19 MAR 2015 :: Changing

It seems that the days are harder after I shop, so I want to get this posted to keep up with my goal.  I think I will have to go back to a less planned structure for awhile...I am needing to share things as they happen. I have decided a personal blog might help... so I am praying about it and trying to find a name to try out.  As long as Working Together is just me, I suppose the WT blog would do, but I am considering a better permanent option for the rest of my personal life. This is all in flux, being developed as I try new things.


I missed the prison issues day (Wednesday), and today is political issues day... they seem pretty connected to me.  I will share more about the internet sales idea I am trying to "push" forward....

I have one son that is back in prison for his same related issues, and I have been suggesting that he try to create ACEOs or other art that he can post after he is out.  My other son produced some good artworks when he was in prison the last time.  Both of them think I should be able to post and sell their artworks for them. They think that is what I meant by an "eBay for inmates."  It's not.

There are so many restrictions associated with inmates and with their finances, the government is the only one that can really establish an online sales option for inmates all over the US.  Maybe other countries will create their own once it is proven to be a successful effort.

I am not a criminal, so I don't think like a criminal.  I wouldn't know all the sneaky things that inmates do to survive their situations.  I would think that the prison systems would be aware of the ways inmates try to do things they shouldn't... and they could help prevent any associated illegal activities inmates might try to create.

There is the issue of shipping. I haven't seen too much flexibility with the prison mail systems, so I think it would be best if they were in charge of the shipping process for purchased items.

And photos of the products that will be listed; and the creation of the actual listings; and fees, and fines, and income; and customer inquiries that only the inmate can respond to.  These are better handled within the prison system.

The benefit of the inmate going through these issues within the prison system is that they will be aware of what is required for online selling of their work.  It becomes an income option they can continue after release.  The parole and probation departments can act as a the bridge between the prison sales program and  establishing their own internet shop. 

Recidivism records are kept for three years after release, as far as I know.  Retaining the prison account for that long allows it to continue being a resource for the inmate, and allows the corrections departments to have positive contacts with released inmates.  It lets the many details associated with establishing an online sales business be absorbed slowly, as their time and money become more organized and find a permanent schedule.

Even so... once they are released, having help through re-entry programs would be great...and offer a reason to keep up contacts with people who care about their success.  If the re-entry programs are not willing or not able to do this, I would like to see one established wherever our Respite Centers are located.

That's about all I can do for today.  I'll write again as I find the need, or within my regular schedule... not sure yet.  :-)

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Since my health and schedule are so difficult to control, I may start blogging as topics come up and consider my goal complete after five entries.  If this happens, you will know what I am doing, right?  :-)   I hope so.

18 MAR 2015 :: Sharing the past of Working Together

I posted the following at my etsy thread for Bible verses and inspiration, and then decided to share it on Facebook.  I went a little crazy, but I hope someone reads it there...  it was mostly Christians, but also some news pages and business pages.

I have a busy day today, and that usually makes me ill...so I may as well share this post with you here as my writing for today.  I may be back later if I feel the need, otherwise, I will see you tomorrow.
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Wednesday, 18 March 2015 --- This morning I was going through some old papers to remember my efforts on behalf of Working Together and I came across a writing I want to share with you instead of a Bible verse. I am pretty sure I wrote it, because I vaguely remember doing so, but I can't claim that right now. It is on a page with a notation of "sent mail" with the date 12 July 2004. I hope you don't mind my sharing it, and that you will think about the virtues that make us decent human beings, that allow us to survive together, and that are slowly eroding in every society. 

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There are important principles which every person must adhere to if we are to survive this life together.


Honesty, compassion, and respect rank high as foundations for moral integrity because they connect us and establish a sense of trust between us.

While some link these principles to spirituality, others believe they reflect a global sense of right, still more see them as reflections of an innate goodness.

To me they are essentials. Acting otherwise breeds communal failure at every level and for every cause.

Trust God, trust Right, trust Goodness. In doing so you will become Honest, Compassionate, and Respectful.

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Our world is fulfilling the Word of God. The Bible tells us the End Times will become difficult in ways we can't presently understand. I guess I hope that we will be able to keep these traits as we go through the process of decline.


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NOTE :: I discovered some computer caused errors as I pasted it here... they have been shared all over (and will probably be the only thing that gets noticed  :-), but I tried to fix it all for this post.  Hopefully, the words will get through.

In Christ,
Deb
 

17 MAR 2015 :: BASIC NEEDS :: Balancing Everyone's Rights

Another Tuesday... It is really hard to choose which Basic Need to write about... how do we decide whether something is a right or a necessity or just something we are use to? 

If freedom is important, why do some people make it their life's work to violate everyone else's freedoms?  (Especially under the guise of fighting for THEIR human rights.)  It is a difficult challenge.  How do we find a way to BALANCE everyone's rights in a land of millions, and a world with billions?

As America, and the rest of the world, becomes more financially challenged, the idea of who's rights matter more is going to become a much larger issue.  We can see the grumblings already beginning to rise.  No one wants to pay for this, for that, for anything... or they want their priorities covered, but not everyone else's.

Tonight I heard a brief segment on PBS News Hour about the Republican budget being presented.  The reporter said it was going to save Trillions over the course of ten years.  It was also just an empty public statement, hopefully to be passed by the House and the Senate to make it part of the historical record, because "everyone" knows it is going to get vetoed by the President (because it calls for the elimination of the President's main legislation - Obamacare). 

The one thing, well, one of the things I noted, was that the Republican budget is meant to greatly reduce the deficit that is hampering every single funding conversation we have... but the Democratic side says that they have made the economy stronger and reduced the deficit already.  What is wrong with this word game?  I think one is talking about the TOTAL deficit, the other is talking about the YEARLY deficit... two totally different elements of our economic health. 

Obamacare is a financial liability to America because there is no ceiling to the debt it will cause as technology is reducing the labor force, and both personal and tax incomes, and a large group of seniors is on the horizon.  It seems logical to me that these conflicts are going to lead to a major financial meltdown someday, maybe within ten to twenty years.

 

I have been dealing with little to no income for many years now... all without the benefit of a credit card. Budgets are the only way low-income households can even try to survive.  Budgets always have to be flexible because something unexpected always happens. Think :: natural disasters, droughts, aging infrastructure, banking crisis....  When your money is gone, it's gone. There is nothing you can do to make more money no matter how badly you may want to.  Think :: government at all levels are trying to create new taxes, new fees, sell their "extra" assets....  Think :: what is the value of the dollar if the government creates the illusion of more money by printing as much as they can/want....  Some expenses just don't go away, and some bills are not flexible.  The economy is so deeply integrated that if one domino falls, the whole structure falls... and then it will be every man for himself.... Think :: government bailout of the BIG banks while all the small ones were left to die.

I am now a senior with health issues, I don't have a lot of options. I can't do the things I would have done in my younger body.  If the government crashes, what will happen to me -- and the other millions of seniors with incomes that are dependent on the government?

There was another report in the news program I happened to catch, about government "entitlements" that began as safety nets  --  welfare, food stamps, etc.  --  and then, in the same program, there was a report about BILLIONS of tax dollars being lost to FRAUD in government programs like Medicaid.  (I can't recall the other ones that were mentioned.)  Where are the moral foundations that would prevent these losses?  Does anyone think the world is going to get more honest as we get rid of GOD?  There's a problem here... and there isn't any way to "fix" it.  (Prophecy is true... it is just a matter of time.)


I have been trying to find out what the emergency payment process will be if there is an economic meltdown of  ANY size.  I haven't heard one news story about it.  Do you think that the high wages of our legislators will go unpaid?  Or will the seniors and disabled and poverty-stricken need to forego their meager survival incomes to make sure government employees will be paid?  This is a serious issue... millions of Americans are already dependent on the government, and some want to make sure we all are.  If you know the answer, please tell me... and where you found it. 

I have been fighting poverty and associated issues for all of my adult life.  I don't mind sharing my details as an example of how the government is going to care for you.  When you are outside the system, you think a lot of things are true, but they aren't.

I currently receive less than $400 for my early-retirement income, the ONLY income option I have right now.  And, I have depended on food stamps for most of my adult life.  It is my entire food budget.  I currently receive about $30/week, but the maximum allotment for one person is about $200/month.  What would you be able to eat with that much money? This is a small sample of "austerity measures" already in motion.

I just tried to find out the right phrase for government budgets and austerity... this is the small statement I found with a Wikipedia response in my search ::  "Austerity measures are typically pursued if there is a threat that a government cannot honor its debt liabilities." 

Does anyone think major entities like corporations, cities (Detroit), or countries (Greece?  USA?), go bankrupt in a moment.  I remember hearing that it took Detroit 60 YEARS to go bankrupt.  What do you think happened in those long years?  Did they tell everyone they were failing?  No. Instead, they keep a public face, and struggle behind closed doors.  You have to watch for the signs of financial demise, and you have to look very carefully, and search out the hidden pieces of their budgets... how they compensate for their struggles... what they do to survive.

I guess I am wondering who's rights will matter more...and I doubt they will be mine.








16 MAR 2015 :: WT Review :: Membership

I have been sorting through what I have left of my life, the historical records for Working Together that remain, and have been trying to figure out the best way to bring Working Together into a functional reality, to provide for what little life I believe remains for me, and how GOD wants me to pass these few "belongings" on to someone that will care for the true Church.

Money has always been the primary challenge in my life.  When I was younger, I could plan to do things the "regular" way... but I don't have that option anymore.  I have been praying about alternatives that would help Working Together in this day, within my abilities and resources... which are very little.

I don't understand why my past efforts haven't born fruit, but there have been a lot of problems along the way.  It is my experiences with poverty and the church that moved me to create something that would help others in the future. It is my continued poverty that has kept me from finding a way through to getting Working Together operational.  As a for-profit enterprise, there were no start-up grants I could qualify for, and I couldn't offer tax receipts for donations.  In order to pass it on later, I couldn't offer ownership for funding.  There are many different aspects to this long journey that can't be explained here.

You may remember my sharing that I tried to find traditional funding in the beginning, then went to a University to try to get a degree that would help me obtain funding or operate WT better, and then I tried to find a way to sell products to fund its needs.  In between these efforts, I had to let it lie dormant as I dealt with serious family issues, homelessness, and many other issues. 

This year, I have been trying to revise and update my webpage for 2015 and beyond, but many other associated problems still exist.  Trying to raise funds to live on, I established an Etsy shop and worked on what else I could sell to earn income within my food stamp only income. 

The other night I finally entered a Twitter post about Working Together, maybe one at Facebook -- I can't remember. Twitter doesn't have enough space to say much.  I was thinking I could start a "JOIN WORKING TOGETHER" campaign somehow, like I tried to find a "crowd-funding" opportunity through my fiverr.com/work2gather account... using a TIP gig.  I am working on the new pricing for MEMBERSHIP, and a new PayPal sales link for it, so I hope to learn how to post those on my social media accounts and other places.  It would be nice to receive wages from Working Together (finally!).  Even though everyone in Working Together will only be paid $15/hour  (or the regional equivalent)... for me, that would be a fortune.


Membership is the real foundation of Working Together.

It will be the link that connects us -- the way we can all share important information and resources as the future brings prophesied changes to our lives.  CORD will also link our resources, through business, church, ministry, and organizational information sharing. 

I realize that many Christian enterprises and ministries may try to mimic my plans for Working Together.  I haven't decided what to think about this.  I can't reach everyone, but it is critical for us to meet in ONE place.  Online efforts will only work as long as they are available.  At the same time we need to create regional spaces to provide local access and ongoing resources for when there is no travel, no internet, no global connection opportunities.  Local services are the main goal for membership...it is the only fair way to make them available when there will be more need than anyone can meet.

I am working out a new budget for various program fees and benefits,
including Membership. 

Again, I am hoping GOD will bring people to me as members to build a support income and growth options.  Lifetime Memberships would help greatly, whether Christian or Public Memberships.  One year Membership are currently the most affordable, and I may re-institute my TRIAL Membership for a brief time.  

Each Membership has its own benefits.


I will let you know as soon as it is all finished.  Let me know if you are interested so I can contact you with the details later.  For now, they will be available thru PayPal, but I am trying to fit them into other online sales venues.  The costs change with each sales option, so I have to make sure the fees are covered, and the benefits will still be available.


Lots of other changes are being considered...including my blogging structure and commitments.  TIME is the great decider.  Until I can afford to hire help, it's only me.