People Pusher Beliefs

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. - Martin Luther King

Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man. No problem of human destiny is beyond human beings. - John F. Kennedy

Our truest life is when we are in our dreams awake. - Henry David Thoreau

The Mission of the People Pusher

It's about the people, stupid.

That's a campaign slogan I wish someone had adopted. In our world today, so much is focused on "platforms" and ideology that is not about the people. The People Pusher wants you to think about that.

At the end of everyone's life, what are they thinking about? Some are seeking redemption for the things they know they did that were "bad." Others are thinking "did I leave my mark on the world?" Still others haven't figured out yet that you can't take the bank account, high profile career, McMansion, or any of that with you.

In the end, the hope is that we are all thinking about who was loved, who we helped, and how we behaved in the community of humanity.

This blog is focused on people issues. And the mission of the People Pusher is that you will think about the people, too.

Wednesday, October 8, 2008

Providing Services for People Makes Common Sense

Today I had a conversation with a community leader about the value to the community in providing services to the disabled.

While there are many people who are "anti-taxes," and I do understand why, it is very important to consider that if services are not provided to people who need them the most, the cost to the community may actually be much more than paying taxes.

Parents caring for children with disabilities who do not receive services have to stay home to care for their children rather than work. This decreases their family income (and in fact many have to be on public assistance to survive), and also decreases their spending ability which means loss of income for the state. People with disabilities who don't work because they need services in order to get jobs, also lose the ability to get employer-based medical insurance. They must rely on Medicaid or, in some cases, hospital indigent care. Parents who are unable to save money for their retirement, will end up themselves needing Medicaid to pay for nursing care.

These are just a few examples but it is important for people to understand that we all pay higher costs in insurance, products, medical care, taxes, services, transportation and more when we do not support programs that serve our most vulnerable citizens.