Category: Milwaukee

Latest Read: Poverty, by America

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date September 13, 2023

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond. Matthew is a sociologist at Princeton University. He is also the principal investigator of the Eviction Lab.

Matthew’s first book Evicted was the 2017 Pulitzer Prize winner. In addition, Time Magazine named Evicted one of the ten best nonfiction books of the decade. So, can lightning strike twice?

Matthew’s follow up book just might as he provides fresh insights into how society actually thinks about a morally urgent issue. Yet, he is also indicating solutions are available without raising taxes.

This is not about the war on poverty or welfare reform, but simply a book addressing how poverty somehow persists in the richest nation on earth. Long story short: because the rest of us benefit from it.

Matthew’s insights are data driven and so he asks why. Why are 1 in every 8 children in fact going without basic necessities, why are citizens homeless, and why can corporations pay poverty wages? In addition, Matthew is providing updated statistics the really resonate in a post COVID-19 world.

In fact, throughout our history, the US Congress has raised the minimum wage 22 times. The current level — $7.25 an hour was established in 2009. Wow that was 14 years ago.

There are certainly key factors that perpetuate poverty and economic disparity. Matthew points out how the government gives so many benefits and subsidies to the wealthy. This directly undermines the poor.

Tags Bias, Matthew Desmond, poverty, Poverty by America

Education Milwaukee Reading

Latest Read: Race for Profit

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date June 23, 2022

Race for Profit: How Banks and the Real Estate Industry Undermined Black Homeownership by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. Dr. Taylor is a professor of African American Studies at Princeton University.

Her 2013 PhD dissertation in African-American Studies from Northwestern is titled Race for Profit: Black Housing and the Urban Crisis in the 1970s which moreover serves as the core of this book.

As a result of reading Evicted by Matthew Desmond, Keeanga’s book offers very powerful insights to housing in society from the Housing and Urban Development Act (HUD) of 1968 under the Johnson Administration to the 1974 Ford Administration Housing and Community Development Act which created uneven block grants and shared revenue with federal oversight to social welfare.

However, in contrast to Evicted, Race for Profit reveals deep, historical racism within the housing market that continues today and certainly accelerated under COVID. These forces obviously created downstream impacts at state and local levels, along with private financial firms including banks and real estate.

Keeanga in fact documents those failings were simply accelerating via “public/private partnerships” by Real Estate and Banking firms. This provided another opportunity to fleece poor African American women.

Tags Bias, change, culture, Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, poverty, Race for Profit, tipping point

Education Milwaukee Reading

Latest Read: Evicted

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date June 17, 2022

Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond. Matthew is a sociologist at Princeton University. He is also the principal investigator of the Eviction Lab.

Evicted was the 2017 winner of the Pulitzer Prize, In addition, Time Magazine named Evicted one of the ten best nonfiction books of the decade.

Matthew follows eight families across greater Milwaukee who indeed are struggling to live in apartments. For many readers, Evicted should dramatically change our country’s limited understanding of real poverty, impacting both Caucasian and African American families. One can only imagine the acceleration of evictions since COVID derailed the economy.

It is certainly remarkable to be living in Milwaukee and being able to see the apartments around the greater Milwaukee area in person on trips. Some small cities outside Milwaukee including Cudahy are also written into family stories.

Furthermore, Matthew documents that a common notion is that rent should equate to 30 percent of income. However multiple stories of families reveal they are spending up to 80 percent of income on rent. This certainly leaves so many with almost no money for food, clothing, or basic amenities.

Tags Bias, change, culture, Education, Evicted, Matthew Desmond, Milwaukee, poverty, tipping point

Education Globalization Milwaukee Reading

Latest Read: The Hospital

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date July 18, 2021

The Hospital: Life, Death, and Dollars in a Small American Town
by Brian Alexander. This book is a powerful story involving the small city of Bryan in Northwest Ohio. The local hospital and the collapse of the American healthcare following the 2008 recession is tragic.

Growing up in Northwest Ohio, this book feels personal. As if it was written about a town just west of home. It was, an hour west of Lucas County heading to Chicago on the Ohio turnpike. In addition, I have not read a book that clearly conveys the struggles and failure of our country’s healthcare system. As many health professionals, doctors, government, and community business leaders admit throughout the book, there is no healthcare ‘system’ in America today for those working multiple jobs who still cannot afford healthcare offered by their employer.

There is no healthcare ‘system’ in America today. Many health professionals, doctors, government, and community business leaders admit throughout the book.

Many working multiple jobs still cannot afford healthcare offered by their employer. The abuse heroin along with stunning numbers of citizens with diabetes is frankly depressing in itself. Yet, it is depression that is leading to a rise in suicides across Williams County. Guns, drugs, or rope are the tool around Williams County. Men and women, mothers and fathers from their early 20s to their late 60s. It proves that suicide, like COVID is spreading without restriction across Northwest Ohio.

Brian writes difficult stories of many failing to survive the 2008 recession. Keith Swihart, is just one of many who struggles with holding a down job while in declining health. He is one of many who do not have basic income to acquire medical prescriptions including insulin.

Tags Brian Alexander, Fort Wayne, healthcare, Northwest Ohio, Promedica, The Hospital, toledo

Education Milwaukee Reading

Latest Read: When Pride Still Mattered

Post author By Don Kasprzak
Post date March 28, 2021

When Pride Still Mattered: A Life Of Vince Lombardi by David Maraniss. The writing talent of David Maraniss has aged very well over the last twenty years. This is a very amazing story of Lombardi’s life surrounding coaching and leadership. Yet, Vince’s complex life will certainly surprise new readers today.

David tells a hard truth. It is striking to learn that Vince was distant to his wife and children. Today no NFL coach could get away with repeated public “Shut up Marie!” derogatory statements to his wife. Good grief I did not see that coming. Yet distant relationships with his son and daughter are also a surprise when Vince was so dedicated to his players.

David traces Vince’s life from birth to death. His early years will impress many football fans especially playing New York City high schools games against Sid Luckman. Vince was also attending college with Wellington Mara, another interesting element for fans of the game. At the same time his college life crisscrossed meetings with Frank Sinatra.

The writing throughout this book is powerful and extremely detailed. Maybe to a fault. Lombardi attended a catholic mass daily. His faith is a key element of Lombardi’s life. Author Terry Tibbetts writing A Spartan Game The Life and Loss of Don Holleder acknowledges Lombardi kept in his bible the prayer card for Don Holleder. A junior All-American coached by Lombardi at West Point, Major Holleder died during the Battle of Ong Thanh.

Similarly Lombardi kept prayer cards for two West Point quarterbacks killed during the Korean War. Most assuredly, Lombardi never forgot their sacrifices. There is much to Lombardi’s complex life and David Maraniss captures it all perfectly. Growing up in Ohio, the status of “Saint Lombardi” did not resonate for me. Only after 1997 was his lasting impact first recognized across the Wisconsin press and NFL media publications.

Tags Coaching, david maraniss, Football, Fordham University, Green Bay Packers, leadership, vince lombardi, West Point, When Pride Still Mattered