Indeed. I understand expecting some responsibility from the recipients of government money, and the need to keep down the cheating, but I've been very irritated to see how applicants are made to do things that are almost impossible. For the third time in a row, we're being told to appear at the Food Stamp place at 7:30 AM--it's across town and hard, if not impossible, to get there from the neighborhood where he stays on public transportation (which was designed in this city to transport domestic workers from poor neighborhoods to rich ones). And when we do get there, we stand in line only to be told to come back again at the same difficult time and place.

Since this city organized a one-stop so well for the Katrina evacuess, there's been some talk of doing the same for our native needy folks, but mostly so far it seems to be talk.

Negotiating bureaucracies is sadly but fortunately a skill I have, but it often requires a huge leap of faith that eventually you will succeed, because the frustrations are enormous. And I think people like Elmer are very fatalistic and inclined to give up. And I understand why.

But now that means for him sleeping under railroad trestles and doing hard manual labor with a bad back, heart trouble, and stroke history. So I'm going to keep pressing (I'm greatly urged on by the fact that I know he'll show up sick and hungry at my door. I don't mine the money, but think the system that's designed to care for the poor should do its job).

Rant, rant! Thanks for the input and I well may ask for more>