Practical ways to help the poor?

White_Unifier

White_Unifier

Senate Member
Feb 21, 2017
7,300
2
36
With governments stupidly raising the minimum wage, what would you recommend as practical ways to help the poor, ways that would be economical and that would not cause too much harm to the market?

Some that I could come up with:

1. Toughen advertising laws for any business that sells any addictive recreational mind-altering substance (e.g. alcohol, tobacco), gambling (lottery-ticket shops and casinos), and even sex workers (though I think selling sex should be a fine-able offence, but I'm just saying for as long as it remains legal).

We could require any of these businesses to operate behind a front business (maybe with a 70-year grandfather clause to give them time to adapt to the new rules), and would be allowed to advertise only on websites that specialize in advertising businesses that sell addictive products and services.

2. Require financial institutions to allow clients to program their online accounts to block their debit cards during specified times of the day (programmable to the minute) and days of the week or year and to cap the maximum amount of money their debit card can extract daily. This would help shopping addicts to better manage their spending if they need help with that.

3. Require smart phones that are advertised alongside prepaid plans to include factory-installed apps like Screentime and Mobicip. As a buyer familiarizes himself with the pre-installed apps, he might find them useful and may choose to use them. This could help an internet addict spend less time online and more time studying, looking for work, or otherwise being more productive.

6. Provide more funding for trades and professional education for the unemployed.

4. Force foreign visitors to Canada to sign an abstinence contract banning them from engaging in addictive activities such as smoking, drinking, gambling, etc. under threat of a fine so as to discourage such businesses that can hurt poor addicts.

5. Promote more open borders. Some low-wage workers might happen to possess skills that are in higher demand abroad.

6. Provide more funding for trades and professional education for the unemployed, under-employed, and under-paid.
 
Last edited:
Corduroy

Corduroy

Senate Member
Feb 9, 2011
6,670
2
36
Vancouver, BC
Most of these ideas are paternalistic and practically Victorian. If you want to help the poor I think the first thing you need to do is change your attitude about them.
 
White_Unifier

White_Unifier

Senate Member
Feb 21, 2017
7,300
2
36
Corduroy said:
Most of these ideas are paternalistic and practically Victorian. If you want to help the poor I think the first thing you need to do is change your attitude about them.
Click to expand...

Paternalistic and Victorian? I don't know. But could they not help? If they can work, who cares what they are?

The alternative is to raise the minimum wage and so legislate the poor out of work. How does that help them any?
 
White_Unifier

White_Unifier

Senate Member
Feb 21, 2017
7,300
2
36
Curious Cdn said:
Are there no Work Houses?

Are there no prisons?
Click to expand...

Prisons cost the taxpayer money. That's why I prefer fines over incarceration for most crimes.

As for work houses, I'm not in favour of busy-work jobs. I'd rather teach them a trade or profession that's actually in demand in the labour market.
 
Last edited:
Corduroy

Corduroy

Senate Member
Feb 9, 2011
6,670
2
36
Vancouver, BC
More jobs. They don't need higher wages just two or three more jobs. Can't get $15/hr 35 hours/wk at Tim Hortons? Work 70 hours a week for $7.50. Great for the economy, which will mean *more* jobs and you'll have no time for smokin', drinkin' and whorin' - the only reasons why anyone would be in poverty.
 
White_Unifier

White_Unifier

Senate Member
Feb 21, 2017
7,300
2
36
Corduroy said:
What makes you think it will work? Do you think that poverty is caused by smoking and drinking and lotto tickets?
Click to expand...

No, not all poverty; but probably some of it. At least for those who do struggle with addictions, why not give them more power over their finances? What would be wrong with a law that allowed an addict to program his debit card account to limit his use of his debit card?

What would be wrong with ensuring that an addict who struggles to limit his internet addiction (either due to internet addiction or internet-enabled addiction such as online gambling, porn, sex, etc.) know how he can do so?

Where would be the harm in ensuring that businesses that do sell addictive products and services are well hidden from addicts who don't want to know where those businesses are located?

Where would be the harm in promoting more open borders so that Canadians whose skills are not in high demand in Canada can seek employment elsewhere and vice versa?

Where would be the harm in providing trades and professional education to the poor? At least that way we're raising their market value rather than just legislating them out of work with minimum-wage legislation.

Corduroy said:
More jobs. They don't need higher wages just two or three more jobs. Can't get $15/hr 35 hours/wk at Tim Hortons? Work 70 hours a week for $7.50. Great for the economy, which will mean *more* jobs and you'll have no time for smokin', drinkin' and whorin' - the only reasons why anyone would be in poverty.
Click to expand...

Overworking is not so healthy either. That's why I proposed that the government provide more funding to send the unemployed, the under-employed, and the underpaid back to school if they want to so as to upgrade their skills.
 
White_Unifier

White_Unifier

Senate Member
Feb 21, 2017
7,300
2
36
As for non-addicts, nothing in my proposal would prevent a person to go to a casino hidden behind a hotel front-business for example. Nothing would force you to limit your access to your debit card if you don't need that. Nothing would force you to use a screen-blocking app if you don't need it. But to make these options available to addicts could help them, no?

avro24 said:
Cut taxes.
Click to expand...

With our public debt right now, that would be a tough sell. That said, we could slash government spending on fluff. Official Bilingualism and separate schools should be the first to go.

Not all poor people are addicts. Some are poor due to lack of education. So upgrade their skills rather than just legislate them out of the workforce.
 
Danbones

Danbones

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 23, 2015
24,505
2,198
113
Yes right... someone who is poor in Canada already pays no taxes in the long run
;)
geez
 
darkbeaver

darkbeaver

the universe is electric
Jan 26, 2006
41,035
201
63
RR1 Distopia 666 Discordia
Corduroy said:
Most of these ideas are paternalistic and practically Victorian. If you want to help the poor I think the first thing you need to do is change your attitude about them.
Click to expand...

I was thinking Orwellian the same processing of the poor though I guess, where would we be without the poor? I don,t think the poor can be removed from the human experiance excepting perhaps another golden age of plentiful milk and honey. Expect more poverty in the defence of the present market turn. Nothing fuels poverty like war, it,s the one economic indicator I,m interested in this evening. There,s thousands of tons of poverty producing equipment being stationed globally on borders that indicates a strong uptic in poverty production. Atomic poverty, extra big. It,s the only way for Murika to get out of debt apparently.
 
Danbones

Danbones

Hall of Fame Member
Sep 23, 2015
24,505
2,198
113
Yes, by all means, why don't you beat them with your rod?
;)
before the children spoil
 
C

Curious Cdn

Hall of Fame Member
Feb 22, 2015
37,070
8
36
darkbeaver said:
First we will feed the poor until they are able to carry a weapon in x direction at x speed until they have exhausted thenselves or captured x. It,s true, this is only one of the templates to eleviate poverty.
Click to expand...

Guillotines were tried in France but alas, they were not successful at all. Swamps fill right back up, tout de suite.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top Bottom