Education is one way out of poverty
Your story on poverty in the suburbs left out some important factors.
The law of supply and demand is one. It is a well-known fact that when there is an oversupply of workers the wages are kept low. With at least 600,000 illegals in Chicago and the collar counties, there is an oversupply of workers. Take those people out of the equation and wages and hours would rise. Until Illinois starts enforcing the laws of the land, more and more people will be thrust into poverty thus perpetuating this never ending cycle.
The good jobs are leaving Illinois because the state's Democrats spend more than comes in and raise taxes, especially on business. What business wants to stay here when they can go across the border and get great tax breaks? The politicians don't care; they raise their pay, their retirement benefits, and could care less about the common people. They give away free health care and other entitlements that keep the low income people voting to keep them in office so they can keep their entitlements. Just look to the leadership in Cook County. John Stroger is causing many businesses to fail. Towns are trying to leave Cook County. He taxes people to the brink so that he can keep his relatives and friends in great jobs.
Education is the way out of poverty. If you would look at the dropout rate for people at the poverty level, you would see that it is quite high. I have been a teacher for 40 years and each year I see more and more students just refusing to learn. There is very little parental involvement. Ninety-five percent of parents coming to parent-teacher conferences are for students doing above average work. It is great to see them but I wanted to see the lower grade student's parents. When I called them, if they answered at all, I would get "I can't do anything with him/her." That is not the answer I wanted but it is the problem that I see. Parents need to be in charge in the home.
How can we amend this problem? If I had the answer I'd be a very rich person. Here are two solutions, though, I think will help relieve this problem. Have all employers verify legal or illegal workers. If they are illegal, they must be fired. The labor supply lessens, leading to wages and hours that will increase. The second, to get a driver's license renewal at age 20, they must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. This will be the incentive needed to stay in school and get that diploma.
People have to stop blaming the system and take more personal responsibility for their lot in life. Government isn't the answer, it is the problem. Step up -- don't drop out. Here is another problem. Those that need to read this can't or won't.
Jim O'Toole
Libertyville