norbert,

i am really asking the community to help "solve". i know what i would like to see addressed. i will need help defining it. perhaps i can PM you some ideas.

for instance, (isuue #1)- i can not set up a new health care system. the link and the statistics i mentioned were only to point out that many americans are dying because of the health care crisis in the u.s.

the exact issue is (issue #1) - working outside of the existing health care system, how can we link americans, like myself, who have been refused treatment by doctors based on lack of insurance, to doctors and medications that they need?

too big to tackle? i have other issues concerning americans in need.

there is a link at the very end of the "poverty in america" thread that points to a web site called "giveget". it has the basic idea of distributing goods and services on an idividual basis from donors to recipients, but it has not been executed successfully.

i would like to PM you some ideas (definitions) that probably should be clarified before anyone will take this thread seriously.

there should be some agreement about "who is in need" in the u.s. the federal government has set the bar too low.

there should be some agreement as to the fact that philanthropy and charity must coexist.

one more thing... as far as leading the horse, rather than sticking a giant post on someone elses thread that talks about my own thread - i've seen people do it :( - can i "invite members" to this thread by posting a simple link? is that proper onet ettiquette?

i think of it as advertising. :)

thanks. i'm exhausted and have a school picnic to take my son to, so i will write again tomorrow.

dafna