Hey, Gonzo Marx is right, this article is more relevant today than ever before. A real, humane solution to poverty and homelessness!

FOG

Relevant in August and even more relevant today when it's a year old and still just as valid for this holiday season as it was for the last.

I actually went to a performance of Oliver today at a local theater and it reminded me of this article during the scene in the foundling home and with the street arabs working for Fagin.

The problems of poverty were so much greater in Dickens England than they were today, yet they managed to find solutions which required minimal government intrusion and were potentially humane - had they been managed less corruptly.

It may seem backwards, but perhaps we could learn something from that past culture.

Dave

There's also the issue that most people simply wouldn't co-operate with such a scheme, especially in such an excessively individualised country as the USA. I doubt that would even work in Europe, Dave, where we still generally believe that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the individual.

And I agree with the rights of the individual being paramount in a free society, but the workhouse concept can work within that context, if as I suggest in the article, participation is on an at will basis. You would always have the option to leave the system, receive no public assistance and sink or swim on your own.

Dave

until yer busted for "vagrancy" under your plan, eh Mr Nalle?

as long as Profit is involved for corporate structure you will have abuses....check the history of work programs in our prison system...many instances of abuse...not quite on the Dickensian scale, but still there

there are some possibilities in this Concept, i just cannot see it working as long as Corporate culture is allowed to be in charge...since Profit is their only motivation rather than the welfare of those Involved...far too easy for a "company store" type scam where these poor folks can never get themselves out of Debt to the "system" and essentially become indentured servants to "the Company"

does anyone else but me see the Irony of the same person writing this piece AND the Santa Claus piece at the same time?

could just be me

Excelsior!

until yer busted for "vagrancy" under your plan, eh Mr Nalle?

At which point you'd be given three hots and a cot, medical care and a roof over your head for six months 'recovery' which would include drying out and detoxing, after which you'd be free to try again.

as long as Profit is involved for corporate structure you will have abuses....check the history of work programs in our prison system...many instances of abuse...not quite on the Dickensian scale, but still there

I'm certainly no fan of private prison management, which has a dismal record, but private charities have a much better record, and they'd be in the lead role here.

there are some possibilities in this Concept, i just cannot see it working as long as Corporate culture is allowed to be in charge...since Profit is their only motivation rather than the welfare of those Involved...far too easy for a "company store" type scam where these poor folks can never get themselves out of Debt to the "system" and essentially become indentured servants to "the Company"

This is only because you think that businesses are inherently evil, when that's really not the case.

does anyone else but me see the Irony of the same person writing this piece AND the Santa Claus piece at the same time?

You think Santa would not endorse a humane system to provide support for the most needy in society?

Dave

WHEN I WAS BROUGHT HERE EVEERBODY TREATED ME THE WRONG WAY I DON'T MEAN MY MOM I KNOW SHE LOVES ME DARLY BUT WHAT I'PRONOUNCE HUMBUG I NEED E.M TO MEET THERE MATCH

My Dickens must be off. If Ebenezer grew up in the workhouse, then presumably it must have been that Twist fellow who wasn't keen on Christmas.