observer Posted September 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Simples: write down a list of - "essential" requirements in one column and cost them. Then compare these required outgoings to income. If you can't afford them, your poor. Now I guess you may consider a pair of Nike trainers, Sky TV, I-phones and fags, booze and manicures as "essential" - I don't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Who says they have Sky tv, Nike trainers ect, ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Don't you get out much Lt Kije? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 I had no idea that you used to walk around council estates counting satellite dishes Cleo, did you take it further and go in to see if they were going Hungry, or are you just generalising Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 If they can't afford food, how can they afford the fare to Hungary? :unsure: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Sorry, I just couldn't resist it. Naughty me :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 most are probably from Hungary....and Poland .... and Lithuania.... but that's another story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted September 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Nice one Baz, he'll blame me for that one! Kije, I'm merely outlining the idea of essentials or non-essentials, no doubt everyone will have different notions of what is or isn't. imo the best way to relieve poverty is to make more things free, EG: school meals, thus ensuring five hot meals a week. Free buses etc; subsidised school uniforms and healthy food items etc etc. These would be universal (available to all) BUT, higher tax payers would pay more to provide them, thus allowing redistribution of wealth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 I don't think the kids you would see on the streets would have a problem, If kids are going Hungry, I would have thought it would be hidden, it's the kids you don't see, Save the Children are a well respected charity, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 I had no idea that you used to walk around council estates counting satellite dishes Cleo, did you take it further and go in to see if they were going Hungry, or are you just generalising One doesn't need to go around council estates (is there still such a thing as a council estate when so many tenants bought the houses they were renting? I should imagine they are a good mix of council and private now) counting satellite dishes. They are so numerous not to be obvious. One does not need to ask. one just needs to keep one's ears and eyes open, be observant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Why just count satelite dishes when there is cable TV Obs you raise some very good questions and comments and can't say I disagree with most.... I've seen many of the people you mention Obs ie those on benefits but who are still able to rent/buy the biggest TV's, latest mobile phones, designer clothes and even go abroad for holidays etc etc (ok maybe the gadgets and clothes are bought from car boots or ebay who knows... but they have them). However, others on here raise very good questions and comment too from the other side of the arguement and can't say I disagree with most of those either. I think it's difficult to somehow differentiate between the families and kids that Save the Children are concerned about and the people who are also classed as 'vunerable' and 'poorer' who live in 'council' houses and claim all the benefits they are entitled too but who seem to somehow still manage all the luxuries that many of us can't afford. Maybe questions need to be asked about the individual lifestyles of some of the latter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Save the children is a charity and like all charities it has an agenda to put forward in order to make sure the donations keep coming..... If they said there is no poverty; people wouldn't donate. The salaries of the directors of most charities are very nice.... thank you very much: Save the Children Director: Mike Aaronson Current Salary: £85,000 Previous Year: £82,002 Percentage increase: 3.7 Charity Income: £110.8m Percentage of total income for director Salary: 0.77% You can find the rest here: http://society.guardian.co.uk/salarysurvey/table/0,12406,1042677,00.html or with regards to political agendas... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/philipjohnston/5120538/Why-Ive-stopped-supporting-Save-the-Children.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lt Kije Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 The NSPCC, also give money to alleviate child poverty in the UK, Great link Baz, some of the people running charities are massively overpaid, how can anyone running a charity justify pay like some of them are paying themselves Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted September 9, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 Thus proving, you really have to be a cynic to fully understand the world! Diz, despite the sniping from the luvvies, I would want a society in which there is no poverty, alas Utopian, but never the less, in striving for it, improvements arise. However, handing out cash isn't the way imo; far better to reduce or eliminate the costs of "essentials" by free provision or subsidies, which would be universal. This then begs the question, why should a millionaire get free bus travel or school meals - answer: cos (if we had a decent tax policy) s/he'd be paying a hell of a lot more tax towards such universal provision, and thus benefiting "the poor" in a manner less prone to abuse by the feckless. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted September 9, 2012 Report Share Posted September 9, 2012 The NSPCC, also give money to alleviate child poverty in the UK, and you will see that their Director gets even more... National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Director: Mary Marsh Salary: £105,000 Previous Years Salary: £85,000 Charity Income: £90.6m Percentage of total income for director Salary: 1.16% or how about NCH Action for Children Director: Deryk Mead Salary: £116,384 Previous Years Salary: £95,000 Charity Income: £150.00m Percentage of total income for director Salary: 0.78% so three childrens Charities that between them pay almost £300 million to just three directors.... Now add on to that the rest of the employees and then tell me what their adgendas are!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 Strange question Obs, why should a millionaire have a free bus pass? Maybe a more pertinent question is would a millionaire even bother applying for a bus pass? Same goes for school meals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 and you will see that their Director gets even more... National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Director: Mary Marsh Salary: £105,000 Previous Years Salary: £85,000 Charity Income: £90.6m Percentage of total income for director Salary: 1.16% or how about NCH Action for Children Director: Deryk Mead Salary: £116,384 Previous Years Salary: £95,000 Charity Income: £150.00m Percentage of total income for director Salary: 0.78% so three childrens Charities that between them pay almost £300 million to just three directors.... Now add on to that the rest of the employees and then tell me what their adgendas are!! I have long said that that the major part of donations are swallowed up by administration and precious little goes to help the people donations are intended to help. I really don't know how these directors and officers can sleep at night, knowing that they are living in comfort by siphoning off funds that the generous but gullible public is providing, thinking that they are helping those in real need. These people are little more than con merchants taking you all for a ride. If those same directors and officers awarded themselves salaries that just allow them to live basically you would then see an improvement in the lives of the needy because there would be a damn sight more funds available to help them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
algy Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 Cleo, apologies for muscling in on your topic intro but I have given the full list as published by the Guardian, I'm sure you agree that all the salaries paid to some of these over paid greedy leeches! should be made public. No doubt someone on WW will attempt to justify what these people are paid, if only to be controversial. THESE FIGURES ARE FOR 2003 AND WAS THE ONLY COMPLETE SURVEY I COULD FIND, JUST IMAGINE WHAT THEY ARE RECEIVING NOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted September 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 Asp, it's the usual arguement thrown up against universal benefits; and your right, the rich would probably not use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfie Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 No doubt someone on WW will attempt to justify what these people are paid, if only to be controversial. Isn't that what forums are for? So lets all stop giving to charity then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted September 10, 2012 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 Wouldn't matter how much folk are paid, if they started taxing them properly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
asperity Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 So, Obs, your theory is that, if these Chief Execs were forced to pay more in tax, they wouldn't take even more of the charitable giving to end up with the same take home pay? And Father Christmas is real? <_< Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artie Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 I have always give to certain causes but after seeing that report i think i will keep my hand in my pocket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverlady54 Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 I read an interesting letter today, commenting on a lady being interviewed on TV about poverty and not being able to provide her family with a hot meal while in the background could be seen a large flat screen TV, 2 games consoles and both of her children on mobiles. If that is poverty, they appear to have redefined the word. If the lady had sold all her possessions and was still unable to feed her children, I would define that as poverty. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cleopatra Posted September 10, 2012 Report Share Posted September 10, 2012 So, Obs, your theory is that, if these Chief Execs were forced to pay more in tax, they wouldn't take even more of the charitable giving to end up with the same take home pay? And Father Christmas is real? <_< Of course Father Christmas is real! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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