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Middle Class Homelessness
Topic Started: May 20 2008, 06:09 AM (931 Views)
Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
OperaTenor
May 20 2008, 10:37 AM


Regardless of how she got into the mess(my vote is for poor choices, FWIW), it's sad.

Exactly. I don't see why that's so hard to understand.
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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QuirtEvans
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
Aqua Letifer
May 20 2008, 01:36 PM
QuirtEvans
May 20 2008, 10:31 AM

It's her own bad planning ... but when she's elderly and out of money, we'll pay for it.  When she's broke and in the nursing home, who do you think will be paying for her care, Aqua? 

And I am NOT advocating letting her die in some cardboard box under a bridge.  But this is an example of why people cannot be left to make their own bed ... because we won't let them sleep in it.

I personally don't care. She isn't an addict or a felon, and I assume she worked for the majority of her life. It seems her mistake was that she wasn't smart with her savings. I would have no problem seeing my tax dollars go toward supporting her in the nursing home.

Then you should support her.

As for me, I'd rather she have some sort of enforced savings, so she can't find herself in this mess at age 67. That's what Social Security was always supposed to be.
It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010.
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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
Rick
May 20 2008, 10:45 AM
Yeah, Santa Barbara is not a good place to scratch a living. There's a big Hispanic contingent in this town too, they're doing all the menial minimum wage labor stuff and you wonder, where the hell do they live? Well they rent apartments or small homes and pack about 20 in them to cover the rent, that's what they do.

Maybe all the ladies in the lot could get together and get a three bedroom walk-up.
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
Kincaid
May 20 2008, 11:02 AM
Rick
May 20 2008, 10:45 AM
Yeah,  Santa Barbara is not a good place to scratch a living.    There's a big Hispanic contingent in this town too,  they're doing all the menial minimum wage labor stuff and you wonder, where the hell do they live?  Well they rent apartments or small homes and pack about 20 in them to cover the rent,  that's what they do.

Maybe all the ladies in the lot could get together and get a three bedroom walk-up.

That's an excellent idea.
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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lb1
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Fulla-Carp
Aqua Letifer
May 20 2008, 11:07 AM
Kincaid
May 20 2008, 11:02 AM
Rick
May 20 2008, 10:45 AM
Yeah,  Santa Barbara is not a good place to scratch a living.    There's a big Hispanic contingent in this town too,  they're doing all the menial minimum wage labor stuff and you wonder, where the hell do they live?   Well they rent apartments or small homes and pack about 20 in them to cover the rent,  that's what they do.

Maybe all the ladies in the lot could get together and get a three bedroom walk-up.

That's an excellent idea.

Do ya'll think them two dogs will get along with the lady with four cats in a walk up?

lb
My position is simple: you jumped to an unwarranted conclusion and slung mud on an issue where none was deserved. Quirt 03/08/09
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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
No pets allowed.
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
lb1
May 20 2008, 11:54 AM

Do ya'll think them two dogs will get along with the lady with four cats in a walk up?

lb

Well since living under proper shelter and with other people is a giant step up from sleeping in your car with dogs as companions, I think it's reasonable to expect her to drop the dogs off somewhere under those circumstances.
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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lb1
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Fulla-Carp
Aqua Letifer
May 20 2008, 11:56 AM
I think it's reasonable to expect her to drop the dogs off somewhere under those circumstances.

You smoking something AL? If this lady could understand what reasonable expectations are, she wouldn't be in this mess.

lb
My position is simple: you jumped to an unwarranted conclusion and slung mud on an issue where none was deserved. Quirt 03/08/09
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QuirtEvans
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I Owe It All To John D'Oh
lb1
May 20 2008, 02:59 PM
Aqua Letifer
May 20 2008, 11:56 AM
I think it's reasonable to expect her to drop the dogs off somewhere under those circumstances.

You smoking something AL? If this lady could understand what reasonable expectations are, she wouldn't be in this mess.

lb

I don't often agree with lb, but I do this time.
It would be unwise to underestimate what large groups of ill-informed people acting together can achieve. -- John D'Oh, January 14, 2010.
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
lb1
May 20 2008, 11:59 AM
Aqua Letifer
May 20 2008, 11:56 AM
I think it's reasonable to expect her to drop the dogs off somewhere under those circumstances.

You smoking something AL? If this lady could understand what reasonable expectations are, she wouldn't be in this mess.

I'm not talking about her expectations. But since you brought it up, it sounds like she expects to improve her situation, and that sounds good to me.

I'm talking about what others can reasonably expect out of her, if indeed she did get roommates.
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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lb1
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Fulla-Carp
Aqua Letifer
May 20 2008, 12:02 PM
But since you brought it up, it sounds like she expects to improve her situation, and that sounds good to me.


I am 67 years old, I don't have any money, my family won't help me, I am living in a car with two dogs, Damn, I need to do something to improve my life.

Not a snowballs chance in hell. That is taking optimism to the fantasy level.

lb
My position is simple: you jumped to an unwarranted conclusion and slung mud on an issue where none was deserved. Quirt 03/08/09
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Aqua Letifer
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ZOOOOOM!
lb1
May 20 2008, 12:25 PM

I am 67 years old, I don't have any money, my family won't help me, I am living in a car with two dogs, Damn, I need to do something to improve my life.

Not a snowballs chance in hell. That is taking optimism to the fantasy level.

lb

If you think it's impossible for her to improve her situation why are you giving her such a hard time about it? What would be the point?
I cite irreconcilable differences.
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Frank_W
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Resident Misanthrope
Kincaid
May 20 2008, 02:55 PM
No pets allowed.

What if they are in the stew with some baby carrots, potatoes, onions, and garlic?
Anatomy Prof: "The human body has about 20 sq. meters of skin."
Me: "Man, that's a lot of lampshades!"
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
The fact is that she's in this situation because she wants to be. She could move elsewhere, have a job making that same $8.00 an hour, plus her social security, and have an efficiency apartment.
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
Quote:
 
It's another chapter in her life that she's certain she'll get through. Her 19-year-old daughter moved in with friends to avoid being homeless. Her other children live overseas, and she didn't want to tell them about her living status.

Even if her children offered to help, she said, she wouldn't accept it. "They know me well enough to know that I will get through this. ..."

Her family hasn't refused to help, her family doesn't even know. She hasn't told them.
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
Well, one daughter, also once homeless, knows. Yes, by all means she should tell the rest of the kids. Anyway, FWIW I mostly support Aqua's reasoning throughout here - I think most are reading a bit too much into the woman's comments.

About the only thing I see her doing wrong at this stage is continuing to live in Santa Barbara. She needs to move to a cheaper area. If something can't be found cheap enough, she needs to ditch the family pets pronto.

Yes, her own bad decisions have led to this situation, but she didn't seem to be whining too bad to me.
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
The problem isn't with her so much, although I really don't hold much sympathy for her. My problem is with the hollow and pathetic attempt by CNN to create news and instill fear and panic in the population. The really odd part of this was that of all the people in the parking lot, this was the scariest and frightening story they could come up with? :huh:
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
I agree that CNN seems to be tipping their hand.

Are they in the tank for Obama?
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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Axtremus
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HOLY CARP!!!
Guys,

You all seem to think that living in some sort of a house trumps living with two dogs in a car. That's norm as far as expectations go in most societies, OK. But why's that "better"? People often make financially suboptimal choices to be with their loved ones. For this woman, her loved ones happen to be her two dogs. So she prioritized accordingly. Whatever little money she makes, she has the right to spend it any way she wants within the confines of the law -- including using it to maintain companionship with her two dogs. She's not hurting any one and she's not breaking the law. What's the big deal?

May be some day she will end up in tax dollar funded shelter or elderly care facility... but if you have a problem with tax dollars funding such facilities, surely you'd blame those already in such facilities first before you blame this woman who isn't there yet, no? :blink:
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blondie
Bull-Carp
Good points Ax.

Aqua,
You're a darn good kid. I'd be proud to have you as my son.

I don't know this lady's whole story but heck I've known other ladies in similar predictaments. And this lady could well be me if my circumstances changed. Being homeless truly scares me.

I have lots of empathy for her. I'd never judge her.
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Copper
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Shortstop
Kincaid
May 20 2008, 05:42 PM
I agree that CNN seems to be tipping their hand.

Are they in the tank for Obama?


I assume you're joking. CNN is Obama HQ.
The Confederate soldier was peculiar in that he was ever ready to fight, but never ready to submit to the routine duty and discipline of the camp or the march. The soldiers were determined to be soldiers after their own notions, and do their duty, for the love of it, as they thought best. Carlton McCarthy
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Kincaid
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HOLY CARP!!!
I don't watch CNN and didn't know if they were in the tank for Hillary or Obama. Thanks for the update!
Kincaid - disgusted Republican Partisan since 2006.
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Luke's Dad
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Emperor Pengin
I wonder why the 19 year old daughter that's so upset about her mother being homeless (yet moved in with a friend, so she wouldn't be homeless) doesn't get a job herself, and between the two of them, get a small apartment? Even at minimum wage, when combined with the mother's income and social security, it should be doable.
The problem with having an open mind is that people keep trying to put things in it.
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