Advice for President Obama on Fighting Poverty

Max's advice for March 9, 2009

Dear President Obama,

Max grew up as the son of a man who knew 'ALL' the answers to the problems of the world. Max's father said so! Many times, his father let everyone know that anyone who didn't know that he had the answers was a turkey or a knucklehead.

The famous Ma Bell, the second most powerful force in the world (next to God of course), thought so much of Max's father's opinions, that she made him 'Supervisor of Troubles'. This is true!

The advice Max promised you, President Obama.

Use your example as a weapon in fighting poverty.

There are many within the family of man who say that poverty will always be with us. That may in fact be true. There are many kinds of ways in which people can become impoverished and an equal number of ways they demonstrate this.

Max is of the belief that poverty may not be within human power to overcome. He also believes that we must do what we can to reduce the impact and pain that comes from poverty. The greatest difficulty is that poverty comes in many forms.

Max likes the concept that poverty is the result of a person not having what they need to live a reasonable human existance. This allows for the fact that food and clothing may not be the only missing pieces. Max finds that some of the care givers of the poor and sick are among the ones who best understand poverty.

They see it in the eyes of the rich and strong who cannot bear to be near the ill and down trodden. For all their power to change the world, they cannot even bear to be part of it with their fellow man, woman or child.

To often we see it when those of us with means give ourselves fine dinners to celebrate our generousity. The cost of the dinner may exceed the gift so easily given. There is a poverty that we do not acknowledge, a poverty of spirit.

Max was once challenged by a minister when he offered a turkey for someone in need. The minister took a look at Max and said, "Fine. Here is the address to deliver it to!" Max was astonished, he thought he was being so generous. The challenge worked out well enough. Max ended up finding out about the person and her needs. Max ended up doing a little shopping to make sure everything that would be needed was there, not just the turkey.
This pointed out to Max how his seeming generousity was a little impoverished. He wanted to provide a bird without much thought to the people who might benefit or the needs they might have to make use of the gift. The minister who challenged Max did something to reduce the poverty that existed in the giver.

Mr. President, you can't feed all the hungry. You can't house all the homeless, not even in the White House. You can't cure all the illness. You can't repair all the shattered dreams of wounded veterans.

Mr. President, you can show those in your administration how to bring their efforts to the people in need. You can counsel your team to not only hear the pleas but to take the solutions directly to those they are serving.

This may mean the head of VA goes and meets some of the returning veterans personnally. It may mean that the head of HUD visits with a family as they enter their new home. It may mean that the Secretary of the Interior visits directly with some farmers to understand their issues. It is something you can do to reduce the many faces of poverty, especially the poverty of spirit.

Max wishes you well in all your choice efforts.

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Link one is a senator on farm foreclosure assistance.

Link two is to veterans' statistics from VA.

Link three is to HUD on the homeless.