Homeless Woman, Arrested For Sending Son To School Using Babysitter's Address

[Liberal_in_LA]

Tonya McDowell, Homeless Woman, Arrested For Sending Son To School Using Babysitter's Address

A homeless mother has been arrested for sending her child to a public school in an area where they didn't live.

Tonya McDowell is being charged with first-degree larceny for stealing $15,686 in education funds from the Norwalk, Conn. school district, the Stamford Advocate reports.

McDowell and her 6-year-old son don't have a permanent address, but split their time between a homeless shelter and a friend's apartment in Bridgeport. McDowell, however, used her son's babysitter's address to falsely register him for a Norwalk elementary school.

McDowell's arrest is a startlingly severe punishment for her crime. Most families caught sending children to schools in areas where they don't live are allowed to pull the students from the school without consequence.

The babysitter, Ana Rebecca Marques, is also being punished. She has been evicted from public housing for her role in helping McDowell get her son into the school.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/18/tonya-mcdowell-homeless-w_n_850571.html

[CanonRay]

1. One set of laws for the rich, another set for the poor

where could you find a better example.

[eilen]

30. You know what is bizarre beyond this?

If you own a home in my school district, unless you provide proof you are living there-- like a power bill, no dice on sending your kid to school, even if you can prove you paid school taxes. I brought my tax receipts to register my son. A guy in front of me brought his girlfriends son who just moved in with him in his apartment. He was given no problem while I was told I had to return with a power bill--even though I have lived here for over 10 years.

Our school and property taxes are pretty high. The school portion is well over 64% of my total tax bill. We pay almost $4,000 a year for about 1400 sq. ft and a small yard.

My nephew is in a horrible school down south that keeps promoting him without him making passing grades (won't give him extra help, resource or services and my brother is too tired with making a living to fight for them--single parent) and I'm sure he will end up dropping out. So I said come on up and stay with me this year. Our school system still has vocational programs-- he would do well with those. My brother (his father) graduated from one. So he's coming in the Fall.

Most people will pay a water bill or power bill for friend who lives in a private residence in the right district to get their kid in a less worse school district. I think the mistake this lady made was choosing a friend in public housing. She's homeless, has really nothing to lose and can just tell the district to f-off if she can bug out of the town. After all, she really has no address. This makes the school district in CT look stupid and cruel. I wonder if they call the INS on the Mexican immigrant kids (you know, the children of their wealthy resident's illegal domestic help).

[lunasun]

93. have you met #23?

[eilen]

180. I don't understand your inference.

Many schools will allow children to attend the school in the area the daycare is in. I don't think this homeless person is necessarily jobless, probably underemployed and cannot afford housing. The real crime is that this family has not been offered stable shelter.

[trotsky]

42. Arrested for "stealing" something that is by definition free.

And the banksters collect billions of tax dollars to give bonuses to each other.

Yup, sounds fair.

[joshcryer]

44. Exactly, it's fucking discrimination at its finest.

[trud]

104. not free

My five digit property tax bill says it is not free.

[trotsky]

133. Well duh.

But even if you aren't paying property taxes, your child is guaranteed a public education.

[Lorien]

56. Exactly. Who went to prison for BP's disaster in the Gulf? who went to prison for

the bullshit wars in Iraq and Afghanistan? Who went to prison for causing the financial crisis?

So now they're making it a crime to be the victim of the wealthy elite who send our jobs abroad, illegally foreclose on homes and bail themselves out to the tune of Trillions of taxpayer dollars.Perfect. :grr:

[valerief]

115. Who went to prison for Katrina? Who went to prison for mine collapses,

TN coal ash spill and other spills, Minneapolis bridge collapse, fracking water poisoning, etc? There's no end to what crimes the wealthy can perpetrate.

[GreenPartyVoter]

134. That's the gospel truth right there!

[hobbit709]

2. Let the useless poor die is the RW way.

TPTB don't care.

[bobbolink]

144. STOP blaming the RW! This blame has gone on long enough. "PROGRESSIVES"

are doing WHAT? to stop the homelessness epidemic?

All that is ever said here on DU is "I donate to a shelter", "I volunteer at a shelter."

WEll, guess what... RWers do that, too!

WHAT are "progressives" doing to stop the criminalization of homelessness in their own cities?

WHAT are "progressives" doing to create more low-income housing?

WHAT?

Sapphire Blue started trying to get DUers to work on low-income housing YEARS ago, but it is largely ignored.

King Raygun decimated low-income housing in the early 80s and that is what began the homelessness epidemic. (No, it was NOT releasing people from snake pit hospitals!)

So, what exactly did CLINTON do to restore those funds? WHAT?

From what I see, "progressives" have marched and demonstrated for everything under the sun EXCEPT low-inocme housing.

It doesn't get mentioned in any of the "priority" lists here on DU.

Green Party Voter tried to get DUers to write to Amy Goodmann and Rachel Maddow to do expose's on their programs about homelessness, but very few DUers were willing to do that. 300,000 people wrote to protest Keith's suspension, but only a small handfull can write to push them to educate people about homelessness.

No, this is NOT about the RW. This is about ALL of us. And it is time "progressives" stop the passing the buck and getting busy!

[undeterred]

3. So one person is being made homeless for helping

a homeless family and the homeless mother is being sent to prison, and the homeless child... oh, what a merciless system we have.

[Liberal_in_LA]

11. good summary of the situation

[glinda]

61. Don't forget all the money the Courts, Social Services, etc... will make though.

[CrispyQ]

64. A very sad +1. -nt

[vaberella]

4. This is absolutely ridiculous, disgusting and utterly unfair. Jesus Christ.

Poverty is to keep people even from a home. Jesus...

[Confusious]

18. the poor must be shown thier place. nt

[uppityperson]

5. school budgets may be tight but this is ridiculous.

[vaberella]

6. Can this be sent to Rachel Maddow or Ed Schultz. Maybe they can get some justice here. n/t

[handmade34]

7. damn #@!!*&?@!!

this makes me livid... Damn, what is wrong with us???

[LWolf]

8. We've had parents and teachers form carpools

drive a homeless student to our school every day, from where ever she happened to have spent the night, just to keep her from having to change schools. It was all above board. We didn't want to lose her; we figured we were the only stability she had at that point.

Why would a district want to quibble over an address when there is NO official address?

[proud2BlibKansan]

55. Federal law - says they can stay in their home school and the district must transport

It's been on the books maybe 5 years?

[LWolf]

163. In this case, maybe the babysitter's local school wasn't the home school?

I don't know.

I didn't know about the law, either. We've been focused on trying to stay connected with our homeless kids, not on trying to drop them from our rosters.

[catrose]

66. and what address was she supposed to supply?

[AnneD]

87. When my daughter hit high school....

I was amazed at the number of kids in her school that were homeless or kicked out of their homes for one reason or another. Now this is one of the top high schools in the country. There was this underground system where these kids couch surfed from one friend to another. Sometimes the parents knew and offered help, sometimes they didn't and this was just a friend in for a sleepover. It was the only way these kids could make it. When I saw a strange face in the house, I always asked what there name was, how long did they need to stay and were they set for money and was there anything they needed (clothes, supplies, laundry done, etc). High school is hard enough for kids without that extra burden.

You know, it isn't about the budget, it is about choices. What choices are we making as a nation and what does that say about us as a nation and as an individual. A homeless woman tries to get her kid an education and in the process, they make another woman that tried to help homeless. I don't know about that area but I can read between the lines. Some folks IQ are as small as their brains and their pea sized hearts.

[LWolf]

164. The choices our nation is making at this point

says things about us as a nation that are shameful.

:(

[AnneD]

165. Exactly....

It is not about a balanced budget but how we choose to balance it. In my mind, we are no longer a 'Christian' nation-if we ever were.

I may not know what Jesus would do, but he sure as hell would not make the poor, the single moms with kids, the sick, and the elderly suffer as this budget will. It is against everything he stood for and makes a mockery of his words and sacrifice.

It should not be God Bless America but God Forgive America. Sorry it is Easter week and I have been doing too much thinking on the subject.

[LWolf]

166. No need to apologize.

I agree. :(

[bobbolink]

178. "God Forgive America". You said it exactly. Thank you.

[MedicalAdmin]

116. Back when I was a teacher we bent backwards to help

homeless kids. They didn't have much going for them - they needed one anchor in their lives. They were some of my favorite and most resourceful students. One of my former homeless kids is now in medical school.

[Terra Alta]

9. when I hear stories like this

it makes me wonder how the poor and homeless even manage to make it in this world. It seems like there are different rules for the poor and the rich.. it really isn't fair. Why are the poor treated like dirt in this country while the rich are glamorized?

[CrispyQ]

65. This is a discussion we need to have on a national level.

Maybe as more of the middle class fall into poverty, poverty will actually become a national issue? It makes me sad that that's what it may take.

[GreenPartyVoter]

136. Honestly, a lot of them don't make it. :^( And you are right, the poor are

treated terribly while the rich are practically gods. We need to stop buying into the lies that the rich or even the middle class are better than the poor. The truth is we are all the same. Every single human being is worth the same as the next one.

[bobbolink]

152. There are different rules for poor people and middleclass people.

But nobody wants to talk about that.

THAT is where the real class war is...... and until middleclass people, like right here at DU, start taking this seriously, nothing is going to change in this country.

NOTHING.

[sudopod]

10. We are becoming a nation of evil people, utterly without empathy.

That's a scary thing in a democracy.

[no_hypocrisy]

12. Tonya McDowell was HOMELESS and had no permanent ADDRESS.

But if she kept her child home from school because she had no address (and she wasn't homeschooling him), she would be accused of neglecting her son because children are legally compelled to attend school.

Discrimination on the basis of poverty and homelessness.

[Cid_B]

23. Out of curiosity...

...

Why was she still homeless? Is she disabled? If she has the capacity to understand the system well enough to commit fraud one would think she would have the capacity to become employed on some level and thus gain a permanent address? Or was it that she liked that school as opposed to the one where she would have sent him had she gotten a job/home?

In the end maybe that school system just doesn't have 15K to spend on a student who technically does not belong to that district and made an example to others who are/were considering doing the same thing.

[bluesbassman]

25. You make a lot of assumptions in your analysis friend.

BTW, can I borrow your copy of Atlas Shrugged? I need to prop up a table with a short leg.

spelling edit. bbm

[Scruffy1]

50. Yeah I'm almost out of asswipe, too.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

82. LOL!

:rofl:

[lunasun]

88. poster must be all hyped up (and rabid) from the new movie version of AtlasShrugged!!!!!!

or some nazi training camp last weekend...perhaps both uugh

[EstimatedProphet]

161. Must be a damn short leg.

[ThomCat]

28. Understand the system well enough to committ fraud?

ARe you kidding?

When you sign up a kid they ask for an address? How hard is it to ask your friend and babysitter "Hey, can I use your address because I don't have one? He's always at your house anyway."

Do you see any intent to commit fraud in that? Or do you see a mother trying to get her son to attend school like all the other kids?

Do you have any clue how easy it is to become homeless in this country, or how many millions of people are homeless right now? You don't need to have a disability. You only need to be poor.

If you don't have a job, and can't find a job, and you've been out of work for long enough that unemployment benefits have run out then you're probably homeless. Even if you get unemployment, if that is all you get, you are likely to be homeless if you weren't making very much at your last job.

Public assistance routinely rejects large numbers of people, including many who are qualified for assistance, who have appeal to get the assistance they are supposed to get. Public Advocates complain constantly about people being denied benefits they need and qualify for as a routine and organized attempt to reduce costs from public assistance budgets, despite the need that is out there. So people who are homeless go without help.

I am one of several people here who can tell you from personal experience what it is like to be homeless, and what it is like to be denied benefits that we were supposed to receive and qualified to receive that were supposed to help us.

It's really easy to imply that she was deliberately committing fraud, and that anyone smart enough to commit fraud shouldn't be homeless, but all that shows is that you really have no clue what you're talking about.

[joshcryer]

40. +1, your sig really underscores your post. Nicely done.

As if this woman would've willfully done this knowing she would go to jail for it.

[smokey nj]

49. Very well said!

[woo me with science]

58. Thank you. nt

[lilbethm]

68. There is no Gov help out there for these people

And I also have been hit by it, The only Org that really helped me Was St. Vincent Depauls, (Catholic Charities) All private donors, but helped me make ends meet for my first yr after. Divorce, without them there would have been starving and homelessness, and no heat. Pass it on to anyone in need you do not have to be catholic or Christian but you do have to contact the Church in your Neighborhood, (Parish). I was told they review every case but they never deny anyone.

Its Important to get this out so many dont know where to turn, and the numbers will increase.

[renate]

71. my mom volunteers with the legal system and has had to refer many women there

She says St. Vincent is wonderful at helping people, including battered and homeless women, get back on their feet and couldn't recommend it more highly--and like you said, they'll help anyone regardless of their religious beliefs. I'm not normally a fan of organized religion but I do admire believers who walk the walk and help others without judgment.

Welcome to DU!

[lilbethm]

72. I want to start an Organization

To help Battered women when they finally do leave. My e ut me off from money, and I had to struggle through the Divorce with no legal help at all. Thats just not right, the hell we endured because I finally put my foot down is what all these women are afraid of..

[bobbolink]

145. Then that is very unusual. If you look at Southern Poverty Law Center, you will find that

the Criminalization of HOmelessness is rampant in this country, that homeless people have NOWHERE to turn for redress, and that there is NO justice in this issue.

If your mother has some resources to help others in this matter, then that is highly unusual. Do not assume that any other homeless person has that available to them.

[Forkboy]

73. Wish we could rec individual posts.

:thumbsup:

[Athena66]

130. Exactly

And very well said. So without a home of her own, where the He!! is she supposed to send her child to school? Nowhere? I don't really recognize this country any more.

[GreenPartyVoter]

137. +1,000,000!

[bobbolink]

142. I am appalled beyond words that you should have to spell this out on a "PROGRESSIVE" forum!

That ANYONE can be this ignorant about an EPIDEMIC is pathetic, but when this ignorance is rampant among people who claim to be "Progressive", then something is desperately wrong!

Can you PLEASE tell me WHY the likes of Thom Hartmann and Amy Goodman and Rachel Maddow and the rest of them are NOT educating people to understand the basics of the HOMELESSNESS EPIDEMIC???

Can you explain WHY they are ignoring this????

:applause: for a very good explanation of the issue...

:nuke: that you should HAVE to explain it!

And :puke: that "progressives" aren't actively putting an end to homelessness!!

[JTFrog]

33. Out of curiosity, what country do you live in?

Do you really go about your daily life unaware that there are MILLIONS of homeless people in this country? Do you really go about your daily life ignoring the headlines about NO JOBS in this country?

FFS...

I wish people would think just a little deeper before spewing forth such ignorance.

[octothorpe]

48. Really? There are lot of people out of jobs now...

It's not exactly the greatest economy out there. Also, we have no idea about her work situation. Perhaps she has a job, but it doesn't give enough hours or pay. She might have also be in the process of getting assistance. I have to wonder what exactly she was expected to do here. As others have mentioned, if she didn't put the kid in school, she would have been charged with something for that.

And even if this lady was a complete screw up who wasn't doing anything right, at least she did one thing right by having her kid go to school...

[reggie the dog]

63. since when is capacity linked to finding work?

plenty of capable people are out of work because there are less job openings than there are people looking for work. plus the "fraud" was simply to lie about her address.

[barbtries]

79. why is she "still" homeless?

well let's see, she's been arrested. hard to work from jail. she has a young child to care for. and i didn't see where it was mentioned how long she has been homeless. "still"?

compassion is a human trait too.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

81. Right-wingers don't have compassion. But you knew that already. -nt

[barbtries]

85. they don't.

i find it increasingly difficult to recall that they are actually human.

[walldude]

90. No one else will do it so I will

You are a fucking clueless asshole.

Really. Not a fucking clue. Not a clue about being poor, about surviving, about the education system, about being unemployed... Nothing.

Now call a mod to get this deleted.

[barbtries]

92. what walldude said.

[valerief]

111. + a gazillion

[Shining Jack]

126. +1000

The perfect example of the me, myself and I type.You disgust me. :puke:

ETA: Not you, walldude !

[Cid_B]

138. Glad to see your last resort...

... is to insult with no actual point.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

159. The point is you're a RWer, with a consistently RW worldview about each and every subject.

And as such, you are exactly as deserving of civilized discourse as a charging rabid pitbull.

By the way, I don't give a flying fuck if this post is deleted as long as you have a chance to read it.

Fuck you with Washington's monument coated in ground glass. You and all the other psychopaths who are biologically unable to extract pleasure from anything other than the suffering of the weaker. Fuck you all.

[Cid_B]

160. Feel better?

:eyes:

Aren't you the fierce one.... rawr

[bobbolink]

146. This needs to be enshrined, not deleted.

:applause:

[Gormy Cuss]

97. It's pretty clear that she wasn't savvy enough to commit fraud successfully.

It's quite likely that the Bridgeport SD would have found her child ineligible too since the friend's address is only a part time home. This woman and her child have no legal address, yet the child needs schooling. What would you have her do, surrender the child to the state?

[liberation]

99. Yes homelessness is a choice, and victims are always to blame...

... life is so much easier when viewed from a libertarian angle.

[Name removed]

102. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Celebration]

103. the "capacity" to become employed

Do you have a job offer for her?

[aggiesal]

106. Yep, living in public housing, I'm sure ...

they were in a really good school district. :sarcasm: :sarcasm: :sarcasm:

If she didn't send her child to school, they probably would have
arrested her on some other charge.

[abelenkpe]

109. In this economy? You're asking why

she's homeless? Really?

[valerief]

110. Oh, yeah, jobs with pay you can afford to live off are pouring out of fountains in the U.S. now.

Why didn't she just drink from that fountain? Or pick a few leaves off the money tree?

:sarcasm:

[proud patriot]

120. Good Grief

x(

[Ignis]

122. "Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses?"

:puke:

[alp227]

143. I'm far from poor and still can't find a job...so wow

Do you really think that all homeless people choose to be lazy? That's so oversimplified...wow. And the 15K...where'd you rather have it (or more) spent? Foster care for the kid? Imprisoning him should he commit crime later in life for not being able to get educated?

[EstimatedProphet]

162. I absolutely agree

This kind of thing occurs because we have gotten soft. We've abandoned workhouses, where people like this woman could have stayed and been gainfully employed at the same time for up to 18 hours a day. Plus, there's no disincentive now to being homeless - we used to make public embarrassment of people like this a priority, so that they would want to avoid being lazy layabouts and would choose to be productive members of society. All we do now to them is shun them. Bring back the stocks on the public square, I say!

[ThomCat]

27. Yes, a legal catch-22 based on poverty.

The school district is prepared to punish her no matter what she does solely to save themselves money.

If her son shows up, they bill her and punish her because she doesn't have an address.

If she doesn't send her son, I guarantee they'd go after her because they are losing federal funds for each kid that doesn't show up, so keeping her son out of school would be costing them money.

[joshcryer]

41. Let's be clear, it doesn't save them money.

They profit because this woman now has to pay restitution. Was the child educated even though the woman was not legally in that district? Yes? Was the education paid for by the rate payers in that district? Yes? Then there was no money 'lost.'

:puke:

(PS I'm not upset with you, I'm upset with the situation at large, in fact don't consider my post directed at you, it's just a follow up to what you were writing.)

[trotsky]

45. And since public schools get additional state and/or federal funding based on headcount...

the district didn't exactly lose money to educate this child. This story has made me very angry about our society.

[barbtries]

80. and

the criminalization of poverty.

[Angry Dragon]

13. She tries to send her son son to school and gets punished

If she would have keep him out of school she would have been punished

If a charter school steals millions all they do is give them more schools to run

This country is finished, no turning it around without a lot of blood in the streets
Only the insane are taken seriously ........ that should tell you something

[madamesilverspurs]

14. Damn.

"...your tired, your poor, your huddled masses..." - we'll make more of them and then abuse them cruelly.

What the hell are we becoming?!


-

[Terra Alta]

17. we will become a third world nation before long if this keeps up.

We have to take care of our poor people.. that should be our top priority. The rich can fend for themselves; the poor and homeless have no voice in this country and it makes me angry.

[bobbolink]

147. Thank you! Now, use that anger to start some action!

If there can be huge demonstrations in Madison, then why the hell aren't there HUGER demonstrations about this???

LOOK at the destruction... look at the waste of human lives.

WHERE are the "progressives"?

[alphafemale]

15. When we moved to a neighoring HS district my son's senior year. Everyone knew but looked the other

But then we not poor and we're white.

[Cerridwen]

16. "you would think they could get similar evidence on someone with more ability to pay restitution"

<snip>

Norwalk defense attorney Michael Corsello, who several years ago represented a woman charged with first-degree larceny for sending her children to Weston schools while living at the Hi-Ho Motel in Fairfield, said he wondered why authorities chose to make McDowell the example.

"There are some people where you could effect restitution through the criminal justice system. If the woman is homeless then restitution probably is not possible," said Corsello, who is also employed by Norwalk schools as an expulsion hearing officer.

"I am surprised that this is the case they chose to make an example of," Corsello said. "Obviously, doing this will have a deterring effect on others doing the same thing, but you would think they could get similar evidence on someone with more ability to pay restitution."

Read more: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/policereports/article/Bridgeport-woman-arrested-for-registering-son-in-1340009.php#ixzz1Jvddtdw5

[joshcryer]

43. As if they're going to go after the soccer moms who keep their kids...

...in the same school despite moving just so they don't have to "make new friends" for that school year, which happens a lot, apparently.

Nah, they go after the "big offenders" because it lets them effectively write off a big expenditure.

[Cerridwen]

67. That and this woman is less likely to fight back.

The ultimate cynicism; attacking those weaker or defenseless.

edit to add defenseless.

[rivercat]

76. they should just transfer the "restitutuion" from whatever school district

the child "should" have been enrolled in.

[happyslug]

19. Ct Post site with some more details

http://www.ctpost.com/local/article/Bridgeport-woman-arrested-for-registering-son-in-1339555.php

Same Article on Stamford Advocate site:
http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/policereports/article/Bridgeport-woman-arrested-for-registering-son-in-1340009.php

[progressoid]

20. What the ??

:mad:

[Odin2005]

21. This is fucking INSANE!!!

:grr:

[Mnemosyne]

22. K&R for more visibility. n/t

[apples and oranges]

24. Have any teachers stepped forward to defend this woman

or are they the ones who reported her?

[proud2BlibKansan]

74. Nice broad brush

As a teacher, I can tell you that his teacher probably had no idea this child was homeless unless the mother said something.

More likely district administration found out and went after this mother.

On edit, read the link posted by happyslug in reply #19. It explains what happened and no, it wasn't the teachers.

[bobbolink]

148. I'd like to know that, also.

"Solidarity" and all that.

[joshcryer]

153. Just go find the thread about the grandfather who let the daughter drop her kids off at his house...

...so they wouldn't have to be subjected to a shitty school with "troubled kids."

[Rex]

26. So she was more severely punished because she was homeless

powerless and a problem when it comes to paying school taxes (no property). Stories like these confirm to me that we are truly heading not only in the wrong direction, but are very far along the Highway to Hell.

Sad. Pathetic. Wrong.

:(

This country is not free, it is a JOKE and education is the punching bag.

[oldlady]

29. It's likely no one reported her

The babysitter was living in public housing. For the past several years subsidized housing has been part of the e-verify system and it's likely the babysitter's address showed up when cross-checking school district data (they also check INS, court, credit, etc.). The babysitter is probably losing her housing because the e-verify would indicate the mother and son were living illegally in the subsidized housing unit. The mother not on the lease was being prosecuted via the school district complaint.

I'm surprised this e-verify thing hasn't gotten more attention. Imagine if the wealthy were having their digital information accessed and cross-referenced monthly!

[surrealAmerican]

37. You may be right.

Of course, the school district could have chosen not to pursue the matter even so.

[joshcryer]

39. Wow, that's a fantastic angle and I bet that's what happened.

[Vinca]

31. Meanwhile, back on Wall Street . . .

What a fucked up country.

[BIGFOOTSDADDY333]

32. denying that child an education is the crime.....em

[xchrom]

34. Wow. That is fucked up. Nt

[TheKentuckian]

35. To be honest, I'd rather live in the hills than in a "society" like this.

Time to bring it all down.

Hell, I bet many of the things that we wring our hands over could be helped mightily by changing the way schools are funded. That is real reform.

[coyote]

36. I really hate people.

What is it with people in positions of power that makes them lose their humanity? I just don't understand this at all.

[w4rma]

53. Too many sociopathic Ayn Randians entrusted with too much power over others? (nt)

[liberation]

101. Most positions of power tend to be occupied by functional sociopaths

that is no coincidence. Most of our social institutions (political/government, corporate, and yes even religious) are sociopathic in nature.

[joshcryer]

38. This thread is a far cry from the mother who used her fathers address to send her kid to a better...

...school.

In that, the responses are supportive of mothers heroically making sure their child is safe.

[cali]

46. huh? the posts in this thread are supportive of the mother.

what are you talking about?

[joshcryer]

51. Yes, they are.

The posts are supportive of the mother. The other thread they were not. Sorry what I wrote was was so poorly constructed, I didn't sleep last night.

"This thread is a far cry (eg, different) ... in that ... the responses are supportive of mothers heroically making sure their child is safe."

I don't know if you remember that other thread but I do. A really eye opening view of DU for me.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

84. Yeah, DUers tend to be more sympathetic to the poor. Ain't that evil? -nt

[joshcryer]

154. Clear miscommunication.

Sorry, again, "in that" I wasn't referring to that other thread, I was referring to this instance. I am proud of the responses in this thread!

[octothorpe]

47. Damned if she did, damed if she didn't

This is ridiculous.

[Scruffy1]

52. The War on the Poor is escalating.

It's been going on for years, but it has really begun to escalate in the last decade. Defunding education is one of the goals of the plutocracy. As any economist knows if you decrease the supply of a commodity,product or service while the demand in inelastic the price will either go up or their will be intense rivalry for the same. To me it's just another step in the slide into total domination by by corporatist class allied with the petty bourgeoisie and the strangest of allies-the "house" Christians.
These are the prosperity gospel folks who really worship money and need the rituals and symbols to cover their totally corrupt and self serving ways. At least the proto-fascist don't bother dressing it up much, so they are easier to deal with. I always find it interesting that some of our most corrupt leaders often get away with it by hiding behind a Bible.
Of course the real crime the poor commit is not being invisible. If you can't see them they don't exist, which is the way the ruling class wants it. Not even the stone hearted money changers want to see the result of their exploitation, but would rather live in their nice encapsulated world.
Politics is not enough to solve these problems. It will take direct action of some sort. And I don't mean walking around chanting slogans. That didn't change one vote in Wisconsin. We have the power to effect change. The question is:Do we have the will?

[Le Taz Hot]

54. Well, beyond the Randian

psychosis here, the school collected Average Daily Attendance funds for this student every day he attended so they aren't "out" anything.

Is it revolution yet?

[ej510]

59. Either we fix this country or leave it.

[mimitabby]

57. anyone here know how to start a petition at change.org?

here's this homeless woman who is doing all she can to provide her son a normal life. She's got him in daycare, she's got him in school; so what do the authorities do? They ARREST her and give her a fine that might as well be a million dollars! WHOSE welfare are we concerned with? They are destroying her fragile support system. It's disgusting.

If someone knows how to set up a petition I will gladly sign it.

[_ed_]

60. Not one Wall Street banker has been jailed

Pathetic.

[alp227]

132. +1, these types of stories are distraction from real issue

i remember the story about the Ohio woman (Kelly Williams Bolar) who was convicted of perjury for using her dad's address to send her kids to better school

[Raksha]

62. This is just beyond sickening. So she's a criminal

for wanting her son to have a life and a future. That tells me more about what our country has become than I even want to know.

[marmar]

69. This country is sick.

nt

[robinlynne]

70. unbelievable. just unbelievable.

[Orsino]

75. If only the kid had been a fetus.

There would be no end of people wanting to defend his rights.

[barbtries]

77. this is so mean!

unbelievably mean. what are they thinking?! :cry:

where's the little boy now, with no mother to care for him, and no where to live? oh my gawd.

[proud2BlibKansan]

78. I remember a time, not long ago, when parents were allowed to use a babysitter's address

My district called it a 'transportation address' and no, it wasn't always in the same district where the child actually lived.

How fast we've gone downhill. And all because we've starved our schools to the point they can't afford to educate any child who doesn't live inside specific boundaries.

I am in no way excusing what these school administrators and prosecutor did to this woman. I find it despicable. However, if our schools were appropriately funded we wouldn't be worried about specific boundaries - because we didn't used to.

[bobbolink]

177. I don't think it is just about the $$$$.... it is costing WAAAy more to prosecute her!

I think this is the escalation of criminalizing homelessness, and that is happening because people aren't fighting it.

TPTB are doing this because they can... there is little opposition.

[proud2BlibKansan]

179. Everything is about money

Money = Power

[bobbolink]

181. Of course. But, you aren't understanding the point.. it IS about criminalizing homelessness.

Unless you understand what is happening in this country regarding that, you won't see that.

Your perspective is schools. Mine is homelessness. I understand yours, but you may not understand mine.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

83. I just threw up a bit in my mouth. Un-fucking-believable. nt

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

89. Take a look at #23 so you can thoroughly clean your stomach.

:puke:

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

96. Hey now, they're just being "curious".

:eyes:

[shawn703]

86. How many people live in that district

Who don't have any children but still pay property taxes to support the school? Ana Rebecca Marques isn't one of those people?

[WoodyD]

107. Mr. Woody D always brings that up

with a tea-bagger co-worker. She's a single mom on every assistance program imaginable but she's opposed to all those programs for other people because "she needs them but other people are just freeloaders." The other day Mr. Woody D told her we shouldn't have to pay property taxes to support her kid's school, because we don't have kids. So she should pay to send her kid to a private school. Accepting our tax dollars is "socialism" on her part. He enjoyed watching her head nearly explode from the cognitive dissonance.

There's a mill levy up for a vote right now that would raise property taxes for education in our district. Yes, we're voting for it. We think an extra $40 is a bargain if that means kids around here (yes, other people's) can get a better education. She's very vocal in her opposition. "Damn Democrats raising taxes so all those lazy people can get a free ride." Uh, honey . . . oh, never mind. It's hopeless.

Bonus hypocrisy points: her live-in boyfriend who is some kind of minor official in the local Republican party won't marry her because if he does she won't be eligible for all the government programs she's on.

Double bonus: She used to annoy Mr Woody D all day long with her rants about "socialism." So he started bring up, you know, facts and stuff. Now she avoids him as much as possible. Winning!

[WoodyD]

91. Oh, all you bleeding heart DUers

worrying about this homeless mom, her homeless kid and her now-homeless babysitter. Don't you know there are investment bankers out there who are second-homeless? What are they supposed to do when all their friends go off to the Hamptons?

[KamaAina]

94. Good God! When did Norwalk become teabagger Nazi land?!

I lived there for a couple of years in the mid-90s. It seemed like a sane, reasonable town, far more integrated than the yuppie paradises that surround it (Westport, Darien, etc.) without too much of the urban decay that has come to define Bridgeport (which is why Ms. McDowell did this to begin with).

It never occurred to me that Norwalk would make national news for behaving like East Bumfuck, (insert Red state here). :grr: :banghead:

[valerief]

113. Electronic voting and Citizens United has brought this country down to beyond repair. nt

[indimuse]

95. sounds like a police state to me... n/t!

[liberation]

98. The secret in this country is to screw up things at such monumental scale

that the courts are forced to "look forward not backwards."

Apparently our judicial system can only deal with peccadilloes. However, given the minuscule scope of their capabilities how come lawyers, judges, and politicians (most politicians are lawyers ironically) demand such astronomic salaries.

[elleng]

100. "The law, in its majestic equality,

forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread."

La majestueuse égalité des lois, qui interdit au riche comme au pauvre de coucher sous les ponts, de mendier dans les rues et de voler du pain.

Anatole France, 1894

[Turbineguy]

105. What?

No death penalty? They must be getting soft on crime.

[d_r]

108. Wait a second.

No Child Left Behind, of all the crapppy aspects of it, gives homeless families rights to enter school. The McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act-

"If a dispute arises over school selection or enrollment, the LEA must immediately enroll the homeless student in the school in which enrollment is sought by the parent or guardian, pending resolution of the dispute. Similar provisions apply to placement of unaccompanied youth. Inter-district enrollment disputes should be resolved at the SEA level (See G-9).
14
Homeless families and youth may be unaware of their right to challenge placement and enrollment decisions. Therefore, the LEA must provide the parent, guardian, or unaccompanied youth with a written statement of the school placement decision and the appeal rights. The LEA must refer the unaccompanied youth, parent, or guardian to the LEA liaison, who must expeditiously carry out the dispute resolution process.
When enrollment disputes arise, it is critical that students not be kept out of school. Interruption in education can severely disrupt the student’s academic progress.
To avoid such disruptions, LEAs need an established process for resolving school placement disputes. Permitting students to enroll immediately in the school of choice pending resolution of disputes helps provide needed stability."

http://www2.ed.gov/programs/homeless/guidance.pdf

[abelenkpe]

114. You should send that info to the mother involved if possible. nt

[Iggo]

112. Goddam fucking homeless!

Always trying to game the system!

[peoli]

117. Homeless children are allowed to go to school according to McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act

http://center.serve.org/nche/definition.php

[MichiganVote]

121. Yup. The former school has to offer assistance unless it is too far away--as in the student moved

into another county or state.

[alp227]

141. googled that, it took effect in 1987, signed by which president?

Answer: RONALD REAGAN! (but wait...what about the mass closings of mental hospitals followed by a swell in homelessness?) Sponsored by Rep. Thomas Foley (D-WA) and named after Stewart B. McKinney (R-CT) and Bruce Vento (D-MN). Passed Senate by a 65-8 vote and House by 301-115 vote; this was during the 100th Congress that had Democratic majorities in both bodies; the Senate was 55-45 D and House 258-177 D so there must've been a bunch of Republicans who voted for this bill. Wow, I think that the late McKinney (died from AIDS in 1987) must want to come back and scream at the prosecutors.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

118. Let's all have a rousing chorus of "I'm Proud to Be an American"!

Shame on us!

[bobburgster]

119. That is another example of.......

the poor being stepped on to keep them down and dumb.

[Corruption Winz]

123. So, lemme get this right..

She likely has a job, otherwise why would she have a babysitter. She's trying to get her son into a school so that he can learn and better himself.... And since she has a job, she likely pays state taxes. Taxes that fund schools/educations in the state. Yet, she's essentially stealing her own money.

Brilliant.

[AsahinaKimi]

124. This is very sad

Very sad. When I think about all the people in Japan, who helped each other during the quake and tsunami, I wonder if many Americans would have done the same. Oh, some would have, many others would have just said.."let them drown, they are just homeless."

[ooglymoogly]

125. There is a bill before state legislation that is sure to go viral in red states, to just

summarily take these felonious education thieves out and have them shot, to save on court costs. The only group standing in the way of this sensible legislation, who hold any sway, is the private for profit prison industry, saying it has a right to a piece of the pie and that execution would lower their profits and that felony, felony, felony conviction for felonious education theft is quite good enough. They have also come out against the state legislators plans to build a system of gas chambers for deviants and pot smokers which are their bread and butter.

The legislature admits they are a formidable opponent in that they consider new prisoners their just due and felony is the new word for profit, profit, profit. Federal law appeared to pose a problem but word coming down from A.G. Holdems reined them in with the comment unless they can bring something to the table, like say, gold in their teeth, that can be extracted on the spot, "let'em hang"....zieg heil

[ctchrisf]

129. another reason to federalize school system

its a kid. he needs an education, should be allowed to goto any public school he wants. there should be no difference in the quality of education.

not the kids fault mom was financially unsuccessful.

[midnight]

127. Tonya McDowell can't not escape the horror of mean spirited people...

All this for trying to educate a homeless child...

[ctchrisf]

128. My home town

Ugg this makes me sick.

Reminds me of when i was in high school and the school found out my parents had joint custody my mother moved to Norwalk my father still lived in Fairfield (two towns over 8 miles up the road) They wanted to bill me.

Anyway work is tight around here and living isn't cheap. 600 bucks a month gets you a room to rent.
I'll be making a phone call in the AM to someone in city hall.

[ncrainbowgrrl]

140. Welcome to DU!

My DH is from Danbury. :hi:

[bobbolink]

149. Thank you, and welcome to DU!

:bounce: :toast: :hi: :toast: :bounce:

Please report on what you find out from your phone call!

Further, please see if you can get a protest movement started there... this woman desperately needs SUPPORT!

IF you make this highly visible, it may have a much better outcome!

[ZombieHorde]

131. The US is depraved. nt

[JTG of the PRB]

135. What the hell is wrong with this country?

We are so screwed. What an awful story. :(

[bobbolink]

150. What is wrong? People don't give a shit.

[jillan]

139. Seriously? A homeless women can't want a better life for her son? What is wrong with this country??

Elephants.

[bobbolink]

151. There are ONE POINT SIX-FIVE MILLION HOMELESS SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE U.S.

When are "progressives" going to decide that is an issue worthy of protests?

[joshcryer]

155. We need single payer education.

"Public education" pretends to be that, but it's not really, it's district based, and each district gets their own little kickbacks. "Troubled kids" are thrown under the fucking bus. Waiting for "Dream With Me" to come out... movie about America's Public School system.

Also, I need to check out Waiting for Superman.

[bobbolink]

156. Education is going to solve homelessness.... HOW? Or are you saying its OK for kids to be homeless,

as long as they can go to school????????????

[GreenPartyVoter]

157. We need lifetime public education too. It's such a shame when kids want to

continue their education or job training and they are saddled with astronomical debt.

[GreenPartyVoter]

158. People have no idea that the number is so high. It bears repeating:

"There are ONE POINT SIX-FIVE MILLION HOMELESS SCHOOL CHILDREN IN THE U.S."

This shouldn't be happening. It shouldn't be allowed to happen. But too many people either buy into the idea of "Oh, well there's always going to be _some_ homeless people" or they just flat out don't give a damn.

[trotsky]

167. Or my favorite: "They're homeless by choice!"

Ugh.

[GreenPartyVoter]

168. Yeah, that's a real gem right there.

[bobbolink]

172. "Believing that people are homeless because they want to be may help you to sleep better at night,

but it bears no resemblance to reality." Mitch Snyder.

[bobbolink]

169. Nope,because the middleclass is safe and warm.

:rofl:

"First they came for the poor, but I wasn't poor, so I turned my back."

:rofl: :cry: :nuke:

[GreenPartyVoter]

173. Yup. I think that's an awful lot of it right there.

[ThomCat]

170. There are 1,650,000+ homeless children in this country!

There are 1,650,000+
Homeless Children in this country!

That needs to be repeated, often and loudly until people realize what an urgent tragedy this is, and join in to help do something about it! x(

[bobbolink]

171. Thanks for being a megaphone, GreenPartyVoter and ThomCat!

Sadly, it seems that this fact may be the only one that can get empathy.

HOW can we make this a big issue with the likes of Hartmann, Maddow, Goodman, etc?

HOW can we put this on all progressive lips?!

[GreenPartyVoter]

174. I haven't seen Rachel lately. I wonder if she's following this story about this one child? If she is

it would be a great opening to throw that statistic at her. Hard.

[bobbolink]

175. Sadly, I sincerely doubt it. It doesn't have the term "middleclass" attached to it.

Until there are enough "progressives" interested in pushing her, nothing is going to change.

ANd, until *SHE* pushes it, "progressives" won't be interested.

Isn't it neat how that works?

[GreenPartyVoter]

176. Well, we wrote her before. We could do it again and see if it hits home. Personally, I would

really like to send a her a fact sheet on poverty and homelessness. It would give her plenty to chew on, that's for sure!