A $95,000 question: why are whites five times richer than blacks in the US?

[Danno 1,228]

1 in 8 is just about the percentage of black people in the country. Coincidence? Of course I know many white people get food stamps, almost ALL the poeple getting food stamos in Vermont are white...and I don't even need a survey to figure that out. Outside the near north end of Burlington there are about 3 black people in the whole state.

Funny how they promote the idea that these people "can't eat without the government" and you still think it isn't a program to support dependence? Like children "will go hungry" if we don't pay for their hot lunch (nad now breakfast) at school. NO, they will bring a PB&J sandwich from home with an apple and two cookies like I did for about 3000 years. They will eat breakfast at home. We didn't even have a "cafeteria" we had a Gymnasium with folding tables and chairs and small cartons of milk in insulated boxes for 3 cents (there were 3 pennies in my lunch sack)

Alla does interpretation services for the Dept. of Agriculture (Among others) for people applying for food stamps, welfare, etc. She was TOLD by the people there that SHE should apply for food stamps also! She told them she could not because of her immigration status...she was told "No problem". She told them her husband makes alot of money and our family doesn't need help...she was told to apply and let THEM decide if we needed help!!!!!!! They gave her forms to fill out for food stamps, fuel assistance, "Dr. Dynasaur" (medicaid for kids) "Reach-UP", WIC (our youngest child is 15) etc. They are PROMOTING government dependence. NO we did not fill out the forms.

They have, in fact, been saying that Vermont has "only" 74% "compliance" with the food stamp program. Compliance? What does that mean? It means that Vermont only uses 74% of the money allocated to the state for food stamps. Now, to me (silly me) this would seem a GOOD THING, but not to people who make their living off poor people and "fighting poverty" If the food stamp budget is cut 26% because we don't need it (a good thing?) then a bunch of those people will be applying for...food stamps. So they PROMOTE signing people up for their programs, even those not eligible by virtue of an I-864 or because they are well into the "wealthy category" or even both.

All of these programs are ripe with fraud.

Here in Charlotte, a search found that 60% of free lunch cases were in fact ineligible.

When these findings were presented to the School board, they decided to stop the inquiry under the excuse "We are not authorized" to check.

I don't need to remind you more than free lunch money is at stake for the school system, millions and millions of federal dollars are given on the basis of the number of Free (or reduced) lunch kids are in the school system.

[Texanadian 10]

The fact is, even among those who have equal opportunity, equal outcomes cannot be guaranteed.

Nor should it be. Equal opportunity is great when the starting point is equal. It's terrible when the end results are equal. A 100 m track race works best when everybody leaves the start line at the same time. It works terrible when the fastest runner has to slow down in order to finish at the same point as the slowest runner. Same goes for a basketball game. Where is the motivation to achieve the greatest results if you have to throw away part of it to equalize the end result?

Some financial means are better and some are worse for black people. I have to generalize here since not everyone is the same. But I notice at work that a lot of my black co-workers don't put in the amount needed to their 401K plan to maximize the company's match. In fact, many put in less than what the default amount is set for when you first start working there....This defies all common sense.... I maximized the company match before I even received my first paycheck.

On the other hand, many blacks choose to stay in poorer neighbourhoods even when they have the money to move to a richer neighbourhood. This makes great financial sense. Why pay 200K for a house when you can get the same house for 100K in the poorer (black) part of town? Even when asked if they won the lottery where they would move to, they say the same area they're in. The trouble is that you're likely to end up getting the same crummy school districts that way.

I don't agree with giving away free tuition to university. There is nothing wrong with taking out loans for education. In fact, when you provide free tuition or govt subsadized education, you end up taxing poor people who don't go to school to pay for people who do go to school and have a much greater chance at earning large amounts of money later on. The trade off for school loans vs higher earned income and job opportunity in the future is steeply geared towards the student's benefit. You also find that people who are spending their own (loan) money at university are more likely to spend more time studying and less time partying.

The notion of credit cards and mortgages being different is nonsense. Most people are better off without a credit card. And a mortgage is determined mostly by credit rating and to a certain extent by job longevity.

Food stamps are as abused as school lunch programs are. So I wouldn't put too much stock in the percentage figures.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Fewer of these...

...more of these.

[ScottThuy 140]

1 in 8 is just about the percentage of black people in the country. Coincidence? Of course I know many white people get food stamps, almost ALL the poeple getting food stamos in Vermont are white...and I don't even need a survey to figure that out. Outside the near north end of Burlington there are about 3 black people in the whole state.

Funny how they promote the idea that these people "can't eat without the government" and you still think it isn't a program to support dependence? Like children "will go hungry" if we don't pay for their hot lunch (nad now breakfast) at school. NO, they will bring a PB&J sandwich from home with an apple and two cookies like I did for about 3000 years. They will eat breakfast at home. We didn't even have a "cafeteria" we had a Gymnasium with folding tables and chairs and small cartons of milk in insulated boxes for 3 cents (there were 3 pennies in my lunch sack)

Alla does interpretation services for the Dept. of Agriculture (Among others) for people applying for food stamps, welfare, etc. She was TOLD by the people there that SHE should apply for food stamps also! She told them she could not because of her immigration status...she was told "No problem". She told them her husband makes alot of money and our family doesn't need help...she was told to apply and let THEM decide if we needed help!!!!!!! They gave her forms to fill out for food stamps, fuel assistance, "Dr. Dynasaur" (medicaid for kids) "Reach-UP", WIC (our youngest child is 15) etc. They are PROMOTING government dependence. NO we did not fill out the forms.

They have, in fact, been saying that Vermont has "only" 74% "compliance" with the food stamp program. Compliance? What does that mean? It means that Vermont only uses 74% of the money allocated to the state for food stamps. Now, to me (silly me) this would seem a GOOD THING, but not to people who make their living off poor people and "fighting poverty" If the food stamp budget is cut 26% because we don't need it (a good thing?) then a bunch of those people will be applying for...food stamps. So they PROMOTE signing people up for their programs, even those not eligible by virtue of an I-864 or because they are well into the "wealthy category" or even both.

Imagine what would happen if the Govt said Ok we will donate X acres per city along with installing a water source and seeds.... hmmm local gardens creating food instead of taxes going toward promoting people sitting home doing nothing...

instant revolt.. they want us to be slaves working in the fields! we deserve a handout!

[Heracles 417]

If people don't realize this is cultural in nature, they will never get it.

As I have pointed out before, it says something to see people from third world countries owning and operating stores in Ghettos.

[Heracles 417]

Interesting video to watch with some great points regarding spending within the community.

http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/05/18/n_detroit_empowerment.cnnmoney/

[Trumplestiltskin 5,791]

If people don't realize this is cultural in nature, they will never get it.

As I have pointed out before, it says something to see people from third world countries owning and operating stores in Ghettos.

If people don't realise that the issues involved are fundamentally historical, economic and class-related - and that these tend to define and drive people's attitudes, they will never get it.

This sums it up quite nicely.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

If people don't realize this is cultural in nature, they will never get it.

If people don't realise that the issues involved are fundamentally historical, economic and class-related - and that these tend to define and drive people's attitudes, they will never get it.

Maybe when people realize that the truth is somewhere in the middle we'll actually get somewhere.

I rarely see white folk with $200.00 hair do's and $75.00 nail jobs paying for their groceries with Uncle Sam's plastic to then get into a recent model Benz, Hummer, Lexus, you name it to get back home. I rarely see white folk riding pimped up cars to the Social Security office. There's an issue setting priorities for sure. Of course, there is also an issue with a disadvantage in inherited wealth which would naturally be lacking on the part of those that were not offered the same opportunity to build it in the past. However, that wealth wasn't built by spending every penny on items that will only depreciate. That's the lesson that's gotta be taught and learned.

**, I came here with nothing a bit over a decade (not 4+ decades) ago and I ain't got no inherited wealth to build on. But I am building something for my old days and perhaps something to leave behind for my daughter. And that something ain't round and shiny.

Edited May 21, 2010 by Mr. Big Dog

[mawilson 2,133]

**, I came here with nothing a bit over a decade (not 4+ decades) ago and I ain't got no inherited wealth to build on. But I am building something for my old days and perhaps something to leave behind for my daughter. And that something ain't round and shiny.

[Danno 1,228]

**, I came here with nothing a bit over a decade (not 4+ decades) ago and I ain't got no inherited wealth to build on. But I am building something for my old days and perhaps something to leave behind for my daughter. And that something ain't round and shiny.

Amen to that!

One of the saddest things to me is a "golden opportunity" which is missed.

Black Americans.... (indeed anyone living here), happens to be here at a place in time .. when even a modest effort can deliver one financial security.

One could easily borrow and convert the old -Show biz- line when speaking of NY city. "If you can make it here... you can make it anywhere".

Changed to: "If you can't make it here (America) you can't make it anywhere."

[Heracles 417]

Maybe when people realize that the truth is somewhere in the middle we'll actually get somewhere.

I rarely see white folk with $200.00 hair do's and $75.00 nail jobs paying for their groceries with Uncle Sam's plastic to then get into a recent model Benz, Hummer, Lexus, you name it to get back home. I rarely see white folk riding pimped up cars to the Social Security office. There's an issue setting priorities for sure. Of course, there is also an issue with a disadvantage in inherited wealth which would naturally be lacking on the part of those that were not offered the same opportunity to build it in the past. However, that wealth wasn't built by spending every penny on items that will only depreciate. That's the lesson that's gotta be taught and learned.

**, I came here with nothing a bit over a decade (not 4+ decades) ago and I ain't got no inherited wealth to build on. But I am building something for my old days and perhaps something to leave behind for my daughter. And that something ain't round and shiny.

Bingo! The number of people chillin in DC while using their iphone never seizes to amaze me. When I was 18 I purchased my own $500 car, yet my dad had enough to buy DC. Whereas go to DC and look at the number of Lexus or cars with $3k wheels in the Ghettos. I remember during the first week I was in the US, I saw someone buying all of this stuff (DVD etc), only to see them use the EBT payment option. There are people who are genuinely poor and stuck in a cycle of poverty, however, there also are those who are working the system. What many fail to realize is that it's these $3k rim, $500 outfit, iphone using fools that are shooting up neighborhoods and butchering people daily.

Half of my family members moved to AUS, Canada and the US with less than $10 to their name (and most with only an elementary education), yet now have millions. Many worked two jobs in factories, earning under $25 dollars for a weeks work, until they could save for their first deposit. The rest is history. Heck, my old man arrived in Australia and got off the ship on Friday, didn't speak a word of English nor knew anything about the country or culture, yet had a job by Monday morning. The biggest fallacy that many disingenuous bastards like Jesse Jackson and al shaprtons make is that the white man was born with a golden spoon up their azz. It's people like that who keep the AA community down. People who instead of asking ####### is going on, play to the white guy is to blame excuses. Yes, the white guy is to blame that people trashed their section 8 and tore up their government funded communities.

[Heracles 417]

One could easily borrow and convert the old -Show biz- line when speaking of NY city. "If you can make it here... you can make it anywhere".

Changed to: "If you can't make it here (America) you can't make it anywhere."

Speaking of cities, what puzzles me is why poor AA insist on residing around inner-cities, where there is no hope of work?

[Danno 1,228]

Speaking of cities, what puzzles me is why poor AA insist on residing around inner-cities, where there is no hope of work?

Thats actually a good question my wife asked me.... :Why do Blacks gravitate to cities?

[lostinblue 1,989]

Thats actually a good question my wife asked me.... :Why do Blacks gravitate to cities?

I asked this question to a black co-worker while his daughter was in jail for going on a "joy ride" in a stolen car. His reply was .....that is where the action was. Life is just too slow in a small town for him.

[Heracles 417]

I asked this question to a black co-worker while his daughter was in jail for going on a "joy ride" in a stolen car. His reply was .....that is where the action was. Life is just too slow in a small town for him.

That guy needs to travel if he thinks inner-city ghettos have action. I've seen landfills in AUS that look better than American ghettos.

It's a bizarre culture that is for sure. This video also explains a lot about the mindset or lack of within the community: http://money.cnn.com/video/news/2010/05/18/n_detroit_empowerment.cnnmoney/

Interesting point a speaker made.

Money circulating within communities - local businesses etc

• Asian: 9
  
• White:8
  
• Black: not even once
  

Edited May 21, 2010 by Booyah!