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About 800 people lined up at an agency early Monday morning to apply for help paying utility bills...
"I think this first week we can see probably roughly about 4,000 people at this office," the agency's Shaylyn Dean said.
...Some of the people in line were applying for immediate assistance with their utility bills because their services have already been cut off, the agency said.
Officers said they were first called out to deal with disturbances along the line of people, and then they found violations such as cars blocking driveways, parked in the grass, illegal and improper tags. Police said some car tags expired years ago.
Originally posted by AshleyD
Yes, it's bad. From the article:
About 800 people lined up at an agency early Monday morning to apply for help paying utility bills...
"I think this first week we can see probably roughly about 4,000 people at this office," the agency's Shaylyn Dean said.
...Some of the people in line were applying for immediate assistance with their utility bills because their services have already been cut off, the agency said.
Can you just imagine how much worse it will become if Cap & Trade is passed and they will be paying approximately $1,500 more annually for their utilities? It's going to be a mess.
But I do agree with your anger about ticketing them- that only adds fuel to the fire. Poor form on the police for nickel and diming those who are obviously already struggling.
Not that I don't believe in personal responsibility or feel sorry for those who neglect to pay their bills. I'm sure some in that line are there because they frittered away their cash on silly things then couldn't pay their bills once the time rolled around. But I am also sure there are people in that line who are trying with everything they have to make ends meet. It seems so wrong to crash down on them when they're already struggling. It's going to cause a backlash.
Originally posted by irishchic
News last night in San Antonio stated that claims for food stamps in the area have TRIPLED in the past month and that they don't have enough staff to process.They are adding more BUT when they scanned the parking lot to show how full it was,it was full of nothing but brand new cars.
They interviewed 2 women who were "stuck" in the system: bother were in their 20's and had 4 children.One had a iphone in her hand as she talked she fiddled with.
Now...I am ALL FOR helping people,I volunteer and will gladly donate/cook to feed needy people(and considering a "Hunter's Stew" meal as soon as deer season starts.) but if you're chatting on an iphone,driving a new car,and have 4 children before age 30...well...IMO,we've got a MUCH different problem to deal with than simply giving assistance to the "poor."
I worked my fine ass off for years to "have what I have" and again,am more than willing to share as I know I am fortunate in so many ways but wouldn't the "answer" lie more in setting up places to teach trades and service-skills (a friend of mine is taking in teens to teach them woodworking nearby...) so that they might be self-employed or get a steady job (service and skilled-tradesmen sectors continue to hold their own) RATHER than to simply determine they are the "have not's?
Damn...my grandma,who grew up in the Depression took in sewing and ironing her entire LIFE for "pin money" and put several of us through college on it! I have cleaned toilets in office building in my life for a 2nd job...I know,as do many,what you do to "get rich." It isn't as clean-cut as the OP suggests nor is poverty and I totally understand the despair of many who are born into it with little hope.
You get my point? Instead of policing and handing out...why isn't the Big O establishing either paid or volunteer-staffed locations(God KNOWS there are enough abandoned houses and commerical properties that could be put to use???) and setting up workshops for marketable "skills?"
Everyone I know who wants "work donw from fence-painting to roof repair,to new cabinets installed to simply a hand on a ranch is either waiting or can't FIND anyone to do the work???
We recently offered $10.00 cash an hour to pick grapes,a hot lunch,dips in the pool,whenever you wanted,and a really fun few days of work and NO ONE wanted to work.We ended up having to rely on friends.We were told "it isn't enough money" by every teen we tried to enlist!!!
Is it that "they" don't want to work or is it that "they" have simply made it possible and even attractive to have a new car,an iphone,and 4 kids AND to get assistance???
I have great empathy for people,probably too much sometimes but this is truly mucked-up and getting worse.
Now I wonder if someone wandered through those crowds offering to teach those in line a "skill" they could rely on to make a living or say "$10.00 and hour" for simple outside work how MANY would even CONSIDER the options???
Rant over,soapbox is ruining my stilettos...
Originally posted by AshleyD
But I do agree with your anger about ticketing them- that only adds fuel to the fire. Poor form on the police for nickel and diming those who are obviously already struggling.
Not that I don't believe in personal responsibility or feel sorry for those who neglect to pay their bills. I'm sure some in that line are there because they frittered away their cash on silly things then couldn't pay their bills once the time rolled around. But I am also sure there are people in that line who are trying with everything they have to make ends meet. It seems so wrong to crash down on them when they're already struggling. It's going to cause a backlash.
Originally posted by mikellmikell
I live in Benton Harbor Michigan . Look it up poor is the word they like to use when the correct word would be stupid. Can't pay the bills but have 5000$ worth of tires and wheels on a 30000$ Tahoe. They know sooner or later somebody will bail them out.
Originally posted by irishchic
reply to post by dreamseeker
I have "been poor" and am absolutely not "judging": rather I am presenting a viable "option" for consideration based on quite a few years of "life-experience." I am suggesting that IF there were some "programs" establish by our sainted-government to "assist" people in need the way it SHOULD be done ie,teaching them a viable money-making skill (and yes,in a perfect world,everyone would be able to find a high-paying "job in their field" but those days are dwindling FAST!) but how about a Plan B???? It USED to be many of us took a second job but with child-care and "obligations",I know few who do so.
So....I am saying that perhaps instead of police-manpower to write citations and more hand-outs,how about some concrete "help" in terms of teaching people woodworking,electrical-skills,HVAC,sewing,cooking...you name it!!! DAMN...my guy is a multi-milionaire who MADE his money in the "trades" and NEVER refused hard work of any kind "in his field" or whether he was "overqualified" or not.
What I'm saying doesn't really relate to "appearances" rather to the fact that it's TOTALLY upside-down adn that many of thse able-bodied persons could have an inproved situation if the resources were used differently.
Have you yourself even considered "something else" as you say you are "overqualified?" What in the world does that even mean anymore...
You can ALWAYS find "work"...a "job" is much harder to find. I agree.Good thing parents when parents CAN help their kids: I have friends who've had to take out their 401K' early,sell their homes, and a lot more to "help" their kids thus making their own furtures even more un-certain.I have friends who THOUGHT they'd be "home free" in their 50's and have grown families moving back into their homes because their kids have lost jobs and homes...
What you may take my "judgement" on my part of simply observation based on a LOT of experience and I "see" that it could be different.
I wish you only good things and know that it's truly HARD out there for "young people" currently.
Originally posted by expat2368
"Esculating Recession; hunderds line up for assistance"
I'm sorry but its bad enough that the educational system has become so bad that nobody can spell... but there is a spell checker.
"Escalating Recession; hundreds line up for assistance"