You know my feelings on this. While the (business) community bands together to help a food bank charity, wouldn’t it just be better if these businesses paid their employees enough so they can buy their own food? I know we will never totally eliminate hunger. There will always be people who can’t afford food, such as those on disability or the elderly that can’t work anymore. But it is a sad when a working family can’t afford to buy their own food.
On top of that, the ignorance of our governor and state legislature raising taxes on food so we can pay ONE sector of public employees more (a program that is running into snags and not really working the way it intended).
It is time our lawmakers get serious about the minimum wage in our state and raising the wages of ALL workers in this state to compete with other states. Enough of selling us as a low wage state.
Of course some lawmakers still think it is all just a big joke. Our esteemed mayor took that opportunity when he jokingly said this during the above press conference about the administration building (about 6 minutes in);
“I like new and big buildings to . . . I do. Did I just say that? I think building new is better then remodeling.”
The poor and the hungry seem to be just a big joke to some people. Make sure the developers and contractors in this town stay well fed. And while we are planning to bond for a $22 million dollar administration building, we are proposing no wage increases for city employees in 2017. Better funnel some more money through the development foundation so they can give it to the food bank. Now that’s workforce development at it’s best!
Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg can’t possibly spend or pass out their wealth during their lifetime. Young billionaires give back philanthropically. Our 2 are in late life yet they keep us suppressed. It’s a factory town with professional jobs. Here, many banking and health care jobs pay less than fast food. It’s impossible to feed your family on $12 per hour. We should but are not ashamed when the population must work several jobs and rely on welfare. The mayor boldly advertises we have jobs. People come here with hope. They end up supporting themselves with welfare and theft. The county jail has 500 beds. So does the Portland OR jail while their population is 3 times ours. We need a mayor who lives here and walks our streets instead of just between City and Carnegie Halls. Leadership and love for the general population is the answer.
When there’s a new food bank, it’s located NW. in the Sanford area. The needy can’t get there even if they find it. The country club faction doesn’t get it. It’s help, not a for profit Amazon.com business empire.
Yes like Airport as they don’t pay a living wage companies that contract there.
The new Feeding SD location in SF includes a food bank, but its primary purpose is as a regional food collection and distribution point for millions of pounds of palleted food. Building capacity requirements and the need to accommodate regular tractor-trailer traffic had a lot to do with selecting the site.
Public transportation access to services is an issue for Feeding SD, the Avera Behavioral Health hospital, and other nonprofit providers outside the city core. It’s also an issue for lower-income neighborhoods where more people need public transportation.
Companies pay what the market tells them to. If you have a business and want to pay your employees more than what they are worth, that is up to you. You will make it up in charging more or taking less for yourself. Today we have an economy that pretty much requires two people to work. The reasons for this date back to WWII. If you want people to be paid more, the first step would be to decrease the number of potential employees available. If Taco John’s has a sign up offering $12/hour but cannot get people to come in, then they will offer more. If they do get people to come in, then why should they pay more?
Love to hear your reasoning for two incomes going back to WWII. It started in 1980 with ray gun nomics and his trickle down, and has led us to where we are today. One income is all that was needed thru the 50’s, 60’s, and most of the 70’s. Ray-gun and all succeeding politicians made today what it is.
Let me begin by saying that I am very grateful for those who are significantly involved and are leaders in the food bank and Banquet charity work within our community. I believe they offer a great service to many within this community who need it, whether it be due to homelessness, low wages, limited capability, as the only avenue which to socialize with others, mental health issues, or merely to make the month’s ends meet.
Now that said, any good and decent emergency doctor knows better than anyone that in time of emergency is not a good time to lecture or promote preventive medicine, that the challenge at hand during an emergency is to save the patient and not scold or question the circumstances of their condition.
But any good doctor, and especially an ER doctor, knows that to be the true answer or part of an answer to a medical problem, emergency or not, is to not just be curative, but also preventive in nature. That is why it is imperative for all of us who have ever or plan to in the future to help out with the local food bank and Banquet charity systems in our community to ask the question not only what can I do to help, but also, why do you need my help?
This latter question, however, should not be the question of one who thinks they have better things to do with their time or who possesses a “Me Generation” attitude towards others. Rather, this question should be asked, in order, that those who volunteer to help are a part of the answer to the problem and not merely an enabler to the greater continuance of the problem or need with an indifference or even naivety as to why we have such a hunger need in a community like ours to begin with….
It is most definitely sad that here in the heartland or the “Breadbasket of the World” within a nation which boasts of its super power status, a nation that in recent times put a man on the moon and won the Cold War, that many of its citizens increasingly cannot manage to feed themselves and or their families due to low wages in particular. I think it is fair to say that the tremendous growth of the west side Banquet location in Sioux Falls speaks directly to this reality brought on by the apparent, continual, and growing maldistribution of income that permeates our city and state, and nation too, and is one of the greatest challenges today and into the future for the food charity distribution system in our region and the nation as a whole as well.
Recently, I went on the City’s SiouxFallsHasJobs.com website and on page one of that site was a job offering from a local sporting goods store, for a part time job, that is, to run an indoor ferris wheel…. minimum wage I guess. Now, that is job that needs to be filled and that store has as much right as any business to utilize this site, but when it is found on page one, I think it speaks greatly to the insensitivity of many of our leaders in this city to one of the great challenges in this city, which is a honest opportunity or good jobs that pay well, have good benefits, and define a full-time status as 40 and not 35 or 30 hours a week. And until we have civic and business leaders who are up to meeting this challenge, then I am afraid we will continue to be a “Tale of Two Cities” when it comes to Sioux Falls and unfortunately food charity needs in this city will continue to grow.
One only has to watch the local news on a regular basis and ask yourself how many times have you watched the local news where the lead story is about greater economic development in this city, or that Sioux Falls is a safe haven for the rich thanks to “Dynasty Trusts,” or how a new study or business magazine has just rated Sioux Falls “Number 1 for Business,” but then this news story is then followed by another local news story of how the local free school backpack drive was a great success this year and broke last years collection numbers. It seems to me that if Sioux Falls is truly “Number 1,” then how is it also “Number 1” in free backpack drives or a growing food drive charity system?
I know in the Bible, Jesus talks about how there will always be the poor, but he was not talking about a trending poor and accepting that as a norm or a new norm. But some how I feel that many involved in the food charity distribution system, whether they be organizers, politicians, or even mere volunteers have almost a Darwinistic attitude towards this problem, that what is is and feeding them is all we can do…but there is so much more that can be done, however.
I have always felt that everyone, especially those who volunteer to help at the Food Bank or the Banquet and or donate to those organizations, should also spend as much time and or money in educating themselves on the growing issue of affordable food needs in this country. Do not just serve the dish, but also ask yourself, why? Why we have this growing problem? Research it. Write your congressional delegation about your findings. If you are a business leader evaluate your pay scales and take note that if your workers are going to a food bank, a Banquet, or are on food stamps, then your corporation indirectly is as well.
Sure, we have the food stamp program, too, in addition to the food charity systems in this city, state, and nation, but there is a deteriorating middle class in this country due to a maldistribution of income and income opportunity and it is coming to a critical mass, and it is time for all volunteers and organizers of our food charity system to ask themselves, are you voting right, do your political leaders know your thoughts, and what are you doing to empower your fellow workers or employees?
Like the good doctor who knows when to push and when to pull or better yet when to promote curative and when to promote preventative care, those that work, volunteer, and promote our food charity system need to spend as much time and money trying to solve the long term problem of hunger in our city and nation as they seem to do in dealing with the emergency before them… I know this is all very easy to say and I do not mean to look a gift horse in the mouth when it comes to those who are at the front lines of feeding those in need, but for every hour you donate your time to feed others, feed also your mind about the real food distribution and food cost problems before us and their cause or causes in this city, state, and nation. Be an activist beyond the chow line. Do not be Darwinistic or just claim the poor will always be amongst us with a misconstrued understanding of Jesus’ true words, especially when you begin to educate yourself on this issue and find that the need is trending and not merely an ongoing fact of life in just one corner of your community, state, or nation….
The food bank is a warehouse with distribution around the state. Didn’t know that. Yes, it should be where there’s truck and I-29 access. Wages are based on two income family. We’ve changed culturally. Many single moms with single income need welfare. One standard now is significant unmarried dad runs out the back when welfare workers come calling. These families live well. Better than 2 income married. We, the people, do what we must to support the family. Incomes should be higher so that it’s possible for one parent to stay home and so singles can afford living expenses. Singles pay more taxes and can’t make it unless they stay living with mom & dad.
Let’s move off the grid living off the land so we don’t pay taxes to corrupt politicians or work for the miserly wealthy.
Blogger known as Winston, I read it all and agree. However, I suggest shorter comments so others will pay attention. Shorter and maybe several to keep the discussion pertinent and encompassing.
Siouxfallshasjobs alright. So does the city. A lot of em. Problem is you cannot work more 28 hours a week, no benefits, and depending on your skills, make between 9 and 12 dollars an hour. Thousands of jobs…just like the part timers the city needs are all over this town. Do we need food banks? Hell yeah we do.
Warren:
During WWII, women entered the workforce in an unprecedented rate. After the war they were expected to go back home and keep the house and kids. However many of the women did not see that as a viable alternative. In the 50’s and 60’s more and more women went to work outside the home. My mom was one of them. My dad worked at Morrell’s and made enough to live on. My mom’s income made is so we could have some of those things that were only in “rich” peoples’ houses. We were the first on the block to have a dishwasher and a finished basement. By the time of the 70’s more and more women were entering the workforce. And many of these women took jobs that were always “men’s” jobs. When this stared happening, the number of people who were available for work increased and the pressure on wages decreased. Now, I am not in any way advocating we tell women they cannot work. But you have to acknowledge that when the supply of workers increases, there is less need to increase salaries. And no, this has nothing to do with Ronald Reagan.