Not a day goes by in Sioux Falls that we don’t hear about how some charity is giving out FREE things to people. Mostly food, but we have giveaways for all types of things, like backpacks, cars, and bikes. I commend the charities for helping these people. Somebody has to. There will always be a sector of our society that needs that help.
But I often ask, what are we doing for the working class? The people that get up every morning and do their best to make their lives better and this city better? Often times, when you help this segment of society (which I would estimate is probably about 80% of our population) you will see great returns. Sometimes just a little incentive is enough to have a big impact.
I am also not saying we give a direct hand-out, but a hand-up. Most people who are hardworking can take small incentives from the government and turn them into gold.
An issue I have had for a long time in our community is that we are always screwing around with the fringes of our society while ignoring the folks who actually drive our economy and city. Whether that is the super poor with blatant handouts or the super rich with tax rebates and incentives.
I have outlined on this blog over the years that if our city government ever got their poop in a group, they could put together some simple programs for the working class that would have big paybacks;
• A better, more efficient and affordable public transportation system.
• Tax rebates and incentives for cleaning up core, working class neighborhoods.
• A city mandated minimum wage higher then the state’s minimum wage.
• More regulation on employment ads, such as listing the wage scale.
• A city wide group health insurance program for small business employees and the self-employed.
• City taking care of their property such as fixing their sidewalks and trimming their trees in the boulevard at NO cost to the abutting property owner.
There are many, many, many more things we could add to the list. And while there will always be a need to help the extremely poor, I really don’t think the trickle down method of incentivizing the super rich developers or business owner is working that well, except for them. We need to help the ‘bread and butter’ of our community who work hard already everyday and reward them for the fruits of their labor.
“what are we doing for the working class? The people that get up every morning and do their best to make their lives better and this city better?”
An important question, one that needs to be asked.
“when you help this segment of society, you will see great returns. Sometimes just a little incentive is enough to have a big impact. I am also not saying we give a direct hand-out, but a hand-up. Most people who are hardworking can take small incentives from the government and turn them into gold…â€
Solid point. I agree. These 3 are promising ideas:
“• More regulation on employment ads, such as listing the wage scale.
• A city-wide group health insurance program for small business employees and the self-employed.
• City taking care of [city] property such as fixing sidewalks and trimming their trees in the boulevard at NO cost to the abutting property owner.â€
Also, I see the potential benefit from “• Tax rebates and incentives for cleaning up core, working class neighborhoods” although, imho, such a program would be a challenge to administer (& keep from becoming a corporate welfare boondoggle).
Good post.
It’s ironic that there’s a shortage of employees yet there’s homeless and poverty level but employed. There’s an overcrowded jail from primarily minor drug offenses. A few city programs should be working on this and they’re not. Instead, they build an events center, indoor aquatics, and an unnecessary high rise parking ramp. We need job training and social programs. How do you justify a city of 200k with 2/3 under employed, working several jobs, and unemployed? How many more service businesses would be here if there if there were employees for the jobs?
There’s a big misconception here. The folks receiving food, backpacks, shoes, winter coats, bikes and such ARE the working class. Come out to any of these giveaways and talk to anyone waiting in line and you’ll see that by and large they’re people who are working at least one job – or they’re moms and grandmas who are staying home with kids full-time or part-time because the cost of child care is more expensive than working.
While all these ideas are good and sound nice. The biggest problem for people needing so much help is due to poor life choices. Many of these folks are single parent (mothers mostly) households supporting children on 1 income. While many will argue there is nothing wrong with being a single mom, its a hell of a lot harder with one income and only yourself to rely on most times in jams.
I know this first hand as I was raised by a single mother and I married a single mother. When the other parent is not doing their part the children often go without many things and some can stretch into the need category. Our soceity has tended to glorify single motherhood in particular constantly telling us they don’t need a man etc. Two parents are better than one and statistics prove that even outside just the financial aspect.
I think much of you success in life is determined on the decisions you make.
– Dont’ have kids out of wedlock, they are expensive and can restrict your ability to go back to school or make decisions that may be tough due to impacting kids. Have them when you are ready
– Finish school, at least high school
– Don’t live above your means, too many people in need seem to have a brand new Iphone or so many other unnecessary items
– Stay out of trouble, if you have a felony your have just increased your chances of being broke your whole life
– Stay off the Dope!!!
While Sioux Falls has its problems, there is really no reason to need handouts if you just make good choices and they are CHOICES!! No one is forcing you into making many of these choices. If most folks did this the only folks left to help would be the people who got the short end of the stick due to no fault of their own
“More regulation on employment ads, such as listing the wage scale.”
The Dems need to author a bill in Pierre early next year on this issue. The Chamber/DwntwnRotary/GOP Party will kill it, but we need to start getting people to talk about this one, especially our politicians.
Fore, I think it is a priority for Dems, that is equal to publicly paid pre-school….. #WageCollusion
( – and Woodstock adds: “‘Fore?'”….”Why are you still using that word?”)
i wonder if conservative has got on his mom about the poor life choices she’s made.
scott – I would never get on my mom for her choices, she is my mother and I respect her. My dad decided to getting drunk and not supporting his children was more important and I guess mom just got tired of getting her ass whipped by him so she left. I would not say it was a poor life choice as she married him first and they started a family but, later he decided to start drinking and it got out of hand. I would put her in the category of “getting dealt a bad hand” but, we got through it but, it was harder and my mom worked 3 jobs at all times.
My point is when you make poor choices it affects your ablity to support yourself and I was not looking sympathy but, speaking from experience I know what that can look like. If you make poor choices it makes it harder to overcome the difficult things in life that are out of your control. You can control not doing drugs, having kids out of wedlock, finishing school, avoiding felonies. This is all avoidable and anyone with an ounce of common sense knows this.