Greed, Gluttony, Demands and Social Welfare

 

1. Every time I hear something like this, I wonder what happened to the pioneer spirit that made this nation strong?  Chesty Puller said this country won’t last because we had become too soft, and he said that in the 50’s!!!  Without natural predators, many people live well beyond their usefulness, and take for granted the charities bestowed upon them.  I’m with you, Vilmar, fuck ‘em; let ‘em starve, like I give a shit.

   Posted by Illegitimi Non Carborundum       10/16/2004  at  11:57 AM  



2. I don’t know about the Bronx, but locally Meals on Wheels has a waiting list.

   You don’t like the service, they’ll gladlly sent your portion to somebody else.

   Food ain’t bad either by the way. Bettter than hospital food (what isn’t) by a long way.

   Off course here in the People Republic of Gainesville it is administerd by a local non-profit and the community ministries of all faiths, not the city or state.

   Posted by Ric       10/16/2004  at  01:16 PM  



3. Now hold on a minute, Ric.  Think about what you just wrote.  Then ask yourself why it is this program is still in effect.

   My point?  Listen up.

   You say there is a list of people to get meals on wheels.  I am assuming that the criteria for people to get these are that they either can’t cook themselves or are too poor.

   So tell me something.  For ALL THOSE PEOPLE that do NOT get meals on wheels are they keeling over dead of hunger?  Ahhh, I didn’t think so.

   Doesn’t that make anyone question the legitimacy of this whole thing?  And doesn’t anyone else question the ability of these people to get meals themselves but refuse since someone else ponies up for the cost?

   Posted by Vilmar       10/16/2004  at  04:56 PM  



4. My point was you’re right they don’t like it go some where else or do with out. Having the food rated by three star chef’s should be a criminal offence. Get a life NYC..

   However let me clear up a few points. “Meals on Wheels” is a not a goverment program. Also not all home deliverd meals for seniors are “Meals for Wheels”, sorta like not all cola is Coca-Cola.

   Before you let your BP rise, yes certain (maybe most) can use federal, state or local goverment dollars to help run the program. Or in some cases it is entirely run by a goverment entity (bad practice).

   In my community except that the county and the city earmarked Community Developement Block Grant money to help purchase some of the intial equipment and vehicles there has been no other goverment funds used.

   The lead agency is a United Way sponsored agency (I used to work for UW of Alachua County, and audited this program for several years hence my expertice) and get funding that way. Most of the staff is volunteers. Most of the food comes from Gainesville Harvest and the local food banks.

   To qualify the recipent most have a social worker or home health nurse do a “nutrion survey” . The factors include ability to get to the store, transportation, ability to prepare food, etc. Income, although important,is only one of the criteria.

   They must be over 65 and unable to get out or prepare meals basically. Most have no family left to help. Yes in my county there are more people in need than get it. Yes a lot of old folks end up in nursing facilities or eventually pass with malnutrition being a secondary factor.

   The program is designed to help seniors stay out of nursing facilites which are much more costly. Although you would really need to work at starveing around here, malnutrition is a factor that leads to increased medical costs and since all these folks are on Medicare that comes out of our back pocket in the end.

   The situation in Marion County south of us and Columbia north of us is similar. We also serve Gilchrist county to our west which is largely rural.

   The churches and local ministries pic up a lot of the slack in this program. Yes in my neck of the woods nobody who gets it has any other options besides going hungry, maybe not starving, but real hungry.

   Then about the only people I now who turn it down are those with medical dietary restrictions that can’t be acomodated, finally get placed in a nursing facility or die.

   If I was the food Czar in Alachua County a lot of the food that goes out in the local homeless shelters would be redirected to this program. About 60% of those folks are capable of working, even if it’s cleaning road right away for a meal and a cot. Of that other 40% about half of them need to be in a mental health lock up or in jail. That’s the programs that burn my ass.

   If they have a problem in New York City( who doesn’t) it’s because they let goverment run the program. There overhead costs propably exceed there actual cost of providing the meals.

   Posted by Ric       10/16/2004  at  06:05 PM  



5. Ric, thanks for clearing that up.  I appreciate it and now understand a bit better.

   Posted by Vilmar       10/16/2004  at  06:12 PM  

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