Let me put this into the perspective of a poor person, for those of you who it seems cannot relate.
I was discharged from the Navy last March. I had savings. I lived off of my savings trying to find a job until it ran out. I did not want to go on
unemployment, I don't want a handout. Eventually, I had to go on unemployment, I had no other choice. Now, 10 months later, I am still unemployed, I
just recieved my last unemployment check. My credit is ruined, it will take me years to build it back up. Wal-Mart won't hire me, none of the places
I've applied to, there's been around 45, have even called me back. Right now, I'm hoping I can make it until March when a seasonal job gutting
Paddlefish for caviar opens up. After that? Hopefully I can get a job at a ranch or something.
What qualifications do I have? I can weld, I'm a good mechanic, I'm a pretty good carpenter, I know livestock pretty well, I have no arrest record,
I've never even had a speeding ticket, I can cook, I have no problems working long hours, I'm in decent health, I've only even been late to work (by a
few minutes at that) maybe 3 times in my life.
Rent is $475 a month, Utitilities are around $100 usually. Gas is $3.30 a gallon, liability car insurance is $60 a month. Then there's food. If I eat
one meal a day, that's still around $60 a week for groceries. Minimum wage is $7.25 an hour, if I could find a minimum wage job. So, $1,160 before
taxes, let's call it $1,050 after taxes. Once rent and Utilities are paid, that leaves $575 to live on each month. take away auto insurance and
groceries that's $270, then lets say I drive 200 miles to and from work each month at $3.30 a gallon and 15mpg that comes to $44, that's just driving
to work, not including any other driving I might do. That leaves you with $226. Now, factor in what could happen, keep in mind there's pretty much no
public transportation here. Say I need to replace a tire, for tire, mounting and balancing it comes to about $120, or what if I get sick, or hurt?
Do you now understand? Of course, this is all considering that You found a minimum wage job in the first place.
Anyway, myself and those like me are being called lazy by some people, Here's the thing, we don't want handouts, we want Jobs! How can wanting and
looking for a job make you lazy?
edit on 4-2-2013 by dave_welch because: (no reason given)