Dr. Olson Huff

From Daily Planet Staff Reports

Dr. Olson Huff, who addressed “Poverty in Our Times: Wasted Lives” on May 21 in Asheville, fielded questions for 15 minutes.

A woman began the Q&A by making a statement — “assuming the Democrats win in the fall, this (child poverty) will likely be addressed.”

Next, Huff was asked, “How do you motivate poor children and families” to take advantage of opportunities that are offered?

“Structures within which a child is born” are “critical to the ultimate commitment the child makes to the society,” he replied.

A woman noted, “I think we need to look at stressors at the economic level.” She also said she would challenge assertions “of people not caring in the United States” about poor people.

“I agree,” Huff answered.

A woman asked about situations of situational poverty versus generational poverty. She also expressed interest in “brainstorming it out to get these kids out of generational poverty.” She added that she has seen figures indicating that “85 percent of the guys in prison can’t read.”

Nodding, Huff amended her latter statement to say that 85 percent of U.S. inmates are illiterate — “or learning disabled.”

“Where are the models” for breaking the cycles of child poverty? the woman asked.

“Very good question,” Huff replied. “We’re in the process of developing the models. It’s up to us to identify the problem, find the solution to the problem and then implement it.”

A man asked Huff to “tell me about the impact of stress factors on poor children.”

“Those stress hormones are destroying their brains,” Huff replied. One way to alleviate the situation, he said, is to “provide help on how they use their limited resources.”

A woman asked if there has been an increase in the disparity in income and the increasing number of people living in poverty.

“Yes,” Huff answered, “this is a very significant problem — the issue of income disparity and its impact on children. It really is a problem.”

A woman asked the doctor about his view on efforts to increase base pay in Asheville.

“Yes, we need to increase base pay” here and elsewhere in the U.S., Huff said. “Why is The Netherlands No. 1? Who do they only pay $5 per visit to a health clinic?”

A questioner asked about reducing stress in poor families, noting that “a lot of it comes down to parental education programs. What would be the appropriate organizations — and at what scale?”

“I think, to a limited degree, Smart Start has done a good job on a limited scale,” Huff replied.

A man asked, “From your perspective, do you see this as particularly effective in Western North Carolina — or more in a universal application?”

“We need to stop thinking in particular approaches and instead use global approaches,” Huff answered.