Thursday, September 16, 2010

Poverty and my rant

Well, it seems, according to the mainstream media, that those of us who are in a poverty based income, or have lost jobs, homes,or just plain live frugal or sustainable lives  and whatever else has been thrown into the steaming cauldron, are the bain of society, and the cause of all of the U.S.'s terrible economic situation.  It seems that people are unable to get jobs that are over $250,000.00 a year....Did I miss something?

I am just about at the edge of the cliff, so to speak, it doesn't take an economic professor or anyone with normal common sense, that you NEED jobs to get things GOING!  Duh!

To be honest, where I live, this is a right to work state, and does not have to pay the minimum wage at all, and I assure you, it doesn't.  I have worked jobs where I was paid $3.25 an hour not too long ago, I have worked jobs where I was paid even less than that.   It is generally $5.00 an hour here now, and will remain so for quite a while. 

I also assure you where I live, people live beyond their means too, they live in McMansions that truthfully I do not know how they pay for the house, the utilities, the food, gas in the car, and all of the other things that come up in life.  There are not jobs that are high income tech jobs here, this is  an ag state, and yes, we have the hospital, and Union Pacific Railroad, but, it does not pay that kind of wage.

Since when is it that those of us who live within our means, and are considered poverty or below poverty, the bain of the country's troubles, because they ask for some assistance with food, or medicine, or other assistance when a job is lost.  Where I live, we do not have tech jobs or lab jobs, or other high tech companies, except in the eastern part of the state around Omaha or Lincoln.

Now I know that people abuse the system, and get things that they do not or should not get.  But let's get real here, now all of the sudden, it seems that now those of us who live frugally are now causing the downfall of America!  Because you cannot find work, simply because of the area you live in, if you live in a rural area, or area that is not full of high tech employment.

I, personally am somewhat afraid and worried that this will bring great strife and a great wedge between the haves and the have not's even more.

I had a little incident Sun night where I live at and have my trailer.  The city is looking for money in all sections, and someone in the neighborhood turned the park in  where I live  about junk and cars.  Well, the junk, I cannot do anything about, I try to pick up and put things in the trash, and the old furniture and junk, the guy who owns the lot is a jerk and a slum lord and doesn't care anyway.  I have my ex's project car, that he has been working on here, under a soft sided car port, and earlier this summer, I had a bad storm that ripped off and split the canopy and exposed the car.  The car runs but is not plated as it is still being worked on.  My ex drives truck and had no place for it, so I told him he could put it here until he could find a place.  Well, since it was exposed, the cop who came through Sun night, jumped all over me because of the junk car.  To make a long story short, he was snoopy when he came through and first told me that he hates people who live in trailer parks, they are no good, the second thing he said was that it was illegal to have a garden!  I was, by this time, very much fuming, and told him that unless he got a warrant, I would not permit or allow him to be around and unless he had serious business with me I cut the encounter off and took the ticket and will get the car plated and insured for a time, to comply and then from there, I don't know whether I will file a complaint or not.  I still reeling about the garden comment, and have been checking into this also.

Where I live, yes, people are slobs, and I have drug dealers, which seems to avoid encounters with the cops, the guy who own the park, the cops hate anyway also, and this doesn't help either.  So, I think that I will through the winter, look for another place to move my trailer and maybe avoid encounters in the first place.

But this was the start of the rant, and then with the news over the weekend and this morning, I have reached my thresh hold of tolerance.  It makes me angry in the first place.  I do not bother anyone, I mind my own business, and I take care of myself, ask of no assistance, and enjoy my poverty, which I feel I do not live in poverty in the first place.  I live quite frugally and I do not go without or starve or anything.  I will tell you, sometimes, yes, if I have an unexpected expense come up, yes, I have to move things around or go without a few things to cover the expense, but I manage and go from there.  I do not like at all, being labeled the cause of the country's problems or the city's problems where I live.

I guess my question is:  Is is just me that has this or has anyone else noticed this trend?  I am curious.
Then if it's me, then I need to dig a hole and bury myself......

I would love comments as to see  if you see this in your part of the country or area, or am I getting old and crabby.

Oh, and the ICU kitty is doing great, and the upper respiratory kitties are on the mend also.
Thank you for all of your concerns, this is the only thing that has made me able to take the world, is their care and getting better.

Anyway, thank you for letting me rant, I am truly sorry, but I really can't take this much more.  I wish everyone a great week, and don't let the world get to you.  I will try to have more on pantry stocking and some recipes, since I am more free now to write.

8 comments:

  1. Oh my gosh Denim ~ I would be ranting too. DH and I are always ranting about one thing or the other that is going on in this country these days. Times are getting rough and they may be getting rougher.

    We live frugally and things have been rougher than normal the past two years, as my boss cut my time and my pay. I just read your post to DH and he can't believe it. It's stuff like this that definitely can send people over the edge. All we can do is take each day as it comes and do our best.

    I am so sorry you had that cop treat you like that. That was NOT decent, it was evil and intimidating.

    For him to say he hates people who lives in trailer parks is horrible. Then to tell you your garden is illegal. This has me sitting here shaking my head and angry at what is going on in our country. Things have changed and NOT for the better.

    I am praying that you will find a nice, peaceful place to move your trailer. Maybe someone who lives in the country would have a hook up where you could park your home, and charge you a low rent. They would be nice and love to garden as you do.

    Hugs ~ FlowerLady

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  2. It's strange isn't it, that the police of this world, who are meant to be protecting us against the real drug-dealing, thieving, murdering, witless idiots, choose not to take action against them but pick on decent law-abiding citizens because it is EASIER. They can put a tick in a box which says what they have achieved in their working day and they have needed to do nothing more than bully someone who just has an inch of toe over the line.

    Gosh, I am so angry on your behalf - the cop needs reporting for bullying!

    I hope that you can find somewhere quiet and rural with good neighbours that you can relocate to. Meanwhile, I am at your side in spirit, offering moral support.

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  3. Oh my do I understand! This past month our income was cut. We went from barely making it to not knowing what we are going to do. Oh, and my husband has a tech job. They are getting cut left and right too.

    I live in what used to be a respectable suburb. Now two of my direct neighbors homes are vacant because of foreclosure. The guy across the street just had a raid on his house for drugs.

    I do see discrimination against the poor here. However, around here the situation is getting so bad that there are way more have-nots than haves.

    I have a lot more to say about this subject but have to leave now. I got a job cleaning a house twice a month.

    I will email you later when I get a chance. For now, just know you are not alone. *hugs*

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  4. Blast, I left a long reply early this morning and don't know where it went!

    I just cautioned you not to do anything rash. Down here moving a mobile home is very expensive and sometimes dealing with what you know is better than trying something new. You seem pretty content where you are and with your immediate neighbors. I wouldn't let that ignorant policeman who should be reported cause me to make any changes. You might not like the next place as well.

    Shouldn't your ex pay for the insurance and license for his car?
    Or have it moved for you.

    The poor have always been discriminated against in my opinion. I get really riled up when I hear some "good" people make remarks insinuating that poor people are lazy, dirty or just don't appreciate better quality of things. I came directly from a line of poor people who were not lazy, dirty or ignorant.

    Every time I hear politicians talk I remark to my husband that they don't have a clue how poor people live or even "middle income" people live. I don't know of a single thing that has been done lately to create new jobs. Every day something else shuts down in our town. These are scary times.

    You hang in there denim and don't let them run you off.

    No gardens..........silliest thing I every heard of.

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  5. I found you through a comment you posted on my friend Rachel's blog.

    I grew up in NE (Hastings, my parents still live there) and know all about it being a "right to work" state. more like right to be paid like crap. i remember very well working in the cornfields at the age of 12 for right around or less than minimum wage, depending on the company. NE has few good paying job opportunities, one of the many reasons why i couldn't move back (that and the hillbillies! ha!).

    Keep your chin up and don't let an asshole cop get under your skin. my parents were construction contractors when i was growing up and i can't even tell you the number of times our pain in the ass neighbor complained to the cops or city about our flatbed truck being parked next to our house. people can be such jerks and so judgmental, assuming things just because of where you live or what you have parked in front of your house.

    and what's up with not being able to have a garden? that's just ridiculous.

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  6. Your blog posts are refreshing, and you have a lot of good advice for stretching food dollars. It is discouraging to see what many families pile into their carts at the grocery store--not real food, not nourishing food.
    It sounds like you have special skills for tending ailing felines--as well as great compassion.

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  7. Ugh! So sorry to hear about your encounter with the cop. The comment about the garden might be the most ignorant and offensive thing I've heard in a long time. Grr...

    Here in Canada we are still very insulated from a lot of the economic turmoil happening, so as yet there hasn't been more than the usual gap between the haves and have nots.

    I don't for how much longer that will last though. Household debt is at historical highs and the majority of Canadians live paycheque to paycheque and say they would have a hard time making ends meet if they're pay got cut or they had to miss a week of pay.

    I think a lot of our prosperity and a large section of our middle class has been built on credit and living beyond our means. It's only a matter of time before that house of cards comes down.

    Blessings and good things to you!

    Amber

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  8. Hi! Thanks for your comment! Check out the link to the Fancy Farmgirl, it's not Mary Janes Farm, it's someone else, and she is amazing! I have been to Mary Jane's actual farm, it's cool too. I have been getting her magazines (Mary Jane's Farm) for many years! I can't beleive I live near Mary Jane Butters, the farm chicks from Country Living, and now the fancy farm girl lives by me too!
    Take care!

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