"Paul Ryan Won't Let Poor People Testify At Hearing About Poverty"

[applegrove]

Paul Ryan Won't Let Poor People Testify At Hearing About Poverty

by Bryce Covert at Think Progress

http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2014/04/30/3432697/paul-ryan-poverty-hearing-poor-people/

"SNIP....................


On Wednesday, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) will hold a hearing on poverty called “A Progress Report on the War on Poverty: Lessons from the Frontlines.” While it will feature three experts, none of them are actually low-income Americans who struggle to get by.

But that’s not for lack of trying from some poor people themselves. Witnesses to Hunger, an advocacy project that shares the stories of low-income Americans, has tried and failed twice to have some of their members who live in poverty speak at Ryan’s poverty hearings. “When Ryan had his first hearing last July,” Director Mariana Chilton told ThinkProgress, “we wrote to his office to see if we could testify, but they weren’t interested.” While Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) tried to get one of their low-income members to speak, it was too late. They were asked to submit written testimony instead.

Chilton’s organization stayed in touch with his office and immediately called his press team when they saw the announcement for Wednesday’s hearing. “They said, ‘It’s too late, we’ve already chosen our people.’” There was one slot left to be filled by Democrats, but that went to Marian Wright Edelman, president of the Children’s Defense Fund. “I think Marian Wright Edelman is a great choice,” Chilton said. But “they had a stronger interest in having a more well-known person to testify.” That means that once again, the hearing won’t feature anyone who really is on the frontlines of poverty. “None of the people who are testifying today are currently living in poverty and it’s unclear if they really know what’s going on from the perspective of people living in it,” she said.

And the written testimonies they submitted will probably do little to impact the conversation. “They’re submitted and they disappear,” Chilton said. Tianna Gaines-Turner sent in a document last year, and this year Barbie Izquierdo has done the same. “If you look at the July hearing for the War on Poverty, you don’t see evidence of Tianna Gaines-Turner’s submitted testimony,” she added. It’s not on the website for the hearing, despite her requests to his office that they include the document, although it has been included on page 64 of the record. Izquierdo’s will probably meet the same fate. “Asking for formal written testimony is a way to let Paul Ryan’s office off the hook,” she said.


...................SNIP"

[SheilaT]

1. Well really, what do poor people know about poverty?

Anyone who thinks I'm being serious. . . I'm not.

I recall reading many years ago something John Kenneth Galbraith said, I think during the Great Depression. Can't quote it exactly, but it was something on the order of "Men who carry on about the dignity of work have never themselves done manual labor."

[Auntie Bush]

5. And what the hell do politicians know or understand about poverty?

Absolutely nothing and they also have no compassion.

[florida08]

13. exactly

Am really tired of the lip service they give saying government doesn't create jobs when

A current search of Defense Department contracts suggests that “Ryan Incorporated Central” has had at least 22 defense contracts with the federal government since 1996, including one from 1996 worth $5.6 million. …
http://thinkprogress.org/election/2012/08/14/688761/paul-ryans-family-business-built-on-government-contracts/

[Gothmog]

2. Paul Ryan is an overrated bigot

Paul Ryan does not care about poor people or poverty

[Helen Borg]

39. Dumb too...

[GeorgeGist]

3. The 3 invited Witnesses are all ...

leaders of Charity orgs.

http://budget.house.gov/hearingschedule2014/a-progress-report-on-the-war-on-poverty-lessons-from-the-frontlines.htm

Draw your own conclusions.

[applegrove]

6. I think that they limited the testimony to three too shows that they didn't

want the most powerful first person narrative of what poverty is like given a national stage. To me the fact that they only have three witnesses says it all.

[FSogol]

4. Paul Ryan is the biggest fraud in politics. n/t

[LiberalLovinLug]

15. What do you mean?...he helps out washing clean pots at shelters

[FSogol]

17. Washing clean dishes

Ryan thinks because he can fool some rubes in his hometown that he is qualified to fool all of the Country. If the M$M didn't prop him up as the only "smart one" of the tea bagging set, he'd be nothing more than a Dan Quayle-like punchline.


On edit: Ugh. Before my edit, the photo was too big exposing Ryan's chicken-like legs. He's even a fraud in gym.

[tofuandbeer]

18. :D

[Generic Other]

34. This conveys his true personality

[Cha]

7. Of course that little fascist sociopath won't let those speak who he is stomping on.

[applegrove]

8. Well said. I'm so glad people know what to look for these days. For a while it seemed

like nobody thought sociopaths existed. Thanks Cha for writing how I really feel.

[Cha]

11. You're welcome, apple!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

35. right you are.

ugh, he's repulsive.

[Kingofalldems]

9. Paul Ryan is cool, he's wears his hat backwards.

[applegrove]

10. I'm surprised he had a Tshirt on in that photo.

[awoke_in_2003]

12. So does Tony Romo...

both are epic douchebags.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

33. ...and listens to rap music, so he's down with us black folk! (oh, excuse me, 'inner city' folk)

[BlancheSplanchnik]

36. that's right! He knows a few bla people, you know!!!!

He remarks on their mastery of English!!! He knows that makes them feel good!!!!!!!! :superhappyface:

[Proud Liberal Dem]

14. Looks like he is trying to reach a pre-determined conclusion:

his own- and we all know what THAT is.

[applegrove]

27. Exactly. The whole thing is a set up. And emotion from an actual victim of poverty

might get in the way of his pre-determined outcome.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

31. I mean, think how horrible it would be if it gets in the way of the GOP's plans

to cut spending on anti-poverty programs so that the "job creators" can get more tax cuts? Ryan has essentially said that anti-poverty programs have been a "failure" and they're basically worthless, so, of course, the natural solution that he and his fellow Republicans have is to get rid of them. Don't want the possibility of having their scam exposed and/or one or two of them rediscovering their consciences, you know?

[geretogo]

16. How much longer is it going to take for Americans to realize these criminals posing as congressmen

Last edited Thu May 1, 2014, 12:50 PM - Edit history (1)

are in fact die hard FASCISTS , haters of democracy , believe in Totalitarian rule, and have contempt
for the American people .

[HangOnKids]

19. The boot on the neck is already stomping

I wish I had more hope, but America is asleep.

[geretogo]

20. Exactly !

[BlancheSplanchnik]

37. really.

and welcome.

[grilled onions]

21. "We Have Already Chosen Our People"

That is the way they think---they ARE the chosen people. Like lecturing to little kids--we know what's good for you. I would love to take away their limo,their cook,stocked pantry for one month. Add to that toss in a couple late utility bills, an outstanding medical bill,auto repair bill or two etc and see just how far they can go,talking tough about poverty. How many of them have ever had a rough budget ? They are useless. They have ears for little more than having a place to put their eyeglasses on because they never listen to anyone who doesn't belong to a similar country club. Let's face it they don't only give in a gated community--they also have gated minds----poor are not allowed not even to speak.

[NightWatcher]

22. they didn't let women testify in the women's reproductive health hearings either

[blkmusclmachine]

23. DC is a racket

DC is a racket

[Dustlawyer]

25. That is the basic problem, no one is willing to walk a mile in their shoes. These old, white

politicians do not know what it means to be poor, or know anyone who is. That is why they rely on stereotypes as reality. It's the same with gays and non-Christians, they have no clue what those people are like and what reality is. I remember watching Mitt Romney eat his 1st fast food meal, he thought the packaging was really neat. He had no clue about it all all. We should not have people like Rmoney or Paul Ryan, people who are so out of touch with most of their constituents that they fail to appreciate the effect their policies will have on the people.

[HockeyMom]

26. Like Women not testifying at conference on Women's Health Issues

[Proud Liberal Dem]

32. Or having Sean Hannity as the head of the RNC's African-American group

I'd laugh at that but then depression would sink in because I know it really happened.

[lunasun]

28. In charge of shaping our history- sad

History will judge societies and governments — and their institutions — not by how big they are or how well they serve the rich and the powerful, but by how effectively they respond to the needs of the poor and the helpless.”
― César Chávez

[TNNurse]

29. Count on this

Paul Ryan is ALWAYS WRONG. He is heartless and uncaring and does not care about anyone he does not know personally and probably not very much about some that he does know.

Oh, and the Koch brothers told him to do it that way.

[dflprincess]

30. Compare Ryan's actions to Robert Kennedy's poverty tour

(the one Paul Wellstone redid).

How far we've fallen.

[WinkyDink]

41. And those men ended up.....

[noiretextatique]

38. this sums up the problem of government

People without $$$$$ are excluded from the process. Why listen to actual poor people? Just listen the "experts" on poor people. Pretty much sums up our government...d and r.

[WinkyDink]

40. And you think some other current politician would?! Ha!

[cynzke]

42. Its Too Difficult...

to denigrate the poor when they are there in person to defend themselves.

[JackInGreen]

43. There used to be hospitals

where dear paul could have gotten some help, I'm afraid the only thing left for him is to be the continual punchline of a travesty.