Helping the poor not
as easy as Cal suggests

The writer is responding to a column in Sunday’s Post, “Sanders is wrong about poverty.”

Cal Thomas is certain money will not solve poverty because we have spent $1 trillion since 1964 on food for the hungry, health care for the ill, skills for the unskilled and we still have poverty.

His answer. Let the churches do it. Poverty solved! Get churches to adopt a poor person and have members  tell him/her how they got out of poverty or kept from getting into poverty. The poor person can take incentive from those stories to get themselves out of poverty. You gotta get incentive from somewhere. Why not stories telling of incentive?

But, what if the person who is in poverty because they do not have incentive to get out is so worried — about meals or the baby at home who needs medicine — that she can not wrap her mind around incentives but only feels hopeless. The church will need to help with food and medicine. How does a church acquire food and medicine? Could it be with money? So the church helps with incentivizing stories and money.

Such a scenario would leave out many of America’s other citizens as helpers. We are a nation that says we live under God, and if so, we must help care for one another. The government may be a cumbersome, weak and flaw-filled vehicle for helping the poor, but it is a way. There really are a great many legitimately poor who need help. There are some who work the system, but we can’t not help the many because of a few. We can keep searching for more effective and accountable ways to help the least in our society.

Let me suggest that we stop saying “it is the government that is giving all the help,” but rather, “one citizen helping a fellow citizen.” Semantics? Probably. Truth? Hopefully!

— Kay Overcash

China Grove

My stance on the bond

In response to Monday’s article, “Some Rowan voters unsure about $2 billion bond package.”

I want to clarify my view about the bond referendum on this year’s ballot. I was not an unsure voter. Although I did not research every detail of the bond, I read enough to make an informed decision to support it. I said in the interview that I am fiscally conservative, but we have to make investments if we want to live in a progressive state. The only word reported was “conservative.” I have been a lifelong liberal who supports responsible fiscal policies. I feel the article did not accurately represent my remarks or my views.

— Sherry Mason Brown

Salisbury