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September 29, 2009
Special Announcement: Solution to Poverty Found
Trillions of dollars have been spent on the “war on poverty,” and what do we have to show for it? Not much. The poverty rate is about the same as it was when President Lyndon Johnson proposed the program 40 years ago. The war on poverty has only produced generations of government-dependent people who have lost their inherent ability to fend for themselves.
Have fun on welfare, kid.
If you want to avoid poverty, this advice is worth at least as much as the TARP government bailout, but I’m sharing it with our poverty-stricken communities for free. That’s how nice a guy I am.
Stay in School
There is probably no better way to break the poverty cycle than by staying in school. High school graduates make hundreds of thousands of dollars more money during their lifetime than those who don’t graduate. They also are less likely to be arrested and go to prison. A high school diploma opens the door to higher education like community colleges or universities.
Don’t Have Out-Of-Wedlock Children
Whether you are a male or female, having a child out of wedlock will set you way back in achieving personal success. If you’re in middle school or high school, getting pregnant most probably will force you out of school, make you and your child a ward of the state, diminish your quality of life and affect your ability to get a job. If you’re the father, you’re on the hook for child support payments. Wait until you are married and can afford a child.
Don’t Do Drugs
Taking drugs will significantly decrease your ability to get out of poverty and get ahead. Your priority should be to get an education, which will lead to a good paying career. Drugs are illegal, and you don’t want to get arrested and have a criminal record. Employers will pass you by for someone who has never been in trouble with the law, especially if you have a drug arrest. Drugs are also expensive, and that money can be used for better purposes like textbooks and bus fare for school.
Don’t Smoke
Smoking is not only unhealthful, it’s expensive. If you smoke two packs a day, that’s an average of $210.00 per month you could be spending on something else like food, clothing, shelter and college tuition. You might consider opening a bank account to deposit all the money you’ll save by quitting.
Learn a Skill
You’ll never go hungry if you have a skill that can earn you money. Not everyone can be a writer or a doctor, but doctors and writers can learn to be skilled laborers such as carpenters, electricians, roofers or auto mechanics. Regardless what shape the economy is in, men need their hair cut, women want their hair dyed, and plumbers will be needed to stop leaks.
Don’t Buy Stuff You Don’t Need
Don’t buy fancy reverse spinning wheels that cost $4,000 and then put them on a car worth half as much. That doesn’t make any sense. Save the money and use it to pay for college, vocational training or essentials like food and clothing. And when you do buy something, don’t use a credit card. If you ignore this advice and buy those fancy rims, then at least pay for them with cash. Otherwise, you’ll probably pay as much in interest than you will for the rims themselves, and you may be digging yourself a financial hole so deep you can never get out. Just do yourself a favor and stick with the rims that came on the car when you bought it. Fancy rims are luxury items you can’t afford right now. The latest iPod, $300 sneakers, cell phones and flashy clothing are all things you will be able to afford once you get that good job and break the cycle of poverty.
Regardless how much money government spends on social welfare programs, poverty will not end if people don’t follow the basic principles of self-discipline and personal growth. If they did, poverty in this country would be a thing of the past.
FamilySecurityMatters.org Contributing Editor Gregory D. Lee is a retired DEA Supervisory Special Agent. He writes a weekly syndicated column for North Star Writers Group and can be reached through his website: http://www.gregorydlee.com/.
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