"A Welfare Reform Program Based on Help for Working Parents"

While I was reading the chapter titled "A Welfare Reform Program Based on Help for Working Parents", many thoughts ran across my mind. The main thing that I kept thinking about was the main point of this article- raising taxes to pay for this program to be implemented. Raising taxes does not resolve anything for anyone, no matter what social class you are. Yes, this would be a good program and has good ideas, but who is going to agree with raising taxes and spending so much money to rescue one class level. I feel that the costs of each section-- $29 billion, $54 billion, $8.2 billion, $19.6 billion- is way to much and for these funds to become available that would be a huge tax hike. The families that already are on welfare and are working minimum wage jobs do not have the money to be able to pay for this tax increase. This welfare reform package is a great plan that eventually needs to happen, but our country is in such severe debt that by spending such great amounts on this right now would now be correct. If this package was broken up in parts it may work better.

"Sharing the Pie"

In chapter 73- "Sharing the Pie", I found all of the information that was presented VERY interesting and frustrating. There is such a huge gap between the "very rich and rich" and the "less rich". The rich occupy over ninety percent of our countries financial assets, this group is only ten percent of our population. Then the other ninety percent of our countries population only owns about eight percent of the assets. Is there something wrong with that picture?? There are way more people in the "less rich" bracket then there is in the "very rich/ rich". It is very unfair to the rest of the countries people that we have to be squelched by the rich taking and possessing all the assets. That then causes there to be less for the people who actually need the help and potentially could favor the rich in ways of taxes. Something needs to be done, but what?? Why doesn't our country have a "watch dog" in place already?? I feel that the countries assets need to be watched over and managed better.

Service on MLK Day

On Monday January 19th, I went to PCAF to do some service. I went there and was with a bunch of UPS kids, Beth- the lady who works with the volunteers, and her intern, Jasmine. We cut a dozen spools of red ribbon into 6- inch pieces. They will then be pinned and made into ribbons that are handed out during "Dining Out For Life"- a day where restaurants donate money and host people that come in to dine in the support of AIDS. Even though Dining Out For Life isn't until April, Beth still needed a team like us that got through this task in a timely manner and now she is way ahead in her preparation for this event. Then the UPS lady came and dropped off some boxes. Beth opened them and they were boxes filled with condoms in rolls. So we sat there and talked about "Safe Sex" and ripped condoms apart. I had already heard the speech that Beth gives, but she gave it to the UPS kids and they all had this shocked look on their face. They were intrigued by the information Beth presented. Beth also gives presentations like she gave us to schools and classes. She is a very good sex educator. Then after all the condoms were ripped apart, she gave us "FIGHT AIDS" shirts. Now I can support AIDS with my daily wear!!

PCAF

Me and Elizabeth went to the Pierce County AIDS Foundation (PCAF) on Friday and had our first real day of HIV/ AIDS experience. Beth is so good at what she does. So she gave us a packet of all the information we need to know and we did a death march through HIV/ AIDS knowledge. now we are "experts" in our field. We still do not know exactly what we will be doing since we don't have a car between the two of us, but we will find out this Friday. But Beth taught us so much about HIV and AIDS and about what an epidemic it is. There are many myths and so much false knowledge about HIV out there, and you can never be sure what information is really true unless you ask or go to reliable sources!
The main point is: - talk to your partner before you start out your night, drinking and before your mind goes onto other things!!! Set some guidelines down. Always practice SAFE SEX!!!!!!!!!!! And finally, get tested!!!!! It helps everyone out!!!! More public announcements to come!!

Racial Identity and the State

In the chapter "Racial Identity and the State: Contesting the Federal Standards for Classification", I found the topic of "Project RACE (Reclassify All Children Equally)" very interesting. Yes, creating a category of "multiracial" would be good, but how many people will miss use this category? The reading says that 75 to 90 percent of "blacks" would now respond to this category. Are they really multiracial? And does this category really display their race correctly? I just feel that by adding this new category of multiracial, it would cause more confusion then now. With this category not only blacks would respond to it. When other races see this new category they may switch and feel that it represents them too. What would be the guide lines for this "multiracial" category be? It would need to be explained in further detail and have some boundaries with it. This category may become abused in some ways too. People may feel that since they are half white and some other race too, that they then classify for this category. This category could cause some major problems and skew census results. It could also cause there to be a foggy zone when people are trying to pick which race category to choose.

Pierce County AIDS Foundation

Yesterday, Monday, Me and another classmate went to The Pierce County AIDS Foundation for our interview. PCAF helps people who have HIV/ AIDS out with their needs. We saw them giving out bags of food and supplies, and offering case management. This is a great foundation because the people who come to get these services really need them. These people have to spend their money on their care for their condition and that leads to not having as much money for food and rent. Also here, they can receive vouchers for clothes and hotels. They also have support groups and counselors. We are going back on Friday to learn all about the foundation and start on our service. They are in between their major things- the Pierce County AIDS Walk and Dining Out for Life. This will be a really rewarding service project.

Mickey Mouse Monopoly

After watching the movie we watched yesterday, Mickey Mouse Monopoly, I can now connect a few things. I have heard before that Walt Disney was anti- semitic and now I can believe that. From watching the movie and having it highlight how Disney is racist, it is shocking! Now looking back on all the Disney movies I own and have watched over and over, it is outstanding how much racism is in each movie in its own way. I was also shocked by the way Disney put men in the highest place. He illustrated that women always need help and that comes from the men. I really liked this movie and am now more aware of this racism in movies.