Have you ever had to choose between buying food and paying bills? Going to a doctor or paying your rent? There is an average of $18,000 in consumer debt per household. Some of this indebtedness is directly due to our government’s lack of foresight to care for its citizens.

If we paid for health care through taxes, we wouldn't have as many people bankrupt from hospital bills. If we stopped jailing people for misdemeanor drug offenses at $48.75 per day per person, we might add a few police officers and drug counselors to our staff.

The underlying principle of my argument is; Under capitalism, money concentrates into the hands of those with the resources to use it. That leaves most of our citizens out. Shouldn't we be morally obligated to provide for those who will never have the economic opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty? Eleanor Roosevelt in 1948 thought so.

Here in Chattanooga Mayor Littlefield offered to help provide shelter for some of our citizens and was met with resistance.

On Friday, we, the poor people of Chattanooga, will hold a peaceful protest march to re-raise the issue of the poor and homeless in our community. If you want to be involved, meet us on McCallie Avenue outside of UTC at 5 p.m. Be prepared to eat some good vegetarian food.

Remember in rough economic times, we are all potentially poor.

Daniel Westcott

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"Our government's lack of foresight to care for its citizens?"

Mr. Westcott, please show me where in our nation's Constitution it says anything about providing care for its citizens. Opportunity, yes; care, no. You talk about Eleanor Roosevelt and the era that brought us Social Security, the same socialistic system that even the most conservative estimates have running out of money around five-eight years before I am eligible to draw from it, yet I am now currently paying into that same system for someone else to live off of my money. Thanks to these politicians throughout the years who love to redistribute other people's wealth since they know better how to use it than those who earn it. I already pay for health care for others through my taxes; unfortunately, it's not mine or my family's, that comes out of my pocket. Go down to Erlanger, see if they turn you away at the emergency room.

"Shouldn't we be morally obligated to provide for those who will never have the economic opportunity to pull themselves out of poverty?"

Morally obligated? Absolutely. Legally obligated? Heck no. Our great country (regardless of the mess the politicians currently have it in) provides freedom of opportunity, not redistribution of wealth. I feel I am morally obligated to help those who need help, but if and how I do it is my choice. If one wants to look at my (and the majority of our community's, I feel certain) charitable givings or volunteer time, I am sure you would agree I at least do my part for the community, if not someone else's share as well. Does this mean that I should be legally obligated to hand over a portion of my hard-earned salary, be it less or more than I normally do, because someone feels it is my legal duty? That is ludicrous, and what's more, it is socialism, pure and simple. Faced with that scenario, if I were able to live with myself, why would I not join the ranks of the unemployed and unfortunate? Based on the swelling population of panhandlers I encounter every time I step out of my car downtown, it's got to be better than working for a living, especially if someone else is going to foot the bill. No, I would not be able to live with myself, because I am one of those nameless, faceless working class slobs out there eeking out a living for my family every day without any government subsidies. You know the people who actually make this country work for everyone else.

You're right - hard economic times are hard on everyone, but you cannot ask the American (or Chattanoogan) taxpayer to pay for more programs, be it federal bailouts, socialized medicine, or property tax increases for homeless programs. All that money the government spends for these wonderful things comes from one place: our pockets.

Lee Crews
Hixson

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Daniel,

Spoken like a true socialist. "I want, therefore I'm entitled."

If you spent as much time walking the streets looking for work as you do protesting your own poor choices and bad decisions you might find something to do that's useful.

I'm sure that if you would go to where job-seeking, hard working immigrants hang out to get day work you might just get employment. However that would require you to get up early, be clean and presentable, a good attitude, and worth your salt. But we all know that you don't want work. You want to be financially supported just for being you rather than what talents and skills you can bring to the marketplace.

Try Cuba and Venezuela and say hello to your Uncle Hugo and Fidel. Those countries are certainly models of socialist success. I'll even contribute to your travel fund if you promise to never come back.

I'll even have Congress vote funding to get you out of here. It would be much cheaper for taxpayers in the long term than keeping you in our gene pool.

I'm for charity but you don't qualify. You want tribute you're not entitled to but you'll gladly take (steal) from someone who has worked for their daily bread.

I reserve my compassion for those who deserve it; not for whiners, cads, and deadbeats.

Harry Statel

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Concerning Mr Wescott's article...let me see if I have this straight. The way I read it, if someone makes bad decisions as far as planning for their "later" years, it's the government's responsibility to take care of them?

Daniel, you really need to wake up. Take a ride through some of the housing developments and see for yourself why there is so much consumer debt. Half million dollar homes, two or more new cars (to the tune of around $35,000 each), boats, campers etc. And as a side note here, I do not in any way mean to point fingers at those that are lucky enough to have these...and pay for them.

One such development is close to where I live and last week I took a ride through it and, lo and behold, there were over a dozen houses with for sale signs in the yard. Should 'anyone' be responsible other than the people that bought them? Living beyond your means just to "make a statement" is your problem, not mine or anyone else's.

I draw disability from the VA and Social Security. The VA pays me monthly for wounds I received in Vietnam and Social Security pays me because my former employer as well as my doctor and Social Security say that I can no longer stand to work. Neither of these were my choices.

My wife and I live in a modest 55-year-old house, drive "older" cars, we have both a camper and boat...the boat is a 74 model and the camper is a 91 model. Our house will be paid off in less than five years and other than a small credit card debt, we are debt free. I worked for over 40 years, never making more than $30,000 a year, and paid into Social Security with each and every paycheck. That is and always has been and always will be my money.

If someone is down and out because of no fault of their own, I have no problem helping them out. But there is a big part of the homeless community that chooses to be "homeless". To some "three hots and a cot" is an ideal lifestyle.

I, for one, have a big problem with Mr Littlefield's "homeless complex" being built on public land using public money. And now it seems, according to you, there is going to be a "peaceful protest march" this Friday.

Does this mean that the taxpayers of Chattanooga are going to pay the Chattanooga Police Department to make sure that you are safe and free from harm? Daniel, get up, get off the couch, get a life and, last but not least, get a job.

Craig Collier
Chattanooga
zook1@bellsouth.net