Foster children in Michigan would use their state-funded clothing allowance only in thrift stores under a plan suggested by State Senator Bruce Caswell.
Caswell says he wants to make sure that state money set aside to buy clothes for foster children and kids of the working poor is actually used for that purpose.
He says they should get "gift cards" to be used only at Salvation Army, Goodwill or other thrift stores.
"I never had anything new," Caswell says. "I got all the hand-me-downs. And my dad, he did a lot of shopping at the Salvation Army, and his comment was -- and quite frankly it's true -- once you're out of the store and you walk down the street, nobody knows where you bought your clothes."
I almost don't know what to say about this. I am stunned at this man's complete lack of compassion and empathy for the foster children in his state.
I don't like to talk about what I do for a living, but let me just say that I often work with disadvantaged children, including some in the foster care system, and I know first hand what kind of stigma these kids deal with every single day.
They are ripped from their families, often through no fault of their own, and find themselves bouncing from one foster home to another for years, feeling unwanted and unloved. They can suffer from a crippling lack of self esteem, and find themselves on the outside of EVERY social clique in their school, knowing full well they simply are not like the other children sitting their classrooms.
Why would you make children who already feel like cast offs themselves, walk around in cast off clothing?
Does this sorry excuse for a human being have ANY idea what kind of self esteem boost one of these kids gets from having the opportunity to go to a regular store like Old Navy, or Nordstroms, or even Wal-Mart, and pick the clothes that THEY want to wear? To know that those clothes were purchased JUST for them, and are NOT just something a wealthier kid had no more use for?
Well I have. And I have seen them wear those clothes as often as they can until they have literally grown right out of them. I have seen them crying with concern that their foster parent will not have the money to buy anything so "cool" the next shopping trip. And I have also witnessed the sense of pride they feel as they fold them up carefully and take them to the Salvation Army, so that somebody in a worse situation than they are will have the opportunity to wear the clothes that they took such pride in wearing, and that they took such pains to keep in near perfect condition.
I would suggest that this gentleman go along on a shopping trip with a foster family and see for himself how it can light up a child's face to pick a beautiful dress and know that, unlike most of the things in their lives, it is just for them. Perhaps it is hard for those of us who can get in our car and buy ourselves a new pair of pants anytime we want, to understand the joy these children feel at such a simple opportunity. But have no doubt that it can do wonders in making them feel special, and loved, and wanted.
(H/T to Rachel Maddow.)
Update: For those who want to e-mail the Senator, and express your thoughts, you may do so here: SenBCaswell@senate.michigan.gov
Republicans: if they only had a heart.
ReplyDeleteSomething happened to this man when he was a child that stunted his development. Why would he not want better choices for children in sad circumstances?
ReplyDeletePeople like Bruce Caswell are a cancer on our society. He is positively evil. Shame on him.
ReplyDeleteSenator Bruce Caswell:
ReplyDeleteYOU. ARE. AN. ASS.
(Thought I would keep it short and to the point.)
Well, if you don't introduce these measures, then all those poor folks will just spend their clothing allowance at Versace and Balenciaga stores. Enough of these welfare beneficiaries eat caviar and drive Porsches already. Now we will allow them to dress at Armani, too?
ReplyDeleteAnd if you think I'm exaggerating, I have heard quite a few conservatives talk about welfare recipients in exactly this manner.
This makes me want to vomit.
Gryphen, would it be possible for you to post an update with a link that would enable us to email this calloused man who has the soul of a petrified moose turd?
ReplyDeleteBut *THEY* know where those clothes came from.
ReplyDeleteThey weren't new. They are someone else's left overs.
Does this congressmen also suggest that foster children only be fed from soup kitchens and food banks? Maybe they should go dumpster diving behind grocery stores for food that is still "good" only it's past its expiration date?
Maybe a mattress and bedding are too much of a burden on the state budget. How about mandating they only sleep on the floor in sleeping bags that may only be purchased from Army surplus stores?
This guy is an asshole. Poster boy for everything that is wrong with the current g NO p.
I have a better idea, all the people in higher income brackets should buy all their clothes at thrift stores, so they don't keep feeding consumerism and pollution.
ReplyDeleteYou are so right G: clothes are hugely symbolic. That is really far more their purpose through the ages than keeping us warm or protected in the merely physical sense. It's really the psychic sense that counts. For kings and paupers and all the rest of us alike.
ReplyDeleteSo the symbolism of this man saying "second-class clothes are good enough for you, worthless child" is huge.
In the man's own case, the effect of it is not as great when you have many of those things that foster kids lack: the security of a forever parent, school success, etc.
I agree 100% that a treasured item of clothing can go a long way, most esp at this time of life when these things have an exaggerated importance for all children.
So good of you to share your shocked response to this with the rest of us, G!!
I agree wholeheartedly with Gryphen. If the foster parents and kids WANT to look around the Goodwill store to see if they find any bargains, great! But to force them to buy only there is cruel. Not to mention that kids who are odd sizes would never find clothes there. My son wore "husky" size pants for a while before his height caught up to his weight, and it was really hard to find NEW pants for him, much less used. Ugh...I shouldn't be surprised any more at how low Republicans can sink.
ReplyDeleteSure, Clarissa, there are always a few people who abuse anything. Just the cost of doing business. We should address them directly as the exceptions they are.
ReplyDeleteBut that does not mean we should stop doing the right thing.
Typifies the EXACT problem with the majority of repubs. NO EMPATHY whatsoever. NONE. Do they think punishing these kids even further will be a good lesson, or what? What could possibly be gained by doing a cheap, demeaning thing like this?
ReplyDeleteIt is obvious that it was those foster kids that crashed the economy, with the state paying the foster parent roughly 1/4 of what they spend on the kid.
ReplyDeleteHow can we keep giving billions to the richest corporations in world if we have to give pennies to these kids?
Wow - so much hatred towards those who are in need. Where is all this coming from?
ReplyDeleteI wonder how many families sign up to help host foster children. While most don't do it for the money, this added stipulation may turn away some who do want to help.
hmm. on that note, I"m off to celebrate today with fellow Pagans because that's what Easter is.
ReplyDeleteWhat a self-satisfied smirk. Really, it makes me sick to be on the same planet as a person this heartless.
ReplyDeleteI am just speechless.....
ReplyDeleteThis may be my favorite post of all time of yours, Gryphen.
ReplyDeleteThank you for bringing this to our attention.
I emailed the senator, and I'd like to share my email with you:
Dear Senator Caswell:
Since I help pay your salary with my tax dollars, I have a few requirements regarding your continued employment that I'd like to discuss with you. I hope you don't object.
First of all, I expect you to dress in the most economical was possible to demonstrate that you are not taking advantage of my generosity,not and wasting my hard-earned money on frivolous matters like brand new clothing straight from major department stores or haberdasheries.
In fact, you'd better not dare to show up to the work I pay you to do in any freshly purchased, fashionable suits, shirts, ties and shoes (I don't care about your underwear!) from those stores like Macy's (or even T.J. Maxx... or WalMart), or else I'll frankly just assume you must be on the take. Because surely you don't use taxpayer dollars to finance your forays into high fashion. If you do, and if you are not on the take, then I will be forced to assume that you are just obscenely overpaid.
I expect you and your fellow legislators to treat our tax dollars with the reverence they deserve, and to dress the part. In these times of high unemployment, you are lucky to be employed by us; the very least you can do is show your humility and gratitude by purchasing your clothes at Goodwill and Salvation Army stores so that you appear modest and serious about squeezing every last dime our tax money puts into your bank account.
Oh sure, worn-out secondhand clothes from thrift stores might be faded from lots of washings, and out of fashion, since they were discarded by a previous owner who no longer wanted them, but there is still no shame in wearing somebody else's castoffs as long as your clothes are neat and clean and decent when you go out in public among your peers.
After all, as already noted, remember that you are in public service and you simply cannot afford to look too stylish, much less wasteful and extravagant, without raising serious questions about your, well, fitness to hold public office.
Sincerely,
Your loyal constituent,
[me]
Let me guess, he's one of those folks who thinks embryos are first class citizens, but once you're born into the wrong tax bracket you get demoted to second or third class?
ReplyDeleteHe wore all those hand-me-downs and look what it did to him. He grew into a stingy, selfish, heartless "I've got miner".
ReplyDeleteWe've come out of the dark ages and discovered that a good healthy dose of self-esteem does wonders for a growing child and helps them grow into better adults. I just wish some of these fogies who choose to live in their stunted childhoods would try to keep up.
I just emailed this loser and told him what I thought. But, this is the state where we are going to give huge tax breaks to businesses who are already making profits, and make seniors pay for it. This is the state where the Governor is taking over poor black towns and cities and giving their parks to golf course developers.This is the state that loves their teachers so much we are asking them to take pay cuts (again) and pay for the retirement that the state has been paying into as long as they've worked. We are becoming a cruel, heartless society, GOP victory by GOP victory. I wonder if it's a victory when everyone hates you?
ReplyDeleteI've been in second hand shops. Some occasionally have new unused clothes, but the majority of clothes look used, faded, shrunk. If a foster child or family chooses to save money and shop there, fine. But to force them to buy less-than-ideal clothes just because they're on government resources is asking even more from these kids.
ReplyDeleteYou have a heart, Gryphen; I don't know what's happened to that GOP out there......they've been hypnotized by some mad potion or something. The RNC didn't have a problem funding Sarah over $150,000 for her and her family's wardrobe.....where's the justice?
...seems like punishment to me....
ReplyDeleteYes the S.A. (the second hand store mentioned in this story) has some great bargins, but they still are against LGTB rights...so potentially a foster teen who might be questioning or identifying as gay would have to shop there....there-by support their goal of discrimation????
Another sneaky RW move to undermine society....
Just sent my first email to that piece of shit loser and suggested that he - in the spirit of the new fiscal efforts to cap the deficit - volunteer to donate his hefty 175,000 per yr and pension entitlement and free healthcare to the foster children and the poor. I did share with him my level of respect for his efforts. :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post, Gryphen. It moved me to tears.
ReplyDeleteLike you, I do not embrace any traditional religious beliefs--one reason is precisely those Christo-Repub hypocrites like Caswell. That said, however, your words here are appropriate for this particular week and day, a time of renewal and rebirth being celebrated by people of many faiths throughout the world. In effect, you've delivered a powerful "sermon" on the human spirit. Sort of what Jesus would say, I think.
"... once you're out of the store and you walk down the street, nobody knows where you bought your clothes."
ReplyDeleteHey skunkDung! If you make em do this, and it's known that they are foster kids, your theory goes out the window dumbAzz.
I have fostered 25 children, and adopted a good many of those fosters. These children often arrive at hour homes, with nothing more than a garbage bag with their few clothes. These children are given an 'allowance' that we take to the department stores, and buy them new clothes so they have some self esteem. We MUST submit receipts and show what we purchased. In our state, we are not allowed to take those funds to the thrift stores, to buy clothing.
ReplyDeleteSomedays, I'm ashamed to be a GOP.
comment from the article:
ReplyDelete(John Henry)
I've got a better idea: how about we start paying state legislators in food stamp cards, medicaid, and vouchers that can only be used at thrift stores?
I am speechless! Growing feet need new shoes. And when one goes to the thrifts, one rarely sees shoes for kids. Why? Because kids wear them out!!! Mine always did and I'm assuming they were no different than other kids.
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing I can say about this alleged human being in polite company except that I think he should be shot and the money from his estate donated to a program that provides NEW shoes for poor children.
How sad these, children have been tossed aside, most likely due to no fault of their own...and this man feels they are due no more than the same that has been done to them already...they can only purchase clothing that has been tossed aside because someone else didn't want them anymore....these children are not entitled to new clothing even from a dollar store..
ReplyDeleteThe only children, according to this scumbag,who can buy new,are from homes where they can afford to buy new.
This man, I can barely call him this, will surely get this...I'm a firm believer in karma...seen it happen many times....but in the meantime we can help karma. . .
The other thing I firmly believe in is if we do not do the right thing from the start..we will pay...we will pay through increased social costs, such as incarceration, court costs, law enforcement costs, social assistance costs, one way or another we will pay..if one these children decides that life is pure hell and goes on to commit crimes against others...I for one would rather help people become stronger, healthier, individuals so they can lead a productive life and yes, pay their fair share of taxes,. .this is how America becomes stronger...the Rethuglicans are under the foot of their overlords...banks, and other huge corporations and the wealthiest americans who do not want to pay taxes.
But I would also like to see a social system in which we give back once we get back on our feet, other than taxes...
One way or another we all pay. . .
this man will pay. . . I would rather pay to help others get on their feet, so we will have a stronger America...OBAMA2012
It's particularly vile because it's penny ante stuff. The amount of money spent on clothes for foster children is peanuts, and the difference between what you can buy new at a discount store and at the Sally is even smaller peanuts.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about rubbing it in the face of poor people. It's disgusting. The man should be ashamed of himself.
Yes,he went to the store with HIS DAD whom he LIVED WITH and who CARED ABOUT HIM gave him the security,self worth,and support to deal with the sneers,taunts,and derision of his peers.If those foster children had a dad to do that,this would be ok,but then they would not be foster children,would they?
ReplyDeletePeople like Caswell make me sad and ashamed to be an American.
ReplyDeleteVote Republican - if you have no heart, no soul.
What a cold, hard heart he must have.
ReplyDelete"I would suggest that this gentleman go along on a shopping trip with a foster family and see for himself how it can light up a child's face to pick a beautiful dress and know that, unlike most of the things in their lives, it is just for them."
ReplyDeleteYeah, nice thought, Gryphen. However, with the type of person this politician seems to be, it would go right over his head. What a freaking jerk.
Relief is not designed to help people. It is designed to keep civil unrest down, and shame those receiving it into working any job even if it is less than what they would get on relief. It is designed to assist the farm industry and corporations to steer poor people into low paying jobs. They have given the states control over relief so they can tailor their particular programs to the types of jobs they have that no one else will work. It makes no sense that they should treat children this way, but the general attitude and rules extend to everyone on relief of any kind, including the elderly and disabled. The statutes are written to make it so hard to even apply for relief that most people give up. They also will not come out with the information people need to find out about what they are allowed to have. The system has a goal to eliminate as many as possible by using insane rules and dehumanizing anyone who comes into contact with a government agency. The elderly where I am living had to sign 4 documents stating they were not going to school full time. The message is anyone who is on relief is lazy and useless. After spending their childhoods getting that message is it any wonder so many in foster care have problems? One of my old professors told me to read everything written by Frances Piven Fox. I am stunned. Everything in this country is controlled and run for the benefit of the oligarchy.
ReplyDeleteSen. Caswell ...
ReplyDeleteI am a CASA (court-appointed special advocate for children in need of aid) in Anchorage, Alaska. It is a volunteer position that serves foster children. I must tell you that despite the fact that your father bought your childhood clothing in thrift shops, and that you understood his particular reasoning, I find your suggestion that all foster children in your state qualify only for used clothing purchases just about as ugly and heartless as anything I have heard from a politician lately.
I am sure you will not change your mind. It's a philosophical perspective and you and I are on different sides of the table. I just needed to say that if this sort of thing were ever suggested in my state I would be out on the street protesting tooth and nail until it died.
The g-no-p will be all for debtor's prisons next. Had your home foreclosed on? No job? Straight into debtor's prison with you.
ReplyDeleteAnd second hand shoes (not the once worn dress shoes, but others that conform to someone else's foot can actually be harmful.
ReplyDeleteWant a really good laugh folks? That annual stipend big eared Brucie is talking about is $80 per kid. Yep, $80.
ReplyDeleteEven more government interference from the so-called 'small government' hypocrites. Sickening!
ReplyDeleteThis is probably why they are pushing to get rid of child labor laws they can open sweat shops and put foster kids to work and make clothes under the foster kid label.
ReplyDeleteNow, Kay, no violence. Really. A simple tarring and feathering and being run out of town on a rail will do - hey, I'll even forego the tar for honey as long as there's a nice fire ant nest nearby.
ReplyDeleteI would think their corporate sponsors aka walmart would be against this.
ReplyDeleteWhy would anybody be a GOP?
ReplyDeleteJust another low-life republican who hates everyone except the rich. Why in hell would anyone vote for these nasty devils?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Teal 12:20pm and Anon 12:52p
ReplyDeleteI second the fact that he had the luxury of being taught this life lesson by and with his father so he's definitely framing his argument from a one-sided and biased perspective.
I'm also presuming that the Senator is much older (he looks late 60-ish) where fashion choices were not as vast as they are today. This again, diminishes the weight of his argument.
Although I can appreciate what he may be trying to share as a point of reference, perhaps talking with and spending time with these "poor folk" will help him develop another perspective and reframe his argument. What he's probably forgetting is that MOST "poor folks" on welfare are not minorities, uneducated or lazy.
This bastard needs to be recalled, his ass should be fired. I hope karma gets this republican devil by his limp dick and squeezes it till he cries for someone to just get it over with.
ReplyDeleteSounds like an easy and sensible choice to make. Why should the tax payer have to pay for designer clothes for kids when they can get perfectly wearable clothes from a second hand store? Especially when it's pretty evident that some hard choices need to be made now.
ReplyDeleteAnd besides, that leaves more money to spend on recreational drugs and booze for the parents lifestyle.
Am speechless at the callousness of this man.
ReplyDeleteI don't know why it's necessary to police where welfare recipients buy clothes from. I thought conservatives were about small government?
It's pretty crap to make poor children only shop in goodwill stores. Shouldn't it be up to them and their foster families? Isn't it enough that they are orphans or have had to leave their parents for whatever reason? We have to heap more humiliation on these kids? Awful human being.
Everytime I think they can't get an worse these Republicans just make my head spin around. How do they think of all this! I have purshased at thrift stores and on ebay. Once in a while get some really nice things. No one can buy everything at them (2nd hand store) and I've been to the goodwill store here, everything in there it looks terrible, I just turn around and walk out. To think they are giving the rich people lots more money ( watch these housewive shows closets big as bedrooms endless shoes)and wanting foster children to have clothes only from a salvation army goodwill store, takes the cake. Every rich person should fork over their tax windfall to these children.
ReplyDeleteI have shopped for myself and for my children at second hand stores.
ReplyDeleteThey are a great source of clothing.
However, you cannot always find what you need there. And in rural places there are not a lot of stores like this.
What happens if a child needs new shoes and they do have that size? Or pants. And are they supposed to wear used under wear?
Most places don't accept underwear.
All this fool is doing is reminding these kids of their status relative to those of other kids. In a state where the governor wants to rob townships of autonomy and to reduce funding for education, while giving exorbitant tax cuts to the corporations, this is the ultimate insult to these poor kids.
ReplyDeleteAnd by the way - we deal with a lot of lower income folks in our small business and I can tell you first hand that they are among the hardest working people we know. They love their kids and they work hard to give them the best that they can afford. It's a travesty that so many people in this country think that just because you weren't born with a silver spoon in your butt it means you are automatically a lesser human being. I mean, how snobbish can we be here? Immigrants and minorities and lower income people are not all parasites. They work hard, they don't always have the opportunities but they work hard nonetheless. Enough of the class wars!
ReplyDeleteI mean, gimme a break - as if the wealthy don't have bad apples and parasites in their midst! Guess what? Just because you have the money to goof off for the rest of your life, doesn't make it right to be lazy! It's the same thing as poor people who really are taking advantage of the system - both are non contributing people so enough with the snobbish distinctions.
I can't hold this thought in. So the Palin family could greedily be clothed in finery and a woman who dresses in inappropriate business attire and her knocked up daughter have her hair styled....the hillbilly nominee family and buy a suit for the baby daddy? Let's take from the poor so the wealthy may have more.
ReplyDeleteWhat's wrong with Republicans? I mean, what's really wrong with them? Are they missing a brain? Or just a heart?
ReplyDeleteWho surgically removed the empathy gene from their bodies?
Someone should tell this man that the difference is that HE HAD A DAD. He had a family. So it didn't matter how many hand-me-downs he got from his brother, or even from the salvation army - they were handed to him by his parents. Foster kids don't have a birth family. They don't have a home. They live in someone's house who receives money from the state for letting them sleep there. Then when that kid turns 18 and the sun rises the next morning, his bags are packed, waiting at the front door.
He got his hair at Goodwill. Why would he wish better for anyone else?
ReplyDeleteI just looked up Caswell's page on Wikipedia. It was edited today to define him as a Republican asshole. I wonder where somebody got that idea.
ReplyDeleteAnon 11:32 says: Wow - so much hatred towards those who are in need. Where is all this coming from?
ReplyDeleteI wondered that too, and after thinking about it all morning, I have concluded that if members of the GOP are okay with the currently proceeding unprecedented income redistribution (the top few % own way more than their share) and are unwilling to do anything for the poor and desperate people that this creates (like cutting back on MediCare, Social Security, health insurance, school funding, ETC., then they have to do one more thing in order to be able to sleep at night:
They have to demonize the poor and needy so they can hate them and not care about the huge misery that is being increasingly imposed upon them and that will grow worse fast.
Sure, if you hate the "not like us" people you can do any manner of cruel and unethical things to them and not care about it.
Except if you are truly religious, you do run into a problem there.
But most right-wing conservatives don't have to worry about that.
You can go to Marshalls and other discount stores like that, or even Walmart for Gods Sake, and buy brand new clothing for the same or less money than some of these thrift shops. So what's the point, anyway. You have to be careful what you buy in a thrift shop because those clothes are thread-worn, and in the end, not a good value because it won't last nearly as long.
ReplyDeleteAs if life wasn't difficult enough for these kids already.. To all of the elderly, middle class, and otherwise, who voted Republican, you will reap what you sow. Alot of you are feeling it now, and you deserve it. Search within (or do you have to) for why you really voted these people in. You've been bamboozled. You have been betrayed. And if you think that making a certain element suffer further, that you'll be better off, than stick around..
ReplyDeleteI just read the email from Senator Caswell.
ReplyDeleteThanks Gryphen for posting this email from Bruce Caswell. It was disgusting I couldn't believe what I was reading. Does he have something wrong with him? I can't believe that he would email something as cold and uncaring as this. This is a first for me. I have never seen a letter or email as uncaring as this.Have other people written emails like this? But they have never been shown to the public
If what the Hon. Bruce Sawell says is true & how it should be, does this mean that he will only stay at Super 8 hotels and Holiday Inns when he goes on junkets?
ReplyDeleteI visit this blog for Palin information. Your wit, wisdom, and knowledge, is just the icing on the cake. Thank you for bringing this matter to our attention.
ReplyDeleteWhat about undergarments? I'm sorry, but I would not wear someone else's undies if they were deep fried in bleach!
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy that some people don't think beyond the end of their noses - this idiot is proof of that.
10:34: If they don't have a heart (this jerk), and they don't have a brain (birthers), what's left? I suppose they have some courage for barging ahead with heartless, stupid agendas.
ReplyDeleteThis senator probably has no problem with government employees, elected officials' kids using their advantage (like a certain 20-year old we know)to earn $30,000 per speech to talk down to these foster girls about what not to do. What's wrong with this picture, that a state senator has nothing to say about a system that rewards the rich to the disadvantage of the poor.
ReplyDeleteThere's got to be another way to save money. Does State of Michigan hire political circuit speakers to their party rallies? Wonder if he's ever supported those who support the grifters?
12:39: comment from the article:
ReplyDelete(John Henry)
I've got a better idea: how about we start paying state legislators in food stamp cards, medicaid, and vouchers that can only be used at thrift stores?
*******
Right ON!
I like shopping at thrift stores and have found some great buys over the years. Being a woman probably makes it more worthwhile because I have found there is more women's clothing available than mens. However, I don't find everything I need there either. It also takes a great deal of time to find the good clothing and not everyone has the time for that.
ReplyDeleteAnother thing, my local Salvation Army does not have any dressing rooms and won't allow people to try on clothing in their bathrooms. I've talked to the employees that work there and they say it is because of shoplifting. They don't accept returns so people are left with buying clothes they can try on in the store (sweaters, coats, blazers, etc..) or taking their chances that whatever they buy will fit. I don't buy pants there because of this.
Limiting purchases to thrift stores is just too restrictive.
@ 1:50 p.m. to quote someone who would have had a great perspective on this - may the fleas of a thousand camels infest your armpits and your wardrobe - from whatever source you obtained it.
ReplyDeleteYES! I just looked up this d-bag's district, and wonder of wonders, it is the district in which my grandparents own a house. I just so happen to be heading there this week, so I'll type up a letter and send it from the local post office.
ReplyDeleteMy grandfather is one of the most frugal men I know (the man duct-taped his hose, people!). Not because he needs to, but because that's what he grew up on. I brought this up today at Easter dinner, and he was appalled. He and my grandmother adopted all three of their kids, and he said many of the same things you did, Gryph. When kids are taken out of their houses with their possessions stuffed in garbage bags (effectively saying it's trash), it can do enough mental and emotional damage to a kid, but then to force this on them as well? What is that telling that kid about their worth?!?
I've been a foster mom to many. The children usually arrive at my doorstep with nothing, not even a suitcase. The money the state provides for an initial clothing allowance doesn't go very far. I would try my best to get everything at a discount or on sale to make certain the clothing allowance money was well spent.
ReplyDeleteIf the senator needs proof,why wouldn't simple receipts for underwear, coats, socks, shoes, pants and pajamas suffice as proof that clothing was purchased? Done. We already provide receipts.
Honestly I am a millionaire, and buy 75% of my clothes at thrift stores (shoes,socks,underwear,pajamas excluded). While I would recommend shopping there if a good one is available, to mandate it is insensitive to the mental welfare of the children. Further the savings to the government will be miniscule.
ReplyDeleteThis guy is a small minded poser.
These poor kids are only removed from their parents' homes due to extreme abuse or neglect. So now we are balancing the budget on the backs of neglected and abused children. Republicans are hideous creatures.
ReplyDeleteI would love just one of these cretins to open their home to foster children like I did for many years.
I hope we all remember our disgust and rage at this come 2012.
ReplyDeleteWe really need to vote out every Republican we can and dump the Blue Dog Democrats who really are nothing more than Republicans in disguise - a badly veiled disguise at that.
We need to elect people who care about all Americans, not just the wealthy.
We also need to push for legislation that will throw out Citizens United and limit the amount of influence and money corporations can donate to campaigns and even soft ads.
We need to remember this callousness and root it out.
Americans have fought and died for the rights won by unions, the education and health care, the benefits for the displaced, the unemployed, the disabled, the elderly and the young who have no place to go or family to love them.
Goodness, the Republicans have turned our country upside down, inside out and torn the heart and soul of country out of the government. It should reflect we, the people, our hopes, dreams and empathy for others. Republicans have lost their way, have lost their hearts and very souls all for money and power.
Vote Democratic in 2012!
ReplyDeleteGet everyone you know to do the same.
Those who do not vote at all are part of the problem.
THE GOP...PALIN AND HER FAMILY DESERVE A QUARTER OF A MIL IN THEIR CLOTHING ALLOWANCE. ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN GET USED UNDERWEAR AND SOCKS!
ReplyDelete2:24 PM, you're absolutely, chillingly right.
ReplyDeleteFor me--an adult with a job, who grew up wearing hand-me-downs from cousins and friends in a stable family with both parents--the philosophy of Caswell's dad works fine. I buy secondhand clothes, not always but often. It's a ***choice*** I make and have the power to make.
Foster kids do not have cousins and friends to provide gently worn hand-me-downs. And with an $80 annual budget, they obviously aren't getting their wardrobes at Saks anyway. Unless kids have changed since I was in school, teenagers can be extremely conscious not only of labels but of where items were purchased. Why add more stigma to an already difficult situation that the kids could have done nothing to prevent??
The bastards want their freedoms unless it means that foster children have the freedom to buy their clothes at discount stores.
ReplyDeleteOne Sick Puppy: Tea Party Opposes Anti-Puppy Mill Legislation
ReplyDeleteMissouri houses the Nation’s most numerous and abominable puppy mills and in November of last year a measure was introduced to prevent cruelty to the puppy mill puppies. That Puppy Mill Cruelty Measure was heavily opposed by the Tea Party who thought passing such a Measure to protect puppies was a radical agenda.
The Measure did pass, albeit narrowly, only now to suffer the fate of those it sought to protect. In a bid to overturn the will of the people the Missouri legislature passed a bill this month proposed by Representative Stanley Cox (R), which mirrors the Senate Bill passed earlier this year introduced by Missouri State Senator Mike Parsons (R), that if signed into law by the Missouri State Governor will ensure puppy mill cruelty will continue, unabated, unchecked, and without consequence.
http://www.politicususa.com/en/tea-party-puppy-mill
1:50PM. Let's try the facts. The allowance given to foster children wouldn't be enough to buy one designer outfit. As the foster parent, you have to buy socks, shoes, underwear, coats, pants, and socks for the child who arrives at your doorstep with nothing. Not certain where the drugs and alcohol enter the picture. The money goes to the foster family to make the purchase on behalf of the child.
ReplyDeleteA great post Gryphen ! Several people asked where all of this is heading.David Barton , former vice-chairman of the Texas GOP and frequent guest on Glenn Beck's show has plans for a theocracy for America. His plans include Biblical slavery. You can read more about it here - http://www.politicususa.com/en/david-barton%E2%80%99s-plan-for-biblical-slavery-for-america I can't figure out how to register, but I'm Texasgal2009 on Palingates.
ReplyDeleteWant a really good laugh folks? That annual stipend big eared Brucie is talking about is $80 per kid. Yep, $80.
ReplyDeleteAnd his plan will not save the state one red cent.
It's just more pathetic GOP political asshattery.
Got that Anon 1:50 you pathetic POS?
I won't go into details, but I will say that when I was 14 years old I was placed into my first of a series of 7 foster homes over a period of 3 years. Before I had been placed, every single stitch of clothing I owned was stolen from me. I had a pair of pants, a pair of shoes, a pair of underwear, and a blouse. I was given a clothing allowance and taken to a store to shop. I had never really been "clothes shopping" before, and it made me feel very special to budget out the little bit of money I was given to give myself enough clothes to get me through the week. I think it was about $200, which was quite a bit in 1975. I couldn't afford new shoes, but still, I felt better about myself than I had in a long time. The thought of how a simple thing like buying a couple of pairs of pants made me feel good brings a tear to my eye.
ReplyDeleteBruce Caswell can go fuck himself.
Thanks for the e-mail address, Gryphen. I just wrote and told him what I think of his disgusting idea too.
ReplyDeleteMore and more studies are finding differences in the brains of Conservatives and Liberals,Actual physical differences.So maybe what we are seeing is that these people have brain damage that makes them fear mongering loons unable to discern the truth from the lies of their masters who have become proficient in the art of herding them to the edge.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mlive.com/jobs/index.ssf/2011/01/study_brains_of_conservatives_have_large.html
"So now we are balancing the budget on the backs of neglected and abused children. Republicans are hideous creatures. "
ReplyDeleteNope, because even Caswell admits it will do NOTHING to the budget - foster parents get the same stipend - this just dictates where it can be spent.
Actually, it would probably cause a budget increase as foster parents who were unable to supply the clothing $ out of their own pockets for necessities unavailable at the thrifts would not become fosters, or would take on fewer children. On top of MEAn CASWELL, STOOPID CASWELL!
I wonder if his children were forced to buy their clothing from the Salvation Army & Goodwill. Did he want his own children to feel ostracized or just those that are foster children that the taxpayers of this country help with basic living expenses? It is absolutely despicable that he wants to make these children feel further alienated. I'll make good use of that email address but I'm also going to write to the local Michigan newspapers and hope the people who put this idiot in office will realize the mistake they made. Is there any level to which these GOP'ers will not stoop to?
ReplyDeleteMichigan State Senator Bruce Caswell, making a strong bid in the "Biggest Walking Prick in the GOP."
ReplyDeleteReally? Playing cheapskate penny pincher with foster children? What kind of fucking latter day Scrooge IS this asshole?
He'd probably like them to reuse toilet paper, too.
Why am I supposed to be impressed enough to vote GOP?
Fuck him. The scum sucking Kochsuckers and everyone who supports them should be impaled.
ReplyDeleteThis is typical GOP type thinking just as when Welfare was enacted, if you were on welfare, you were not allowed to own a car. It doesn't matter what it was worth but obviously you had an asset that had yet to be sold. Never mind the fact that this asset, even though it may not be worth anything to anyone but yourself, would be your transportation to a job once you found one. It was still an asset and you were cheating the gubbermint..let's make sure the destitute don't have any way to help themselves before we offer them assistance. It was just one more way they kept people enslaved in the system.
ReplyDeleteYou all know that foster kids are just in the system because they want to live with someone else? They want to see how other people live. It's like a vacation. It is not because they have been abused or their parents are on drugs, in jail or dead. They are lucky to have a roof over their head, some food and dry clothing. Why should they have new clothes or be able to eat out at a restaurant. Vacations - never!
ReplyDeleteSincerely,
John Q Republican
Looks like Caswell was taken to the woodshed and it had an effect. Probably because the beating was much closer to his brain.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/04/25/135705928/lawmaker-drops-idea-about-second-hand-clothes-critics-dont-notice
I actually think a gift card with discount at a major retailer is a better idea. I do think it is insulting to foster parents to continue to say that this is to ensure that the money is spent on clothes and shoes. As has been pointed out, the money is a paltry sum and foster parents pay more out of their own pockets to feed, clothe and shelter these children than the state every compensates them for.
BTW he's 61 and a former teacher and superintendent. You would have thought he would know better. I suspect he's a 'bagger.
ReplyDeletewell said gryph, and so accurate. i have worked with kids in a group home, too, and they do suffer from low self-esteem more than the average kid. to let them express who they are in the clothes they pick out and wear is a gift beyond the price, and beyond what most people know. these kids deserve so much better, they need more access to exercise and good nutrition. we should NEVER cut costs by taking away from foster kids - unconscionable and unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteHe whines about having to buy from the Army and Navy store, which I also shopped at as long as they existed.
ReplyDeleteA big difference is that the A&N sold new clothes, and there was no social shame associated with shopping there.
Hell, it was the best place to buy good quality long lasting casual and world clothes at a great price.
And you could get C Rations too.
I cannot help but notice that your “clipping” of Senator Caswell’s proposal only serves to make him look like an elitist. After reading it, I hated the guy; but then I stopped to think about it. It doesn’t make sense. Even if the Senator is that callous toward poor people, it would be political suicide to make a statement like this. So I looked up his proposal and got a somewhat different story. He did suggest that gift cards be issued that could only be used to purchase clothing (the current system just deposits the clothing allowance in the parents account with the hope that they will use it to purchase clothing for their children) and thought it would be a good idea for them to be usable only at Thrift stores because that is the way he grew up and sees nothing wrong with shopping at thrift stores. ( I have to agree with that part. A lot of my cloth’s came from thrift store and hand-me-downs) However, he went on to “ask” in his “proposal” if anyone had any better ideas of insuring that the money went to purchase only clothing for needy children; it is after all a clothing allowance. A constituent suggested the gift card idea was good but did not like the idea of limiting them to thrift stores and suggested an arrangement with major retailers in the state that would offer discount prices on clothing purchased with the cards if the cards were only used at their stores. (give and take) I like the idea and wish Virginia would adopt a similar plan. I have close and dear friends today that are surviving on public assistance (one with five children). That is my money and it makes me happy to know it is going to good use but I am not blind. I also see people every day abusing that help. Drugs, child abuse, domestic violence and crime are an everyday part of life in the government subsidized housing project across the street from my apartment. Senator Caswell never once suggested the amount of financial help be reduced only that it be more closely monitored and asked for suggestions on ways to insure our tax dollars we so generously “give” go to what we intended it go to. When I give a homeless person the change in my pocket I take criticism for it “he’s only gonna use it for drugs and alcohol” is the most common. But I did what is right by my heart and my values, now it is up to that person. But that is just the change in my pocket that is NOT a third of my salary that I “the working poor” worked so hard for. That is NOT a third of the food coming out of MY families mouth or off of MY families back. So I DO get a say so in how it is used. I know there is a certain amount of degradation with using those cards; I’ve had to use them myself. But I am not willing to give up that much money with the hopes that every person receiving it has the good heart and values to use it the way it is intended.
ReplyDeleteYour “clipping” also brings up another thought; there are extremists on both ends of the political spectrum. Liberals (in this case) and conservatives alike will pounce on any opportunity to distort and manipulate public sway in their direction. It never solves anything and it only drives the two further apart. however, the further apart they are the broader the middle seems to be and that is where most problems find a solution; where the truth (as in this case) seems to lie and where most “working poor” seem to fall. I am not a conservative nut job and I am not a bleeding heart liberal. I believe in what is right; I believe in hard work; I believe in being rewarded for hard work and I believe in helping those less fortunate than me.