Inequality in the USA- Check out these new maps!

[Jeff Farrah]

This is a look at inequality in the USA by way of a set of maps created by the Urban Institute.  What might be some ways to address this issue? (Click the link below for the article)

Inequality

[Yvonne Koenig]

It is truly unbelievable, upon looking at the maps, how close the poverty stricken countries are to those that aren't. I would think that if your in a specific region on the globe and you were aware that people not that far from yourselves were in dire need of food, medical supplies, and sustainable living conditions that you would be active and find ways to help out people who don't live 100s of miles away from you. Without people’s active involvement and linking these projects with their own situation, identified issues and problems, poverty will most likely not be solved.

[bradley...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

One of the worst parts, at least on a global perspective, is that the United States alone has the resources to feed the entire world population. And thats not based on working every farm until it's barren either, just an optimal output of each farm and actually making use of all the food it produces.

On a local scale of the Detroit example in the articale, persoanlly I think we need an actually sustainable and practical source of public transportation based on examples of what Chicago and New York have to bring people and tourist into the city inexpesnively and safely.

[wilde.i...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I think this speaks so much to what we talked about in class on Monday about people being mobilized. It is somewhat shocking to see how close the richest and poorest parts of a city are to each other, and yet it seems like they have no interaction. People who are well off and live in wealthy neighborhoods tend to live in their bubble and not bother to reach out and try to make a positive change, and those living in poor neighborhoods are often so convinced they will be stuck there forever, they don't always attempt to improve their situation. 

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[bozynski....@student.oaklandcc.edu]

Some ways to address the issue could be:

1) GREATER ACCESS TO EDUCATION. Achievable through allowing people to attend college FIRST, gratis. Then after having attended school, people can pay back their tuition as a percentage of their income. It would get more people enrolled in college. Also, giving people a greater chance earlier in life (like Germany offers students free tuition AND a place to live) would keep them from struggling in the first place. 

2)PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESS CORPORATIONS, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. One tiny Detroit organization working alone to provide food for the homeless won't fix the dichotomy of rich and poor. We need more power. 

3) DELEGATE MORE POWER TO THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. Detroit needs to be assessed on a state level. By people that actually care about Detroit, and are impassioned by issues in Detroit. 

4) ADDING CURRICULUM INTO DETROIT SCHOOLS THAT ENCOURAGE THEM TO HELP AND CARE ABOUT REBUILDING DETROIT. I think learning how to rebuild a society and help those in need is far more valuable than any other class. 

5) START ADDING LOW INCOME HOUSING. Recycle the houses that are bank foreclosed, turn materials into new houses. Hire homeless/unemployed people that NEED work to build said houses. 

That's all I've got for now. I'd like to see what others have come up with :)

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[mason.e...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

Wow this is very interesting i never knew this. I don't think america's economny should be st up like this. i believe the money is being spent on other things aside from helping the economy out.

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[oviedo....@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I think this is very interesting.  It says a lot about the inequality in the United States in not just racially but also economically.  For example, if you travel down Walton Blvd starting in Downtown Rochester and going towards Pontiac you will be surprised, maybe, to see that it quickly turns from the land of Cadillac to the land of the economical car.  You will definitely know when you pass the line and head straight into almost a different land but it's not it's the same land but under different conditions.  It's hard to say really what a solution would be for this type of problem.  Raise taxes for the rich and cut for the poor?  raise taxes for all?  have the government pool money into the areas in order to fund schools and possibly raise the overall quality of life?  or should the areas be left alone to deal with their problems and have them raise their standard of living with self betterment?  It is rather complex and hard to decide especially when it feels like we have tried everything.  It'll be interesting to see exactly what they do to fix this problem if anything.  

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[stein...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

It would be interesting to see insight and history of how this comes about in major cities. What year the majors shifts took place and what the economy was like during that housing shift. If it is a gradual change or more abrupt shift by the possible closing factories in certain industrial areas.

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[stein...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I agree with greater access to education, but college may only help short term. We need to have greater and more efficient education with in inner city schools and that of the elementary level to better set up for the future to see possibly a greater effect over long term.

[sby...@oakland.edu]

This map showed me what kind of bubbles society lives in. I live in Troy and I am used to the neighborhoods and environments I have been around my whole life. Not even even 6 miles down the road is Southfield and from what the map says, its in the darker/lower SES(socioeconomic status) area. We live so close to each other and yet dont interact with each other for the most part. Another example, I used to live in Gross point but i guess you could call it the "nicer" part of Gross point. If we drove literally 10 minutes down the road, its an entirely different community that we had no interaction with. SES plays huge parts in our lives everyday and we dont even realize it. I think people with higher SES should reach out to the less fortunate communities and show them that they have a fighting chance. Lower SES communities are used to being dismissed and dont think that things can change for the better. When they mobilize and decide there is a need and they start to demand that need the response is usually negative so these communities give up unfortunately. We should try to empower these communities and show them that anything is possible. 

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[rodgers...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

A lot of this I already knew about, it was interesting to see it actually documented

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[feijoo.e...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

This is very interesting. I guess I never realized there was this much inequality economically in the USA. I think that if more people we're able to get government funding and assistance to earn some kind of higher education it may help.

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[naeem...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

The poor and rich are only couple of miles away from each other, its like the poor and the rich live a very different life and the only thing in between is a short distance. But unfortunately if someone doesn't do anything about it, the poor will stay poor and the rich will stay rich. the map shows Americans economy that plays a big role on the way people live, because if the economy was giving equal opportunities to the poor as they do to the rich than they will have the chance to become successful. it is so interesting how the document or the article showed the difference between the cities and the levels of rich and poor. 

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[hudson....@student.oaklandcc.edu]

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

This is a look at inequality in the USA by way of a set of maps created by the Urban Institute.  What might be some ways to address this issue? (Click the link below for the article)

Inequality

If is interesting to see that the inequality status is all across the United States. It is rather unfortunate that this is occurring in many major cities and states in the United States.  In my opinion, it definitely would have a great impact on the economy and the success of the economy growing in the United States.  

[Ryan Lakin]

I think in order to combat this issue Americans need to be cognizant of the way class divides us as much as race, gender, etc.  In this country we pretend class doesn't exist, or that anyone can make it with a "pull yourself up by the bootstraps" attitude, and if they don't they possess some kind of moral failing.  These maps show that the class we are born into pretty much dictates our quality of life and the opportunities available to us for the foreseeable future.

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[zamudiofl...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

This is the way this country is ruled, however, it is a fact, that segregation due to social-economic status is everywhere. Not only in America there are zoning laws and restrictions , and you will see this effect in the way how cities were designed and built by wealthy zones, residency zones, and poor zones. Unfortunately this is happening everywhere and it is how society works. 

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[taylorj...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 6:30:24 AM UTC-5, Jeff Farrah wrote:

This is a look at inequality in the USA by way of a set of maps created by the Urban Institute.  What might be some ways to address this issue? (Click the link below for the article)

Inequality

when you look at the map you wonder how did it get this bad well first and foremost their needs to be a clear and HONEST dialogue about poverty in this country to try and get people to understand that just because you live in a certain place you get benefits that people in poorer areas don't have then we need to start making sure that local governments are distributing money for things like education fairly. Many people that have jobs that live in poor areas end up having to work outside their area because in most cases they're not many jobs where they live.

[gomez....@student.oaklandcc.edu]

It is very unfortunate how Detroit has declined so quickly since the 1960s riots. It is also unfair how in all the cities given as examples, those with low incomes have to live in the most polluted and unsafe areas of their metro areas. Even if the neighbourhoods are restored in these cities, the schools are still an issues.

Because wealthy areas are so close to the poor areas, children who live in the poor areas should be able to go to neighbouring schools in the suburban areas, and be given easy access to transport to the better schools.

In order for these kids and others to safely commute around the area, the metro transportation systems should be fixed by adding security cameras and police officers to bus and train systems.

Free sports and other programs should also be added to the poor, urban areas to keep the students out and about rather than on the streets.

To help with environmental issues, Detroit and all the other sample cities could have volunteers tear down all abandoned houses and turn them into parks or even urban farms.

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[kitche...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

Unlike other people's reactions, this is not shocking to me at all. I used to live in Pontiac for about 5 years before moving to West Bloomfield 4 miles away (southwest) and it was definitely a huge difference between those two cities. But like I said, it isn't that much of a shock to me but I'm glad that this article is grabbing the readers' attention. My boyfriend currently live in Pontiac right now and I often drive there to visit him or I'd drive through Pontiac to the OCC's auburn hills campus. I used to go to a high school in Bloomfield Hills. People in middle class or upper, don't really pay attention how close Pontiac is to the Bloomfield Hills especially when you're on Woodward in Bloomfield Hills and drive about 5 minutes north, you'd reach Downtown Pontiac.

 

I hope people understand that those poor people do not have choices to decide where to live since they have low income. Most people who are poor DO have jobs but it is simply not enough for them to be able to move out of the bad areas into the nice (safe) areas so the families have access to safe, better schools, parks and so on.

 

It is not a surprise that most people who are poor, tend to live in or within the city's area such as Detroit or Washington D.C. because it is cheaper and easier for people to walk to stores or the transportations readily available for them to rely on. In the nicer areas, you would need a car or a form of transportation to be able to get to places.

 

It is sad that we do have enough resources to help those in need but it's the matter of time and how many volunteers are available. I think that we need to tear down the abandoned homes and try to involve anyone who is homeless or unemployed people into the program that allow them to build better houses and create a safe housing area where families with low incomes would have access to their next door cities' schools by providing them safe transportations.

 

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[gassner....@student.oaklandcc.edu]

There are so many resources and programs for the low income and the homeless population to help them improve their quality of life. I work with this population every day and I can tell you most of them have no desire to get off these programs.  The people that want to get off the program will get a job, or go back school. They will do what it takes to improve their life. There are those that need a helping hand, and those that want a hand out. As for the wealthy. They worked hard to get where they are. More power to them. If they can do it, so can we. 

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[hogan...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

This also makes me wonder what considers an area to be blue and what considers an area to be gray, but I don't really find this hard to believe at all since there's "rich neighborhoods" and "poor" neighborhoods just in one state alone mixing people on a less smaller scale.

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[brown...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I think that we need to find a way to convince the people who work in the cities to also live there. Many middle and upper class people work in a city but live in the suburbs. The problem this creates is the money being earned in the city is not being spent in the city instead it is taken to the suburbs and spent at businesses there. If these individuals lived in the cities they worked in their earnings would be spent at businesses in the city which keeps money in the city improving quality of life throughout the city.  

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[chang...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

People simply live where they can afford. It's not even the fact that poor folks are turned away from the suburbs. It's just not convenient for those who cannot afford it to live in the suburb.

It is indeed a very sad thing to think about that people are separated based on class hierarchy, however, the event is solely based on the person/family. 

I don't see where this map shows any discrimination or separation between rich and poor folks. People tend to migrate where they can afford, and poor folks just migrate in areas away from the suburb.

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[miller...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I do think poverty itself is an issue that should always be addressed, however, all I really see in those maps are simply the facts of life.. If one works hard every day of their life and is fortunate enough to make good money, and chooses to live in the suburbs, well that's what most people choose to do. There are also people who choose to earn less money and people who prefer to live in cities. There are always going to be people who make more money and can live in nicer places than others. I never have, and probably never will, have a mansion in the hills and I'm okay with that. I wouldn't label it as entirely unequal.              

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[sharer...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I don't understand the person who stated if one works in the city they should also live there to keep the money in the city. That doesn't make any sense at all. The jobs in the cities that suburbans are taking are in higher income cities where the pay is good so they can afford to live in the suburbs We are talking about lower income cities where the jobs are not high paying and many people ARE living there. If the jobs in that area are not high paying jobs and the workers are living in the area then the money IS STAYING in the community. 

I believe if someone truly wanted out of the situation they are in they would do what is necessary to move out. Go back to school so you can get that higher paying job within the higher income city (leave your city attitude at home) or look for programs to assist them. I hate to say some people have no ambition to WORK to get ahead but will be the first to complain about the inequality. 

In the article the author stated that "people who can't afford an expensive home also don't get access to safe streets, cleaner air and better education". That is crock. People make the neighborhood/ area, if the streets or schools are unsafe it's the PEOPLE who are making it that way. Ever hear the phrase "you can take the person out of the city but you can't take the city out of the person"? Doesn't matter whether you live in the city or the suburb.

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote

This is a look at inequality in the USA by way of a set of maps created by the Urban Institute.  What might be some ways to address this issue? (Click the link below for the article)

Inequality

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

[gassner....@student.oaklandcc.edu]

People need to take responsibility for them selves. They need to have the desire to change. There has to be a value put on things. If you don't value something you will not take care of it.  

[serowok...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

Looking at these maps remind me of the videos we watched in class. The lower classes moved into the cities forcing the high class out.

[Nicole England]

The map was not surprising to me considering the same thing has happened to surrounding areas of metro Detroit.  It is easy to address when you are even driving through the upper 10% or the lower 10% because one can see the vast economic and urban differences.  Some ways to address this issue would be to keep public schools open, because if an area or district is doing so poorly to the point of permanent school closures, then it only adds to the problem.  Education is extremely important, especially for younger kids because if they are not educated early, then it is harder to break the bad habits later.  Unfortunately, there is only so much that can be done because when push comes to shove, we all have choices to make and opportunities to seek.  If you want a better life or economic status, then you go out there and do whatever it takes to make that happen.  Too often people just get comfortable with where they are in life and do not wish to seek any other better options because they feel they cannot do anything to better themselves.

[byrd....@student.oaklandcc.edu]

It's no coincidence, people purposely kept these areas separated and limited the flow of resources. Overtime the issue compounded. It's not as simple as go back to school when you have poor school systems that don't prepare you, and no safety net to be able to focus on school instead of survival. It becomes everyone's problem when the crime rates rise because the population has grown so desperate.

[faraj...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I must say that one of the most memorable things that were a surprise to me in the U.S was such obvious and evident inequality; you would be driving in a seemingly well-off neighborhood and then realize that, after crossing a few miles, you have found yourself in a depressingly poor area. It is, however, a shared aspect of society in many countries where you have the rich and the poor and the corresponding inequality. However, I believe that our main concern must be preventing further inequality manifestations. In other words, we should work hard to avoid having more extreme forms of economic inequality in a sense that we would lose our middle class. Perhaps one way to do that is to enforce some form of taxation over those who are considered " wealthy" in a certain area in an attempt to redistribute their wealth in that area - providing new jobs, better infrastructure, etc. This way, there would be less apparent gaps between different neighborhoods and areas in the U.S. However, I am not really sure if this really works considering its relative resemblance to Communism generally speaking. 

[clemons...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I was really surprised to see how clumped together the richer areas were compared to the ones that aren't as well off, but I am surprised to see there are that many there as well. its sad that no one does anything to help them even if they can afford to.

[Jenna Kay]

This article amazes me and really goes along with the discussion the class had on mobilization. The way the rich and poor communities are right along side each other but yet only the rich are getting their demands met and receiving a response is crazy. This clearly is a huge issue. I really feel that the way money is distributed throughout the government needs to be changed and so does the needs, demands, and response system.

[Lucas McManus]

I have never really thought about segregation and concentration between affluent and poor. I didn't even know that such concentration existed. As a missionaries kid, I have seen wealthy christians living in small villages around the world trying to help and serve people. I didn't feel a huge seperation between wealthy and poor until about this year when I moved into an urban farm in Pontiac.

[calla....@gmail.com]

It's crazy and quite alarming to see that such wealthy people live just blocks away from those who are struggling to find basic necessities.It's a tough subject to address because I would say create a separate tax on the wealthy to help gain money for the people living in poverty in the same area but that isn't fair to the people who have earned that money especially if its going to people in poverty who have made poor choices that got them in that position. I think the best way to begin solving this problem is to create a better way to successfully educate all people, no matter the area in which they live. This will allow people to have better jobs and better housing like the wealthy which they talk about in the article. It will take years and years to solve this problem but a gradual change for the better is better than no change at all. 

[drouill...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I actually completely disagree with what is being suggested by this map. There will always be areas made up of a majority of poor people and also areas of mostly rich people. Why is that really an issue if a few areas are made up mostly of similar financial backgrounds. Lets not forget that about 75% of these maps are not shaded in, meaning people of different incomes are living among each other. this article offers no solutions to the suggested "problem" as it is also suggesting that rich white people go into poor black areas and gentrification takes place in attempts to make it an issue of race. However that is flawed logic because the overall number of poor whites in this country is significantly higher than that of blacks. 

[bonilla...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I think a way to address this issue is to aware others especially the rich. We need to make it public so that we get more and more people involved in to help improve public schools and neighborhoods and make them safer. This way the poor feel they have an opportunity to better their situation and take advantage out of it and become role models to others.

[pettit.a...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

The maps show that it is the outer parts of big cities that do well, it is the inner parts of big cities that shows where the inequality exists. In my opinion, the billionaires need to step in and help our own people in this country. Another thing we need to do is change our economic system from Capitalism to Socialism. Many developed nations are socialist countries. In a capitalist country it is very easy to be homeless, be broke, and have nothing. We have to change our economic system and help our own American people.   

[Sam Dahmen]

The map of Detroit and the color difference is astounding. You think you know the differences in wealth between the inner cities and the suburbanized areas but its a lot different to see it from another perspective that opens your eyes a little bit more. 

[Nicholas Rioux]

Taking a look at the Detroit map it really puts things into perspective. I live in Rochester and it is easy to see the change as you drive to Detroit. Everything is nice until you reach a more urban area and things slowly get worse. It's truly unfortunate and unfair that this is the society we live in. Clearly there is enough wealth to be spread about, so why isn't it? What we need to do is break these barriers that keep the wealthy and the poor separate and live in a truly equal society.

[turner....@student.oaklandcc.edu]

This is truly a sad situation.......I had no idea that most metropolitan areas were affected with so much poverty. Somehow the these metropolitan cities became "lost in the shuffle" over time and were forgotten. It really makes me think of the city of Detroit took and how this city tool a turn for the worse. A once abundant and vibrant city known for its automotive industry is now one of the poorest and most violent cities in the United States. There are several ways to address this issue but the main issue would to me would be create more businesses and job opportunities for  the people who live in these metropolitan areas. Real estate developers and business owners need to start investing their time and money  into these inner cities order for them to prosper. Its likely to not happen because most people do want to take the financial risk.

[malzahn...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:

This is a look at inequality in the USA by way of a set of maps created by the Urban Institute.  What might be some ways to address this issue? (Click the link below for the article)

Inequality

 

 This has so much to do with mobilization.  We discussed in class that when certain groups are mobilized, they are able to get so much more accomplished.  It isn't fair for others because they get stuck in a rut.  Education needs to be the same in poor cities as it is in the nice areas. 

[Julie Smead]

equality between society is worse now than any time in the history of America. If everyone help one person in need. and they saw that person to prosperity then that person help a person out.and if you committed to 5 people in your lifetime, then they would get to a point and just 2 Generations,will get somewheres between 9750000 people into prosperity. Of course it was Snowball if that 9700000 people help that many people in that generation. the truth of the matter is is that it's not likely that everyone can see prosperity.I agree that education helps Bridge this inequality between Society.I really don't see complete equality between the societies, although it would be nice. I feel that there would be less crime, and people would be much less stressed. I don't feel that I'll see such a thing in my lifetime but perhaps in another generation things will get better.

[Abigail Brusie]

You would think that this would be abnormal in the U.S, but sadly, it's not at all. Look around us, for example. The Auburn Hills area has higher income closer to Rochester and lower income more towards Pontiac. I find this unnecessary towards the well-being of our society, although, economically, it just so happens that people are willing to pay more in a more centralized tourist area. That's the way it is and i'm not sure there's any other way to address it. 

[Shelby Bell]

ineguality in the USA is at a high right now.with the BLACK LIVES MATTER and FEMINISTS campaigns. it is all about inequalities now. maybe we can just not think of our differences and think of one another as one in the same

[Nick Farrar]

Equality in this country is still a big issue.  Racial profiling is a sad truth of the world today where all races seem to be judging every person of a different race based on past events by random people.  Where is MLK's saying "Judge a person by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.  

[David Dourjalian]

It is very interesting to look at the different clusters of communities on this map, and driving through the different cities, wether rich or poor, are distinctly different in the businesses and walks of life.  Just like in school, we associate with people that are most like us, and people with who we have things in common.  The same goes for where people live, and I do not think there is going to be much change in that area.  Rich people live in gated, nicer communities, and they do so because they have that kind of income.  I wouldn't expect a family making 150 K to live in a lower class community. 

[Tammie Bryant]

 The report included these elements: homeownership rate, median home value and the majority of people had college degrees. With this, I would think that people with college degrees tend to have more income. According to the LA Times, people with a bachelor’s degree make 84% more over a lifetime than high school graduates. A way to address this issue would be to provide those without a degree, the chance to earn one.

[berrah...@hotmail.com]

I think that we should address the inequality issue using some type of social institution to help get the poor people out of poverty. An example of this would be something like increasing college scholarships among the less wealthy areas. By increasing the number of scholarships to less wealthy kids, there is a chance that once they graduate from college, they would come back and help bring money into the area. A second example would be to increase the amount of jobs available to less fortunate people, and making an easy way for them to find and get those jobs. This would help fuel money into the area.

[bollin...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I think its crazy that the "richer" moves away from the downtown areas.  And the "poor" really can't leave the downtown areas.  I kind of think of it as a wall.  The "poorer" can only afford certain areas while the "richer" moves away to go get a bigger house.  According to the maps, you can really see a difference between poverty and wealth. 

[gojcaj.e...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I found this interesting and it says a lot about our economy in the U.S. I honestly was not aware of this and I am surprised. I think the money is being used for other things and not helping our economy at all. America needs to realize the way we divide ourselves between race, gender, etc. 

[Kiara Deane]

The rich countries were in the blue and the poor were in the black.

[bulcha...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

In my opinion people who work at lower income jobs should have better access to education either through the government or through there employer. Education is the way to get into the middle class.

[johnson...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I think this will always be a problem but these are some ideas that i have. The government could employ more people if the regular job market isn't working out to a certain extent. Or if we make taxing more fair to where we tax the higher income earners more then the lower income earners.

[rus.a...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

It is sad how so many areas in our own country are so poor. It is strange to think that so many people living near us can be so poverty stricken!

[fletche...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I think what would make the biggest impact is: better education (thus more of a chance they will go to college and could be paid better), offer high-quality apprenticeships that allow people to be educated hands-ons and provide an increased wage, grant the opportunity to refinance their (American's) student debts, improve job quality by providing more flexibility when it comes to family (like predictable/flexible schedules, paid family/sick leave, etc), and make changes to improve how we rehabilitate and reintroduce criminals back into society. I think all of these would be a great and strong start on how to reduce this inequality.

[dufresn...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

This is really interesting because it shows how these things are isolated in the sense that there are rich neighborhoods and there are poor neighborhoods, but what's strange is that they stay that way. I would think that there would or at least there should be some sort of involvement by the local towns and governments to help these neighborhoods and make their schools and towns better so that these citizens can have the same opportunities as they do.

[dean...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I think that the situation described in the article, where neighborhoods living in poverty don't have access to the same resources as the wealthier neighborhoods (such as safe streets and high-quality education), sounds very similar to the racial segregation and "separate but equal" practices of our country's past.  Is this "segregation by wealth" really intentional (and if so, is it legal to "zone-out" people based on income?) or a symptom of something else in our society?

If the state governments are aware of the situation but don't provide equally for both the wealthier and poorer communities, could the communities in poverty take legal action on the grounds that the public resources (streets, schools, air) are not cared for equally by their local government? Can the same communities take legal action against the local government for "zoning them out"?

[dabish...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

Yes, No surprise here at all, its just interesting to see it demographically on a map. Look at Pontiac for instance, one of the poorest city's in Michigan and take a look at what surrounds it. Auburn hills, Waterford, Rochester hills, and one of the richest areas in the US Bloomfield hills. 

[Nichole Winowiecki]

I agree with all of these points! However, I would add raising the minimum wage ($12 or even $10 would be A LOT better) and providing more equal-opportunity employment. It is impossible for a single parent to raise a child on minimum wage these days. Even with an associates in accounting my aunt isn't even making $10/hr. She's a 50 year old single woman and she can barely support herself. She went back to college in her 40's! It is absolutely deplorable that we have to pay for our education to continue to live in poverty. Additionally, if the cities/states fixed up these poverty stricken areas they would be more likely to attract higher-income buyers to integrate the communities!

On Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 9:36:19 PM UTC-4, Stephanie Bozynski wrote:

Some ways to address the issue could be:

1) GREATER ACCESS TO EDUCATION. Achievable through allowing people to attend college FIRST, gratis. Then after having attended school, people can pay back their tuition as a percentage of their income. It would get more people enrolled in college. Also, giving people a greater chance earlier in life (like Germany offers students free tuition AND a place to live) would keep them from struggling in the first place. 

2)PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESS CORPORATIONS, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. One tiny Detroit organization working alone to provide food for the homeless won't fix the dichotomy of rich and poor. We need more power. 

3) DELEGATE MORE POWER TO THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. Detroit needs to be assessed on a state level. By people that actually care about Detroit, and are impassioned by issues in Detroit. 

4) ADDING CURRICULUM INTO DETROIT SCHOOLS THAT ENCOURAGE THEM TO HELP AND CARE ABOUT REBUILDING DETROIT. I think learning how to rebuild a society and help those in need is far more valuable than any other class. 

5) START ADDING LOW INCOME HOUSING. Recycle the houses that are bank foreclosed, turn materials into new houses. Hire homeless/unemployed people that NEED work to build said houses. 

That's all I've got for now. I'd like to see what others have come up with :)

[graczyk...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

Although those with a bachelor's degree make more money than those without; if everyone has the same degree, the value of that degree will be lessened.

The next thing we would see is the fact that everyone now needs masters or doctorate degree to reach the same standard set previously by the bachelor's degree. This will be a never-ending cycle of people needing to attain higher and higher education in order to meet that initial standard. This would be a huge cost for taxpayers just so that everyone would receive a degree that would immediately lose value. (A fairly unwise investment, in my opinion)

[mahmoo...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

The inequality in the US is very large compared to other countries. Overall, there is the 1% at the top who own almost 50% of the bottom half of the wealth. This is why I do not like how capitalistic America is. An example is how the rich can loophole through tax codes and tax shelters and pay so a smaller tax than the lower and middle class. To me, this is ridiculous that they are more wealtier and pay a smaller tax. Trump, for example has not released his tax returns only showing that he may be hiding something.

[coope...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I think its shocking to see this. Its also very cool to see that there was a map done for the actual city/area that I live in here in michigan and its crazy and shocking to see that inequality is still going on so freuently and so much and its happening in our backyards even if we dont know about it. 

[Cathy Garcia]

Wow, great information. I think this will continue for ever, just don't think things will change. So sad that our country still has this.

[Menquil Green]

Inequality will only be negated when people learn to except

[Menquil Green]

Although America is becoming more diverse inequality remains a big problem in my opinion. Inequality can only be addressed if we learn to except and respect people who are different. What remains a scar on this Country is our obsession with grouping people. We group people by age, race, class, sexuality. Until each person is looked at as an individual and protected equally under the law we will continue to struggle with inequality.

[Menquil Green]

I agree with Stephanie. I think that education is the biggest factor to lifting people from poverty. I also agree that there has to be more partnership between government private organizations, and business. This will ensure that the areas of greatest need are better targeted.

On Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 9:36:19 PM UTC-4, Stephanie Bozynski wrote:

Some ways to address the issue could be:

1) GREATER ACCESS TO EDUCATION. Achievable through allowing people to attend college FIRST, gratis. Then after having attended school, people can pay back their tuition as a percentage of their income. It would get more people enrolled in college. Also, giving people a greater chance earlier in life (like Germany offers students free tuition AND a place to live) would keep them from struggling in the first place. 

2)PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESS CORPORATIONS, AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. One tiny Detroit organization working alone to provide food for the homeless won't fix the dichotomy of rich and poor. We need more power. 

3) DELEGATE MORE POWER TO THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. Detroit needs to be assessed on a state level. By people that actually care about Detroit, and are impassioned by issues in Detroit. 

4) ADDING CURRICULUM INTO DETROIT SCHOOLS THAT ENCOURAGE THEM TO HELP AND CARE ABOUT REBUILDING DETROIT. I think learning how to rebuild a society and help those in need is far more valuable than any other class. 

5) START ADDING LOW INCOME HOUSING. Recycle the houses that are bank foreclosed, turn materials into new houses. Hire homeless/unemployed people that NEED work to build said houses. 

That's all I've got for now. I'd like to see what others have come up with :)

[ourlis...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I think it's time for the next president and the government to change their politics and try to focus more in side of country and give more importance for interior politics than exterior. also, this country need economist leader in the government  than politics man. also,  the government are responsible for this inequality and the best example what happened in Flint this year and the government was out in first time and the president  was focus in the climate change and how to protect the environment in the world  he forget to start first in his country.         

[sulamaan...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

It's not so surprising, nor is it all that bad.  Some people will always do better than others no matter what we want to do, and people who can aford high priced homes won't want to see their house property plummet.  Just the same, we can't expect the poorest people to afford homes in rich neighborhoods, nor can we legally or morally force people to build neighborhoods according to what we want: We're not the ones who will be living there.

[Natalie Jansen]

I think that avoiding these areas and not talking about them is a vicious cycle and nothing will change until the government and each community actively contributes to bring these areas out of poverty because they cannot do it by themselves and desperately need everyones help

[Kenny Forrest]

It's clear how segregated the two different socioeconomic groups are. I think one way to address this issue would be to make more desirable living areas and things like: good parks, schools, homes, hospitals, ect. If we could provide them with more desirable living areas while also keeping it affordable, then possibly we could keep the segregation between to the two groups less extreme. Of course this would be very hard to do, but it could be that people don't realize that this is the case. Then we can make a movement towards spreading out the wealth to provide liberty and ease to all!  

[Viki U]

Wow this map speaks volumes! Its crazy to see how close the poorest parts of a city are to the richest. It goes to show that the richest are busy living in their ways that they don't think to lend out a hand to help those in the poorest cities. And I feel bad for those in the poorest cities because they probably think that they're stuck there, because they don't have the resources to get out. 

[rusher...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

it is hart braking to see the definite separation between the poor and rich because the separation makes it harder for people to get out of the impoverish areas. I think improving urban education will help students create opportunities for themselves to succeed 

[sulamaan...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

That's nice theory, but how do you do that in practice? If you make it affordable by subsidizing, you're forcing people to get into your ideology that both would want to live together.  Look at how bad it went in France, for example.  We can't alter the fact that people who've earned a nice living (not even millionaires or even top 10%, just well off people 100k a year, small business owners, etc) do not want to live with the poorest people, and vice versa.  Yes, even the poor eventually leave when rich people move in, even before price hikes.  Speaking of those, if you mix both it's called gentrification, supply and demand will make the poor people's price of lodging unaffordable anyway unless you infringe on a landlord's right to rent his investment at a profit, or have government own everything; both would be unacceptable.  Let's also not forget that a lot of what makes poor people's homes and neighborhoods decrepit comes from the poor people themselves: vandalism, gangs, graffitis.

[Justin Wright]

It's really surprising seeing some of the regions. I'm surprised I didn't see any black spots around Detroit.

[somervill...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

Some ways we can all start addressing these issues is by gathering the people together as a team and form a non-violent movement that can protest, so our voices can be heard.

[nelson...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

Half of the residences from the blue areas should be moved to the black areas, and half of the residences from the black areas should be moved to the blue areas.

[matthews...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

When I look at the mapping of most of our major cities in the USA, most areas are just outside of the downtown area in almost every city.  Maybe this issue could supported by the business in the downtown area. This kind of support could easily be nurtured in a major metropolitan area to help address the concerns of our urban cities.  

[mulle...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I agree. I also don't understand how we have things like the lottery all of the time giving away millions and then i see people standing on Woodward Ave. holding up homeless signs. it's so sad 

[jones....@student.oaklandcc.edu]

Those maps definitely put things into perspective. Living in Detroit you often see the divide between neighborhoods and cities. I live in one of the middle class communities in Detroit but if you were to drive a couple blocks in either direction, you would never know the community exist. How do we put funds back into the city, so maps like these don't exist? Is it even a possibility? 

[Julie Glick]

Very sad. Does this surprise me? No. I see this every day. One way to fix this problem would be to put more affordable housing in affluent areas. Another way to fix this would be to raise the minimum wage, so that even if someone lives in poverty, that they would have a better chance to make and save money to move to a better area. Another way to fix this would be to move some higher-paying jobs closer to people who live in poverty.

[grassa....@student.oaklandcc.edu]

I agree with all of these points. Especially having/ creating some higher paying jobs in the lower income areas. Also there is a chance that lower income areas lack affordable transportation. Perhaps more affordable public transportation options could help the poverty stricken commute to work in areas where they could potentially get a higher paying job.

[eshova...@gmail.com]

It is a shared feature of society in many countries where there are wealth and poverty and the corresponding inequality. However, I believe that our main concern must be preventing further inequality appearances. In addition, we should work hard to avoid having more extreme forms of economic inequality in a sense that we would lose our middle class. Maybe the only way to do that is to apply some form of taxation over those who are considered rich in a certain area in an attempt to reorder their wealth in that area. There would be less apparent gaps between different areas in the U.S!

[anderson...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

On Monday, July 13, 2015 at 7:30:24 AM UTC-4, Jeff Farrah wrote:
> This is a look at inequality in the USA by way of a set of maps created by the Urban Institute.  What might be some ways to address this issue? (Click the link below for the article)
> Inequality

I believe that a balance can be struck in terms of proximity of the two groups effectively. I lived in New York City for a few years, and I can tell you from first hand experience that there are communities with very wealthy citizens that border communities of very poor citizens literally across the street, with minimal conflict. It works in New York, so it can work in other cities as well. Lowering property taxes for welthy households for moving to poorer areas, or offering another financial benefit may prove to be enough incentive to make some wealthy individuals consider moving. Maybe an income tax break.

[djordjevs...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

These maps are another example of the cycle of poverty that continues within low income communities. Keeping poor people so secluded traps them in a bad situation. Sadly, these poor communities may not have as good of schools than the better communities, keeping the poor children from reaching their full potential, and one day moving out of these poor areas. They will be stuck there. And then they will grow up and have children that also don't have access to the best schools, and the cycle continues.

[mulle...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

i agree, it's sad but true. there are many people who want things to change in our country but it's like no one is willing to work to get to that point. there has been these issues for a long time now and yet nothing has happened to help change things.

[mcdonald...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

When looking at maps of various cities throughout the country and examining the evidence that wealth and poverty are residing in two sides of areas, it doesn't surprise me, yet I believe that it's still not exactly fair. With friends making moves towards downtown Detroit, it adds curiosity towards what will happen to with the extreme gentrification that seems to be plaguing our city. With new businesses going in and businesses that have been there for generations being pushed out because of the rent hikes, the lack of interest from the new tenants whom are moving in and looking for the next new great thing, these are causing issues with cities as a whole. Where are people going to go once they can no longer afford the neighborhood that they grew up in? Looking at Detroit; Midtown, Corktown and even downtown though is "thriving" is really pushing out people while placing luxurious housing in place which only a select few can afford. 

It's incredibly unfair because of what the wealthy suburbs have, think public schools being more privileged than inner city schools is just one example of many that shows how uneven the scale of opportunity is for lower class citizens. 

[Christopher Armanious]

These maps are obvious to me. Of course poor people live together and rich people live together in the same neighborhood. Nicer homes are in one place and bad homes are in another.but this doesn't make it OK or a good thing. Like most other people commented I think the big problem is the schools. These poor kids living in poor neighborhoods are going to bad schools and continue to live in a bad neighborhood forever. There should be good schools that everyone can go to no matter how much money their families make. Children should not be affected in a bad way just because their parents don't make as much money.

[Tara L.]

this is just another thing that proof that the US economy is very bad, and the poor neighborhoods were never included in the national budget.

[ortega-bur...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

With the exception of maybe Dallas, all of the cities referenced in the article are very old and well-established cities like Detroit, DC and Baltimore. This makes it tough because they were planned many, many years ago when this type of issue just wasn't foreseen or more likely, cared about by the city planners. Therefore, we need to stop trying to save what should have probably died along with all the racism and inequality years ago. I think we need to make up down and down up by "re-planning" these cities into basically new cities headed in the right direction.  How? I would start by taking a chunk of each problem city and make it no longer that city. There would be a new Detroit inside the old Detroit, a new Baltimore within old Baltimore...and so on.  The plan is the next thing that would have to supported by both the people and all levels of government.  Throw out the book and start with a fresh pad, fresh thinking and equal representation so this new city within a city grows and can overcome the old.  It would have to be recognized as radical and most likely criticized by the conservative and traditional. You would need the support of those moving into that community to support lots of ideas, trials and commitment to be actually part of the city.  Here is an example. In order to buy or rent a property there, part of the owner/rental agreement is you must serve weekly community time.  If you're not up for it, go live somewhere in the suburbs then. I would get private sector to invest by guaranteeing the community would be providing good environment (part of the required community service) and work force.  The work force part would be to go into the universities and intentionally offer graduating college students with highly sought after degrees such as medicine, engineering and computer science the opportunity to have assistance in rent and if they remain in this new city area for a pre-defined number of years, very low mortgage rates to stay and grow their families in this same new city area. Again, the payback to the government would be they could use some of their community service to assist in education area of the schools which hopefully include many types of students from poor to middle class to well off.  As those students go through this system of community supported education, they would be offered college assistance IF they agreed to live in a designated "new city" zone in different areas of the country.  To me, for a city to thrive, it has to provide but be provided for and these types of actions would be the cyclical type of invest and return needed to get the poor out of slowly being poor.  Will it end poverty, no? But now you're getting people to agree to try to end it together. You are asking employers to take a chance on that community because hopefully that community takes pride in itself to provide good employees. Finally, the government will be providing money to kick start these new city zones but the hope of the investment would be that it will grow and the community itself will drive out more and more poverty to give back that investment by the government plus more.  As that area grows the lines of that new city area would grow into the old city hopefully and taking on the good but as a community eliminating the bad. This would not be an overnight transition and would take politicians to agree to support the vision for many years and not just their elected term.    

[alshar...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

In our way of life we encourage competition, so that each person's rewards should reflect personal merit. This is why a successful person is given the respect due to him or her being a 'winner'. Yet, the issue with inequality seems to be a conflict in society. The basis is simple. There will always be people who have and people who have not. The rich aren't going to sit here and say "Come on people, here, take my money." People who don't have it, want it. The ultimate solution would depend on the individual. If they really want something, they have to stay focused on attaining such a goal like getting a degree. It encourages discovery and creates inventions to improve our lives. 

[alshar...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

If you think that's crazy, go ahead and compare our income equality to this: https://youtu.be/8TMKyUdEEMo?t=1073

[henders...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

The crazy part is where I'm from, it was blue. My family is in no way "rich". I did notice that the blue areas are the areas of the better school districts. More money= better education. Which is horrible

[goncha...@student.oaklandcc.edu]

Nothing can really be equal in the social respect I believe, everyone has different opportunities and interests to explore and gain from that will always create some sort of gap between them and someone else.

[Afsaneh Rahnavardan]

This analysis generally focusing more on where the poor live and what it means for them to live in concentrated poverty. When you compare Detroit, Dallas-fort worth, and Baltimore, these maps shows the vastly separate worlds of the rich and poor. These maps shows poverty in the city and wealth in the suburbs. It should be a way to teach people to rebuild a society by giving them education they need.

[Afsaneh Rahnavardan]

People will be active and find ways to help people that are in dire need of food, if they find out these people in need are not far from them. With active involvement and identifying issues, poverty can be solved.

[Afsaneh Rahnavardan]

It's shocking to see how close are the richest and poorest parts of city living and this Inequality of living is accepted by both groups. It doesn't seem like this situation going to be solve soon when there is a huge gap between two neighborhoods. We live close to each other and yet don't interact with each other for the most part.

[Afsaneh Rahnavardan]

Ways to address the issues
I strongly agree that one way to solve the inequality issues is an easy access for people to education. Education should be reachable for everyone and we need greater access to education. This will give people a chance and prevents from struggling i their life in the future.