing

Third parties with ticketing agencies take advantage of impoverished areas, making large profits from people who cannot afford to pay continuing fines.

Profiling leading to generational prison cycles

Families get stuck in the father-son prison cycle, and become distrustful of authority.

Lobbying quiets those with small pockets

Policies that may be in the interest of poverty-stricken neighborhoods could be overshadowed by companies who can pay large amounts of money to lobby for certain bills to be passed.

Impoverished communities become everyone else’s dumping grounds

Environmental waste, chemical waste, pollutants- these lead low-income communities to get plagued with diseases and health concerns.

Education is important, but…

How can you compete if your education and resources are inadequate?

Healthy food is lacking

Many live in “food deserts,” without any healthy food, grocery stores or bulk options within walking/bus distance. Not only does this lead into unhealthy eating, but also means that in the long run the poor are paying more for their food.

It’s easy for those who are poor to become forgotten: if we can’t see them, they do not exist.

However, like it or not, they do exist, and becoming poor is an easy reality. From a 2006-2013 study, 88% of manufacturing jobs were taken by automation (robots). It is not just the manufacturing industry, but the transportation, paper work/research, medical and artistic and other jobs that will likely be replaced by more efficient technology.

Without a job, it is easy to become one of the 43.1 million Americans (2015) living in poverty.

Most of the time, we do not know what to do with the countless men, women and children who are poor, homeless, jobless or disabled.

We hope that the government or charitable groups will step in to alleviate the symptoms of poverty with programs and policies.

While many organizations exist to help end poverty, educate yourself, and use your voice to contact policy makers and spread the word. While it is important to address symptoms of poverty, we as a society need to try and stop it at its core.

By Lyndsi Petitti

 

April 30, 2017April 27, 2017 by datingjesus