" can thank the leaders in washington for this. Remember this when you vote. Bush and Cheney are the last link in a chain that just don't care about the working people. Harry Truman had a sign that said " the buck stops here". Poo Poo does sometimes flow uphill and the people in charge should be held responsible. Does anyone think the insurance and oil companies are suffering? What a dangerous path this regine has lead us down. The thing that scares me is nebraska being the republican state it is; will help vote a bush clone into office "

" You do sympathize with the problems of the poor. However, I have heard people in this position make comments that it is easier to collect the governemtn welfare, etc. then it would be to get up in the morning and go to work! "

" People act almost shocked when they read stories like these. And they also seemed shocked that more and more people are looking for help.I have full time job but my husband lost his job. We live with my mother in law to share expenses. We have cut out everything we can cut out. And still we barely scrape by.I havent bought my medications in 2 months because I cant afford them.But to hear some people talk there is nothing wrong with this country. We are supposed to be one of the richest nations in the world! I think we stopped being that a long time ago. I am tired of all these politicians promising to change everything and do this and do that.We need to start holding these people more accountable. If the changes they promise arent obvious in thier first year of their term impeach them and start over with someone else. I am tired of trusting my future to someone that wont give a hoot about me the day after they are elected! "

" Cut back on the beer, cigarettes, cell phone and cable tv and you might see a difference in the pocketbook to buy food. "

" You -- You are right on! "

" I think you can look in our own back yard. Pointing the finger for
Nebraska's problem at Washington, is a bit overstated! Not counted in the
number in the article are the many retireds that are skipping meals and
or medicine. I've seen it and tried to help. Alot of older people who
have worked hard their whole lives and still trying to keep their homes
after the nearly highest property taxes in the U.S. have lost hope that
even the powers to be and city fathers could care less. Unfortunately
these are the people that have to suffer while the spenders dig the hole
deeper and plug their ears and close their eyes. My list keeps getting
longer for these older people trying to hang on ALL OVER THE STATE OF
NEBRASKA! We will reap what we sow!!! "

" So, if we figure the majority as 51% percent, then approximately 30% of the people had one person in the home that worked full time and are surprised that it is difficult to get by? I am a teen mom who married my "baby daddy". Six years later, we have two children, are both employed full time and are homeowners. We have had our ups and downs including loss of job for one of us and we still get by. I am working on my college degree but my husband only has a GED, so we didn't have a great base to start with, but we worked hard and made it work. Don't look to your government - look to yourself. The people at the insurance and oil companies work hard to earn a living, probably have a college degree and I don't see any reason that we should take money from them. I wouldn't the government to take my money if I got to that level. I would like to have the option to contribute it to the charity or organizations that I so chose or use it to buy goods or services and keep other business in business. We don't need government intervention. "

" Nebraska has always been in poverty, anyone who is middle class is considered wealthy here. You can thank George W. for his crazy spending and running up the deficit to the Trillions and spending a Billion every couple days on the never ending war in Iraq for worse poverty in this State than ever. What kills me is the heavy Bush support here is sort of a celebration of of what is wrong with the country and a economy. YEAAA George!! The one who is killing us is great!!! (???) "

" Can't afford a five dollar bus pass! How many can afford smokes and boozes? I feel for these people, but we need to help them, not enable them. You'd be surprised how much can change we you FORCE people to do it on there own. Help with decision making. If these people are making $10,000 with four kinds, some bad choices have been made. "

" People have to want to work. You have to want to do better. Now, with all the handouts, it's to easy to for people. You can get free food, free furniture, free cloths, cheap place to live. Why work. "

" I don't have a college degree, but I do have a work ethic. I grew up on a farm and learned that you never get anything handed to you. I've had a lot of tough times in my life and have almost always worked 2 plus jobs. I did that not to keep up, but to get ahead. I've done everything from construction to bartending. Now because of my work ethic I own a business and am President of another. I put in around 100 hours of work a week because that is what I need to do to keep up in life to keep getting ahead. I believe that some people need a helping hand, but I don't like continually handing over my hard work. I've made it without anyone ever handing me anything because I'm too proud to take a hand out. You may not be able to work the best job all the time, but any job is better than making less than $10,000 a year. "

" The survey already says 60% of them have jobs. The jobs one can get without marketable skills pay miserably, more so in Nebraska than in many other places. A family cannot make a go of it even with two parents working when jobs pay minimum wage or little more. Contrary to accusations, many do not have cell phones, cable, expensive habits, etc. I know of one family who had a collection agency call and accuse them of these very things, when none were applicable (and the caller was even too ignorant to know one can't get cable in the country). Walk a mile in their shoes before you judge, instead of relying on better-than-you false assumptions, I recommend. "

" Ryan is correct, if these people are living on 10,000 per year then there have been some choices made by them in the past and in the present that is keeping them at that income level. If you work full time $10,000 comes out to $4.80 per hour which is less than minimum wage. Now I am no rocket surgeon, but I make way more than $10,000 per year, and I would like to think that I did it the same way any american can do it. I first finished high school, then since I had no money for college I enlisted in the military, I got my associates degree while in the Air Force, then once I got out I finished my bachelors degree. My wife took a similar path and we are both employed in recession proof industires. By the way our income last year was quite a bit over the 6 figure mark for the third straight year, and it has gone up every year. So I tend to have no sympathy for those trying to live off of $10,000 per year. There are opportunities for everyone in this country, all you have to do is be willing to work for them. Get off your but and work for something once in your life and you may find that things will start to come your way. "

" Well...I don't smoke, and I have a hard time with our budget and we both work full time with 2 kids who work to support their extra cirricular activities. I am ashamed of the "they are poor cause they want to be poor" attitiudes of the affluent. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. And its often the hard working ones that don't quite qualify for help but cant afford both food and electricity...what are they supposed to do? Yeah we are paycheck to paycheck in our house. And if anything happened to either of us we would lose everything. And we work our butts off every single day. We don't vacation, we don't go to the bars, we don't even pay for cable tv. We do have computers, because we have children who go to public schools that now require that they type their papers, have references from the internet, and other computer-generated requirements. its crazy! "

" todays society expects everything handed to them on a platter. this is the great county because of its equal opportunity, but you have to go out and earn it if you want more. life is tough. "

" Why are we all assuming that all poor people smoke and drink booze? This is a very ignorant assumption and makes me very disappointed in Nebraskans. The majority of these families have at least one person working a full time job. Why aren't both parents working? I'm sure we all know stay at home mothers who stay at home simply because they can't afford child care or other circumstances. WE DON'T KNOW EVERYONE's CIRCUMSTANCES AND WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE? There is a VERY small amount of people who take advantage of the system. To assume all people on assistance don't really need it, Rudy, I would recommend working for the state, Food Bank, homeless shelters, soup kitches, battered women shelters, etc. Talk to people in crisis that were at one point just like you. If you have been on Food Stamps or any type of assistance you know very well it is nothing and as soon as you get a $6.00/hour job you are kicked off of assistance. But what does that job pay for? Groceries, rent, utilities, gas, medical expenses, etc.? "

" A family of four living off $10,000 or less per year computes to ONE person working LESS than fulltime at minimum wage. We should feel sorry for and give hand outs to a family that can't manage to even have ONE person work. How do these low income families think the rest of society pays their bills? Instead of all the hand outs - how about some counseling in finance and work ethic - teach a person some self respect and dignity to provide for themselves. I don't mind helping out, but only if you help yourself first. There is no shame in hard work and scraping by to learn some determination. Betty Brausch's survey's are all a bit one sided and she needs to move her focus to self sufficiency instead of hand outs and "poor me" mentality. "

" I agree with "Well". There isn't much more I can cut out, I already skip medicine for me so I can afford my husbands med's. We don't go anywhere, except I go to work, and I try to make the gas stretch so I don't fill up so often. Everytime I comment on local government overspending on arena's and things, someone tells me I need not be so selfish, quit thinking it's all about me. It's depressing, when everyone wants me to pay for something they want to enjoy, but I can't even afford to live myself. Poverty exists for the elderly in Lincoln, and we work and have worked hard all our lives but government keeps outspending our retirement. "

" Hopefully if your working 100 hours a week you are getting ahead. I just hope you don't have children. The impact on our youth of not having parent(s) home to take care of them is just as a big problem. Just take a look at the crime, suicide and murder rates inflicted by the youth of today.

I have had plenty of knocks. My wife and I went from having great jobs to being jobless and expecting a baby within a 30 day period. All just before 9/11 and we were not able to find jobs right away. So, yes, I have been down and out.

But, we left "home" and came to Nebraska where it would be easier to make adjustments that would allow me to go back to school. Yes, we even had to get help from the state for a couple of months while we got back on our feet.

I work full-time, go to school full-time and am working my butt off to make our lifes better.

But, for someone to say that because someone is poor they are lazy - wow, that is so very misled. Certainly there are people that are and always will take advantage of the system. But there are many MANY working poor out there who are working very hard just to tread water. Most of those that I know and have known, did not drink or smoke. They would go without things for themselves to give more to their children. To group poor people into one "label" is not only ignorant, its dangerous.

Do I work hard for what I have? YES! Am I too greedy not to help others that are in need? NEVER!

People, this situation will never improve without action from the people in charge - which by the way - is you and me my friends. We need to step up and be heard.

One of the best ways of helping is to volunteer, mentor, teach. Our youth needs your guidance on how to be a successful human.
"

" Wow. I'm a single mother of three. I chose that. I don't make alot of money. I chose that. I struggle. I chose that. I've made mistakes that block me from exploring other employment opportunities for another few years. I chose that. However, I still manage to pay the bills, on a budget schedule, and it's a struggle. With the cost of living and expenses going up, my children and I have to make cuts at home. I skip meals in order for my children to eat, and there are times I make my children eat first and claim that I ate at work in order to ensure they eat until they are full. I can see both sides of the fence on this. I'm not asking for anyone out there to give up any more of their money in extra taxes, donations, or charity. What I am asking is the judgemental people to get off their high horses, and stop looking down their noses at people less fortunate than they are. No one is perfect. Some were fed with a silver spoon and others weren't. All I can do as a single mom is enforce education with my children and hope and pray they don't make the same mistakes as me and become successful in life. I work a 40+hours a week job, I don't think I should take time off work to stand in line for free items. It would help yes, but I'd rather not. I take my hard earned money, what's left of it, and shop discount stores, garage sales, and a watchful eye on the amount of money I spend on groceries. Years ago I received assistance from the state and it's not worth it to sit and my butt and collect welfare when I can make more by working an honest job. I admit there are people who do just that. But why should the rest of us suffer because of it. If 100 people are out there looking for assistance in some way, if only 10 people actually need the help and they are served, then there is a job well done. There will always be people looking for free handouts, but it's not our job to judge them. "

" It is amazing how often people are quick to blame others for the problems within our society that have persisted since the inception of our country. You have to love the blame Bush for all of the evil in our world. Who will these people blame when we have a new president in office next year? My question back to "You" is what are you doing to help solve the problems like this in our society? Are you volunteering, donating money, donating food, donating clothing/goods, etc? Let's step up people and make goverment responsible but also let's take it upon ourselves to help change our world and not just blame others. "

" Listen to Social Worker! Not everyone who is on assistance is a loser that smokes and drinks their money away! Good paying jobs are hard to come by these days for someone who might not have a college degree. Things happen in people's lives that can't be forseen! "

" no not everyone thats on welfare is a deadbeat, but enough are that abuse the system and us hard working, fiscal responsible families are darn tired of pulling their weight. if you're offended, maybe you should be. most of us know what its like not to have the funds to buy what needed at some point in our lives. hey thats life, its hard sometimes. "

" I am not about to help someone not willing to help themself. I worked 60+ hours a week at a local fast food joint for 2 years to help my family out. That equals more than $10,000 a year for those of you counting. Unless these people are doing EVERYTHING they can do, including working 7 days a week, I don't want to hear it....ever!

If you want to complain about my answer I suggest you get a second job and give your paycheck to them so they can continue not working. Still feeling guilty? Move out of your house and give it to the Native Americans since it is not your land anyway. "

" I wonder about the accuracy of the survey. I volunteered during at the Center for People in Need during the period of the survey. I don't wonder about the accuracy due to the people actually needing assistance, but I question it because I wonder if the statistics are based upon people showing how much they made or just giving a number. I think there was a requirement that they bring a card (many said it was from their social worker.. I think it was a card showing eligibility for assistance) and some did not have this. I agree that no one should have been refused due to not having the card, but should they have been allowed to fill out a survey? "

" It can obviously be hard for people to understand a situation, that they quite obviously have not been in. With one adult working and making $10,000, why isn't that other parent working is the question. Apparently for some people on here,the answer is because they're lazy. OR... maybe it could have something to do with the price of childcare? If someone is making $10,000 a year, it is more logical for one of the parents to stay home with the children, rather than to spend all the money that one of the parents is making on childcare. Its true people, you need to dismount your high horse. "

" and I can tell you that we have people come in and use their electronic food stamps to buy food, and then pay cash for their big screen tv. That is the same big screen tv that I cannot afford. We are the only nation were the poor have tv's AC, WII's and everything else. "

" Now, let's look at this from my point of view. I rarely drink, do not smoke and do not have a cell phone. Our family still needs assistance. I would like someone to tell me how *I* am supposed to stop my husband from drinking and smoking HIS paychecks!
"

" The poor will always be with us, Jesus said that over 2000 years ago. Don't look for it to change now, no matter what we do. Also if the poor were with us 2000 years ago, how can it be George Bush's fault? "

" Education is the single biggest determining factor in poverty. Something like 34 percent of individuals living in poverty have not graduated high school (census bureau 2006). It stands to reason that if you don't know any better then you don't know any better. It's awfully simplistic to say people bring poverty on themselves, and it does nothing to address the causes.

The number of people living in poverty is growing, not shrinking. We need to do a much better job of supporting at-risk students and families so that we can keep children in school.

The alternative is that we provide public assistance and keep building more prisons. One way or another, poverty is all of our problem. "

" I find this rather obsurd. I have a AAS and BA, and so does my husband....we each make good money.....we have 2 kids and RENT a place.....yet we struggle for money. We do not have all the luxuries in life, we dont smoke and drink, and we dont have cable, cell phones, internet, etc.......so are we trash too?
I think not!! "

" i have always been a single mom and was always able to support myself and my 1st child w/out any help from his "father". i supported myself working fulltime, sometimes 2 jobs. didnt have a bit of assistance. then along comes my husband and we have 2 more kids. my husband didnt like the fulltime parent/husband thing and leaves. leaves me with 3 kids to take care, 2 of which require fulltime daycare if i go to work fulltime. he wont even help out if the kids are sick so i can get to work. so then i end up losing my job because i missed too much. he still has his 65000 a year job and i dont work anymore becuase i cant make enough to pay for daycare when most of my check was going toward daycare and then still be able to pay rent, gas, utilities, and food. is that all MY fault or some of HIS fault also. tired of all the single moms getting the bad rap for getting pregnant by themselves. the fathers tend to get left out of the finger pointing. oh, by the way he still smokes, goes to the bar and golfs. meanwhile his kids are being fed with foodstamps a month and on kids connection. if anyone else has any suggestions on how i should live my life im open for their suggestions. "

" I agree with geewhiz. Just because this information is made public, doesn't mean it is accurate. This was not a scientific survey, only the responses of individuals who were seeking assistance. If these individuals are at the Center to receive assistance, and they are asked to complete a survey, do you think they are going to say that they don't have any needs? Don't get me wrong - I think poverty is real in our community. We just should be sure that unscientific data is not used as the definitive picture of what it looks like in Lincoln. "

" I would think that the person who is willing to do this survey is also the person who is in poverty. The numbers may be skewed a bit. "

" of these people, that can't afford a $5 bus pass or health insurance, manage to afford big screen plasma tv's with cable or drinks at the bar? "

" "Its Bush's fault" Ha, the usual whine is heard again. The real fault of course lies with people having kids who have no business having kids at all. In fact most of the problems in this world whether they be poverty, crime or even famine, whether in Lincoln or in Mogadishu lies with people having kids, when there is no way in heck they will be able provide for their kids basic needs let alone thrive the way they should. But oh no never blame the original source of the problem, blame the govt, the politician, blame anyone but the parents. "

" You can't judge unless you've been there. I worked for 12 years at a large company in Lincoln and found myself in a situation where my raises were not keeping up with the increase of basic necessities. On top of that, I was left with 2 children and pregnant. There were many times that the only food I was able to get was from FoodNet and my children ate that while I ate nothing or a bowl of popcorn (and I was pregnant). It came to be that I quit that job to go to school to make a better life for me and my children. I only received assistance for 15 months and 2 days before I finished school, I had full-time job lined up. It was a hard decision to quit a job I loved, but it was getting to the point that I couldn't sustain the basics for my family. I completed an MDS Lab study in order to buy a car. A car I paid cash for and still drive today (4 years later) I received $493 per month, daycare, health care, housing assistance and food stamps. But that is only to last 24 months. And it's not that much to live on. I worked my tail off to get where I am today. I'm not proud that I had to choose that route in my life, but it saved my family. State assistance is not supposed to be a way of life, it is supposed to be a stepping stone in the right direction. Through it all, I have a great job and I have purchased a home. I pay back every day for the help that I received for those 15 months. It's the working poor that is the poorest of poor. The ones who work hard and still can't get ahead. "

" i had my child at 17, and was on state aid for 3 short years while going to college full time. i took out massive amounts of loans, not grants, that i must repay now, but the moral of the story is, if you make bad choices like i did, change your thinking, have a goal and don't stop short of acheiving it. i didn't have anything handed to me after i got off government aid, which shows now by my debts to credit lenders, but that is a fact of life i had to deal with. i am still paying the debts off, more than 5 years after graduating and working full time and many days of overtime, but i own my own home, take my child to school and make ends meet. if i can do it, you can do, just put in an application for education, hint, hard work pays!!! "

" Ya know, I try to give. I've loaned out so much money to people in need that I know I will never get back, I have my special charities, mostly cancer and birth defect stuff. I give to the church. I buy when I know my companions just can't afford the things they need or even want. My husband and I work hard, he's gone every 3 weeks for 3 weeks at a time. He works 12 hour days 7 days a week for 3 weeks straight. 4000 miles away, in a very inhospitable climate, well below freezing in winters and man eating mosquitoes in the summer. Yes we get paychecks from a company ( Alaska Native owned) who contract to a rich oil company. Good paychecks, but shouldn't they be good ones considering he has two aas degrees plus an electrician's license. He's willing to put up with a lot to get ahead, and impove our lives AND those people/groups we give to. You know what I do? I clean people's messes for a living. I work. And before you busybodies out there worry, no we have no kids. We've been through our own hard times in our lives, where groceries were hard to come by, decided to do without the luxuries we didn't need. I try to trust God and know that He will always provide, not the government. I can't blame George Bush for this economy any more than I can blame who ever was president, honestly I don't remember, in 1986 when the oil bust came and many of us in Alaska and other oil producing states were losing our jobs, homes or taking 15-20% pay cuts. Boom/bust cycle no one knows it better than the oil companies. And I'm weary of this economy, the guilt that is heaped on the heads of those of us who are doing alright. Cuz you know we are just one bust away from a replay of our lives 20 years ago. Hopefully we've safeguarded our selves from that scenario, if we have not, it's our fault, no one else's. All this jealous rhetoric just makes me tired. "

" With the way things are going it is very hard to get ahead because most people are in this type of deal you have a decent job but the problem seems to be the cost of living goes up 4.25% and my anual pay increse if at all is 2% so already I start out in the rears then gas goes up utilities go up rent goes up food prices go up insurance premiums go up.So now it costs me more to go to work to pay for all the things I could barely afford to start with.What is a person to do something has to change to stop this downward spiral.Every time you watch the news it seems that there is another story about a major business going out of business so more people are losing there jobs right here in this country and then the next story will be how this very same country is dishing out millions of dollars to a disaster stricken area some where else in the world when our own people that have worked and paid taxes all there lives are suffering from no financial help available to them.I really dont get it.People we have homeless right here from hurricane catrina that can still get no help but everywhere else in the world we dish it out freely.
Help your own first. "

" i bet they find the cash to purchase cigerettes. "

" Well, "Social Worker," I'm not sure which population you work with, but I'm an RN with the welfare system & I can most definitely assure you that our clients (yes, we work with the same clients) do smoke a lot & throw wild drunken parties & buy big screens. I know this bc I went to the house of one of these clients. I absolutely could not believe it! I used to think that we, as a society, needed to feel bad for the downtrodden, but after working with these people, I no longer feel this way. I grew up in an extrememely poor household where my mom worked 2 jobs most times, even 3 jobs at times. We received help from my grandparents, but I had to work every weekend to clean their house, along with having to clean our house. This was when I was in elementary school. When I got in junior high, I also had to mow both our lawns, while working a summer job at the local daycare. I'm not asking people to feel bad about this-looking back, I'm very glad that my mom made me do this, bc I learned that nothing comes for free & it's not society's job to raise or pay for kids. My parents got divorced when I was very young & my "father" chose not to pay for child support. We qualified for every bit of aid when I was younger, but my family chose to decline it.

I put myself through a private college by loans, grants & scholarships, while working as well. That also made me appreciate my education. I also made darn sure that I wasn't stupid enough to get pregnant, so I faithfully took my birth control every day. Since I went to a private school, I went to school with the trust fund babies, whose parents constantly funded their extravagant shopping trips & beer money. I was never jealous of them, I actually felt sorry for them, as they never know what it felt like to earn something.

I now have 2 great-paying RN jobs & I own my own house & car. I did all this on my own, with no help from anyone (ie, no husband, parents, etc). I'm the only one of my friends who can say this & I have my mom to thank for this. And, you'd better believe that my children will be doing the same things, even if my family can afford housekeepers, groundskeepers, etc.

People, quit complaining that there's nothing you can do about being poor. It's all about how much you hate being poor-you can always better yourself & get out of your situation. "

" I'm not sure where that "4,600 families" number comes from, but it seems to underestimate the poverty numbers.

According to the Census Bureau numbers from 2006, Lincoln, NE has 31,002 people living below the poverty level: 8,741 under age 18; 20,279 aged 18 to 64; and 1,982 aged 65 and older. (2006 American Community Survey)

Are those 20,279 working-age people really all just lazy? Or, is it possible there are not 20,279 decent jobs left in Lincoln, especially for people without connections?

Hmmm... I wonder why we need to build a new jail.

"

" Wow! So many judgemental people up on their high horses. I would gladly trade lives with any of you for a day.I dont drink, smoke have a big screen tv and so on. I have been poor all of my life I can remember my mom working 3 jobs just so we could eat and have a roof over our head. Was she lazy? I have worked 2 jobs at a time just to get by. It has alwyas been hard but these last 8 years have been harder. When you have to choose between food or gas there is a definite problem. Are you judgemental people so blind and so well off that you cant see what is happening? What about the elderly that are on fixed incomes and cant make it with out a little help from the food banks should they stop smoking and drinking too? Not everyone that is poor is stupid or lazy. Some of these people were not fortunate enough to get great educations (another problem with our country). Look at New Orleans people. Yes it did have its crime and so but it also had alot of hardworking not so well educated people trying to make an honest living. What did our goverment do to help there? And yes the goverment needed to step in there and do something. There is something seriously wrong with this nation. I dont think welfare and not working is the answer but something has to happen before everything just goes BOOM!!!! And yes to blame the goverment is the right thing we hire these people to lead us and make choices that are supposed to help this nation. It wouold be like working in a restaraunt and ordering a steak a certain way. If it isnt done right who are you going to blame yourself for knowing how you wanted it or the cook for messing it because they did not hear you? "

" What perentage of these people who cannot affort a bus pass still have cable tv? Do any of their children have iPODs? I'm not saying that there aren't any people in poverty in Nebraska. I just feel that a certain number of those who claim to be poor choose not to spend their limited means on the needs of their family and instead spend it on items that are nice to have but are not necessary for survival, in the hunter-gatherer sense of the word. "

" Rich people have been given more handouts than the poor for most of the history of this country. Get your facts straight readers! Tax breaks, low interest loans, bail-outs all benefit the well-off more than the poor and there is far more money spent there than any of the "welfare" programs some of you like to bash. "The War on Poverty" was working and offering more opportunities to more people until "we" decided to fund the war mongers and increase the military budget. I guess that is one way to create jobs. It always amazes me that in this wealthy, wealthy nation where so many take pride in their Christianity that so few are willing to live the example of Jesus and would rather hate and destroy their neighbor than love, cherish, and encourage their well-being. "

" For those who just want to complain and point fingers, walk a mile in someone else's shoes before you comment. I watch my 2 daughters struggle for their children every day. Child care takes at least 1/3 of what they make. Now gas prices. One daughter does not have cable t.v., she has a cell phone, but not a home phone or computer/dsl. For kids, it's hard to live without what other kids have, so don't fault parents who have cable tv for their kids. And most only use cell phones, no land lines, so --- would you have people go without a phone at all because you think a cell phone is a luxury? One daughter doesn't go to the doctor when she is sick, because of the co-pay and medicine costs, but you'd better believe her children get medical care. And they both have to miss work if a child is ill, and then there goes some income, but day care still has to be paid. So do utilities and rent. Even the 2 income families are struggling. It isn't all cut and dried. Like I said, live someone else's life for a while before you make comments. Oh, and by the way, both of my daughters have husbands, and 2 imcomes, and it is is still a struggle. So there goes that assumption also. "

" First, there is no "sitting back and collecting welfare checks." Bill Clinton eliminated welfare, and put no social safety net in its place. The absurd rationalization that this problem is all easily explained away by that sacred American myth of "choices" (not to mention the meanness of it's just a matter of "cutting back on beer and cigarettes")is almost too absurd to even contemplate. Nobody chooses what families they're born into, and the possibilities one has for life are largely determined by that fact. Yes, of course, people overcome the odds (usually through excellent public education systems and the luck of having a good teacher or two, or perhaps a caring boss who serves as a mentor). But, the "odds" are against it. Wake up! What about people who are just not terribly bright, through no fault of their own? What about folks whose families taught them very little in the way of social skills? These people do not compete evenly in a meritocracy, and all of the rationalizing in the world to blame it on laziness or poor choices will not change that. Why is it that whenever citizens of the United States are confronted with evidence that the system is not working for some residents they refuses to confront that evidence, but instead fall back to the comfort of cherished myths that have less and less basis in reality? There are plenty of families working very hard who are living at or near poverty (harder, even, than executives in corporations -- I hold a great professional job today, but I've never worked harder than when I worked when I worked in a fast food restaurant!). And, why is it that the more Christian parts of the country seem to be the most hateful and uncaring in this regard? Whatsoever you do to the least of my brothers? Yeah, right. "

" Surprisingly, Nebraska has gotten to be a state that unless you have a
college degree, best you head for another state. Even 30 years ago or more, this state was for college only. And amazingly enough, there aren't
that many colleges in NE. Yet other states with many more universities,
there is a very broad diversity of non-college jobs that pay very well
and I've known many people that make more and seen first hand, they have
a better sense of the same kind of job a college graduate does. I've
even seen college degreed workers fired over the non-degreed workers.
Yet Nebr. is very cut and dried with a catagory of kinds of jobs and
education requirements. That is the disregard Nebr. has for those that
aren't boasting their college education. Therefore, it shows in what this
city does in bringing in business or industry. Example, the UNL research
center. While good, not everybody will have a degree to work there, but
this seemingly is the ONLY sights available for, well like I said, the
ones who matter, the ones with college degrees. Yes, the Bible says the
poor will always be with us. Why do you suppose God lets this happen?
The Bible also says, "for whom much is given, much will be expected."
When it comes to jobs and salaries, diversity is NOT one of Nebr's fine
points. The masses of the young that have left the state for years
pretty much tells the story, and those that stayed, even with college
educations, have grown old and now they are having to leave the state.
Can you really blame that on the Harvard etc. educated President and
those in Washington????
"

" No sympathy here - I've seen these people buying junk food at the grocery stores with there foodstamp card, light-up when they get outside with their uncontrolled brood, climbing into their late-model SUV and driving off. How about counseling programs, job-searching help? I am totally against welfare hand-outs.

Oh, so were you Bush-haters blaming Clinton during his Presidency for the poverty back then? Think I know the answer... "

" How many of these working poor are refugees brought to Lincoln by the
Church? "

" If the child of a poor person receives an iPOD as a Christmas gift, he or she should sell it immediately on eBay and give his poor parent(s) the money for the family. Same goes for anything of value that child might possess, especially money. I doubt any of you bleeding hearts lived through the Dirty Thirties when life was rough. And don't tell me that having less kids is better, I come from a family of 12 children. We managed to make it, so can you with your one or two kids "

" My grandparents survived the Depression too -- although they always told me that they and many others wouldn't have made it without FDR's New Deal and all of the government jobs and assistance it provided. And, no, grandpa was anything but a bleeding heart. "

" I have no problem with helping people who are truly in NEED...big emphasis on need. I know not everybody who utilizes welfare or other forms of government assistance wastes it on smokes and booze...but the fact of the matter is that it does happen. A couple of weeks ago, as I was waiting in line to check-out at Super Saver, a lady in front of me was paying for food with food stamps. After running all of the food through, the lady asks for 3 packs of cigarettes. I swear, I wanted to make her eat those cigarettes. If you've got money for smokes, then you've got money for food, and you shouldn't be diverting food stamp money away from those who truly need it. And if you truly 'need' cigarettes...then don't let any go to waste. Eat it all...box, filter, and plastic. "

" Hey there are good and bad everywhere. But I bet for every 5 families that are honestly struggling, there is one that knows how to play the system. So does out politicians and their tax cuts. Difference, they aren't hungry, kids are. I purchased a modular home three years ago. I have NO extra bills, no car payment, the same as when I purchased it. But the economy, food, gas prices, health insurance,utilities etc have raised my monthly outlay by almost $300 extra per month. Now my state raise of 2% which was equalivent to $25...just about covers it. Also a lot of businesses are closing, suddenly putting a family in need. "

" I too feel sorry for every one of these people who do not; drink anything but tap-water, smoke, use any kind of drugs not perscribed, own a car, own a T.V., own a radio, own a computer, go to movies, eat meat, eat dairy products... If this describes you and you finished high-school, and have never committed a crime, then yes I feel very sorry for you and think you may need help. "

" I think poor people have no room in our society. We should send them to Alaska to help drill for oil so I can keep filling up my big SUV. It will give them something to do, give us benefit, and we won't have to look at them. I am NOT kidding by the way. "

" Can the poor have bread with their tap water? Even prisoners get that. How is making a child suffer through poverty (by making them give up anything that might give them joy) helping the family. Hope you never lose your job, get ill, have a parent become needy because you might just become the "poor". "

" Of course there will be people who cheat the system. But, they are exceptions, not the rule. The working poor are a very REAL part of our society, and we would do well to simply face up to that fact and try to find ways to best deal with it. It is not fair to them, nor their children, to hide behind excuses that we saw somebody buy cigarettes or beer who used food stamps so now nobody deserves help. Really, come on, have you checked lately how poor you have to be to qualify for any type of assistance? It's not a comfortable life we're talking about. Further, and more importantly, such things are a distraction from much more important realities. The person you see now and then whom you suspect of cheating the very minimal social assistance system in the United States is a drop in the bucket compared to the corporations who routinely cheat the system to the tune of billions of dollars. Yet, as a society we say very little about that corporate cheating that takes many more tax dollars, and instead focus our hatred on those amongst us who are the least fortunate and most vulnerable. That's simply misguided, and as citizens we need to change our focus to those who are really doing us harm. How many sacks of groceries could be bought for poor families on the money that Haliburton alone has overcharged the government (taxpayers)? Corporate welfare and corporate cheating is costing taxpayers way, way more than the poor folks we're standing behind in the checkout lines, and it is those corporations that deserve our anger and our demands that Congress, at long last, do something about it. Let's not pick on those who are the least fortunate in our society while those who are wealthiest are robbing us blind! We're doing exactly what they love for us to do, focusing on nickels and dimes while they walk away with millions. "

" The poor can spend their money where they please. But if they choose to blow their money on things like T.V. or movies then they should not be crying about being hungry.(I'm talking about adults, not children as they don't choose where their parents spend the money) Reminds of a lady I heard complaining that her kids did not have enough to eat while she looked to weigh about 300 pounds. I feel very sorry for any child with losers for parents and have no problem assisting them, it is the "loser parents" I have little sympathy for. "

" JP,
you wanted to know how many of the working poor are refugees brought over by churches...let me tell you something about people that come to the US as refugees. They are people that have gone thru terrible injustices that you & I can not even fathom...we don't have to worry about our entire family being killed just for what we belive in, or the color of our skin. They also work hard to get everything they have...do you?? Or are you to busy worrying about what big screen tv to buy. They are not caught up in materialism like people in the US are.They need very little to be happy and content! They are happy to be alive and know how lucky they are to be here...I am sure that you are ignorant of the fact that refugess pay taxes just like you and me...they also have to pay the US governement back for their entrance into the US...that's right they don't even get a free plane ride to our country! And guess what when they are allowed the privlege to become citizens, they don't sit around & complain about the government they work to change it. You like almost all other of my fellow Americans are spoiled brats! All you do is complain that you have it bad....get over yourself! Why don't you talk to a refugee sometime and ask them what their life was like before they came here? or even go to visit them and see how diffrently they really live...but that probally be to much like being a decent human... "

" When Clinton was in office, food and gas were affordable. The economy was stable and there was very little deficit. Now the country is in recession, food and gas are higher than ever, and the deficit is the largest by far it has ever been for any president. Who's fault is that? There may have been poor people 2000 years ago and poor people when Clinton was in office, but Bush has only managed to make EVERYONE that isn't filthy rich on the verge of being poor. "

" Exactly, "The Point." Your comments are very accurate. I would guess there are just as many cheating rich as cheating poor, probably more. "

" I think that those that are NOT citizens, and that are refugees, etc, should be helped ONLY after our own citizens are taken care of if needed.
They get the jobs, no matter how little it pays, they get FREE help whenever they need it, yada yada yada I could go on forever! Give us jobs and help, then help others!

"

" Rudy, you are right that some people say that it's easier to live off welfare then to get a job. Just think of the single mother with just one child. She starts working FT, has to pay a daycare, loses her food stamps because she makes too much, loses day care assistance because she makes to much, she loses her health insurance, she has to start paying gas prices, then maybe her child gets sick, she has to take time off from work, then she gets fired because she is still in her probationary period. I work with people like this everyday. There are some that do take advantage of the system, but there are some that honestly want to better themselves, but the system actually slaps them on the wrist for doing it. As opposed to helping them up. It's a horrible cycle. "