Poverty Position Paper
“You will always have the poor among you, but you will not always have me.” (John 12:8 from the New Living Translation). Even Jesus Christ said that the poor will always live among us, and that poverty will always be an issue in our society. One of the stated goals of the Canadian Government was to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. It is now 2010 and this goal has still not been met. From my limited research on poverty I have come to believe that this social change will not be possible in the near future. Expenses in our society, behaviour problems and welfare all keep the ones that are in poverty, in poverty.
Firstly, I believe that expenses are too high in our society. The poor struggle to survive in this economy when food and clothing expenses are too high. There are not enough places to shop that are affordable for people with a low income. If one wants to buy nice clothes for a funeral or wedding one has to pay almost a hundred dollars for a whole outfit. These prices do not need to be so high. It does not cost nearly that much to make the clothing, stores are only increasing the prices to fit the economy. Meanwhile, there are hardly any jobs paying more than minimum wage, which a single mother with six kids needs. A single parent cannot support his or her family with a job that pays only minimum wage, especially when housing and food and clothing are so expense. It is very hard for a single parent to find suitable and affordable housing when they usually have many kids. Low income housing needs to be more affordable and have more than two rooms for bigger families. Furniture expenses are also too high; families in poverty sometimes cannot even afford more than one bed (if even one) because they are so expensive. I think that our needy economy is one of the main problems that cause poverty and sustain it. I believe that in order for child poverty to end in Canada, our society has to lower expenses to make them more affordable for everyone.
Firstly, I believe that expenses are too high in our society. The poor struggle to survive in this economy when food and clothing expenses are too high. There are not enough places to shop that are affordable for people with a low income. If one wants to buy nice clothes for a funeral or wedding one has to pay almost a hundred dollars for a whole outfit. These prices do not need to be so high. It does not cost nearly that much to make the clothing, stores are only increasing the prices to fit the economy. Meanwhile, there are hardly any jobs paying more than minimum wage, which a single mother with six kids needs. A single parent cannot support his or her family with a job that pays only minimum wage, especially when housing and food and clothing are so expense. It is very hard for a single parent to find suitable and affordable housing when they usually have many kids. Low income housing needs to be more affordable and have more than two rooms for bigger families. Furniture expenses are also too high; families in poverty sometimes cannot even afford more than one bed (if even one) because they are so expensive. I think that our needy economy is one of the main problems that cause poverty and sustain it. I believe that in order for child poverty to end in Canada, our society has to lower expenses to make them more affordable for everyone.