well Pk3784 I have my facts straight . I was there the night she hurt her knee. and it was because she was drunk. she did it on the dance floor at the bar we were at. she did not hurt her knee at work. i know this for a fact because i worked with cathy at the same factory. and thats not why they fired her. they fired her because she wasnt doing her job. so maybe you should get YOUR facts straight. and if she doesnt drink beer why does she have beer in her fridge. they showed her fridge in the newspaper and there was a 12 pack in there....

pk3784
Good comeback. The negative post just keep flocking in from the people who constantly choose to find the negative in everything. Some people's lives are so miserable they aren't capable of providing positive to anyone.
What if all of us just took it on ourselves to just be positive about things for once? We could create a ripple effect!

By the way "Janesville reader"...She lost her job because she injured her knee at her employment of over 2 and a half years. Shortlt after her return to that factory, she was fired. She doesn't smoke nor drink beer, not saying that she don't have friends that drink beer. Get your facts straight!

There go you judgemental people again! If you would have read the letter to the Editor, you would have seen that she never wanted pity nor is she demanding sympathy. She is , rather, putting her life (past and present) out there so others can learn from her mistakes as well as learn from theirs. Everybody has the right to have their own opinions and that is what makes this nice, but keep them above the "third grade name calling level" and let your voices be known. But please consider this...MAYBE she was in an abusive relationship and finally had the strength to get out? MAYBE she lives in a duplex and shares that recycling bin in the backyard? MAYBE she wants people to be aware of the things that cause poverty so the next family will be aware of the signs? And MAYBE...just MAYBE she did this story in hopes that the readers will find in their selves less judgement and a little willingness to understand that we are not all the same and that some are more fortunate than others. Maybe insted of backlashing, try to consider that at least she is trying and that she is installing good values for her children so they have the opportunities that she never had. P.S. If you really want to know, she has all her children by the same man in a realtionship that extended over a 10 year period. She lives in a duplex in which the recyclable bin s shared by both sides. She budgets very well, and the dog was a gift for her children that is used to be both theraputic as well as a confindant that would show them unchartered LOVE. Isn't it what we are supposed to teach our children? Give her a break!

ok slavetosociety i never once in my comment mentioned your name did I? and who in the hell said that I can afford the "riches" being on foodshare...I get grants to go to college and I work 2 jobs you righteous jerk and no where in my comment did I say my education makes me better than anyone else. My kids are getting a good education and have a good life and so do I. They may not go to a Catholic school that you just HAD to mention that your child goes to but we are happy...and I 100% agree that if you can afford the "riches" in life that you shouldnt be on state aid. But I dont see anything wrong with wanting to get a good education for myself to better the life of my children. You opened a can of worms, not me, because I wasnt even talking to you.

mooshoo,
I meant just that. There are dead beat moms as well. I will say that it begins with the man. If a man is being the responsible person he is appointed to be, everything pretty much falls into place. My point is, it's a two way street. As far as our society breeding these people, it's true. The generations of people raising the next generations of leaders are all products of our society and the culture that's around them. My personal feeling is we're a media driven culture who has fallen prey to many false truths and lies. Right and Wrong has been negotiated too many times. We've turned our back on principles and allowed relativity to creep in.

Darius
I cannot begin to answer your question about what lies in the hearts and minds of deadbeat dads. I found it interesting that you say "Our society has bred dead beat dads and moms over time." I would rephrase your statement to read "dead beat dads have bred [a lot] of moms over time in our society". Therein lies part of the problem.

janesvillereader....I agree. Many times my husband and I have discussed we should have never gotten married, and I could have claimed to be a single mother as I was before, and we could really be racking in the benefits. Instead we choose to be responsible and work and feed our kids and have a high deductible on our insurance so our premium isn't so expensive, and it doesn't cover anything until then, I can't go back to school without juggling things and have to pay for it because I make too much now for financial aid....boy, it really sucks to have some change in my pocket and be married.....(seriously, I wouldn't have it any other way, my pride isn't for sale.) I am sure that is exactly what people think and DO all the time. The system almost encourages women to stay single and have kids. By encouraging I mean they are rewarded by bad behavoir. If there are no consequences for actions, then there are no lessons learned.

******Jvillemom2kids**** I nowhere said ALL single mothers are using the system,I said in so many words IF YOU NEED THE HELP GET IT BUT WHEN YOU GET BACK ON YOU FEET GET OFF THEIR OTHER PEOPLE THAT NEED IT TOO but their are so may people abusing it (THE TAX PAYERS $$$$$.) Go back and READ it again because apparently you didn't read my whole story and maybe you can understand it with your college education and what not (COPIED STORY BY MEEEEEEE.) Ok, here goes, I am a single mother of one child and when she was 3 months old her father left us with no money, I had no job, and no way to pay my rent so I had to move... With no money and no where to go I ended up at a homeless shelter and right after I was admited into the shelter, I started recieving foodshare, child care and W2 ect.ect.ect...
When he realized that I didn't need him after all he wanted for me to forgive him for leaving us and start the family thing over and trust him again. I decided the best road to go down with my only child is to NOT put myself or my daughter through that again (cuz you do it once you'll do it again, cuz you know you can get away with it...) and if I would have married him than where would that road have taken me. UUUMMMMM.
Just because you have a child doesn't mean you are going to have a PERFECT marriage, that doesn't mean anything. I got out without the troubles of lawyers and courts and the B.S. that come with being in a bad marriage...
My daughter is 7 years old now and goes to a Catholic school and I work a Full-Time job don't need anymore help from the state and pay for my own child care, my own medical, vision and dental Ins. Her father hasn't seen her since she was 6 months old, his choice because he knows how to contact me he has my phone number which hasn't changed since I got back on my feet, and I don't go looking for him, why should I put confusion in her life right now when we are doing fine by ourself...
We don't have riches and the finer things in life but I will do ANYTHING for her to see that she is properly taking care of and that SHE (not me) has a good education, food on the table every night and clothes on her back which come from the Goodwill and other secondhand stores... OH YEA, it didn't take 5 or 10 years to get back on my feet...
I am not going to argue with you because I am better then that but you are more then WELCOME to bring on the insults and put downs because I LOVE WHAT I DO AND I DO WHAT I LOVE and you can NEVER bring me down.
"I am woman, a strong woman hear me roar"
NUFF SAID, have a good day. Bye
P.S. If you can afford all the riches and fancy living then why do you need the foodshare promgram and W2...UUUMMMM.

I think the thinking is that if someone agrees to be the subject of a story the Gazette will protect them from attacks even if those attacks are justified. Maybe it's the chilling effect: no one would agree to be the subject of a story if they feared being attacked as a result.

Usually if someone is the subject, beyond their control, of a news story it's almost anything goes.

Why are my comments removed because i told it like it was. Kathy had a good job. but because of the choices she made she lost it, now shes booo whooing about being poor. she cant be too poor if she can affoard, cig. cable tv a cell phone and beer. and why arnt the fathers of her children helping. there are more people in this town who are more in poverty then she is, at least she has a roof over her head. and shes not paying for that she gets assistance for that. must be nice,

Darius...you are so right. A "real" man takes care of, does not take control of. I had a step dad that was a beater, and all men that behave that way are just a bunch of cowards. And the women who put up with it (more than once) and put their children in harms way, have no pity from me. I would rather live in a tent then with someone who hurt me, my children or my self worth. I don't deny the fact that these women need mental help, and should seek it, but 1/4 of society seeks mental health at one point in their lives or another. And more probably should. So if we are handing out gold stars for helping oneself, then many more ought to be given out, because people seek help everyday....

optimism
A real man would never put his wife in that position! It's called character. A real man takes responsibility if his wife is unhappy. A real man holds himself accountable for his actions. It's a man's responsibility to lead in his household..... I'm not talking about being a tyrant or a boss either. I'm talking about being a leader! We don't have enough men in this culture we live in. Too many boys aren't taught how to be a man. A sense of honor and duty. We've allowed the media to influence so many in the wrong direction and desensitize them in regards to reality.

I'm glad Kathy and other women in her situation see a way out through education. I do. It will help them to get a better job, earn a better living, and HOPEFULLY, they won't rely on welfare anymore. But I don't understand why they can't work as well. Or apply for student loans or grants too. Yes, welfare is there to give a hand up when you need it. But if it's a choice between working to support your kids, or going to college, I think you should put your priorities first. You don't have to carry a full load of classes. You can take one or two at a time. It may take longer to get the degree, but at least you can say you took care of your own.

Good for this woman for trying to better herself. But what about all the other people out there that have bettered themselves?? I don't see the need for special recognition for this woman just because she chooses to "do the right thing" finally. That pride should come from within her own spirit, not the response of the media. I have lived poor, not poor, and poor again. But the one constant was, my children always came first, they weren't exposed to a life without morals, and I never ONCE put a man before my children. A woman who depends on a man to know her self worth, knows internally that if he treats her badly, that it isn't right or normal. She then needs to take the intiative to get help for herself. FOR YEARS now is has been known there are places for these women to go. I am now not poor, and appreciate EVERYTHING I have everyday, and teach my children to do the same thing. You don't have to be financially stable to be a good person. That is inate, and it is your choice to live that life. Most people who consider themselves poor and get themselves in over their heads are taken over by the green eyed monster and live beyond their means.

mooshoo
"Where are the fathers" should never get to the child support factor. My question is, "where's the accountability and commitment?" Our society has bred dead beat dads and moms over time. Single parent families are spawned by too much govt. intervention and their programs. They've made it more profitable for a mother to have children being unwed. Need a raise? Have another kid! Great program. A child needs a mother AND a father in their life. The question is, what kind of mothers and fathers are being groomed in our culture? The examples that are being duplicated down from generation to generation are sickening. Lack of ACCOUNTABILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY is not only killing the family foundational structure, it's killing this country.

I went to U-Rock with Kathy...i'm proud of you! Keep going! and for those of you saying this happens because women have kids out of "wedlock" well screw all of you because I know plenty of people who were married when they had kids and are now in the same situation as kathy and other women so dont think your marriage makes you better than us...i'm a single mother who works and goes to college, i recently just graduated with my associates and am going to UW-Milwaukee for my bachelors and yeah I get state aid...thats what its there for..people who are using it as a stepping stone to make their lives better...so dont group us in with those women who make it a way of life (i.e. the one's who have their hair and nails done up with the name brand clothes) we dont all abuse the system. So the next time you think about going down to the jobcenter and telling them what you think, remember those of us who are using it appropriately! Sometimes you dont ask for this kind of situation, you just end up there and have to make the best of it!

evansvillehouse, upnorthwi criticized the repetition of bad behavior. Repetitious bad behavior is not an acceptable life style.

Rich people who look down on the middle class are being snobs.

Critical assessment of bad behavior is not the same as snobbery.

There are absolutes. Relativism means anything goes.

I am glad Kathy has taken a good step to make a better life for her self and her children. Life is what you make of it. If you make a bad descision, the only way to fix it is to learn and make better ones. I think there are too many safety nets for people to fall back on. When you make a bad choice and someone (the government in many cases) bails you out, how are you ever going to learn to make the good choices? Im not saying everyone who makes a bad choice should starve or go homeless, but when does the origional purpose of these programs, which to my understanding, is to help people get back on their feet, stop and say enough is enough. Applause for people like Kathy who are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel! Boos for those living off of the money everyone else works hard for, and not seeking a better life for themselves and their dependants.

evansvillehousewife - good point. It is all in perspective, depending on where you are personally sitting when you give your opinions. I've been poor, I've been not so poor. Either way, you can find a way to be happy. A five year old car, or in my case a ten year old car, gets you by just fine so long as you take care of it. It still gets you where you need to go, and you can pay it off faster. (Insurance is cheaper too.) Fresh veggies (especially if you can grow them yourself) help as well. There are a lot of things we can all do to scale back, save a dime here & there, that add up. We don't NEED the fluff. It is NEED versus WANT that a lot of people can't seem to get a grip on. If you've never been hungry, if you've never been down & out, then you don't understand NEED. WANT is a luxury. Try living a month or two with NEEDS only, and see how much money you can all save. BUT - I have to take issue with the Hamburger Helper - ick - eat some apples & bananas along with whatever you can grow in your garden along with that hamburger instead. (Read the label.)

A parent who cares... funny, but "Forth Ward"- the homonym of Fourth Ward- might be a neat little way to look at the area....

It's not a comparison, it's a hyperbole to illustrate the futility of telling someone to "see it through another lens."
Most of us see nothing wrong with living in a middle class home, driving a five year old car, and eating Hamburger Helper. However, there is a class of individuals who would simply shudder at the thought of living such a life.
Likewise, while most middle-class individuals are horrified at the thought of having fatherless children and public welfare, there is a demographic that see it as not only acceptable, but as the pinnacle of life available to them.
And in Mali, a woman with a pair of shoes and access to a midwife is seen as fortunate.
It's a matter of perspective. Even if the comparisons seem too abstract to you to be relevant, perhaps some other condemning individual will understand my point and stop damning the poor as their personal scapegoat.

evansvillehousewife, your post is senseless. A comparison only works when it has a proper number of similarities.

A good start for the forth ward would be to rename the park and that part of the town ..the name "forth ward" makes it sound run down and the poor side of town ... give it a name the people can be proud of

like i said don't have kids if you can't feed yourself or pay your own bills first

Warm politely asks us "Where are the fathers?" Good question. Some are in jail, some don't earn squat, some left town never to be found. Others work for cash, or change jobs so fast that the Child Support cannot keep up with them. And sometimes paternity is never established. I believe Wisconsin collects about 70% of every dollar of current child support that is owed and distributes it to parent (not always the mom) who has legal custody of the child. Even if the father has a good job, the amount of child support by itself is not enough to raise children under a separate roof. The bottom line is "you can't get blood out of a turnip". And that has everything to do with the price of tea in China.

While Kathy Patrick is caught up in a bad situation you have to applaud her efforts in teaching her kids gratitude. Good luck Kathy!

Mentors to guide you along the way and a PROPER education to learn with. There's a huge difference between knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is like an airplane speeding down a runway. Wisdom is the ability for that airplane to get off the ground. In other words, knowledge can only take a person so far. Knowledge applied to wisdom can move mountains.

I now understand where you are coming from and I am very sorry for not understanding. I do see this every day at my place of employment,
mothers on foodstamps and nails done up real pretty, talk on their cell phone (blue tooth) nice name brand clothes, stylish shoes, buy all kinds of food that is not needed to raise a happy, healthy child (soda, cake, ice cream, potato chips, steaks, lobter tails and things that are not needed.) I think that foodshare should be in the same form as the WIC check,
a check with all the nessities like toilet paper, vegitables, fruit, bar soap (not liquid) meats, generic shampoo and conditioner, etc.etc. etc. and if you want the finer things in life, well get a job atleast making minium wage (it's a start and they can earn alot of respect from other people like you and I.)
One more question what does W2 stand for, *Wisconsin Works* right, well what ever happened to that? Is it back to being Welfare the more kids you have the more money you can get from the government...
Maybe we should all come together and get a petition going and let them at the job center know how we feel about this since we do witness it in our every day life...

WHERE THE HELL ARE THE FATHERS?!!??

Slave... I'm not judging any single parent! I too was a single parent for a while, like you I had a good job, insurance etc.. I'm talking about women who aren't married but continue to have children and expect to get food stamps etc..I get tired of some people taking advantage of the system when, part of the time, they got where they're at by the choices they made. Medical assistance pays for these children being born to single women without insurance, that would be us dear. That's what being born out of wed lock has to do with the price of tea in Texas!!!

Oh, and another thing what does having a child out of wed-lock have to do with the price of TEA IN TEXAS.

Maybe I read something wrong so please correct me if so, (upnorthwi) I have been a single mother for atleast 7 years and don't plan on ever getting married.
I am a full-time employee and held the same job for 6 years and do it ALL on my own.
So if you don't mind please don't judge me for being a single mother until you have walked a mile in my shoes...
I do not take any kind of hand outs, not even on governmental funds and pay my own child care so I don't know where you get away with saying single mothers want you to feel sorry for them (woe is me) because I don't want and don't need your sympathy or your help.
Like I stated in my other comment I have my own med., vision, dental, everthing is out of my paycheck. Not the tax payers. So please don't be so judgemental...

Atleast she is giving back to the community, thumbs up to you Kathy, do you have a job lined up when you are finished with your education?

janesvillereader...ooooh, shame on you for setting the story straight!! That's what I was getting to on my first comment. People don't act responsibly and then it's "woe is me" and I caught heck also. Watch her video, she admits she's where she's at because of her life choices.

janesville reader-
Stop. Seriously. Or they will shut this whole comments thread down and we will lose yet another story to comment on.

janesvillereader, how wonderful that you saw Kathy before she started to turn her life around. If those of us who DON'T know how she used to be can applaud her for making a change in her life and trying to change bad habits, those who do personally know her should be even more supportive.

Why do people have to be so judgemental and call out the negative in people who are trying to improve?

The title of this article states what I’ve been arguing with people on these blogs over the last few weeks, but some insist that poverty is always of someone’s own making. Not everyone starts with a level playing field, meaning parents or mentors to guide them in the right direction. As a result, some people are left to learn by their own mistakes, which often times can put them in financial distress. Having the right guidance and getting educated is beneficial to everyone, but even more so for those facing poverty. Granted, an education isn’t going to keep everyone over the poverty level, but it is certainly an important step on the road to financial stability and independence. Consequently, I feel it is extremely important that whomever our next president becomes, that he makes continuing education, to all those who are willing to make the effort, a possibility.

That's great, upnorthwi. However, be reminded that there are currently millionaires in their summer homes, looking down upon YOU and wondering why you didn't make the same choices THEY did. After all, if you had made better choices, you could be a corporate trust fund baby living off of dividends. Instead, you chose to work for a living and never own more than one home.
Just to provide a little perspective for those who just can't understand why some people are in poverty.

I thought this was a place to voice a comment. It's great that this woman is finally getting back on her feet. But, what about all of those others out there that continue the same bad pattern??? I've worked since I was 16 because I WANTED to. I've been through a divorce after having 3 children and I supported myself without government funding. I have since remarried and am living quite comfortably, so I don't plan on ever being one of those poor people. Never did I say I didn't have any compassion, I just made wiser choices, and that's what a lot of this is about!!

talktalk, the city (Sheiffer) tried to change the name to "Monterey", but we who live here didn't approve. It's always gonna be the "(Old) Fourth Ward" to us.
.
upnorthwi, if you can't see that this woman has worked tremendously hard to improve her situation, I don't know what I can suggest for you. This is (almost) a success story. I hope you never fall on your face and need assistance. That may be the only way you can ever see the value of any of these programs -- by needing them yourself. Otherwise, to you, poor people are "somebody else".

I feel bad for these children, but, these women need to go to family planning for birth control if they don't have insurance. Women continue to have children out of wedlock and then "woe is me" and they get state aid. It is 2008, time to break the cycle.

I thought we weren't supposed to call it the "4th ward" any longer...???

Way To Go Kathy Stick With School, You Can Never Go Wrong, Getting More Education.

I can certainly relate to this woman and her family. I am a full time mother of three, work a full-time job in and office during the day and am schooling for a bachelors degree via the UW-Platteville's online program at night, on top of juggling a boyfriend whom I love dearly, kids dance classes, church youth groups and counseling.... It gets to be soooo much, but I'm gonna have a house some day for my kids, and I'm going to build a future and have a retirement! I do NOT want my children living paycheck to paycheck like I do, or having them fall so far behind that their electricity gets shut off... I want better for them! I want them to be happy and successful, and they learn by example.

I beleive this should be the Old 4th Ward Park. Whe ward numbers changed a few years back and now the New 4th Ward is a very quite neighborhood of Sr Citizens and mid income families located around Mt.Zion and Milton Ave