A Few Random Toughts

Random Thoughts

Staying busy because of school, so here are a few thoughts based on recent happenings and observations.

$2,000 debit cards:
This is one of the stupidest things I have heard recently. That is, giving people who (for the most part) have been living in poverty a majority of their lives, $2,000 to use as they wish. Why are they in poverty? I’m sure there are a number of reasons: education, training, ignorance are just to name a few. This is not the point.
We are giving them up to $2,000 (depending on family size and whether or not they had any insurance coverage) to spend on whatever it is they need to make there lives more comfortable as a result of the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina, right?
That does not make sense.
I have spoken to many others who agree.
There is nothing wrong with providing assistance to those in need. But if they are in the position they’re in now due to the fact that they don’t know how to manage their resources – don’t you think this will make things worse?
This may not be the case for many of the people… maybe most of the people. However, if 20,000 people are using this card for beer, cigarettes, trading, etc., then that is way too much… 5,000 people is too much.
Solution: Provide the survivors with $2,000 in vouchers good for housing, clothes, limited groceries (not steaks or name brand, fancy-packaged processed foods) from the local farmers markets (thus helping more then one entity), childcare – things like that.

Quicken and DFAS:
Almost 1000 new jobs coming to Downtown Cleveland is a very nice thing to hear these days. And with the Redroom Revolution project reveled by BFD, my gut feeling tells me this is only the beginning.
Very exciting times indeed.

Class Separation:
I went to my daughter’s open house last night at Chagrin Falls Middle School. Nice place. I was amazed at the diversity that was present in the school. I do not understand why everyone is concerned.
There were countless colors of blonde hair there. Granted, they where mostly the same style – shoulder-ish length, bangs; I did not realize blonde came in so many shades.
In no particular order, I spotted Champagne Blonde, Dark Cool Blonde, Medium Golden Blonde, Strawberry Blonde, Dishwater Blonde, Ultra Light Natural Blonde, Rich Golden Blonde, Dark Ash Blonde, Extra Light Natural Blonde, Golden Blonde, Ultra Soft Baby Blonde, Rich Golden Blonde and, everyone’s favorite, Bleach Blonde.
Seriously though, it was very scary seeing that many white people in one place like that. The only other-than-white persons seen where two faculty members: a Chinese woman who taught, er… Chinese, and young man of Middle Eastern descent who taught concert band.

As a future leader in the City of Cleveland and/or Cuyahoga County, I promise this is something I will work very hard on changing. Something must be done about the class/race/socioeconomic separation that is so prevalent in this region. The rest of the cities in the county want the water and sewer system, the lakefront, the orchestra, the international airport – all of the positive things the city has. But they do not want any of the “problems.” Especially since they have caused most of the problems. This isn’t just about education, it is the extremely unfair way that affordable housing is centralized in Cleveland… and this has been done on the knees of the Cuyahoga “County” Metropolitan Housing Association. How is it that a county run agency is so focused on putting those in need of affordable housing mostly in the city?

Enough of my ranting.
Have a nice weekend.