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The Unexotic Underclass

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Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#41

Post by nijk »

dr_ wrote: post #29
Cyranix wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you take this comment a step further and attempt an explanation for why a gargantuan pile of paperwork does exist despite such excellent software?

Yes, part of it is registering vets into the system. The other part is a combination of the enormous number of claims and enormous amount of documentation required. As a physician, I worked in C&P (compensation and pension) clinics for a number of years at the VA, as a consultant. The amount of documentation required is astronomical, likely because vets are being compensated for their injuries with taxpayer dollars.…

So universal healthcare would make the VA problems disappear.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#42

Post by dsuth »

205guy wrote: post #31

I don't disagree with the article, but I had 2 thoughts form in my mind while reading it: 1) I don't think entrepreneurs (and tech ones at that) have solved any problems, even for the upper classes they cater to. Instead, they have become popular and profitable the old-fashioned way, by creating and filling a need. Even a solution as fundamental as search on the internet is not really helping me lead a better life--t…

I agree with your second point, that's the same feeling I got out of the article: "Look! A new market to exploit with your trivial webapps!". There are a lot of problems with this statement, first being that it's not an ideal target for capitalist/consumerist business cases. These people do not have large amounts of disposable income to waste on crap.

Honestly this seems like a largely American issue with their bias against socialist policies. The govt can step in here and improve things for this class of people, but the whole idea of that is untenable to (apparently) the majority of Americans.

I wonder how long it will take for the stink of desperation to become unbearable to the middle/upper class.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#43

Post by pvnick »

Awesome article, but,

> If you’re under 30 and in finance, you’ve definitely noticed the radical migration of your peers from Wall Street to Silicon Valley and Silicon Alley

My heart sank. I don't want those sociopathic Wall Street bros infesting the tech scene.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#44

Post by ebiester »

It's pretty simple.

The Unexotic Underclass Doesn't Have Cash.

In 2007, the bottom 60% of the country had 4.2% of the country's wealth. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:U.S._Distribution_of_Weal...

Frankly, it doesn't make sense to target anyone but the top 40% of the country. Roll a 20 sided die. If you roll a 1, put in the pile that goes to the bottom 60%. If you roll a 2-20, put it in the money that goes to the top 40% of the country.

Which market are you going to get money from? I can tell you which market I'm looking at.

Now, the distribution of income isn't as disparate, but there's a reason that the bottom 60% isn't generating wealth, and it's partially because they're spending all of their money on essentials and small, low overhead luxuries.

Is it true that you can make a good amount of money in making things more affordable to these segments? Sure, but these don't seem to be the grand problems people are talking about.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#45

Post by olefoo »

Maxious wrote: post #34
greghinch wrote: post #22

Before you can fix any of the problems that would require you to be a US government contractor, you first have to fix the problems of how US government IT contracts are awarded. There is an entire sub-industry of IT service firms who have perfected the art of bidding on government contracts, and win them regardless of their ability to build the best solution. They just have to present the lowest cost solution that me…

Fix the problems of how US government IT contracts are awarded? There's a startup for that. http://www.dobt.co/ > During the pilot period, RFP-EZ attracted more than 270 businesses that until now had never approached the world of Federal contracting. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/15/rfp-ez-delivers-sa...

Don't take this the wrong way, but .gov procurement people do notice things like the fact that both domains ( dobt.co and procure.io ) are using cctld's for non-US countries.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#46

Post by dsuth »

dr_ wrote: post #29
Cyranix wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Can you take this comment a step further and attempt an explanation for why a gargantuan pile of paperwork does exist despite such excellent software?

Yes, part of it is registering vets into the system. The other part is a combination of the enormous number of claims and enormous amount of documentation required. As a physician, I worked in C&P (compensation and pension) clinics for a number of years at the VA, as a consultant. The amount of documentation required is astronomical, likely because vets are being compensated for their injuries with taxpayer dollars.…

Another possibility would be to not screen them, provide them with a high level of free care as a reward for their service, and just make the system work efficiently. Whether the government is footing the bill, or an individual is, should make no difference at all to the timeliness or level of care they receive. If the problem is paperwork, that should be targeted first.

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#47

Post by greghinch »

Maxious wrote: post #34
greghinch wrote: post #22

Before you can fix any of the problems that would require you to be a US government contractor, you first have to fix the problems of how US government IT contracts are awarded. There is an entire sub-industry of IT service firms who have perfected the art of bidding on government contracts, and win them regardless of their ability to build the best solution. They just have to present the lowest cost solution that me…

Fix the problems of how US government IT contracts are awarded? There's a startup for that. http://www.dobt.co/ > During the pilot period, RFP-EZ attracted more than 270 businesses that until now had never approached the world of Federal contracting. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2013/05/15/rfp-ez-delivers-sa...

It's a good start, but this is a focused on the relatively low price segment. This doesn't address how some startup could come in and effectively submit a bid for something like the VA system

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#48

Post by was8309 »

completely agree, but language matters, and so : "liberal ... (who believes) ... (the underclass) ... has to pull itself up by its own bootstraps". have we lost the meanings of our words?

Re: The Unexotic Underclass

#49

Post by Spooky23 »

justzisguyuknow wrote: post #35

"Of the single mothers, the majority is White, 1 in 4 is Hispanic, and 1 in 3 is Black." This does not add up.

Statistics here are easily manipulated. Usually these stats are kid centric, because that's how he census bureau tabulates the data... Nearly 70% of black children are in a household with a single mother vs. 45% Latino, 25-30% white, 15% Asian. The numbers vary when you flip it to be parent-centric, and you can cherry-pick states to some extent to find the results that you want.

If you want to decrease single motherhood, you don't need to start a company... You need to change the regulations about certain public benefits that essentially require working class people to not marry in order to raise children. A married, working couple with marginal jobs qualifies for food stamps at best. As a single mother (not required to report the boyfriend's income), you get free daycare, free formula, free healthcare for the child, housing subsidy and additional food subsidy (wic).

These benefits can be worth as much as $50k -- more than household income for a married couple. So many poor folks don't marry.

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