Trump administration must release billions in SNAP funds, judge says

[Oompa Loompa]

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By "take doctor's away from sick people," he means reducing health insurance subsidies to people making over 250k per year. Democrats voted on this last year. So what changed?

 

[linux.poet]

Maybe the Tesla people should sell the Tesla and buy themselves a 12 year old car. Now they match you and are living within their means.

That is not how economics works. Food is a daily need and it can take weeks and months to sell a car and then to buy a used car that’s 12 years old. It’s really hard to move product in second-hand markets, because cash is a government provided resource that rewards labor and production/consumption of new products instead of used ones. This is coming from someone who used to sell a lot of used items on OfferUp and eBay. (We’re now starting to live in an economy where physical items are more valuable than their cash equivalents because of the timeline to move goods, and this will become more and more apparent when the true impact of the tariffs hit. The margin for economic blunders is getting narrower and narrower.)

One will also take a huge cash loss on the Tesla when it is sold it compared to what one paid for it when they bought it, which may not be enough to pay off their loan, if they had one. Teslas are also hard to sell used because Elon.

Doubt that. When you have no money to eat you have to make it work. Been there done that. There is always public transportation which is much cheaper and there are programs to help the poor pay for it.

I lived on bikes and public transport for awhile, it was very limiting. In order to go to college and have a job in America outside of New York City, one needs a car.

It’s difficult to be on time for anything when one is beholden to the bus. Always waiting for the bus, and then because they took the early bus to be on time, they’re waiting for whatever it was to start. The bus takes twice as long as the car to get anywhere, and in some cases even a bike is faster than it in rush hour traffic.

The bottom line is this: a Tesla driver on food stamps wants to participate in the economic system, but they got the shaft for a bit. They will get a new job and be fine, and they need the car to get them that new job.

The people the Republican political idea structure wants to punish are the people who live in vans filled with trash or vans with tote bags hanging off the side who go to the Catholics every day for food and showers and clothing, etc, and have no intention of changing their ways. They are making up this spoiled brat image of a food stamp user pulling up in their parents’ BMW for a handout in order to scare system participants away from using financial tools. It has nothing to do with forcing everyone to participate like they say. Don’t be fooled by the image, and instead know the reality.

And the Pell Grant.

In that case, free college isn’t canceled. I got through college on Federal Pell and state grants for $9,000 in tax-free profit.

 

[bèlla]

There's still the GI Bill.

I haven’t seen any reductions in compensation beyond flight school.

And the Pell Grant.

The grant remains and is based on financial neediness with a maximum amount of $5,500. But the new proposals have shaken things up immensely.

Yearly loan amounts are capped at $7,500 but it isn’t guaranteed and would be decided by colleges. If they felt your ability to pay is hampered or choice of major is problematic a lower amount may be approved.

Eliminating loans for parents and independent students requires the school to make up the difference or acquire it through scholarships or private lenders. Low interest rates are going away for student loans as are forgiveness programs too. The government intends for the interest rate to mirror the market.

Given the reductions this places more pressure on the schools for funding and families too. I anticipate three things happening in response. Universities will give greater priority to student paying out of pocket who don’t require assistance. We’ll see increases in legacy admissions and international ones as well.

The Workforce Investment Opportunity Act is being eliminated too. The monies you could have used for job training towards a degree won’t be an option.

~bella

 

[Tropical Wilds]

Civics 101: Federal judges fall under the Department of Justice, which, as of my last check, is part of the Executive branch of the government.

Girl, what.

The DoJ represents the government in legal matters and thus is in the Executive Branch. That’s where federal prosecutors are, not federal judges. Because of that, the DoJ does not oversee federal judges as it would be a massive, massive conflict of interest that would break the concept of a judicial system. Federal judges are appointed by the President (Executive), confirmed by Senate (Legislative), and are part of the Judicial branch.

I mean… If you don’t know about Article III of the constitution, whatever I guess… But Google is free. And if you aren’t even going to do that, then I’m not sure a discussion of this nature is one you can meaningfully engage in…

You evoked "checks and balances" and wrongfully attributed a federal judge to being a part of that.

They are a part of that. A foundational part, actually. It’s in the literal Constitution. Like… A super famous part.

The Supreme Court Justices are part of the third branch, which is separated from the Executive branch, acting as a "check and balance" for the Executive and Legislative branches of government.

You don’t need to keep telling us you don’t understand checks and balances, my dude. We know.

Here is a lesson for you.

Did… Did you not even watch your own video…?

Seriously, are you originally not from the US, so the function of the branches of US government weren’t explored like they are here? Because… Not to be rude, but this is crazy basic stuff you don’t seem to know.

 

[Hentenza]

That is not how economics works. Food is a daily need and it can take weeks and months to sell a car and then to buy a used car that’s 12 years old. It’s really hard to move product in second-hand markets, because cash is a government provided resource that rewards labor and production/consumption of new products instead of used ones. This is coming from someone who used to sell a lot of used items on OfferUp and eBay. (We’re now starting to live in an economy where physical items are more valuable than their cash equivalents because of the timeline to move goods, and this will become more and more apparent when the true impact of the tariffs hit. The margin for economic blunders is getting narrower and narrower.)

I understand what you are saying however when you have a wife and kids to feed you have to act not just hope. I am a statistic in which I got my wife pregnant and married her when I was 19. We had another child a year or so later. At one point I was working three different jobs and attempting to finish college and during these times we sold possessions during the hard times and saved as much as we could during the better times, There was no eating out unless my parents or my wife’s parents invited us. After I lost one of my jobs we took food stamps for a few months until I landed another job. Life is sometimes tough but a person needs to rise to the challenge.

You’ll also take a huge cash loss on the Tesla when you sell it compared to what you paid for it, which may not be enough to pay off your loan, if you have one. They are also hard to sell used because Elon.

I get that but cash is cash. It costs money to operate a Tesla. In addition to charging it the insurance premiums are above average and maintenance can be expensive. So sometimes is better to take a loss to save on the additional costs.

I lived on bikes and public transport for awhile, it was very limiting. In order to go to college and have a job in America outside of New York City, you need a car.

I live in Houston so it is about the same. Distances are far usually.

It’s difficult to be on time for anything when you are beholden to the bus. You’re always waiting for the bus, and then because you took the early bus to be on time, you’re waiting for whatever it was to start. The bus takes twice as long as the car to get anywhere, and in some cases even a bike is faster than it in rush hour traffic.

Totally agree.

The bottom line is this: a Tesla driver on food stamps wants to participate in the economic system, but they got the shaft for a bit. They will get a new job and be fine, and they need the car to get them that new job.

If that it what is happening. You are assuming one scenario out of many.

The people the Republican political idea structure wants to punish are the people who live in vans filled with trash or vans with tote bags hanging off the side who go to the Catholics every day for food and showers and clothing, etc, and have no intention of changing their ways. They are making up this spoiled brat image of a food stamp user pulling up in their parents’ BMW for a handout in order to scare system participants away from using financial tools. It has nothing to do with forcing everyone to participate like they say. Don’t be fooled by the image, and instead know the reality.

I’m not a republican.

In that case, free college isn’t canceled. I got through college on Federal Pell and state grants for $9,000 in tax-free profit.

 

[Hentenza]

The grant remains and is based on financial neediness with a maximum amount of $5,500. But the new proposals have shaken things up immensely.

The Pell grant is more than enough to fund a community college education. They offer many different careers that anyone can finish in two years or less.

 

[RocksInMyHead]

That is actually very informative. Thank you.

You're welcome, I guess? It's baffling to me that any American wouldn't understand this though - especially someone who regularly comments on politics.

 

[bèlla]

The Pell grant is more than enough to fund a community college education. They offer many different careers that anyone can finish in two years or less.

The pell grant is based on income which usually means the parents. The majority aren’t independent for financial aid purposes. And my comment wasn’t in reference to community colleges.

~bella

 

[Tropical Wilds]

Really? That is what you are going with?

I’m not the one who said it, love

Maybe the Tesla people should sell the Tesla and buy themselves a 12 year old car. Now they match you and are living within their means.

Super judgy comment on your part that makes a lot of assumptions. Maybe their car is paid off, so trading it in so that they can better cosplay as a broke person makes you feel better, but should people be making financial decisions on the performance of poverty you expect of them? Maybe it was gifted to them and they have no payments. Maybe you’re the one making the bad financial choice to pay interest on a loan on a depreciating asset and they’re the smart ones who’ve made better vehicle choices than you. Maybe you’re telling on yourself with your bad car buying habits and projecting it on them.

Dawn on me? Maybe it should dawn on you that more people than you think are in fact gaming the system. There are two sides to the argument but you just want to dress me down to support ONLY your side.

Lol or maybe they are gaming the system?

Sure, you can believe that.

So your default is people are gaming the system, so those who aren’t should not be fed right along with them, because you saw a news article and determined too many of the cars were too nice.

Would you have felt better if the showed up like Dickens-era beggars, with rags and tin cans?

There are no zip cars in Houston.

30 seconds and I can see you’re wrong. So it seems like you’re not quite the know-it-all you purport to be on cars.

Gnashing my teeth? Drama much?

You can believe that. Or maybe they own them by selling their benefits? Or maybe they are drug dealers using the car as a crack rental? Or maybe the car is stolen?

So your fundamental belief is that people are bad. Anybody who you look at and judge to not look poor is a lying, system-gaming, car-stealing, crack dealer.

Again, you’re announcing your bias, not much else.

Doubt that. When you have no money to eat you have to make it work. Been there done that. There is always public transportation which is much cheaper and there are programs to help the poor pay for it.

You doubt it. Why? Because looking at a car you can determine with a certainty better than the officials that examine their finances if they deserve benefits? Public transportation is not universal, and in a car pickup line for food, so you really think there is a bus, train, subway, or trolly that will wait in line so they can access it, then help them hoof it back to their doorstep?

You can believe that.

Well, I can because having extensively worked with people in these situations, I’ve seen it. So far we’ve established your information base is “no they aren’t,” “they’re criminals, probably,” “they don’t look poor so they don’t need it,” and “yeah right.”

And? Can they afford it? Can they eat while owning it? What did they do before the Teslas came out?

Before Teslas came out, they didn’t drive, actually. Or hold a job. And collected benefits. Then they got a Tesla, a job, and off benefits. Before that, they were one of those people collecting food pantry food while not looking suitably broke enough for you. Or they were taken by a family member, also in a car that didn’t look suitably poor enough for you.

Nope.

Then you have zero idea of what you’re talking about.

I have an idea.

You clearly don’t if you’ve not had to apply for any, nor had direct family members under your care who had to. You just know what you’re told from people who want you angry, not informed.

Are you using your random left leaning pro social behavior belief to justify that every one just needs a handout regardless of actual need? There are a plethora of programs to teach people skills that will allow them to earn a living. Like the saying goes, feed them a meal and you feed them once, teach them how to fish and they will feed themselves forever.

No, actually, I’m using the benefit of the experiences I gained during my 780 hours working a homeless shelter last year, and the 646.27 hours I’ve spent this year. I’m relying on the knowledge I had when I helped in a food pantry when a major employer in our town suddenly closed. The situations I saw while handing out over 500 loaves of bread I made this year, the letters I’ve gotten in my mailbox from people who are in need who got the loaves. The stories I’ve heard pairing people in need with services via volunteer weekends at church.

Every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday after Nov first you can find me handing out bags of food to the temporary shelter residents who leave the shelter at 8a just to get back in line to get in that night.

You yourself are closer to needing food stamps than being part of the 1%. I don’t forget that because I know most of us are 3 paychecks or less, one medical crisis, one disaster away from ruin. I don’t mistake my hard work and luck as me being better than those who have less than I do.

Great to hear.

Facebook is someone’s opinion who is just as wrong as you. You decided to attack me because I think differently as you but you missed the fact that I stated in my earlier post that I have NO problems feeding the needy. I have NO problems funding programs that help the needy. I am in favor of the government using the emergency money to continue the food stamps program. I stated the efforts of my church, where I’m a deacon and very much involved, of keeping a food pantry opened seven days a week. But instead you assume that I am a heartless person that you can speak down to.

Pointing out you’re making assumptions, being judgmental, and maligning a swath of Americans as cheaters, frauds, and criminals is not a personal attack. If you feel shame over hearing how your words sound, that’s a sign that you need to examine your views, not that people should not question you over viewpoints because it feels mean to answer for them.

I find it suuuuuper interesting that as a deacon who helps in a food pantry that your malign the people who come to your door seeking help. I wonder if a print off of your comments landed on the front door with your name on it if they’d feel safe getting food, or that your space is a safe one, or that you’re in a position to have spiritual leadership. In any church I was in, somebody speaking like that would get them in serious trouble as it so flies so blatantly in the face of Biblical directives.

Well, you might want to look at yourself in the mirror before judging others. When is the last time you worked at a food bank or food kitchen?

Physically worked? Not in a long time; I have Crohn’s disease and working a large kitchen line with others who rely on me for service is rough. I need bathroom access. I make my food at home or work and bring it where it needs to go.

That all being said, I used the Instacart donation service last night to send $200 to an underserved pantry in my region, tipping the driver 30%. Last night, I added fresh-baked bread, crackers, cookies and box mixes that use only water to make to the little free library in my front yard. Today, only 2 loaves were left, so I am thawing more, and I added cinnamon rolls, homemade meal replacement cookies, two flats of water, and some crackers.

That’s on top of the donation (soup, bread) I took to the children’s hospital house I took last night. It’s my standing routine to run some meals up there using food I was able to score cheap, or food leftover from work that isn’t enough to use but can’t be donated as-is, or food close-to-date I can bake and send off. I also realized people at the ICU at my hospital are too far from food to leave and get it so I asked permission to leave a crockpot up there or, barring that, a fridge and microwave. Stay tuned.

When is the last time you volunteered to take care of the homeless?

Specifically? Thursday, from 1ish until 3ish. I made 12 chicken pot pies. Next time I’m back? Tuesday, probably 7am to do a quick dropoff. Then I’ll make and assemble meal kits (15) with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to hand out to the people in line waiting for it open. This week it’s focaccia BLTs, meal replacer cookies, oatmeal apple bars, sourdough cookies, muffins, and biscuits with cheese, two bottles of water, and one propel powder. Then I’ll be back Thursday. So far, I’m at 645ish hours. Hoping to beat what I did last year. I’m hoping to make 1k loaves of bread, but will probably cap off at 800. I’m at almost 3,000 cookies, though. I’ll clear 5k cookies this year. I don’t know how many muffins.

I also do rando pizza nights in my front yard, open to the public. I have the dough, sauce, cheese, and Ooni I use to bake it off, BYO toppings. I have one this week.

When is the last time you made a donation to a charity?

Does the Instacart count? If so, yesterday, $200. If not, $100 on the first to an organization I’m not allowed to mention. If that doesn’t count, $100 to our local MOW on 11/1. Those are just my standing first of the month donations. I make other donations as needed, but actually prefer to make/donate goods, and save my money for over-tipping service industry people and cash-gifting people during the holidays for services. Having worked in the service industry, I feel like it is more effective to give directly to people. Though for fun, I do hide gift cards in my little free library and front yard.

So, I feel comfortable saying that I do my part, and I do so without auditing if they are engaging in suitable performative poverty before getting it. Having been comfortable, broke, broker than that, ok, broke, comfortable, ok, and comfortable again, I know that not everybody who has need looks like they do. Frankly, some of them who need it most look better than those who look far worse.

 

[Tropical Wilds]

I understand what you are saying however when you have a wife and kids to feed you have to act not just hope. I am a statistic in which I got my wife pregnant and married her when I was 19. We had another child a year or so later. At one point I was working three different jobs and attempting to finish college and during these times we sold possessions during the hard times and saved as much as we could during the better times, There was no eating out unless my parents or my wife’s parents invited us. After I lost one of my jobs we took food stamps for a few months until I landed another job. Life is sometimes tough but a person needs to rise to the challenge.

Do you realize the irony of saying “more people than you think are in fact gaming the system,” “life is tough but people need to rise to the challenge,” “When you have no money to eat you have to make it work. Been there done that,” and complaining about “random left leaning pro social behavior,” but then saying “I was on food stamps for a few months until I got a new job”? Like, it’s more than irony… It’s actual cognitive dissonance.

You are complaining about the people protecting a service you utilized, judging negatively those who get it when you yourself were one of them. So where does the line go from “you figure it out and make it work” to “well I need it, so give it to me” and “handout for a lazy person” to “I need it to get by so hand it over.”

So sometimes is better to take a loss to save on the additional costs.

So your solution to people who can’t pay for food to now is to spend more money they don’t have now so that an incremental savings means in several months or years you’re back to breaking even…?

You are not the financial wiz you think you are, my friend.

 

[Hentenza]

The pell grant is based on income which usually means the parents. The majority aren’t independent for financial aid purposes. And my comment wasn’t in reference to community colleges.

~bella

Not necessarily using the parent’s income since those over 21 don’t have to. It is also designed for the needy which is what we are talking about here.

 

[Larniavc]

When did Christians decide that denying food to the starving is the right thing to do?

When the choice is between help those in need or vilifying those in need I’m no longer surprised by what I read on this, a Christian website.

 

[Hentenza]

I’m not the one who said it, love

But it is what you assumed .

Super judgy comment on your part that makes a lot of assumptions.

lol I’m not the one making up the backstories as you are. You need to stop judging others by your liberal agenda.

Maybe their car is paid off, so trading it in so that they can better cosplay as a broke person makes you feel better, but should people be making financial decisions on the performance of poverty you expect of them? Maybe it was gifted to them and they have no payments. Maybe you’re the one making the bad financial choice to pay interest on a loan on a depreciating asset and they’re the smart ones who’ve made better vehicle choices than you. Maybe you’re telling on yourself with your bad car buying habits and projecting it on them.

Another backstory? All of your stories here requires them to spend money they don’t have on things like insurance or charging or gas if it’s a gas powered car. Maintenance also comes to mind.

So your default is people are gaming the system, so those who aren’t should not be fed right along with them, because you saw a news article and determined too many of the cars were too nice.

Not really. You are the one inventing reasons. But I bet that there are quite a few that do game the system. You disagree with that?

Would you have felt better if the showed up like Dickens-era beggars, with rags and tin cans?

Lol Drama much?

30 seconds and I can see you’re wrong. So it seems like you’re not quite the know-it-all you purport to be on cars.

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It didn’t come up for me. However, the location of this is next to Rice University which is a super pricy neighborhood so your aha moment just went out the window.

So your fundamental belief is that people are bad. Anybody who you look at and judge to not look poor is a lying, system-gaming, car-stealing, crack dealer.

Nah. You make assumptions. My fundamental belief is that tax payer support of the needy needs to be thoroughly verified often and those that game the system should be prosecuted.

Again, you’re announcing your bias, not much else.

Nah. Imly based on your bar.

You doubt it. Why? Because looking at a car you can determine with a certainty better than the officials that examine their finances if they deserve benefits? Public transportation is not universal, and in a car pickup line for food, so you really think there is a bus, train, subway, or trolly that will wait in line so they can access it, then help them hoof it back to their doorstep?

There are buses and other public transportation that will take you there. Why would you assume that there isn’t? My example was from Houston which does have public transportation. Your assumption again.

Well, I can because having extensively worked with people in these situations, I’ve seen it. So far we’ve established your information base is “no they aren’t,” “they’re criminals, probably,” “they don’t look poor so they don’t need it,” and “yeah right.”

You have not established anything of the sort. And you don’t have a special gnosis about the needy. I congratulate you for working for them.

Before Teslas came out, they didn’t drive, actually. Or hold a job. And collected benefits. Then they got a Tesla, a job, and off benefits. Before that, they were one of those people collecting food pantry food while not looking suitably broke enough for you. Or they were taken by a family member, also in a car that didn’t look suitably poor enough for you.

Which makes it a very uncommon example. I’m glad they are able to function.

Then you have zero idea of what you’re talking about.

According to your limited knowledge.

You clearly don’t if you’ve not had to apply for any, nor had direct family members under your care who had to. You just know what you’re told from people who want you angry, not informed.

I did apply for them a long time ago but not lately as you structured your question.

No, actually, I’m using the benefit of the experiences I gained during my 780 hours working a homeless shelter last year, and the 646.27 hours I’ve spent this year. I’m relying on the knowledge I had when I helped in a food pantry when a major employer in our town suddenly closed. The situations I saw while handing out over 500 loaves of bread I made this year, the letters I’ve gotten in my mailbox from people who are in need who got the loaves. The stories I’ve heard pairing people in need with services via volunteer weekends at church.

Yours is more extensive than mine but I’ve also had quite a bit of experience working with the needy. I’ve seen both kinds and am sure that so have you.

Every Monday, Thursday, and Saturday after Nov first you can find me handing out bags of food to the temporary shelter residents who leave the shelter at 8a just to get back in line to get in that night.

I do that Saturday and Sunday. I’ve also been on several mission trips to South America, Africa, the Philippines, and Asia providing support, digging water wells, providing health care (along with Doctors Without Borders), teaching people about how to use their resources, etc. No Teslas there.

You yourself are closer to needing food stamps than being part of the 1%. I don’t forget that because I know most of us are 3 paychecks or less, one medical crisis, one disaster away from ruin. I don’t mistake my hard work and luck as me being better than those who have less than I do.

I don’t live paycheck to paycheck. I saved my money and are now retired. If an immigrant like me that came here with nothing can excel so can anyone. It’s all a matter of priorities.

Pointing out you’re making assumptions, being judgmental, and maligning a swath of Americans as cheaters, frauds, and criminals is not a personal attack. If you feel shame over hearing how your words sound, that’s a sign that you need to examine your views, not that people should not question you over viewpoints because it feels mean to answer for them.

You have no clue about what you are saying here. Demonizing me does not change the fact that there are people that game the system. You just refuse to accept that.

I find it suuuuuper interesting that as a deacon who helps in a food pantry that your malign the people who come to your door seeking help. I wonder if a print off of your comments landed on the front door with your name on it if they’d feel safe getting food, or that your space is a safe one, or that you’re in a position to have spiritual leadership. In any church I was in, somebody speaking like that would get them in serious trouble as it so flies so blatantly in the face of Biblical directives.

Again, you have no idea if what you are talking about. Your uber liberal ideas cloud your judgement and bias.

Physically worked? Not in a long time; I have Crohn’s disease and working a large kitchen line with others who rely on me for service is rough. I need bathroom access. I make my food at home or work and bring it where it needs to go.

My daughter has Crohns so I understand. I still work in door kitchens at least twice a month.

That all being said, I used the Instacart donation service last night to send $200 to an underserved pantry in my region, tipping the driver 30%. Last night, I added fresh-baked bread, crackers, cookies and box mixes that use only water to make to the little free library in my front yard. Today, only 2 loaves were left, so I am thawing more, and I added cinnamon rolls, homemade meal replacement cookies, two flats of water, and some crackers.

That’s on top of the donation (soup, bread) I took to the children’s hospital house I took last night. It’s my standing routine to run some meals up there using food I was able to score cheap, or food leftover from work that isn’t enough to use but can’t be donated as-is, or food close-to-date I can bake and send off. I also realized people at the ICU at my hospital are too far from food to leave and get it so I asked permission to leave a crockpot up there or, barring that, a fridge and microwave. Stay tuned.


Specifically? Thursday, from 1ish until 3ish. I made 12 chicken pot pies. Next time I’m back? Tuesday, probably 7am to do a quick dropoff. Then I’ll make and assemble meal kits (15) with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks to hand out to the people in line waiting for it open. This week it’s focaccia BLTs, meal replacer cookies, oatmeal apple bars, sourdough cookies, muffins, and biscuits with cheese, two bottles of water, and one propel powder. Then I’ll be back Thursday. So far, I’m at 645ish hours. Hoping to beat what I did last year. I’m hoping to make 1k loaves of bread, but will probably cap off at 800. I’m at almost 3,000 cookies, though. I’ll clear 5k cookies this year. I don’t know how many muffins.

I also do rando pizza nights in my front yard, open to the public. I have the dough, sauce, cheese, and Ooni I use to bake it off, BYO toppings. I have one this week.

Does the Instacart count? If so, yesterday, $200. If not, $100 on the first to an organization I’m not allowed to mention. If that doesn’t count, $100 to our local MOW on 11/1. Those are just my standing first of the month donations. I make other donations as needed, but actually prefer to make/donate goods, and save my money for over-tipping service industry people and cash-gifting people during the holidays for services. Having worked in the service industry, I feel like it is more effective to give directly to people. Though for fun, I do hide gift cards in my little free library and front yard.

So, I feel comfortable saying that I do my part, and I do so without auditing if they are engaging in suitable performative poverty before getting it. Having been comfortable, broke, broker than that, ok, broke, comfortable, ok, and comfortable again, I know that not everybody who has need looks like they do. Frankly, some of them who need it most look better than those who look far worse.

I agree. You do your part and so do I. My only problem I have is your misunderstanding and misinterpretation of what I said and your quick demonization and judgement of me as a person. But, that seems to be par for the course by the uber liberal crowd.

 

[durangodawood]

.....
I don’t live paycheck to paycheck. I saved my money and are now retired. If an immigrant like me that came here with nothing can excel so can anyone. It’s all a matter of priorities.....

Unless you took a very early retirement, youre probably a bit older than me.

You and I were looking at a very different financial world from todays when we were coming up. Housing, health care, college, child care. Seems to me a lot more people are right on the edge than back then. I think the data reflects this too in terms of how many people are one emergency away from not having a place to live, and the extent of typical credit card debt.

Even so, there will always be some exceptional people who can prevail over any circumstance. But by definition, exceptional people are exceptional. What do the typical people who simply work decently hard do?

 

[Hentenza]

Unless you took a very early retirement, youre probably a bit older than me.

You and I were looking at a very different financial world from todays when we were coming up. Housing, health care, college, child care. Seems to me a lot more people are right on the edge than back then. I think the data reflects this too in terms of how many people are one emergency away from not having a place to live, and the extent of typical credit card debt.

Even so, there will always be some exceptional people who can prevail over any circumstance. But by definition, exceptional people are exceptional. What do the typical people who simply work decently hard do?

I am no more exceptional than the next guy. Anyone can structure their lives to achieve what they need. Some do have to work harder than others but it’s all a matter of priorities.

I don’t see how it was easier for me than it is for those today. I spend my teenage years during the 1970’s and our hourly rates back then were ridiculously low. It’s true that the dollar yielded a bit more back then but the effort was still the same.

I

 

[durangodawood]

I am no more exceptional than the next guy. Anyone can structure their lives to achieve what they need. Some do have to work harder than others but it’s all a matter of priorities.

I don’t see how it was easier for me than it is for those today. I spend my teenage years during the 1970’s and our hourly rates back then were ridiculously low. It’s true that the dollar yielded a bit more back then but the effort was still the same.

I

I could be wrong. But my sense is the numbers dont bear that out, and on average its more difficult today for the typical bottom 50% person today to save money than when you and I first became adults. I think of my first house that I could buy on an entry level wage. That opportunity is much harder to find these days. And that one house was the gateway to a lot of wealth accumulation for me.

 

[Hentenza]

I could be wrong. But my sense is the numbers dont bear that out, and on average its more difficult today for the typical bottom 50% person today to save money than when you and I first became adults. I think of my first house that I could buy on an entry level wage. That opportunity is much harder to find these days. And that one house was the gateway to a lot of wealth accumulation for me.

That is true. The cost of a house today is insane compared to what we bought houses for back then. However, at least here in Houston, they are selling like crazy. I see new neighborhoods being built and the houses being sold very quickly. Some of the new communities that I’m aware of are selling to relatively young people. Us old guys tend to stay in our houses a lot longer than younger guys. Some folks have enough money to buy them. So I’m not sure if I would equate the price of houses now as being a hindrance to ownership. Maybe if folks stop paying so much for houses they would drop in price. But you know that’s not realistic.

 

[bèlla]

Not necessarily using the parent’s income since those over 21 don’t have to. It is also designed for the needy which is what we are talking about here.

Just because you’re 21 doesn’t make you independent for financial aid purposes. There‘s criteria you must meet to qualify for that distinction. And you may be discussing the needy but I wasn’t. The policy proposals will impact middle class students most of all.

~bella

 

[bèlla]

I could be wrong. But my sense is the numbers dont bear that out, and on average its more difficult today for the typical bottom 50% person today to save money than when you and I first became adults. I think of my first house that I could buy on an entry level wage. That opportunity is much harder to find these days. And that one house was the gateway to a lot of wealth accumulation for me.

You weren’t competing with private equity firms or hedge funds either. That’s the primary reason they’re higher. They buy up neighborhoods in 1,000 home lots which drives the prices up. Now they’re moving to a new system of build to rent communities where you’ll never own at all. I have a video about it on my stranger things feed. Renting and subscriptions is the model they’re pushing for everything.

~bella

 

[CRAZY_CAT_WOMAN]

No where did anyway say Christians could not provide food.

Their votes goes against helping the poor. And programs for children. Christian's votes not to feed breakfast and lunch to poor kids. Christian's votes against Affordable Care Act. Which a lot of Red States are on.