Can Brownsville use "poorest city" label to help reverse the trend?
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| Traci Wickett, United Way of Southern Cameron County |
Statistics from the Census Bureau name the border city of Brownsville, Texas, as the poorest city in the United States -- nearby McAllen was ranked third poorest.
Of the 415,000 residents of the Brownsville statistical area, 36 percent live below the poverty line -- that’s a family of four earning less than about $23,000 a year. Brownsville’s rate is more than twice that national average of 16 percent and for Texas it’s 17 percent.
Traci Wickett is president of United Way of Southern Cameron County, which covers Brownsville.
"I think that what it might do is help lift up some of the strategies that we're using to boost financial stability and maybe put some of the work more in the eyes of funders. There's a lot of people doing amazing work here to reverse this trend -- everything from ensuring that kids are ready to succeed when they start school to really robust efforts to boost access to the earned-income tax credit, which brings in more than $2 million into our community each year. So I think if we look at this as an opportunity -- if we use the data as a flashlight rather than as a club, this can be a very positive thing for our area."
How much of each dollar given to United Way actually gets to the poor? How much of each dollar given to United Way goes to pay Traci Wickett and her staff....and other administrators? Why should we give to United Way when so much of the money goes to "fat cats" in the organization, like Traci Wickett?
ReplyDeleteDoes Traci been paying herself 110 thousand plus, how many paid personnel??How much red tape and paperwork does friendship of women and the other nonprofits have they to beg just to get some crums?
DeleteMs. Wickett's comments are brilliant. This very same tactic was used by the banking/financial sector after their collapse in 2008. Give us TARP and later Quantitative Easing from the Federal Reserve (public debt that you taxpayers owe) so we can recover at the expense of the middle-class. Printing free money is the answer to all ills.
ReplyDeleteHow much more money does she want? Is it always about bigger government? Earned Income Tax Credit is welfare.
ReplyDeleteI don't know Ms Wickett but I believe she is way off base. We don't need more help or handouts from organizations. What we need in this area are JOBS. Not low paying jobs like the type that our city commissioners want to attract but medium and high paying jobs. Get the jobs and the people will have money in their pockets. How more simplistic does it have to be for all these experts ot understand this. Our fair city has developed quite a grants department, but they are still focused on handouts for parks and bike trails and so called "quality of life" events like the Cyclobia & Better Block. What a waste! People need jobs not bike trails when they can't afford to even buy a bicycle. Sorry Ms Wickett but the United Way is not the right way, thanks but no thanks. Please go back to your cozy office and count your unearned taxpaper paid inflated salary money.
ReplyDeleteTraci Wickett is just another "non-elected" person who wants to run the city. She is part of the Juliet Garcia Admiration Society, which includes 'Da Mayor, Tony Martinez. This group seeks to influence policy, but never be on the blame line for any policy blunders. United Brownsville and United Way attempt to exert too much influence in this community, but without any community input or transparency in the decision making process. Traci is just another elitist serving herself.
ReplyDeleteHEY, JIM, TRACI LICK-IT IS A MAMONA THAT HAS BEEN USING THESE "STRATEGIES" FOR DECADES CABRON!!!! AND THEY DON'T WORK!!!....BUT THE SALARIES KEEP ON COMING...NO MATTER WHAT THE STATE OF THE COMMUNITY....
ReplyDeleteMACLOVIO O'MALLEY
Has anyone bothered to check the makeover of the United Way Building on Levee Street. They spent quite a pretty penny on this beauty, totally doing a complete makeover of the entire building rather than just fixing what was necessary. It is only money to an organization that is raping the poorest city in America.
ReplyDelete