Mike Bloomberg in Mexico to research an anti-poverty program

shishkab

Mayor Michael Bloomberg is in Mexico today to research an anti-poverty program he plans to introduce here in the city this fall. The program gives money to poor families if they reach certain goals set by the government.

so what do you all think of this? i was watching a piece on the news last night about it. i think it's impressive that Mayor Mike is looking at alternate ways of supporting poorer folks to help them break the cycle of poverty rather than keep them trapped in the system.

your thoughts?

here's a link to NY1's article:
http://www.ny1.com/ny1/content/index.jsp?stid=1&aid=69028

pitu

It's in the NYT today
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/25/nyregion/25antipoverty.html?_r=1&ref=nyregion&oref=slogin

as weird as it is to think about the crushing poverty of Mexico in the same breath as the different kind of crushing poverty that exists in NYC, this kind of thing makes me like this mayor
:shock:

and yeah, when I imagine, say, supporting a couple of kids and my teenage nephew on a truck driver's salary, I think it would be awesome to give a financial hand

“Clearly the economies of the Mexico and the U.S. and New York City are very different,” Ms. Gibbs said as she toured the village’s medical clinic, where many Oportunidades recipients go for their regular checkups and medical care.

“But what the poor have in common is that they are really struggling to make ends meet, that every day every decision is, ‘Do I do this thing or do I do that thing?’ It’s not a matter of can I go to work and get health care; it’s often a matter of trading it off.”

I love that it doesn't stigmatize the poor and blame them for being lazy or stupid or something

the guy that started the program in Mexico wrote: “When I first proposed this to the cabinet, I was murdered by some of the ministers,” he recalled. “The standard arguments were the husband’s going to beat the wife, take the money and go and drink, or they’re going to buy cigarettes, or people are going to be lazy.”

That has not happened, Mr. Levy said.

“The evidence shows that 99 percent of the time they buy shoes for the children, roof for the housing, food, or they save,” he said.