mntleo2
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I am a long time member of your news site, almost since your beginning (I believe I was also on your all text forum in the middle nineties). I left you for awhile because to be honest, your speech rules were too much for me as you will not allow anything you deem "attacks" whenever someone disagrees with an elected or a Democratic candidate. I could not see how there would be any way to hear any critical questions, it is only (hate to say it) a very Republican rule about never ever speaking in opposition of any Democratic people. I have been a Democratic voter for all my adult life (over 52 years, I turned 18 when the voting age was changed from 21 to 18). In that time I have seen some things that need to be addressed that are not.
I am a member of The Poor People's Campaign, Repairers Of The Breech, and while most of us are Democrats, we have some major issues that need to be addressed by the Democratic Party. This is for the over 40 million poor, seniors, immigrants, indigenous, people of color, low wage workers, and low income kids that are just not addressed.
But they need to be addressed. Because if you could get even half of this group to vote for every Democratic candidate, they would ALL win by a landslide. We already know that less than 20% of actual voters vote even in the 4 year cycle, so the addition of this huge block of low income Americans would push everything over to the Democratic people. But you need to be there for us, or we are going to vote for the worst candidates, or worse not vote at all because we feel disenfranchised by the so-called "People's Party. "
If you want those of us who are on fixed incomes to give out of our meager incomes, then perhaps you need to allow POLITE and accurate debates, not just speak to the choir.
Just sayin' ...
Cat in Seattle, long time social justice advocate
Institution on Taxation and Economic Policy
If you REALLY want to know where your tax dollars are going this website, which has been around for at least a couple decades, this is the place you may want to check out. https://itep.org//
It goes state by state and breaks down who is paying taxes, who is not paying taxes and take in account corporate as well as groups of individual taxes by economic class.
Incidentally, according to the ITEP, in every single state the poorest of the poor make the greatest sacrifice in paying their taxes. So NOBODY should be upset that they "pay too much" because all other classes are living off the poor and their families in order not to pay as much themselves so they do not pay as much unless they are from the least among us. In my state (Washington), the poor pay about 14% of their incomes in taxes, but the poorest among us pay upwards of 15-19% of their income in taxes. Meanwhile one of our residents, one of the richest men in the world, Bill Gates, pays less than 4% of his $biilions. If he were to pay the percentage a welfare mom pays in our state, his fairly paid taxes alone would raise our state completely out of debt ~ and he is but one of three of the richest men in the world in my state.
Check your state out here: https://itep.org/whopays-7th-edition/. To show I am not making any of this up check out my state here, which is the most regressive taxed population in the nation; https://itep.org/whopays/washington-who-pays-7th-edition/ . Boeing pays ZERO taxes here, as they have not paid a single dime in decades, the same with the Nordstroms.
So if you are from the upper classes, stop feeling sorry for yourselves. Your local poorest always makes a greater sacrifice for your state than you ever thought.
Just my 2 cents. Cat in Seattle
The Problem is ...
...there is no other place to stay except on the street ~ and being unhoused is being criminalized.
All of the following are reasons, often a combination, to become homeless: High rents, low housing availability, low wages, having kids, high childcare costs (even with the barely funded kind), house fires (yes this is a thing where even with "insurance" the housing scarcity is so bad, families are left bereft), serious illness, job injuries, and even reformed former felons.
Look I do not dare say why or I will be banned here, but suffice it to say this all began with Welfare DEFormed in the mid 1990s. And it was not just some heartless conservatives, a huge number of libs also hated the poor. (dare I say, I was here then) even on this forum, pure hatred.
Listen: Poverty is an INISTITUTION. Definition of institution is from Websters: "...an organization, establishment, foundation, society, or the like, devoted to the promotion of a particular cause or program, especially one of a public, educational, or charitable character..." Hear that again, it is an "establishment," meaning it is well wedged into our societies so we have little or no reason to actually abolish it. Even though the greatest sages in the world knew that abolishing poverty is something that could be done indeed it is possible.
Many hate to admit it but all classes, depend upon the poor for their needs, their jobs, their costs. From the medical fields, social services, financial institutions, especially non-profits, these all depend on homeless "wittle baybees" for their own comforts, affordable living, and their incomes. Why would they want to abolish poverty then?
Here is a sad example. Goodwill Industries. They supposedly "train" low income people and felons for employment. Did you know that they fought with $millions in court so they only had to pay $.17 (that is 17 CENTS) an hour? Do you know they get in donations and sales about $68,000 per client, but spend less than $6000 per client?
Nobody ever thinks to ask, "Hey there, what is happening to the other $62,000?" Well I have asked and it isn't pretty. But again I do not dare say where it goes because well,telling the truth is not always wanted. Just say a whole lot of upper classes benefit, using them for tax breaks, for their own professional employments, for the disabled funding given, and sadly even other low income people find it the few places they can afford to get their clothing and household goods, and even the garbage collectors make money off them.
I am saying the reasons are huge and no simple or workable solutions are available. However it is important to raise the consciences of those who prefer to keep their lack of knowledge in order to pretend not to see their own dependencies. They are not bad, just clueless, and yeah they WANT to stay that way but who wouldn't if they actually saw their part in this imposed misery? However again sunshine on The Truth is all it could take for most, for those with a decent consciences.
Those in deep poverty do know the truth ~ but they are never heard. How can anyone hate an institution when it is deeply embedded in their own lives? Until the institution is hated we will continue to place the unhoused in motels...
Just sayin' ...
Cat in Seattle ~ Poverty Scholar and Member of The Poor People's Campaign
I have been proud to be one all my life
...but there were times that I was shunned by other so-called "liberals" who mocked and basically spit on what being a liberal meant to me. They were buying into the neo-liberal way during the Reagan era to today. You have no idea how many so-called "liberals" mock me when I say I am an FDR liberal, a real Democrat who stands for the least among us, believes in just and fair policies, supports parents raising the next generation, supports a living wage, and the rights for all to search out the place where they belong in this country.
For instance, I used to belong to Acorn, whose mission was to registered voters before that bow tied ignorant *uck-her killed it with his lies. Because hey, we can't have people of color, low income parents and their families, actually benefit from the laws this Constitution and USC for those of us believe that all people are equal. Why that might edge out the white man, because it is not spoken about, but they are quickly becoming a minority since they are in the process of killing off minority and feminine voices in every way they can.
Furthermore, hate to say it, but there was not much of an outcry by so-called "liberals." when Acorn went down the toilet or for the taking down of many of the policies, unions (who basically killed themselves off, take it from me, I was raised by old Wobblys), yes I watched it in the '90s while being sick to my stomach as to what unions did to themselves.
I am sorry to be such a downer but being liberal is a R-E-S-P-O-N-S-I-B-I-L-T-Y not just some slogan to wave around. It is *not* easy being a real liberal. I have been one for over 45 years, like Bernie was shunned, who really IS a liberal. So there are times you have to stand strong and be brave enough to be an FDR liberal, even when times try to tell you not to be, that you are wrong. But that is not hard when you realize you cannot stand by and be silent, being a liberal is about standing for what is good, not just caring for one's own self, to hell with anyone else like conservatives do.
In short instead of running away from the truth about how the few left are true liberals, waving signs only to each other, learn from your history and then change it to respect what courage it takes to be one.
There! I said it!
Cat in Seattle
I am in love with Korean Videos
Who else? And what have you seen?
In my opinion they are excellent with detective stories, Their "villains" are well done they can be crazy scary. They are really good about showing both sides of a character. You often learn something else while watching them. For instance, if the character is a chef, you will watch him/her make delicious dishes. Their fantasies are well done and not like anything you would see on American made videos. They can very funny. Their love stories are heartwarming. Just do not be surprised at some of their endings, they can be actually surprising. Do not worry, almost all of them are subtitled and if you miss something you can always turn it back to see if you heard right or missed something.
Here are some of the ones I love, but I think they just scratch the surface;
Mr Sunshine
Bulgasi
Abyss
Extraordinary Attorney Woo
It's OK Not To Be OK
Stranger
Something In The rain
The King
The Good Detective
Alchemy For The Soul ~ OMG it is so good
I am starting Dr Cha, like it so far.
Uncanny Counter
Hotel DeLuna ~ OMG so good
I have noticed the Netflix have the most Korean videos. There are other networks but not near so many. My grandkids tease me because I have gotten to like subtitles so much, that even if the video is in English. I now like them on for the same reasons I run them back for Korean subtitles. Watching Koreans flicks is good exercise of opening my world. It has made me more interested in foreign films, so I have also branched out in other languages.
So yeah, anyone else have some good suggestions?
There were so many of my generation that stayed quiet, sadly
Believe me as a social justice advocate as a youth did not let me stay silent! But I cannot tell you how many times I was shushed and told to stay silent "for the good" of everyone." This was because it made people uncomfortable to see the injustices happening right under their noses and oh Lord, do *not* speak the truth!.
Raised by WOBBLYS I watched my own union give up civil service so they could get more money. Now although they are the only ones out there for workers if at all, many are weak and feckless, (including the ones who went behind closed doors and gave away all our power), sad to say.
As an advocate for community and family support I just wanted to scream when those who lost it all came crying to the likes of me saying, "B-b-b-ut I really deserve the help! I worked so harrrrd, I went to my place of faith, I did all the right things..." As if the poor had not been doing those same things all along yet were ridiculed and told their poverty was "their own fault?" See, doncha know, "they did not work hard enough, their unpaid work was considered "doing nothing," and they were just too lazy."
Millions of families were thrown under the bus with welfare DeFormed being placed in forced low income labor that left them abjectly poor for the rest of their lives. They were all "welfare queens" like the lie Reagan told us about and Clinton went along with doncha know. I cannot mention names here, but one of them is a famous woman who carried all that out with gusto. ..."
My generation needs to face it. We gave it all away fueled by the "greed is good" meme without admitting that attitude just gave it to us in the shorts. I am proud to say I did not stay silent and I tried to warn about what my grandparents, the forerunners of unions, said would happen if we did not keep vigil. But I paid the price for speaking truth to power because well I refused to sleep with the enemy.
Yes I am frankly ashamed of my generation. Instead of making our world even better we created a junk yard and place of filth for them to live.
Just sayin'
Cat in Seattle
IN The Old Testament ...
Perhaps just an observations I have to give here:
When Moses asked the burning bush representing God as to Who sent him to confront the king, the Bush said to tell the king that "I AM" sent Moses.
To me "I Am" means, "I know I exist" or the conscience awareness of anything in nature ~ even the granite parts of the world.
Neil Armstrong said when he was leaving Earth on the way to the moon, he looked back at the earth, when he had an epiphany. He saw Gaiah (the other name for Earth, my name not his). He realized that the Earth Itself was a conscious being.
Many sages from many cultures also saw Earth this way, as the "I AM," who never left Earth's surface. They are observing the sense of real conscience awareness in everything, thus the term "Mother Nature" we use today. It is really no secret that our Mother Who nourishes us and gives us existance. is an aware Being. It is told in any culture where this awareness is observed, the "I AM".
Just something to think about ...
Cat in Seattle
I am a member of The Poor People's Campaign
With Dr William Barber and Dr Liz Theoharis. If you REALLY want to know about the unhoused as well as the working poor, people of color, the elderly and disabled. Go to: https://www.poorpeoplescampaign.org where you can learn all about it and its deadly consequences for all low income Americans (as well as those abroad).
As a long time member of DU as well as a lifelong advocate for social justice with low income folks, I can tell you right off the bat, the hatred of the poor is rampant and a huge roadblock for anyone who lives with it. I am not trying to trash DU mind you, there were good people here who understood the plight, but there were a few who were not so nice ~ and this is true pretty much everywhere else.
Dr Barber (now on the faculty of Yale Divinity School), re-animated MLK's The Poor People's Campaign after it was shut down when he was assassinated. You see, poverty is actually an established institution where many live off the backs of the poor. Hate to put it that way but it is true. This is not just drug addicts and cigarette people exploiting the poor. It is in the medical community, social services, food insecurity, housing, the prison institutions, court systems, you name it, someone is there making a living from those in poverty.
Do not get me wrong, there is no shame in the jobs poverty creates, but seldom do these people admit they are doing so. They are proud, thinking they are,"helpin' the witto baybies" when in fact they detest their very clients ~ including their kids. I have written ad nauseum about poverty here and most of the time there are crickets. However there is a poverty thread here om DU ~ if it still exists, I haven't checked in awhile.
As you may notice, there are crickets right now in the important post you have made. You awareness is appreciated. I could write books about it and could post some more about it if you would like. DM me and I can guide you to a whole "underground" movement. We are of all faiths, all colors and all ages. We work in love and compassion for all.
So many hearts for your post!
Love, Cat in Seattle
On edit: Yes there is a Poverty group on DU here: https://democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1118 . Again notice, there are crickets there too, lol.
I go to the food bank ...
... another idea: I can and dehydrate stuff. You can can a lot of different things and dehydration is well worth the time. You can can or dehydrate corn ~ best taken off the cob. Dehydrated things stay good for a loooong time and canning stays good up to 18 months (and I use canned goods up to 2 years, but that's me).
Like the soups and sauces that I make to use the veggies. Such as spaghetti sauce, meats in broth.
I also can broth made from meats bones and just can the broth. I might flavor then broth with onions or other veggies, they are fine.
Don't throw away those chicken or ham scraps and bones! I freeze them while I gather the bones or use a big ham bone. Then I put them in a strainer and cook them in a pot of broth or water, adding whatever seasonings I like. The strainer is so the bones are collected to keep the little bones rounded up. This broth can be used to make beans, and soups ~ but any soup with veggies is good to can usually.
The only thing that you should never can or freeze is anything made with milk products. Those can be added when reheating such as clam broth with veggies such as potatoes, celery, that you can add cream or milk for chowder. Milk products just do not work.
Use pint jars and then use your big soup pan or whatever will cover them with about an inch of water over the tops of the 2 or three jars you made. You will need a jar grabber thingy, but then can them at least 20 minutes in boiling water. After taking them out of the water, wait to hear the lid pops or when you push down on the lids, then they are solid. Pint jars are for those who cannot use a whole quart of something or to can whatever food is left. Two pint jars for someone who feeds more than themselves works just fine.
Canning is not that complicated. You don't need to use huge canning pots, Although it helps to have them with larger canning project when you get a lot of fruit or whatever.
You can dehydrate almost anything, including veggies and fruits. Mushrooms, which do not freeze well are good to dry ~ but use the more expensive 'shrooms like shitakes, because the lesser expensive one (the white and brown ones) just do not have that much flavor after being dried. A Dehydrator is often less than $30 on Amazon ~ I found mine at the Goodwill store for 5 bucks!
This can also make lovely presents, with a pretty ribbon and perhaps a recipe to add other ingredients or a nice basket from the Goodwill store with some of your dehydrated veggies, spices and teas, which can keep for years. The second hand stores are cheap places to find jars and lids are not that expensive on Amazon.
Do some research about what grows wild in your area. Wild plants, and roots are something to dry or dehydrate for herbs to use for medicinal teas and cooking spices. My neighbors are very generous letting me pick their rose hips for tea, too many tomatoes, or fruits that fall on the ground. I make jellies and jam from them ~ and can them if necessary. I make a mean apricot jam and apple butter that I use to make holiday goodies and give away. To make friends and keep things good between us I always make sure to give my neighbors who let me raid their yards with whatever I produce. 
Those of us need ways to preserve the food we get who use the food banks and meals on wheels because we often do not have big freezers or cannot eat it all before it goes bad. You can keep some of under your bed if necessary, but canned jars can look quite pretty on open shelves. Find inexpensive herb jars to put in that rosemary, mint or sage you dried.
This summer my church used some of their property to grow tomatoes, beans, and I cannot remember what else ~ it was a test to see how it would work. From the tomatoes alone (three plants) I canned almost 12 pints. Then we used them feed the homeless population in our community. We used a "keyhole garden" https://bit.ly/3J32ef4
I hope this is not too long winded, but I understand how it is to get delicious food that you cannot consume all at once. Plus if I can get all I want I just know I can do something lovely with them, not waste them. Take what you can use from this post and leave the rest. Hearts from Seattle!
Love, Cat in Seattle
Native Seattleite here
I have lived both in the South End on Beacon Hill, as well as in the North part of Seattle. At this time I cannot afford to live in Seattle proper because the ridiculous costs have gone out the roof as we all know. Red lining has been around forever. Thirty years ago I had white friends who retired and moved to Seattle from the East Coast. They wanted to live in the South End because they wanted to live in a diverse population. Unfortunately the realtors of several different companies, constantly send them to properties with predominately white neighborhoods, even though they kept repeating they did not want to live in those neighborhoods. They were advised that they do not want to live there, go where their own people existed doncha know.
While I do not think we should just sit back and accept it,redlining happens in Seattle. Since I was a teen before the neighborhoods have gotten more diverse in 50 years ~ however much of that is due to gentrification, especially in those great old homes on Capitol Hill that has driven Black populations out due to the rising taxes and rents.
Now that the homeless populations have reached the scary 10,000 people wandering the streets on the coldest night of the year, there is some call to build "affordable" homes, whatever that means. Affordability was what they called the razing of Yesler Terrace, Holly Park and Montlake Vista public rentals to build "affordable" homes. None of the displaced or even blue collar middle class could call these homes "affordable" indeed they were displaced and guess what? Homelessness began to rise as soon as those residents were kicked out. There was no plan to relocate these homeless families into other homes. Indeed the realtors bought the land for pennies on the dollar and sold them at unaffordable prices, and sure they may have become "affordable" for upper income people who also took those homes at quite "affordable" prices.
Just sayin' that if we truly want to change things listen to the great warrior and philosopher Lau Tse who said, "you cannot know your future until you know and come to nreconcile your past." We keep repeating the same old crap over and over and then wonder why the illegalized homeless have no place to crap except in the doorway of the streets.
Yes speak up this is a start ~ but march, yell, show signs, write letters and tell it like it was ~ and is ~ about the terrible history our own city has lived and relived over and over to make it what it is today.
Oh. And yes those "tiny homes" seem like a fix, but it cannot begin to answer the diverse and many faceted reasons for homelessness now. Try being a low waged worker who make low wages but "make too much" to qualify or try fitting three kids in one of those things, see what I mean? Now I live in a quickly being gentrified Kenmore building poor quality,unaffordable and instant slum tiny apartments that the blue collar and poor will never afford for those over-priced homes ~ until they begin to fall apart.
Hope this helps ...
Love, Cat in "Seattle"
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