Seeds of discontent; Episode 5 of 26

This is the fifth in a series of programs entitled seeds of discontent presenting the program tonight as Harvard Smith Jr. assistant professor in the School of Social Work going State University. PROFESSOR SMITH Thank you. Tonight we continue our examination of the plight of poor people during the past two weeks. We have by means of interviews with the poor. Listen to some of the ways in which our society has failed in providing systems to meet needs in the basic theories of food shelter clothing medical care and recreation. These again are basics. If a man woman or child is to survive and grow into his fullest potential in today's complex world. Interviews have revealed that the poor have to pay more for these basics even though they have less to spin and consume and suffer considerable degradation in the process. In areas such as recreation the need is many times totally unmet. Aside from looking at these basic survival areas we have to listen to some of the ways in which these problems affect various

ethnic and minority groups. So far a presentations every fleck to the plight of the poor negro living in urban areas and to an extent the displaced low income southern white. It is not chance or accident that the severity of the problem of poverty and the problem of meeting human needs can be measured in terms of one's ethnic affiliation. It is this disparity between the poverty level of various groups as opposed to poverty per se that adds fuel to the fires of discontent and rebellion. Until these problems are resolved this country shall continue to labor on the violent consequences of racism and social disorder. It was for this reason that part of our intent in planning for tonight's program was to hear from another ethnic group who is suffering in a normal degree of deprivation in these basic areas. From various studies and community contacts it seemed evident that Mexican-Americans and other Latin Americans had had considerable

difficulty. Certainly the plight of the migrant farm worker of Mexican origin who moves about the countryside living in tents and the Puerto Rican walled in by the concrete and Hooman walls of the ghetto could provide insights into the meaning and feeling of being uprooted with a large family and little money. Regrettably this was not the case. We have talked to many Mexican-American families but to no avail. Most seemed afraid of talking publicly about the problems they have faced and their feelings about it. From our own recorded talks however it does appear that their experiences of having worked in the fields of Texas California and Michigan at low wages and under deplorable living condition goes to the very heart of the current level of discontent that is feelings of being used and abuse. Lines of communications have been established however and somewhere in our series we hope to get their story recorded in their own

words. As a result however our voices on Tonight Show will deal exclusively with the poor and their perceptions of the welfare system. Welfare can be looked at as the standard of care which a given country tries to guarantee each citizen so that he is not stifled are starved as a result of forces beyond his control. If a large company goes out of business or international trade conditions change or there is a crippling illness. This is something which goes beyond the capacity of the individual citizen to do something about. The same is true of a well-intentioned mother who someday wakes up to find herself without a mate a breadwinner. They're readily at least welfare is designed to help those without to someday find their way back into the system of earning a living in order to do this however. The welfare system itself must provide these basic survival needs in a fashion that will motivate and

assist in the continued growth and development of the family and the individual. In spite of widespread suffering and depression during the latter part of the 100 century and the early part of the 20th welfare did not become a part of the established national policy of this country into the late 30s. This in itself seems to suggest some of the values that we have regarding human problems. Let's However listen to some of the contemporary experiences comments and perceptions of those now on various welfare systems. Do you find that your budget on ATC is fairly adequate or are there some special problems here that you might want to discuss with us. It is not adequate never has been adequate and to take housing as a first example. Adequate housing and housing that you would not be ashamed to have people see would cost a lot more than

80 grand for rent plus would have to pay your own utilities. So this lets out any hopes of having a nice place to live. The second item might be clothing. There are no clothing mortars for eight U.S. children. There isn't anything for the mother. So if a mother wanted to go out and work she couldn't anyway because she wouldn't have anything to put on her back. We're looking back at everything since you've been on ATC. A what. Could you say in a few words would that would best describe your feelings about this. You tell. Your income is about what. About one 90 per month which is. Adequate and it's not enough for the three of us.

And that's by way of Social Security right. That's correct that's that's where it comes from. This is under the disability clause right here. See see actually I mean I've been. I have been in a wheelchair now for about going on 12 years. I see. And it's gonna be hard a lot of times I'm on. To you know make it but I was trying to do the best I can say you know out of this one hundred and ninety a month or so you have to pay how much in the way of rent well rent is $50 per month. That's a rant and. Then the rest of it I mean it comes under food clothing transportation and so forth which. Do I do the best I can by that and in that what utilities do you have to pay.

There I have to pay my lights out of that also. Varies from time to time. What about gas well gas. I don't have any any gas ept at the present time. There is there's a program. Tab I think it is trying to help me to get that on. But as of this point you don't really have gas how do. You heat your house. I heat my own dwelling but buy electric heater. Mostly the fans want a warm plug heat or something like that. They say you have to kid yourself to take you. That's correct that's correct. All of this I'm out now I understand you were trying to get some other kind of aid and he had applied for some other source of income. Yes I was told once to go to social service and

social service said that they couldn't do anything because all that they could give me the lists of one hundred ninety four hundred fifty four dollars per month. And I said that that was I was getting more than they could give me so I didn't get any help from. I gather that you have to take care of your your two sons the three of you have to work things out on your own pretty much as anyone ever trying to supply you with any kind of a homemaker service anyone to assist you this year. Well known how to make the service. No. But this is. Should I say. Well Tepper are the mayor's committee on told election and whatever you call it I mean they have been assisting me. Pretty fair on those grounds here of late because it was

doing due in the city disturbances that our eye went bad there and they. They gave me some assistance and I thought that they had forgotten about the whole thing so one day I mean they came out and looked the situation over. And saw what I needed and saw that I needed needed help and so they they're the only ones that tried to help. I can understand that. You've had a lot of difficulty finding a place to live in the city would you just want to tell us a little bit more from here. Well our Yes Like Us Saints are there six years along the border tens every tourney for some place. Danny you got a lot of kids you just gotta take the worst. Yes and the main thing is a little one place and the people were so

nice to me and they didn't want me to move. But they received this in the house well enough to take it I had to move and I was allowed their house three weeks before now they deceive them I moved in the same hours and they still haven't they still with you see all of this tell you gotta get out you know and then they don't see up to the tennis. They snapped a photo ran in the game and you just move on to another place in the not even the next place. The wire has been banned. All the big C now will fix it. He now will face the way. Money is a you gotta move I hear this house of galbi Cold now and the real I will now then float it will know the film a movie and then still never. But add that IMO. I mean do you no good the whens and make a deal with the kids sell this house and proudly you move a wine bar until a nun in this really ridiculous how much would you estimate you have to pay money

for this kind of housing due from its overall of the system. Bad dollars and send this what they rule and so many think they need to be dirt UK to even go night and day. The welfare people should have all these people to fix up the houses plumbing why everything even the walls the steps the porches the bits the fences and everything they don't have any of this and even the garbage cans they don't even have we have the Bama on sometimes. I mean you just get fed up and you just do a love for yourself you know. Will it just makes you feel a slow and sick in these girls. And those who love the kids and you have to take so most it's really beautiful ground and just discuss this really discuss. When you gallant go through and take these things and just this. Yes it hurts you sometimes make you feel like

this walk a long way. Just keep walkin you know. Searchers heard them you know they didn't know where you were. So they wanted me to come down twice a month and still only bank to town. To get sand paper gas. And this gas so disgusting I'm certainly kills the school there now that the SIT THERE IN least twice the money almost by this man is playfully so long when he does get along with me and I really know why as I will until you were out of hand all I can take and I can't take no more. Hazaras Now you can go out and you know where we will have no where else you want to do. Even you will come to love and get the babies because I won't be down no more she so well if you don't come down you won't get no help. So will I get no help y'all will have to come get the key it's because. Leslie this is honestly how they're washing an icky Nokia's cleaner go to

school every day or learn to all my Muslim had to be in the hospital with he's walked in the street and I got to go there and then slip in almost and yet. There's nothing there when you know where my hand is you know where he works. That's not fair. I'm going to hand the babies. We in the home they put in your mouth their home and then they know this is the doorway to delay comment all you want to move. You get out. They put him up. He does that so he would take the money and throw away the world and work and kill gone till they had to pull them out. Now why is that Al Gore slipped the summing up of the Jew. This doesn't make sense. As far as I can see. These people. I even though they're saying I'm helping you.

Even though they're saying is this still hurting you and you're still making instead of trying to bring you up to try to keep you down at the base where they can have someone to those on a pitch get you see another word tonight China help the situation in China to more or less keep a weary is when you have all these people Ifis looking issue like this like hell. And I talked to my worker and she told me she says well we give you $9000 and you give your mother $15 for living in a house with her as you say and you keep 36 dollars. Of your money. I tell her no I told her exactly. Don't tell me you're a lady making. $36. I'm making you feel that you are giving me $19 an old tool to help me to get somewhere. Well don't tell me you're letting me keeping my money because that's my money and this is what I had to tell her and she said well I'm sorry. I say well that's OK but I just wanted to ask.

At this point certain key words and phrases such as they and these people should be carefully analyze their significant statements which suggests that the reception cannot identify with the system and indeed feels alienated by it. Motivation comes about best under optimum conditions of sensitive human interaction. How can motivation occur however if one feels alienated and powerless to do anything in face of a generalized ungiving arbitrary inhumane force. Let's continue our ever and look at the recent PM's perception of welfare as it regards other vital social areas. There has been some comment made about certainly the investigation procedures of various welfare agencies. Especially ATC. Do you feel that you're having

difficulty dating or finding a new mate. Say the same as any other. Single Woman Do you feel that things are made more difficult for you. Just what are your feelings about this. Well I think it makes it more difficult because the workers they constantly have to know what you're doing it's almost like being married and being unfaithful. And if you do have a male companion coming to the home then it's every neighbors business and it makes it they make it your workers business. And before you know it the gentleman who you are seeing just doesn't want to be caught up in such a hassle and he has to go down and declare who he is. And so you just sort of give up hope you just don't just don't bother anymore or sneak off or something. So while you're on AG see. If you really want to thank him time to remarry. It's going to be a very

difficult situation all the way up the line. In other words you don't seem to be very supportive of your marriage. Well they like the idea of marriage but they don't go for any of the premarital pleasures. What other kinds of special problems. Have you had. If you can't you can feel like a free individual. You have to feel constantly as though you're being watched You're being marched by your neighbors or being watched by a worker you're being watched by their supervisors. You're being watched by everybody to make sure you don't do the wrong thing based on your contacts with other welfare mothers. Can you just give us some insight some information about some of the problems. That your kids may face in terms of getting into school and continuing in school. Yes most of the children do not have an adequate wardrobe and therefore feel very slighted. They will tend to become more and more withdrawn and in time as soon as the child is old

enough to quit school will quit school. Some perhaps too have to seek employment so that they can get the money they've been deprived of others to go out into the streets and pursue a life of crime in order to get the things that they were denied because their mothers were on welfare or EDC. Now. These youngsters and sometimes parents who. Decide to go to various programs to Seagate in the way of work. Self-help projects if you will. How do you how do you feel the people who are were staffing these programs who were in charge of these programs who meet with. Africans on a day to day basis. What do you feel are the reactions to people who are seeking help. I say out of let's say. That in 75 percent of

welfare and ADC mothers or dropouts who go to any of the employment agencies to seek employment I'd say only 15 percent of them will go back again. And try to make their own lives. This is because most people have lived on aid are stereotyped. People think of them in a lower class of human being. They think of them as scroungers and leeches and just anything but a human being and in their work they show this. They show the prejudice may show only in consideration for these people and so therefore many people will just go back onto welfare ADC and just say The heck with. The defensive and just don't care anymore. The job training programs that are offered to the welfare and ADC mothers

are not adequate. You are trained but you're not trained to go out and work on a job. The training is perhaps just the very basics. Then you go to the job and find that you are you're maybe six to nine months behind in what they're doing so that your training is just down the drain. You can't even get a job with that with that kind of training. It is impossible to ascertain whether or not all allegations of unreasonableness and justice are true are untrue in any absolute and final sense. Sometimes the whole matter may rest on the attitude of the welfare worker servicing the case. Most studies conducted in recent years would however tend to back up what the voices on tonight's program have said. In any event what is important however is the recipient's view and perception of welfare. How he perceives the welfare system is his reality and it is on the basis of this reality

and that he will act or not act. His feelings about what he perceives as reality provides the basis for his social interaction with others. There were some positive statements made about welfare and other programs designed to help the poor which may give some clues as to how real motivation and greater self help me eventually be produced. What are some of the things that you'd like to see continued what are some of the things that you'd like to see done. What do you think what would help you. Well they have been doing some good things I think this program they have. But sure I think it's just wonderful to keep them out the street and they can work and that they have is possibility and make a little money to buy the clothes so they can go decent. Everything I think this is one half sold the medical cards I think this is good because I used to have to still

receive in our day in May will be real folk laugh or they get through and then I will have to sit downstairs but I have a clock to get medicine. And now when you take the queues to the doctor if dubiously. Well you can go to law also in the drugstore and carry your car and get to medicine for you too. Otherwise you can bring your children home and you can go back that way the kids will be tired out just laying on banks and things are there and I think this is a wonderful thing. And next month one for 10 years they are saying they're they going to last the 80 people school Ballo home on the optician a bad program but I think the workers and I should let the ABC people know this because they say that they have the same payments that the Hell where they are paying rent slowly while I let them know that they can do these things and maybe they can help the sale by getting out trying to finance some of these long home there's

fear in the little bit in by now and that and I think that would be that's a wonderful thing. All of this let the people know that they can handle this. If you have people in here you know someplace or they could really call you. Much better and make you feel more like a tranny. Keep love in areas then because obviously the poor people now is still not Tranda together here who are still struggling and slam people just because they own a nice senile the last German cousin doner like you are my kids and although they get the more they get jobs and good jobs and everything that will just continue clinging on to the last one is wrong not just because they had to be raised on this. The way I want them to come all out and be sober and they are doing fine in the property program that they have now for our young kids the teenagers that's on the program. This is very good. This

is life. This is life. See. Up something new before fixing up the Oh. Before it tears down again. The kids are learning how to go out and get it yet they know what to do what not to do. They know how to stand it to feel to know how to speak up and say what they want to say now they want be put in a safe place to peer as was put in because they know they got a chance and the people I've given them a chance and this is very good. It is also good. Unknown to the recipients who made the last positive statements however is the term moral currently present in Congress regarding poverty and welfare funds. If a reactionary Congress has its way things will become more tragic and stifling. Through the years since 1930 we have seen the effects of traditional systems of welfare. We have seen the loss of pride the giving up and eventual state of deadening dependency and hostility. We are still

seeing the effects of people being uprooted and alienated as indicated by the current rate of social problems. These are the effects of our traditional ways of meeting basic human needs and our welfare systems up to now have been no different. Adequate budgets and simple down to earth humane treatment has been largely absent. Obviously for many then welfare systems was merely a prison and not a way out. Miserable living conditions. In recent years there have been small strides made towards correcting some of these evils and the hopes of those held in a state of despair for generations have been aroused. If cutbacks are made if there is an attempt to turn back the clock to the days of the old system the following poem written by a young campus poet may be symbolic of things to come. Have the ice caps begun to melt. I thought for a moment that I felt an age of

silence down the river fish can no longer spawn. There is no one in the corporation dynamos in trains in cities and nations have all shut down. It is time to sleep. Time to sleep in the barren cold sleep on in a ceremonial black gown. How dare the effort which falls to our feet. How dare the mountains of pots and pans raised by the meals that we have arrived too late to eat. At this time I would like to thank Mr. Johns of art attend an officer with the Detroit Board of Education and Mr. Edward Stewart director of Social Services at the Franklin settlement for their assistance in locating families for a program on the subject of poverty. As a final reflection on this topic that we have been looking at for the past three weeks I should like to quote an old American expression which goes something like this.

You get what you pay for. In addition I would merely like to and that the poor get what they can pay for which isn't very much. And our country gets just about what it pays for in terms of social problems. Waste of creativity and shame. You have just heard Harvard Smith Jr. assistant professor in the School of Social Work Wayne State University. Seeds of discontent is produced by David Lewis and engineered by Dave Pierce. This is Wayne State University Radio this program was distributed by the national educational radio network.