The White Establishment

[teachercd]

Ok, so Omaha probably pitched in $20 million for the Dodge Street overpass. It was most likely funded by the issuance of bonds to be paid by future gasoline taxes.

 

Gasoline taxes are the closest thing you will find to user taxes that you will see (next to tolls). I don't know how much clearer I can't make this. A city can't issue a gas tax and then use those funds for public welfare and social projects. Gas taxes have to be used on construction and maintenance projects.

 

Also, in order to receive $80 million of federal highway funds, the state/city has to put in a % of the overall project costs.

Thank you for this information!

[BigRedBuster]

I can't believe now people should feel guilty because they have a nice road to drive on.

[Moiraine]

I can't believe now people should feel guilty because they have a nice road to drive on.

I think you've gotten to the root of the problem (accidentally)

 

No one is telling anyone they should feel guilty. This reaction happens a lot and it's nonsensical. It makes no sense to feel guilty or to think someone thinks you should feel guilty. I'll never understand that conclusion yet it always seems to crop up in these discussions. I've already said it twice here but people have conveniently ignored it so I'll say it a 3rd time. I'm not against the road and don't think people should be against it.

 

 

As I've already stated, and I'll repeat again, one of the points is for people to realize that they benefit from taxes that don't help everyone. No one is just doing everything for themselves. There is way too much complaining about welfare programs and people "getting stuff for free." We are all benefitting from tax funding in some way or another, some specific benefits are not helpful to everyone who is paying for them. Instead of focusing on welfare we should take a step back and not take for granted the things that help us out.

 

Being aware of it doesn't mean people should feel guilty about anything. It means they should stop doing sh#t like thinking poor people are abusing the system because they're "living off the government dime" or they're lazy, because they're getting some tax funding and trying to reduce assistance due to those illogical feelings. Realizing this attitude is incorrect is a good first step for a lot of positive things.

[BigRedBuster]

So....people shouldn't feel bad about racism?

 

And, people feeling guilty of racism is the root of the problem?

[Moiraine]

So....people shouldn't feel bad about racism?

 

And, people feeling guilty of racism is the root of the problem?

I added some more stuff to the post.

 

But this reply doesn't make sense regardless.

 

I really don't get how people have these reactions.

 

I'm saying your reply is the root of the problem in trying to even have a dialogue about it. Not even being able to discuss it because people get defensive for no reason is a big problem. No one is telling you to feel guilty. No one is saying you should feel guilty. It's just baffling to me that people respond this way.

 

If I tell you to look up White privilege you're going to say you know what it means but your reactions make it seem like you don't.

[Moiraine]

Edit: I realize I put this in the systematic racism topic but I meant it as an example of White privilege. I'd say they are strongly related but not the same thing. I didn't want to make a separate topic though. So if that's a reason for your reply I understand.

 

 

I'd be surprised if this hasn't been posted before but I'll link it anyway. It is from occupywallstreet but it came up when I googled just now and I think it's well written.

 

http://occupywallstreet.net/story/explaining-white-privilege-broke-white-person

 

 

And listen, recognizing Privilege doesn't mean suffering guilt or shame for your lot in life. Nobody's saying that Straight White Middle Class Able-Bodied Males are all a bunch of a$$hole$ who don't work hard for what they have. Recognizing Privilege simply means being aware that some people have to work much harder just to experience the things you take for granted (if they ever can experience them at all.)

[zoogs]

All I think Moiraine was saying is that we have a participatory government that naturally caters more to some people.

 

When this happens in our favor, we don't tend to think twice about it; that's just government working for the people. When this happens explicitly to help others, we tend to react with various sorts of suspicion. Did they deserve it? Why should we pay for something they are getting? Etc.

 

I don't know anything about the Omaha overpass, but transportation generally is one area where I think this does apply. And it's absolutely not that white people want to live in suburbs more. It's a scenario where people who don't have the money to do so are disproportionately minority, simultaneously in larger need and with smaller influence in where their governments focus spending initiatives.

 

There's some example I'm thinking of but can't find atm. Here's an article I did find: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/02/america_s_transportation_system_discriminates_against_minorities_and_poor.html

 

Sometimes, as in Buffalo’s case, communities feel cut out of the decision-making process. Those in power make decisions about transportation planning, resulting in ill-planned bus routes, transportation more likely to benefit those with cars than those without, and bleak environmental costs. In some cities, roads continue to pull apart neighborhoods, prioritizing commuters over communities. Nationally, the United States remains a country where many forms of transportation are effectively still segregated—whites and minorities ride different kinds of transportation, resulting in an unequal ability to reach jobs, education, and a better life.

 

“Discrimination in transportation, quite often it’s more subtle today,” says Robert Bullard, dean of Texas Southern University’s school of public affairs, and a co-editor of Highway Robbery: Transportation Racism and New Routes to Equity. “We don’t have laws about posting signs for whites and coloreds. We don’t have laws segregating people on buses and trains ... [but]if you look at quality of service, efficiency of service, look at amenities attached to suburban rail versus inner-city bus lines, it’s like night and day.”

(emphasis mine) I think this is a fairly uncontroversial point, and not an accusation.

 

To turn it around a little, we also have a government that is a lot more worried about how to make life easier for top execs than for suburban middle-class families in the Omaha area, too. Without recognizing these things, it's so easy to go way too far in one direction. Government should be limited and not work for everyone infinitely, because resources are finite. However, we should also all be able to share in acknowledging a) where efforts are needed most and b) what the current effort distribution looks like.

[AR Husker Fan]

https://twitter.com/mostafa/status/812976713529520128

[BigRedBuster]

 

So....people shouldn't feel bad about racism?

 

And, people feeling guilty of racism is the root of the problem?

I added some more stuff to the post.

 

But this reply doesn't make sense regardless.

 

I really don't get how people have these reactions.

 

I'm saying your reply is the root of the problem in trying to even have a dialogue about it. Not even being able to discuss it because people get defensive for no reason is a big problem. No one is telling you to feel guilty. No one is saying you should feel guilty. It's just baffling to me that people respond this way.

 

If I tell you to look up White privilege you're going to say you know what it means but your reactions make it seem like you don't.

A project like the dodge over pass is a horrible example of racism.

 

Those projects are done by cities to keep them modern and up to date. Without doing them, over time, it hurts job growth in the area. Without job growth, more people end up poor and without a job.

 

Also, that project employed a hell of a lot of people in construction that may not have had a job.

 

I continually see comments that infrastructure improvements are one way government can help crate jobs for people who can't find them.

 

Vox is fantastic at writing articles that fall into this. They take a normal function in life and write an article that makes it seem like it's part of some grand scheme to oppress some portion of the population.

[Moiraine]

 

 

So....people shouldn't feel bad about racism?

 

And, people feeling guilty of racism is the root of the problem?

I added some more stuff to the post.

 

But this reply doesn't make sense regardless.

 

I really don't get how people have these reactions.

 

I'm saying your reply is the root of the problem in trying to even have a dialogue about it. Not even being able to discuss it because people get defensive for no reason is a big problem. No one is telling you to feel guilty. No one is saying you should feel guilty. It's just baffling to me that people respond this way.

 

If I tell you to look up White privilege you're going to say you know what it means but your reactions make it seem like you don't.

A project like the dodge over pass is a horrible example of racism.

This post shows there is a huge chasm between what I'm saying and what you think I'm saying. It's hard to see this response of yours and come to the conclusion that you're trying, because it's so far away from anything I've said and I've repeated myself 2-3 times now.

 

It's incredibly frustrating. I've flat out said no one is saying anyone should feel guilty. I said it in the exact post you're quoting and yet your response is that the expressway isn't racist. I'm utterly baffled why you think that's an argument here. Again, I think you don't know what White privilege is.

 

Also, I don't read Vox so I don't know what articles you're talking about about but things people take for granted are by definition of those people "normal functions in life." What's normal for people in suburbia that they take for granted may not be normal for someone living in poverty in the inner city. Like basic infrastructure being in good shape.

 

I'm thinking maybe you should re-read my posts but I don't know how you didn't see it the first second and third times I said I have no issue with the expressway being built and don't think people should have an issue with it.

 

And I'm sorry if I'm coming off like a bitch here. I like reading your posts and discussing stuff with you most of the time. Some people I wouldn't even bother responding to. Lucky you I guess? Heh.

[Moiraine]

Would a mod mind splitting off my first post about the Expressway and everything after into a White privilege topic? I put it in here because it's loosely related and I dont like posting new topics, but people seem to be ignoring most of the words in my initial post and just seeing the word racist in the topic title.

[ColoradoHusk]

I'm still trying to figure out how a road construction project is an example of racism and white privilege. There are plenty of city expenditures that aren't used by every citizen of the city.

 

I could also point out that those who don't pay property taxes could be thought of as "free riders". These free riders are made up of all races, yet those who are taking advantage of living in the suburbs and paying high property taxes are only privileged white people.

[teachercd]

I can't believe now people should feel guilty because they have a nice road to drive on.

 

I love this reply for so many different reasons.

[ColoradoHusk]

 

 

I can't believe now people should feel guilty because they have a nice road to drive on.

I love this reply for so many different reasons.

I think Omaha should change its city slogan to "Omaha: our roads are so nice that it must be due to racism"

[Moiraine]

I'm still trying to figure out how a road construction project is an example of racism and white privilege. There are plenty of city expenditures that aren't used by every citizen of the city.

 

To the bolded - exactly, you get it! FINALLY. Yet with some of these, people complain about laziness and using the system. Not so with stuff that only benefits people in the suburbs.

 

Also, delete the word racism from your post after you re-read the thousands of gd times I've said I'm not saying anything about racism.