Brother, Can You Spare A Handout?
by Bill Dusty
Regular readers of the Springfield Intruder have often observed a regular lamenting of this region’s recurring obsession with accommodating illegal behavior and celebrating mediocrity. In the Happy Valley, it is the poor who are unsoiled and noble and the rich who are stained and evil. And this is not just the culture of Western Massachusetts: it permeates throughout the entire state of Massachusetts and the entire Northeast region. Being poor is certainly not a crime, nor is it something that should be viewed as shameful. But neither should it be held up as some kind of symbol of righteousness, where communities should be looked upon with respect simply for being impoverished.
Defending and excusing failure is one of the primary reasons Springfield itself has wallowed in failure, with a decline into poverty that has now spanned three generations. It is not just about losing manufacturing jobs. That began decades ago. And it’s not about some mean, uncaring Republican presidents “ruining” the country, either. Springfield was just as bad off under Carter and Clinton.
The problem is that this City – and the entire region – never replaced its manufacturing economy with another (different) one. We lost our jobs and then instantaneously went into welfare support mode. Instead of job creation and production – providing incentives for businesses to stay or come into the state to help get our population back on its wage-earning feet – our leaders delivered entitlements and pay-outs in order to keep folks on state-sponsored life support. It got to the point where people came to Massachusetts – and continue to come – not for job opportunities, but rather for the free bennies and cheap or free housing.
Springfield currently has an over-20% poverty rate. That is simply not sustainable. Our once beautiful historic inner-city neighborhoods have decayed into slums. Yet Springfield marches on with the culture of entitlement by continually welcoming in still more low-income and no-income residents – we just can’t seem to help ourselves. It’s like some kind of natural instinct, inbred in our community and government leaders. What community has not felt the encroachment of Springfield’s ghettos? Forest Park has about another six or eight years before it becomes the South End – indeed, much of it is already there. Meanwhile, a trash fee has been instituted and real estate taxes have spiraled upward to support these new impoverished communities. Our leaders lament the loss of middle class homeowners even as they whip them with the lash of skyrocketing taxes and fees.
But Springfield doesn’t live on a socialist island. The entire state shares in our enabling of communities and individuals who fail. It is the reason why this state is constantly broke. A recent opinion piece by John O’Leary in the Worcester Telegram highlights one example of the state’s continuing accommodation of people who come to Massachusetts for the wrong reasons. [click here]
It’s a problem that all of us are paying for, and a problem that won’t go away until our society decides that businesses should be rewarded for starting up and coming here, and encouraged to stay once they’re up and running rather than penalized with prohibitive fees and taxes. It is great to see such large corporations as MassMutual and Baystate Medical Center invest in our city. Unfortunately, the many smaller, one person businesses or family-owned businesses find it much more difficult jumping the hurdles of permits and licensing that come with doing business here. The solution to Springfield’s – and the region’s – current economic stagnation lies with private enterprise, not subsidized housing. People should not be coming to Springfield for free services, they should be coming here for jobs.
Enough already with the bleeding hearts. Enough with the excusing of personal and collective irresponsibility. The policy of accommodating those who continually give nothing back at all is a policy doomed to failure, and will only entice more social parasites to come here and feed off of our dwindling municipal resources.
Four years ago I anticipated moving from my South End home and heading out to Forest Park.
Today, I question whether I should risk it.
16 Responses for “Brother, Can You Spare A Handout?”
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Bill you are right on target. I now know I am not alone.
We have another over saturated market in Spfld and it is entitlements. If the State really wanted to help us they would place a temporary cap on all of our subsidies, Section 8, half-way houses, Dover Amendment approved recovery homes etc. Then and only then will we attract the mobile middle class. Those with an education and a disposable income. Until then we will continue to increase our poverty level until every neighborhood is saturated and every able bodied mobile middle class person has moved out.
I was told that if you took all of the employees in social services industries in Spfld. that they would equal the number of employees at Mass Mutual in Spfld? I do not know if that is true but it sure feel like it on certain days.
I dont have the answer just yet but I did enjoy reading your honest coments on issues that are facing the City and that need to be addressed. Those individuals who are afraid of not being politicaly correct should not attend!
Tim Rooke
Thanks, Tim
I think Forest Park has more time than you give it. Some parts more than others I admit.
Part of the problem, too, is that these social agencies have been run by continuously unscrupulous people who need these institutions to continue their bilking. What motivation would they have to succeed in their goals? Moreover, you forget how much sway external forces, and I don’t mean the state, has over Springfield.
If said forces can bankroll initiatives whose goals ultimately keep Springfield down and then make their communities better or seem better, then they’ve done a their job. As a bleeding heart liberal I am willing to accept responsibility, but I also feel blame must go to insidious elements elsewhere.
Matt, I haven’t forgotten anything. Can you name those external forces that have kept Springfield down for the past fifty years? (Lemme guess: Bush and Reagan!)
I’m actually fairly bored with socialists lamenting how their programs don’t work, time after time after time they try to implement them. It’s always “If only corrupt people didn’t ruin the plan, it would have worked.” And then when they fire up their failed policies again, they declare that *this time* it will work!
Why is it that even corrupt capitalism works, but socialism apparently has to be pristine in order to function at all?
PS: I lived in Forest Park for 13 years back in late 80’s and all the 1990s, and it has slid down considerably in that time. But okay…. I’ll give it ten years
Sad but true.
Wow, what a load of nonsensical crap. First of all, let’s take on the erroneous statement with not a single fact to prove it’s point- “Springfield was just as bad off under Carter and Clinton”
1. We were not fighting an illegal war to control oil under Carter
2. We had far more diverse smal businesses under both as compared to the current climate of fear
3. We had higher levels of state funding under both presidents
Now lets move on to the fact that the author appears to be endorsing unlimited capitalism at the expense of compassion and needed public funding of social services. No one is arguing that being poor is a desired or deserved condition, but to think the answer is to promote greed and capitalism instead to help the poor is such a fundamentally flawed concept, it makes the idea of trickle down economics actually seem like a good idea.
In a free country, we can all live where we please, we don’t get to discriminate against those who are poor and unemployed. I especially take argument with the statement people “should be coming here for jobs.” People should be coming here because this is a free country and they make the choice to. Any further attempts to stifle this freedom of choice can only lead one to believe that the author promulgates a more restrictive set of freedoms for those who cannot afford them.
This article is nothing but a complete endorsement of elitism and classism. An endorsement of greed over compassion and caring, and a clear example that those infected with the greed bug, could but clearly don’t pay enough to help support the social services “the poor” require.
Say no to fascism and greed, yes to compassion and greater taxation for the greater good.
Only a coward fails to pay their fair share to the community.
See above for a total load of nonsensical crap.
First of all, moonbat, the “illegal war” has absoultely nothing to do with Springfield’s current and past economic decline.
Secondly, I think your whackjob final two sentences pretty much sum up the proletariat, serve-the-state mentality most extreme left-wingers have about life.
By the way, according to your standard, then, I guess the homeless and folks on welfare are a bunch of cowards.
Ah, the neocon discompassionate perspective! How refreshing in the morning like a slap in the face and a kick in the balls!
I must both agree and disagree with you. Allow me to retort.
If you consider my last 2 sentences a whackjob mentality where I promulgate that both fascism and greed are negative components in today’s society, then you are admitting that they are admirable aspects to be adopted in society. Congratulations, you are now an admitted fascist with dreams of economic control. You are no better than Hitler. And, if you disagree that only a coward fails to pay their fair share to the community (note I did not specify what a fair share is), you are most definitely advocating for not paying one’s fair share. Is this due to greed (as I suspect) or a lack of commitment to the communal well-being of the greater good? Please enlighten us and do tell. And oh yes, I agree they summarize my attitude and mentality of helping the populace and greater community while working to purge the negative attitudes and mores I previously listed.
And lets get to the war issue. You think that the current war in Iraq is NOT having a negative impact on Springfield and the region? You think the current increase in oil prices (as a result of decreased oil supply from the middle east due to our war) is not driving so many manufacturing elsewhere? You think the decrease in the amount of taxation from these and other statewide business departures is not having a cumulative negative impact to the regional allocation of state based funding? You think that the current bipartisan hate the other side perspective that now engulfs our culture in strife is not having a negative impact on consumer confidence and spending on both a retail basis and big ticket purchases as well as business expansion?
Please, stop being naive and intentionally negative and try and embrace a position more conducive to resolving the true problems.
Greg,
The only economy I want to control is my personal one. By the way, I served in the armed forces to support my country, so I resent your calling me a fascist. Extreme liberals such as yourself use the word “fascist” far to lazily, erroneously applying to anything or anyone they disagree with. I am a passionate believer in Democracy and freedom, which is precisely why I loathe routine Court decrees that dictate our society’s affairs. I also believe people should not be over-taxed, and that it is not Government’s role to guide our lives, but rather we, the people, who should guide government. Lower taxes provide a greater opportunity for individuals to invest or spend their money as they choose. That is not fascism, that is liberty. Lower taxes on businesses mean they can invest in their business, creating more job opportunities which in turn create a larger tax base overall, thus bringing in more tax dollars to the State while also creating a healthier economy. Liberals cannot and will not ever understand this concept.
Springfield’s economic woes long, long preceded the conflict in Iraq, and will not end merely with its conclusion. You, sir, I naive if you believe otherwise.
For the record I did not mean Bush or Reagan. If there is any blame to be lain at the feet of ny Presidents, it is not one elected in the last forty years.
These forces are people and groups based in the suburbs and of not particular political affiliation. Either under the guise of NIMBYism or some other nefarious motive they work to keep the social infrastructure, both failed and successful, mostly in Springfield and to a lesser extent Holyoke.
Finally, Bill, you’re not a facist. There are times when such an appellation is appropriate, but not you and certainly not within the realm of municipal or state politics.
lets put up some subsidised housing n hamptons beloved main st.. no one can afford to live in n hampton.. cmon you libs. a little gang activity wont hurt..
please n hampton libs??!! think about the poor children!!!
please n hampton libs??!! think about the poor children!!! carry some of spflds burden..
somewhere a child cries because thier parents cant afford to buy a home in n.h.
bill, as you might suspect, there’s a lot I could disagree with in your post– but I think one of the most important points you made you didn’t give enough attention to– what we are going to do to replace the manufacturing jobs that sent our city– and so many others– into a decline? I certainly hope private enterprise can make a difference– although so far, manufacturers haven’t shown any particular interest in redeveloping the American economy– no loyalty except to the almighty buck! Government-encouraged and partly subsidized enterprises that could rebuild our infrastructure to meet the need for a sustainable future could go a long way.
I think many people in the poorer neighborhoods of Springfield could start small businesses, but I think most are not aware they can – or if they do, how to go about it. I’ve said this before: If I ran the City, I’d put notices up in each neighborhood not only describing relevant city ordinances (which are ignored by many because they don’t care about them – but also because they don’t know about them. If they see the sign on the wall or pole, though, they’ll at least be reminded of them), but also notifying people about business ownership assistance programs either the city or the state offers.
Plus, for many service jobs, I’ve talked with small business owners and they’ve said the permitting and licensing process can be an obstacle.
Here’s something I heard that doesn’t necessarily apply to Springfield (because the owner works elsewhere), but it may: One business owner said he can’t afford to hire a person to help with his service because each person he hires must be individually licensed – and there’s a large fee for that license. If he takes all the time to train this person (it’s a skilled labor job), then has to pay the license fee, he is screwed when that employee quits. (It’s not a high paying job, so helper/employee loyalty generally doesn’t come into play.) The owner then has to re-hire, re-train, and then pay for *another* license for that new employee. And the cycle goes on….
A better thing, to help small businesses, would be to have a blanket license for, say, up to two or four employees – and have it be a general license, not tied to any specific employee. I know safety and liability is a concern, but if the employer/owner remains still legally responsibible for his employees work, I don’t see that as being as big a factor as some politicins – eager for fee moneys – may say it is.