Almost half of US families can't afford basics like rent and food

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: CB328

When was the last time all Americans could afford rent and food?

1945 right before the Mafias started taking over city territories. Men in suits so they say.

a reply to: howtonhawky

Yes, those are our standards of living. The issue is people want a 3 story mansion, personal servants, and the finest cuisine.

You and 5 other workers can split living quarters, save plenty, and increase the standard of living over time. Doesn't matter where you work, just work. Live like the immigrant population and start to appreciate the little things.

a reply to: CB328

Skimmed thru the thread. I'm astonished by
a lot of the posts. Blamming people for
buying the only things they can afford?
In an ecomony " That thru them overboard
Thirty f%€£÷%g years ago"? I wonder
how well that indicates the upper class
on ATS? Why not buy tats and cell phones
and beer and toss in a street glock to
protect yourself on the streets. It figures
many would rather confuse the issue than
recognize we have a serious ga damn
problem. One thing for certain, the lower one
sinks in class? The more one realizes just
how much the well to do give a rats ass.

Right up until it happens to them.

And a coup de tat in this country could
very quickly toss everyone overboard.
Sound crazy? Just remember who can pull
off a coup in the U.S. And understand how
they might be look'n to make up for lost
time. Most of america could be on the
streets in less than two months.

a reply to: ventian

Yea on average that does not work out at all...

In order to get by in this usa a person would have to while holding down a full time job become a landlord over others.

If a person has such skills as to pull such off then perhaps they were never average and were worth more than minimum wage to start with.

Just to cap of all this we have it better in the usa talk we also have to include the fact that in order to even rise to the level of being average in the usa one has to split the bills of one average life 5 ways.

It looks to me as though the safest and best way to keep all this going would be to just dumb down the population in general while reciting how easy things are.

anywho i enjoy the convo..

a reply to: howtonhawky

Unfortunate, but probably true. I've boarded people and had to kick them out, but they were mostly spoiled and had radical ideas of how life should be because of the way the television shows it. I have worked jobs that pay less than minimum wage, but I never got into celebrity worship so my standards stayed low.

It is a good conversation. Starting to realize I was born an ornery old man lol.

originally posted by: CB328
Only going back to our roots of a non-corporate, non-commoditized society with lots of union and government jobs will be able to fix the disaster that is the US.

How will our indebted government afford to hire even more people?

Even if they gave 50% of their income back in taxes where will the government get the other 50% to pay their wages?

in spite of Trump's tax cuts

From what I understand those tax cuts won't be felt until next year's tax returns.

I'm pretty sure you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

originally posted by: Willtell
The richest country in the world or the richest country ever Americans like to brag.

Yet thousands die each year because of no health insurance.

news.harvard.edu...

New study finds 45,000 deaths annually linked to lack of health coverage

And thousands die due to poverty

www.mailman.columbia.edu...

…in the richest country in the world.

Ummm...that's because it's every man for himself...the sense of community has degraded...

Not just that however...it costs so damn much to just live...let alone be comfortable living...

Those points in conjunction with priorities and product saturation advertising make compulsive spending habits addictive...

This is a purely consumer based society...which illustrates how heavily saturated our lives are with consuming gadgets and baubles...Hell...it's the beads and booze influx to the Aboriginals all over again...only now were the natives...





YouSir

originally posted by: CB328

can show me where this is a new problem and just stared with Trump?

I didn't say it was, I said his policies can't fix it and will probably make things worse.

I can guarantee that we will continue to have poverty if you continue to support and succeed at importing more poverty.

This statement is fact.

a reply to: infolurker

I can guarantee you we will continue having poverty as long as greed continues to exist.

a reply to: ventian

Any gov. seriously interested in leading
the world in the right direction. Would
outlaw greed and put a lid on personal
wealth.

originally posted by: SpeakerofTruth
Well, here's the deal. Income hasn't kept pace with inflation.

Everyone talks about increasing minimum wage, which I am all for people making more money. However, the problem is that everytime minimum wage is increased, the cost of everything else is increased 15-20 cents effectively negating any minimum wage increase.

Until corporate price gouging to maintain and even, in some cases, increasing profits is eliminated, raising minimum wage isn't going to accomplish anything.

The problem there is that marketing people are always looking for the "sweet spot" between maximum sales and maximum price. Those two form separate lines on a graph; one going up and one going down. One persons expense in another persons salary.

You need a phone (or computer/notebook/netbook) in order to write a CV and apply to job sites/agencies. Smartphone is good for finding your way to the interview location and then finding an apartment.
The next big expenses are the apartment security deposit, monthly rent, food. Internet connection is a necessity. Sometimes utilities like electricity, water and gas are built into the rent, other times they are not. Apartment rents are set by the demand in the property market for that area. Then clothing, entertainment and medical expenses are necessary. Owning a car may also be necessary.

originally posted by: IAMTAT

originally posted by: MiddleInsite
a reply to: IAMTAT

Oh, you'll have to go back a bit farther than that. Reagan era, GREED IS GOOD.

And Trump is resting on the laurels of Obama fixing Bush's disastrous economy.

If, by "fixing", you mean Obama cut off the country's economic balls with over-regulation, taxation and socialist policies...then I agree!

Don't Forget the Draconian Powers he gave the E.P.A. too . A Couple of Trillion Sucked out of the Economy because of Over Regulation in his 8 Years in Office .

a reply to: DBCowboy

In the 70's my father had a very low income job yet he had a boat docked on Long Island and would go fishing every weekend.

I think rent was less than $100.

a reply to: nOraKat

that's because someone didn't come along and decide to totally exploit everything in sight yet

and people wonder why kids feel like they don't matter and are worthless

a reply to: CB328

Greed ...plain old greed, and those fat cat representatives in DC are beholden to the greedy and the greedy only. They promise you the moon so you vote for them but give it to the special interest and make sure the money trickles to the greedy. Don't matter what side of the aisle you are on, both parties do it.

originally posted by: muzzleflash
From what I understand those tax cuts won't be felt until next year's tax returns.

I'm pretty sure you don't have a clue what you're talking about.

The withholding tables have already been adjusted. Your check went up because taxes went down. If your check didn't go up by much, that just means you aren't getting much from the tax cuts.

Inflation is already setting in too, most are paying more than they got back in just their gas bill.

originally posted by: DBCowboy
a reply to: CB328

When was the last time all Americans could afford rent and food?

Almost half can't afford rent or food, that's different than just a few. I know this situation all too well, as most of the people I know my age can't afford rent and food, let alone to own their own house. Not addressing the issue only hurts everyone in the long run. If 50% or more can't afford rent or food that's enough to elect the next President just based on that demographic alone, and we are reaching that point.

originally posted by: nOraKat
a reply to: DBCowboy

In the 70's my father had a very low income job yet he had a boat docked on Long Island and would go fishing every weekend.

I think rent was less than $100.

Exactly, wages have not kept up with inflation. In the 50's and 60's, your average Joe could work a single job and have enough money for a house, two cars, at least two kids, etc. but these days the only jobs for average Joe's are ones that pay minimum wage or close to it, certainly not enough for all of the luxuries of the past.

originally posted by: ventian
a reply to: howtonhawky

Yes, those are our standards of living. The issue is people want a 3 story mansion, personal servants, and the finest cuisine.

That's ridiculous, I know tons of people who can't afford to feed themselves completely or can't afford to pay rent on an apartment. I guess they would be happy with a nice apartment, food, internet, a cell phone, electricity, water, and other basic stuff. I mean in reality, most of my friends are happy with whatever they can get.

But what's wrong with aspiring to be able to have enough money to afford your own place, or to have a family? If nearly half of Americans can't even afford that, what makes you think they want 3 story mansions and personal servants?

I am able to afford a one-bedroom apartment and internet and enough food every month. I have a car and a cell phone. I'm fairly happy, but it doesn't take the sharpest tool in the shed to see that compared to my parents, who have four cars, an $800,000 home, two boats and the like, that I am doing much worse than them. In fact, that is the case for most millennials - they are worth only a fraction their parents were at the same age, and are expected to be worth less than them when they retire if they retire.

Ignoring the issue will only result in pain in the end, as what goes around comes around.

a reply to: darkbake

Wow, all of that and they didn't even teach you to read. How sad?