Class Notes 3/8

Here are notes from our last class at Wild Fig Bookstore, where Jim Ziliak spoke to us. As always, thank you to Marissa for typing them up for us.


Jim Ziliak Guest Speaker Notes

• Definition of poverty - if your income falls below a fixed threshold
• The threshold varies based on number in family
• Different concepts of poverty - social dislocation, financial, etc.
• JFK made a promise to the people of West Virginia that if he got elected President, he'd return the favor and try to help people in that area
• People usually connect more to stories than abstract facts
• Female-headed family - time vs. money constraints
• Less money leads to less time because women spend more time trying to make more money
• Do higher incomes lead to marriage or does marriage lead to higher income?
• 7 in 10 African American children are born to single parents
• Exposure to poverty at a young age leads to lack of resources
• U.S. was a world leader in K-12 education, made it more accessible
• If impoverished people experience a health shock, they are less likely to address the health shock because addressing it would mean more poverty
• Charter schools vs. public schools- research shows charter schools are not better
• SNAP started in 60s with the Food Stamp Act of 1964
• Over 40 million on SNAP program, 1 in 7 people
• There was an excess of cheese during the Depression so they gave cheese to the hungry
• EBT is Electronic Benefit Transfer
• U.S. is pretty unique in its handling of food insecurity
• England concerned about production limitation problem, America concerned about low income problem
• Used to have to pay money to get a coupon to get food (50 cents to get $1-off coupon but this eventually changed since some people couldn't afford the 50 cents)