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photo by Marcus Frazier
Pete Walley, with Institutions of Higher Learning, speaks on poverty in Mississippi Tuesday afternoon during the City of Natchez’s Poverty Town Hall Public Hearing at the city’s Council Chambers.
Area poverty discussed
Published Wednesday, October 1, 2008
NATCHEZ — Twenty-seven percent of the Adams County population is living in poverty, and area residents want a solution sooner rather than later.
Reecy Dickson, chairwoman of the Mississippi House of Representatives Select Committee on Poverty, and Pete Walley, director of the Bureau for Long Range Economic Development and Planning came to Natchez as part of a statewide tour to discuss the issue.
Mississippi is the most impoverished state in the nation, with 21 percent of its population living in poverty.
“We’ve held that distinction for some time,” Walley said. “Unless we continue to attack this problem it’s going to be a continuing statistic.”
While many factors can contribute to poverty, lack of education and teenage pregnancy are the leading ones, Walley said.
Based on 2006 statistics Walley provided, 52.8 percent of children born in Mississippi are born to single mothers. In Adams County a whopping 65.9 percent of children are born to single mothers.
“The teen single mother is a double strike, and the research verifies that,” Walley said.
Alderman Joyce Mathis, who recently retired from the Natchez-Adams County School District agreed.
“You’ve got kids that come in (to the high school) pregnant and leave pregnant,” Mathis said. “And we’re not doing anything to address it. It’s a taboo subject.”
Many of the teenagers may have 4-year-old children before they even graduate from high school, but they never learn how to raise them, she said.
From 1995 to 2007, the percentage of births to teenage single mothers dropped from 39 percent to 27.9 percent, while the percent of births to single mothers as a whole rose from 45.3 percent to 53.7 percent.
“We’ve always had out-of-wedlock children,” Mathis said. “This didn’t just happen. It just got popular because of Hollywood and hip-hop.”
And it will take more than abstinence education to fix this problem, Gwen Ball said to the legislators in attendance. Students need to be taught about how to prevent pregnancy.
“I would suggest we have a full blown sex education class,” she said.
Much of the poverty issue also hangs on education, Walley said. According to his statistics, 40.5 percent of students who enrolled in ninth grade in 2002 statewide did not graduate four years later.
“And then to add insult to injury, 26,000 kids enrolled (in 12th grade in 2005) and 23,722 graduated,” Walley said.
But Alderman Tony Fields said that this issue begins much early than high school.
“I’ve said it before and one of these days I’m going to get an Amen on it — we need to focus on early childhood development,” he said. “We had something very different in our schools (when I was in school). I had a connection with my teachers and principals. I feared them.”
Other issues were discussed, including race, abuse, jobs and housing, but everyone agreed that something has to change.
Comments
Posted by EnKiKur (Marty Ellerbe) on October 1, 2008 at 4:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Sure, early childhood development combined with full blown sex education beginning in the first or second grade (Heather Has Two Mommies), public schools as lifetime learning centers offering full services for single mothers- I am sure Supt. Morris is familiar with these ideas already.
I wonder what recommendations that 465,000 study the taxpayers in Adams County paid for but were never made privy to made. And I wonder what the state plans to do with all the 16th section lands they are consolidating.
Posted by time4change (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 7:40 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You give pell grants and other assistance to girls who get pregnant, regardless of their parent's income, that you don't give to girls who don't, therefore rewarding their promiscuity. Just maybe you have them thinking that becoming pregnant is the only way they can get a college education, especially the ones whose parents have that in-between income that is slightly above qualifying for a pell grant, but income less than being able to afford to pay for college, plus room and board, for their child while away at school.
You want them to abstain from having sex, but it only takes one slip-up to become pregnant. Most, young people don't think past right now. Sex education doesn't promote promiscuity, it informs them what promiscuity can lead too>>sexually transmitted disease and pregnancy. Since there's not a whole lot that teens want to do here, they gang-up in areas where there are no adults and somehow get alcohol. When they get tipsy it's easier to do the slip-up. I don't think parents even realize that in today's world young people will often sleep together before they even start dating or going together. It's a different world now.
A good idea to help teens abstain from sex is to give them jobs in daycare centers working with kids, so they can get a realistic idea of what it would be like to take care of children. Plus monitor their friends and only allow them to hang with kids in their own age group.
Posted by pbnj (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 7:45 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I think full blown sex ed is a great idea and it should not only be in public schools. The course should explain what sex is, diseases and their symptoms and results (actual pictures). Then there should be discussions on birth control. Maybe there should be an approach similar to the Baby Borrowers show.
I think that if maybe someone in the later stages of HIV or AIDS could speak then maybe it would scare a few into safe sex. Even if it helped a few it would be worth it.
Posted by pbnj (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 7:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
time4change
You and I pretty much have the same idea, except, your monitoring their friends statement. The problem with the majority of these teenage parents is that they too are products of teenage pregnancy and live with their grandmothers. And lets be honest, are the grandmothers you know always caught up with the times, and aware of whats going on?
Posted by cchat123 (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Hollywood and Hip-Hop is to blame? This statement is inappropriate and wreckless. Teen pregancy is not the result of something new in our culture. Teen pregancy has been going on since the beginning of time, the reason why it is out of control is:
1) The problem is parents who are placing other values before their children rearing. 2) Dating losers 3)Having to work
two jobs to bring an equalivent of two salaries therefore not being available to guide children 3)Parents sticking their heads in the sand about sex and sexuality and not learning the basics themselves therefore not having accountability 4) Being friends with their children rather than parenting therefore not recognizing the vulnerability they place their children in 5) Parents dating their children friends therefore not being good role models 6) Clubbing and dressing like children therefore having no influential impact on children. 6) Parents not controlling the radio and TV in their homes therefore not controlling the fantasy world their chldren is expose to.
Posted by happybunny (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 8:31 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The problem is the welfare system. When these kids are raised on welfare, they are taught they don't need to succeed because the welfare system will pay them for nothing, and each kid qualifies them for a little more. It's a terrible cycle that sex ed will never fix.
They need to reform welfare so that it can be used as initially intended, for those in a temporary bind. It should not be allowed to be a lifestyle.
Posted by MSviaTN (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 8:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
AMEN!!!!!!!!!! HAPPYBUNNY!!!!
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 3:56 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Does anyone know what the poverty level is for a famiy of four? If not look it up!A single mom of three children even if she did graduate high school will have a hard time finding a job that pays enough to get her above the poverty line in Natchez!
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 4 p.m. (Suggest removal)
If you dont wanna look it up its about $21,000 per year !! So it would take her finding an $11.00 an hour job to reach that threshold! Where will she find that in Natchez!
Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 4:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well with Palin in the White House all will be solved.
She will teach America what she taught Alaska--abstinence only! No rubbers. No diaphrams. No Pill. No RU486. YAY! WOOHOO!!
Of course, you first have to ignore her knocked-up 17 year old daughter...
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 4:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So in my opinion the problem is the lack of employers that are willing to pay those kinda wages.
Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 4:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Too bad she didn't think of that before getting pregnant and having 3 kids--that she can't provide for!
Looks like she has to leave Natchez if she is going to feed, clothe, and house those kids.
Crimony, do people even think?????
Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 4:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
So in my opinion the problem is the lack of using brain cells to think about how she is going to provide for children she brought into the world.
No one to blame but her own damn self.
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 4:12 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What!! Southside i do respect your opinion. And i agree with that. I am just saying that the numbers they put in this article reflect the pay wages in our area moreso than teen pregnancy or education level.
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 4:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)
What i have seen happen in more than a few cases is this; The so called single mom stays at home intentionally drawing whatever government assistance she can. Then the babby daddy gets a descent job but never marries her so they wont lose the assistance!
Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 4:19 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Well, the reality is the economic situtation in Natchez has been limited for a couple decades. Given the fiscal mess the country is headed for small town American, Natchez, is not going to improve. So the only option for people looking to earn more money--or even to get a job, is to leave places like Natchez.
The handwriting is on the wall. Our national economy is going into the toilet with a splash. Ford car sales were off 30% in September--GM was off 16%. How many months do you think they can handle that? Get ready, folks.
Posted by aak1972 (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 4:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yea really back to hunting and fishing for food!
Posted by Crazie (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 8:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)
We’ve always had out-of-wedlock children,” Mathis said. “This didn’t just happen. It just got popular because of Hollywood and hip-hop.”....so if they had been listening to classical music this wouldn't happen? Please.
My Mother said "if YOU have a child, YOU will raise it, NOT me."
Being as she ALWAYS meant what she said, I took that as a promise and found it quite easy to not become pregnant until I was a married adult. Amazing concept but maybe parenting should start with ummm, parents. Just a thought.
Posted by niderbip (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 8:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
when you breed like rabbits, get prepared to spend a lot on rabbit food.
Posted by Teach4Peace (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 8:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Ever see the poverty statistics for Jefferson county? It is much worse but then again, this is technically on paper a "poor" state. Well, depends upon who you ask. In the instance for Adams county and so many of the other counties in this state, jobs are very few and far between. There are only so many gas station jobs, etc. We also know everyone won't be a doctor, etc. Welfare is designed to help people when they are down, it's when folk make welfare a way of life through generations is where the problem lies. Chances are if you saw your mom push out babies, no father, to collect another measly $100, you are going to do the same. The poverty chain can be broken but it takes the effort and mind set of people who are willing to work.
Posted by happyreader (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 9:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
You know, I can sort of understand a girl getting pregnant and having that first baby. (Although in this day and age, they can go to the health department and get contraceptives for free, courtesy of the taxpayers - so even getting pregnant that first time is so unnecessary.) But good grief. Having multiple kids while still in high school? What is up with that - did they not figure out what caused the first one?? It's completely irresponsible and foolish, and it shows a complete lack of concern for the well-being of their children. Girls, if you're reading this, please do yourself and your future children a favor - finish growing up and learning marketable skills, wait for a man who will be a decent husband, then marry him, and THEN have your babies.
Posted by happyreader (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 9:13 p.m. (Suggest removal)
By the way, I'm not suggesting that it's ok for a high schooler to get pregnant as long as it only happens once! It's not ok, and it leads to another baby growing up in government-subsidized poverty. I'm just saying that IF a teenaged girl and guy have a "whoops" pregnancy, one would think that it would be the wake-up call to not let that happen again. But these days, there doesn't seem to be a wake-up call in our culture.
Posted by getalifenatchez (anonymous) on October 1, 2008 at 11:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
The people who are the "root" of the problem are not the ones reading these post. I crack up when listening to 1450 WNAT--our local AM station. It never fails that I'm listening to a conservative talk radio show that has a commercial break by a Mississippi state agency promoting abstinence... What a waste of tax payers money. The children having a "Love Child" are not listening to this station!!! Why not broadcast these ads on the local hip hop and rock stations??? If we got back to living like the Bible intended us to, we would not have a lot of our "social" problems. What I am about to say will probably label me as a racist, which is far from the truth, but making babies out of wedlock has always been an acceptable thing in Black culture. (Yes, I am white).... When I was growing up, nice girls did not get pregnant before marriage, but now that is so passe'. We are morally in the toilet, and I don't see an end to it....
Posted by Riffian1964 (anonymous) on October 2, 2008 at midnight (Suggest removal)
If you can't get a decent paying job in Natchez why not move! Another option is the military with parity of pay for men and women. A lot of us had to go to places other than home to find a job with good pay and benefits. Of course the other side of the coin is the person in the work force in Natchez who doesn't give a darn about doing a good job. How many of you see people in the work force who do an outstanding job for personal satisfaction? Not many here in the city.
Posted by natchezsouthside (anonymous) on October 2, 2008 at 10:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
as I have said 100 times. There are plenty of lawns to mow in Natchez. At $20 each you can make some cash in a week.
Enough to pay for a bus ticket to another city where you can find work.
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