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A lot of poor people are poor due to bad financial decisions. Things like, you should pay the rent before going to McDonalds. It's the reason many people don't

by d0lph 9y ago

A lot of poor people are poor due to bad financial decisions. Things like, you should pay the rent before going to McDonalds. It's the reason many people don't give money to the homeless on the streets.

jshevek 9y ago
Yes. Many people, from all classes, make terrible financial decisions - particularly if they struggle with addiction. Giving such people money usually does nothing to improve their situation. They must first address their addictions and learn to make good decisions before they can really benefit from an infusion of money.
- cortesoft 9y ago
  What makes you think that giving money doesn't help with addictions, nor improve their situation? Do you have any data for that? Everything I have read says the opposite. In fact, giving money to people causes them to spend LESS money on cigarettes and alcohol: https://qz.com/853651/definitive-data-on-what-poor-people-buy-when-theyre-just-given-cash/ https://qz.com/853651/definitive-data-on-what-poor-people-bu...
DoubleCribble 9y ago
Actually, food and shelter are both primary needs. And I'm going to tip the scales in favor of food being "slightly" more important than shelter for it's sheer necessity for survival, ie you can survive by having food without shelter but not vice versa. And while no fan of Micky D's, I do understand the caloric value of the Dollar Menu. "There but for the grace of ____ go I."
- nostrebored 9y ago
  Caloric value is a pretty awful way to think about it. You should be measuring the nutritional value. As we can see by the rising obesity rates in poor communities, caloric value has been emphasized for far too long.
cortesoft 9y ago
So you are saying they are poor because they buy their food from McDonalds... instead of from where? A grocery store? Well, lots of poor neighborhoods don't even grocery stores, and they have to buy food at corner markets that are more expensive and don't have healthy options. McDonalds might not be the worst financial choice. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151206/entlife/151209164/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151206/entlife/15120916... Also, you make the claim that people are poor due to bad financial decisions, yet provide no evidence. Well, there is evidence that when given money, poor people spend it to better their lives: https://qz.com/853651/definitive-data-on-what-poor-people-buy-when-theyre-just-given-cash/ https://qz.com/853651/definitive-data-on-what-poor-people-bu...

by d0lph 9y ago

jshevek 9y ago

Yes. Many people, from all classes, make terrible financial decisions - particularly if they struggle with addiction. Giving such people money usually does nothing to improve their situation. They must first address their addictions and learn to make good decisions before they can really benefit from an infusion of money.

cortesoft 9y ago
What makes you think that giving money doesn't help with addictions, nor improve their situation? Do you have any data for that? Everything I have read says the opposite. In fact, giving money to people causes them to spend LESS money on cigarettes and alcohol: https://qz.com/853651/definitive-data-on-what-poor-people-buy-when-theyre-just-given-cash/ https://qz.com/853651/definitive-data-on-what-poor-people-bu...

DoubleCribble 9y ago

Actually, food and shelter are both primary needs. And I'm going to tip the scales in favor of food being "slightly" more important than shelter for it's sheer necessity for survival, ie you can survive by having food without shelter but not vice versa. And while no fan of Micky D's, I do understand the caloric value of the Dollar Menu. "There but for the grace of ____ go I."

nostrebored 9y ago
Caloric value is a pretty awful way to think about it. You should be measuring the nutritional value. As we can see by the rising obesity rates in poor communities, caloric value has been emphasized for far too long.

cortesoft 9y ago

So you are saying they are poor because they buy their food from McDonalds... instead of from where? A grocery store? Well, lots of poor neighborhoods don't even grocery stores, and they have to buy food at corner markets that are more expensive and don't have healthy options. McDonalds might not be the worst financial choice. http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151206/entlife/151209164/ http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20151206/entlife/15120916... Also, you make the claim that people are poor due to bad financial decisions, yet provide no evidence. Well, there is evidence that when given money, poor people spend it to better their lives: https://qz.com/853651/definitive-data-on-what-poor-people-buy-when-theyre-just-given-cash/ https://qz.com/853651/definitive-data-on-what-poor-people-bu...