I'm co-signing on this one. I don't know about you but I'm about 2-3 paychecks away from being poor. I'm under employed and I have a masters degree... There's all this talk about saving the middle class but not much is being done. I'm looking forward to Obamacare next year as my employer will be offering medical benefits finally. But there needs to be more awareness on the struggles of those of us in the lower middle class even after November. Counting on you #Obama2012
And rightfully so. They should keep the heat on any president to tackle these issues. It doesn't mean they are against Obama. There are specific challenges to the black communities including jobs jobs jobs. The jobs issue has a lot to do with discrimination and lack of diversity among many of these work places. A black manager at a Wet Seal store was transferred to another store in a more white area. She was successful in managing the store but when the owner came in and saw her, she told the district manager, in front of this woman, she wanted someone blue eyed and blonde haired. Subsequently, that manager found herself without a job. She and others are part of a lawsuit against the company. Obama needs to encourage diversity in the work force. 14% unemployment among Blacks and many Black people want to work.
If they are sincere then I am all for what they are doing... but Tavis put a lot of people into poverty by partnering with Wells Fargo and for steering black people into what Wells Fargo called "Ghetto Loans" and calling African-Americans, "Mud People." Before he goes around calling the President out about poverty he better start addressing his own complicity in putting many African-Americans on the street for his own financial gain.
How could Tavis, "put a lot of people into poverty by partnering with Wells Fargo and for steering black people into what Wells Fargo called "Ghetto Loans" and calling African-Americans, "Mud People?" Are you saying black people are ignorant and gullible and unable to make informed decisions? Or, did Tavis blackmail or hypnotize the people into applying for "ghetto loans?" Which is it? You can't have it both ways.Oye!
@msphd2010, a lot of people (regardless of race, education, economic status) don't read the fine print. Because of his credibility with those in the black community they believed that they were getting a good deal with these loans offered by Wells Fargo. Being a home owner is an American Dream for many and when you are presented with that opportunity by a major bank and one of the top leaders in our community, wouldn't you jump and sign on the dotted line. They were taken advantaged of and obvious hundreds of thousands of other people also. It's criminal what they did but they'll never be prosecuted...
I don't see anything wrong with what they are doing. Actually its what citizens are supposed to do as opposed to the logic that if you are not satisfied with a president just get rid of him for someone arguably worse because you you are disgruntled right now on some cutting off your nose to spite your face logic.
These two are not voting for romney......
Jesus said the poor will be with you always and to help the widow woman. This thought prevalent today among the hoarders of wealth is disgusting. In most of Jesus' parables, he spake of just how he felt about the rich and their responsibility to society. I 100% cosign OmegaRed's comments here, along with some others and state that without a strong middle class, the US gonna *** near have another civil war or uprising due to that gap between the haves and have nots widening. We are living in a time where most of us who are fortunate enough to still work, are severly underemployed. My story. So while Obama can't fix many of the financial woes plagueing the WORKING POOR or *** near working poor, it is NOT unreasonable to have expected nor to expect that he address this issue fervently.
Where were these 2 during the Bush years? You, know the guy that pushed all Americans into this mess(poverty). And by the way, will they be selling your books, dvds and cds while addressing us poor people. And amazingly, y'all are going to the swing states. Why don't yall address voter suppression while your there.
President Obama is the President of the United States, not the Savior for Black People. If anything, he is the Savior for many people. With these two men' status - they can't work on the much needed changes that poor people need. They can't use their status to get things changed to better poor people's chances. Why didn't they approach BUSH and demand changes for poor people. Its like they are trying to remain relevant due to Obama's success. Using his success as a way to bring attention to themselves. It breaks my heart that we are always our worst enemy.
@grt1
Word. I definitely feel u on Obama being limited on what he can say primarily because of the republican spin juggernaut. Dude said we all had help on the way to success (a totally reasonable and accurate statement) and these mugs reacted like Obama said their efforts were miniscule in comparison to other people's contribution to ones success.
Sometimes I wish Obama had an anger translator like that key and peele sketch cause from personal experience I know what its like to have people actively trying to twist your words and actions to suit the narrative they put out there about you. That *** is infuriating
For everybody wondering about the timing of this, it could be as simple as they believe that Obama may be receptive to the issue they are trying to address. It needed to be addressed before him but do you really thing the cats (bush and Chaney) before him gave 2 cents about that issue?
Those warmongerers probably preferred to maintain the imbalance cause guess who is joining the military to try to change their economic situation?
I support them. Tavis is an educated man and he knew from the get go ..Obama was a hot stinking mess. Cornell tried to give him a chance but he finally had to admit. Barack doesn't know what the hell he is doing. Someone has to speak out for the poor. It's not Obama. He's too busy hanging with JayZ and Beyonce. Money...money...and more money.
@Kill - I agree with you somewhat. I mean I'm all for the poor people's movement but I'm still wary about the timing......and in battleground states, no less. You said, "It needed to be addressed before him but do you really thing the cats (bush and Chaney) before him gave 2 cents about that issue?" But can't that be said about Romney and Ryan? So why do this in battleground states knowing that one side doesn't give a flip, since they "built it" on their own. We know they don't care about the poor. So who's gonna take the heat in this moment, in these battle ground states??? The only person who actually gives a ***. President Obama.
I mean, look, if Smiley and West have solutions, let's hear them. Let's do our part. Let's try to help the President out. He can't possibly do it all. He has tried to help out the poor, working poor and middle class. He's tried by trying to make sure more people, from the poor -with expanded medicaid and food stamps, broke *** college students and those, poor or low income who want to go to school - with fixed interest rates on loans and more financial aid and loan repayment in line with your income, more medicare coverage for the elderly, equal pay for women, tax cuts for everybody but the extremely wealthy.....I mean, dude is trying and against a republican congress, since we had turncoats in the house previously. The only thing left for him to do is just put every out of work or under employed american on the govt payroll and ride it out. He is trying to give poor folks ways out of poverty. Why not go around to the swing states and help folks get registered to vote? Educate them on the issues and where the politicians stand on those issues and see who really has their best interest at heart. This is just fishy to me.
I'm glad most of the people on here are smart enough not to fall for the title of yet another misleading lie from MTO. I see there are the typical Obamites who continue to rehash the same old talking points from Camp Obama, but I see people are intelligent enough to see this is an issue that is important and should be on both party platforms but since republicans hate the poor and half of dems hate the poor and the other half are too afraid to talk about poverty, the poor are not a priority. If we don't face this problem as a nation, we are facing economic collapse. I'm thankful Smiley and West have the courage to bring it up despite lying MTO and all the Obama d**ksuckers with radio shows who trash them every opportunity they get.
@80
Yeh I feel what you are saying. My hope is that their intention is to do their best to get the president's attention, which this does cause of the timing and locations. Cornell West comes off as a sincere brother whenever I see him. Tavis on the other hand can come off a little self serving. But I guess we just gotta watch how it unfolds.
