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Food Bank Clients


SusanJBear

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That's a fascinating story.

 

I hadn't realised how food banks sourced their supply.

 

I get the sense that the relief this is offering those Volvo driving

'new poor" will be short term. Therefore, eventually the house will go. In that case it is better for them to leave it now and move to areas with better prospects. (farming communities in S Dakota?) :(

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I am often amazed at these stories. Food is incredibly cheap in the USA, and the idea that anyone who owns a home could have so little savings that they are reduced to getting food from a food bank to stave off hunger is unbelievable to me. I could imagine someone's budget being cramped, and them having to economize on food (no steaks), but I'm shocked. Do people have no savings at all? Homeowners? I mean do they live so much hand to mouth that if they are missing a few paychecks there is no money to buy food?

 

What happened to living within your means, the virtue of thrift, and personal responsibility? Are people really spending every last cent they earn when they are working, plus more?

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I am often amazed at these stories. Food is incredibly cheap in the USA, and the idea that anyone who owns a home could have so little savings that they are reduced to getting food from a food bank to stave off hunger is unbelievable to me. I could imagine someone's budget being cramped, and them having to economize on food (no steaks), but I'm shocked. Do people have no savings at all? Homeowners? I mean do they live so much hand to mouth that if they are missing a few paychecks there is no money to buy food?

 

What happened to living within your means, the virtue of thrift, and personal responsibility? Are people really spending every last cent they earn when they are working, plus more?

Yes yes and yes. Nothing new it just gets worse. :o

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Pick up and go wear? Put yourself in the new poor's shoes. The market is completely glutted with every concievable type of worker. Even minimum wage jobs are being snapped up pretty quickly.

 

People in the SEattle area are hoping that tech picks back up. They may be wrong in their assessment of the future, but its reinforced by the media and plenty of "happy talk" all around. The U.S. business community and broader culture still believes the "power of positive thinking" will turn any tide. My husband and I decided to bail out several months ago, if it had been up to me, would have done it 2 years ago. Our house sold a couple of days ago, and we're moving onto our boat, and renting a tiny place so we can go ashore and not go nuts.

 

We're damned lucky to be hooked into a real community and cyber communities where people are not trapped in a consensual delusion. I credit all the realists out there for helping me make this decision, but understand completely why most people have been living pay check to pay check, and are finding it difficult to bail. They simply bought the high tech version of the American dream, and don't quite understand that it will probably become a permanent nightmare.

 

This is a marvelous opportunity to extend compassion to all who have been ensnared by false optimism.

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People are feeling very pinched. In this day and age, there is no longer any shame in filing for bankruptcy, in cyberbegging, in driving up to the food bank in a Volvo, or in slapping on the Gucci loafers, handing the bank the keys to the overpriced house and walking away.

 

This week I happened to mention to a few people that my significant other has just put his house up for sale in Charlotte NC. He's been a landlord to his sister since 1986. Based on what he's read in "Conquer the Crash" , he wants to liquidate the property.

 

If my significant other had put the purchase price of the house in the bank back in 1986 and earned 4% a year on the savings until about a year ago, he would have A LOT more money now than what that house will sell for. That argument, plus all my arguments about putting in a new roof, vinyl siding, expenses for 17 years of upkeep and repairs, getting the house in move-in condition, etc, etc, etc, have no impact.

 

They think that because he's selling a house that he's "rich". One woman wanted to know what he was going to "invest" the money in.

 

These same people are the ones I notice are always having financial problems and think the better-off should share what they have. These are the same people who always equate a profit motive with evil. These are not young kids, they are well into their 50's!!!

 

I consider this total BS.

 

My sympathy for people who can't keep their own socks pulled up when times are still relatively good is ZERO.

 

There are people who have no clue about personal finance and will not learn until they are out on the street. All we can do is make sure we are not one of them.

 

In the meantime, I've learned my lesson and I'm not going to mention say anything to ANYONE else about selling this house.

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Why focus on the impoverished and let the elite wealthy slide? ?

 

For example, Enron seems to have paid no taxes. ?Neither did CSX.

 

It goes almost without saying that those who acquired their wealth by deceit deserve the scrutiny they get.

 

I'm not talking about wealthy elite, I'm talking about somebody who worked his ass off for 17 years to pay off a mortgage so he would not have any debt. Yes, he may be better off than somebody else but I don't believe that should obligate him to bail out somebody who was too clueless to manage his own finances.

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Who's asking anyone to bail anyone else out, Susan? I understand its hard to work up a lot of sympathy for people who were and are willfully ignorant, and will be in financial trouble whether they're in good times, or bad. I realize compassion is a finite resource that is carefully doled out to the "deserving", especially when times get tough. On the other hand, it just seems to me that the deserving and undeserving don't fall into two neatly divided camps, and its probably wise to give people the benefit of the doubt. It's just easier to be sympathetic than irritated.

 

I don't understand why feelings of indignation about the possibility of "bailing people out" during horrible times even factor into the emotional mileau right now. I wish my taxes would go more for that and less for supporting myriad wars.

 

People, in general, are goofy schmucks, struggling for a sense of nobility and meaning against impossible odds. You have to wonder if they're "guilty" of stupidity, or "innocent victims" of their own stupidity. Many people just aren't that bright. It's the 1% that's truly evil, that gets on my nerves, like Enron, and the like.

 

I didn't read your link yet, so it probably helps explain your sentiments a bit better.

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Why focus on the impoverished and let the elite wealthy slide?

 

For example, Enron seems to have paid no taxes. Neither did CSX.

IMO still, corps should not pay income taxes at all. The citizens that own the corp pay the taxes when they realize a profit.

 

Exactly the same case taxing seniors on their social security benefits (the money was paid in with aftertax dollars, and like an IRA can be consdered to grow tax free. scrooge would be proud.

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Pigeon, a recent survey of Americans showed that 80% (E-I-G-H-T-Y) had no savings whatsoever --- no liquid assets of ANY kind.

 

"virtue of thrift"

It never really existed to a large extent in America since the country has been so blessed with plenty. Oh yeah there are those first-generation immigrants but they are the exception.

 

If you've lived here all your life like me you don't even need a survey to tell you that the vast majority of Americans live from one pay check to the next and have no buffer whatsoever. It's patently obvious just from talking to people you meet at work and other places.

 

They lose their job and if they don't get another one before the unemployment runs out (only 6-9 months later) they hit the bread lines and have to beg.

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