I think this qualifies as heartening news. Mrs Cool reports that the line outside the Sacramento Food Bank for the thousands of free turkeys being given away today — courtesy of a food drive last week sponsored by KCRA — was around the block. As sac-eats pointed out, this is a great week to do some good.
By the way I wanted to point out the “reader comment” highlighted by sacbee.com on that story, as a screenshot in case it changes later. The Bee, once again doing its duty to provide the average idiot with an unedited public soapbox, keeping up the tradition of journalists since time immemorial…
The Sac Rag 
For the seeing impaired:
“For most, it’s easy….get off the couch in the morning before noon, get a job, work hard, take your cash to the store and buy your food……..the end of the welfare family free-loaders is coming to an end…”
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Tis the season to be bitter about high taxes I guess.
Can’t say I blame him, but some may see such a position as “insensetive” and therefore “hateful” toward “disadvantaged” groups. Since we are not allowed to hate members of disadvantaged groups, such commmentary (least it lead to similar thoughts amongst others) should be banned, and the issue(s) raised ignored. Or so, as near as I can tell, the logic goes.
Good for you [blurry] exec20111 [?], but count your blessings- at least the unwashed lazy masses aren’t lining up to get a hunk of your thigh this season.
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Thanks Hank! Sorry all, I had to rush off to a meeting and didn’t have time to check the screenshot… fixed it now
TS I know you’re just doing your thing but we’re talking about charity here, not welfare. Add that to the list of reasons the Bee should have thought twice about highlighting this reader comment.
(However, I don’t know, maybe the highlighted comment thing is auto-generated, in which case only add it to the list of reasons the Bee should not highlight reader comments.)
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Welfare is forced charity. Which means that I’d better get back to work so I can afford to donate some more…
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It’s not “forced charity.” That’s a silly way to frame it, or slant it. It’s part of our infrastructure: many people can’t take care of themselves. A large proportion of them used to be in the state hospitals, before 6 of the 8 largest were closed; when they were in those hospitals, was their care & maintenance “forced charity” at that point? Or did it only become so when Reagan closed the hospitals and they became homeless?
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Moe- it’s NOT infrastrucure.
I can’t see how else to look at it other than taking from me (it was in my pay, then it was DEDUCTED, or TAKEN from my pay- says so right there on the check stub). It was mine, then it was taken, despite my protest (stop whining and just cash your damn paycheck Mr. Squip), and given to someone else. I guess “forced charity” is too kind. Shakedown? Theft? Robbery?
To be clear- I’m NOT talking about Turkey/Pie drives. I’m only talking about “govt” programs funded outta my paycheck, which I’m forced to pay for, out of my labor, through taxes. Which will be collected at gunpoint if need be. And then given to someone else who did not earn it. So I’m thinking that I’m more correct (and charitable) than not, in calling welfare programs “forced charity.”
Maybe we should ask why there are “many people [who] can’t take care of themselves” and what we are doing to cut that number down (saving money down the road), rather than blindly hand more and more and more money over.
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Yes but WE ARE talking about Turkey drives.
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Touche. Savemart gives away Turkeys with every $50 or so in purchase. Since I’ve got turkey coming out of my ears already, this sounds like a worthwhile cause. I’m keeping my pies though.
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Turkey for brains explains a lot.
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I’m wondering what Turty proposes we do to cut that number down…maybe he doesn’t mind having his tax dollars spent on some Zyklon-B?
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Oh wburg! You know me better than that. Easy: If you are someone who “can’t take care of yourself” (Moe’s wording) and you want a govt. handout (welfare, free housing, free food, free transportation, etc.) have at it!! After all, you ARE an American! Of course, if you are now admitting that you “can’t take care of yourself,” you are acknowledging that you are REALLY just “unable to make good decisions.” So my solution is that you can get all the free services you want, after:
you give up any right to vote;
you give up any right to have any more children (both men and women, norplant anyone?);
you give up any right to enter any into any type of gambling enterprise (winnings will be confiscated);
Since you “can’t take care of yourself,” let alone more kids, or make informed political decisions, you can’t be trusted to waste money on lotto tickets while getting food stamps. In return, you get baseline medical care (no organs or anything like that), food, etc.
But we are not talking about welfare- only turkey and pie drives. And EVERYONE should be eligable for a free turkey*.
* except for dumb sh!ts who can’t make a queue. They should be hauled around the corner and shot in the knees and left for the homeless to eat.
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Turty, an enormous proportion of these people are Vietnam vets, mentally ill, the retarded; I realize that you have this gigantic “I did it all myself” chip on your shoulder and were born without the empathy required to think what it might be for them, so you’ll just have to take other folks’ words for it: not being able to take care of onesself is not the same as wanting someone else to take care of you.
I know we love to blame the necessity of a welfare state on hoboes, welfare moms etc., but the actual statistics – and anyone who has actually worked on the ground with many welfare recipients – shows a very different story, one which you would have absolutely no perspective on whatsoever.
If you can’t be part of the social contract, maybe you don’t deserve its benefits, either? After all, I’m sure you’ve received thousands of invisible benefits yourself in your lifetime, no matter how much you’d like to deny them to others…
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Moe: (1) “an enormous proportion of these people are Vietnam vets, mentally ill, the retarded” . . . (2) “not being able to take care of onesself is not the same as wanting someone else to take care of you.”
1) So we agree, and you are providing examples of people who shouldn’t be voting or having kids (‘cept for the Vets, unless they are also asking for handouts (not talking VA loans here))?
2) Agreed. So don’t ask for help. And if you DO ask for help, you have to give something up in return- like having more kids for the public to support. Or is that asking too much?
The “social contract” is a two way street- so long as some are abusing that, and the benifits are a “one way” flow, someone has to point out the unfairness of relying on the hard working American for the lazy “undeserving poor” who to sit around all day and do nothing to lessen the burden on the rest.
As for my “thousands of invisible benefits”… Like streets on which to drive? Paid for ’em in taxes, fees, assessments, etc. Water and other “infrastructure”? Ditto. Police/fire? Ditto. All paid for and rarely, if ever, abused (i.e.; used more than my paid for share). No Moe, it’s people like ME who have remained silent while paying for all this, who have now realized that there is no end in sight, and it’s only getting worse, with more and more abuse.
Time to start insisting on BOTH ends of the social contract. If you want all the benifits, you have to give up some benifits- like the “right” to burden the rest of society with your bad decisions and/or further offspring.
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You know what’s interesting? A couple of friends and I decided that it would be a good thing to volunteer to serve food this Thanksgiving. However, EVERY place that I contacted in Sacramento, Auburn, Folsom, Roseville and Lincoln said that they were innudated with volunteers AND food. The Salvation Army said that they had never seen such a turnout! So while the government is trying to force us to serve…and the media is trying to guilt us into serving…it seems that we are doing it on our own. Amazing, ain’t it? Our country is the home of the most generous and kind people on earth. Shame on those who would have us think otherwise! Happy Thanksgiving…
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I’m trying to say this in the most magnanimous way possible, but wouldn’t it be great if they had to turn away volunteers the other 364 days of the year too?
I’m sorry, there’s no way to say that without sounding preachy.
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Truly, there are countless organizations in need year-round; it’s unfortunate that many people only feel compelled to lend a hand during this time of the year. Every little bit does help, but there are several other ways to do so in addition to serving food during the holidays.
What would make the most impact is if you make a lasting, regular commitment to one single organization for a while. You’ll learn about the organization’s mission more thoroughly and can genuinely make a difference by lending your skills, knowledge, and connections — well beyond serving a meal or two. And, that organization knows that they can count on you.
Might I mention that taking a leadership role in a volunteer organization (or several) looks great on a resume, and you’ll build your network should you ever need to enlist help yourself? You don’t do the volunteer work for this reason, however, nor should you do it for the “Look at me! Look at what I’m doing!” aspect.
By making a lasting commitment, you’ll become an advocate, which means you’ll talk about it with your friends and associates, which will then raise the visibility of the organization, and in turn will bring in more funds to help further the mission.
And, for those who don’t want to be so close to the issues on a personal level (such as serving food or other hands-on work), all non-profits need expertise with strategic planning, budgeting, fund raising, parliamentary governance, law, human resources, event planning, and anything else that you’d associate with a business.
One way you can make a difference right away is to request from the friends and family who usually give you gifts during the holidays to instead donate funds to a charity of your designation. They’ll get the tax write-off; you’ll have less stuff to store, and a worthy cause will be the primary beneficiary.
If you’re interested in a particular non-profit and want to know the breakdown of their overhead vs. program costs, what their main activities are, and what they pay their staff, you can download the IRS Form 990 on any non-profit by going to http://www.guidestar.com. You will have to register, which is free, and you can get the basic information without a paid registration.
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We have to be pleased that the Run to Feed the Hungry had such a large turnout this year, right?
Race officials said they expected to raise at least $750,000 for the event’s beneficiary, the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services.
And the timing couldn’t be better: Food bank officials said they have seen a 20 percent increase in families seeking help this year. Lines for meals at the organization’s facility started forming at 4 a.m. this week.
All in spite of the horrible government trying to force us to do it and the biased media guilting us into doing it. Or, wait, maybe because of?
Shoot. How are we to know?
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I have worked at the food bank on Sundays. A huge number of “those people” or the WORKING poor and extremely greatful for the food they get.
You may be a few paychecks away from the same thing one day.
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I meant “are” the working poor. They do work.
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Ah- so Melly is also willing to distinguish between the Deserving Poor and the Undeserving Poor. That’s the first step- welcome to the dark side Melly! 😉
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You said that TS..not me.
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Ok Melly- then in your view, whether the poor work or don’t doesn’t matter with regard to aid. Nice. So why would anyone work? And then what’s up with your soapbox on 11/30? Just tooting your horn that you have served food to the groveling greatful? I threw a McDees shake at a homeless guy once- does that count?
It looked like your point was that a lot of people you served were the working poor, and the economy is making it hard on everyone. I guess I misunderstood you, and you like to help out everyone. I’m assuming you invite the mentally ill into your home for shelter at night?
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TS..yes, I invite the mentally ill into my home for shelter at night. I am one of them you fricken ass. I am also a formerly poor mentally ill person you stupid shithead. I do give back. I pay it forward because it was given to me. You will NEVER get it. Not all mentally ill people are livin’ on the streets. Some acutally have graduate degrees and are helping others.
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I meant “actually”.
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