This is so sad...

by Sumit Menon

Posted: 12 years ago 12 replies

OFF TOPIC

Almost brought tears to my eyes and I ain't no emotional guy.

Humans of New York

thunderbird 12 years ago

That's a tough situation. Takes a tough person to meet the challenge. It is really bad for a person's health to be deprived of sleep.
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HeySal

12 years ago

Half of America is sleep deprived, Sumit. We've got a very bad case of crony capitalism fascism going on over here.

Most jobs other than very high level pay just over minimum wage and our cost of housing doesn't allow for people making minimum wage to earn enough on their own to afford housing.

Where I am, people are renting rooms in their homes because they can no longer afford their mortgage or their own rent. Rent on a room here is more than you can get your place in some areas......but then the wages are lower in those areas. In Idaho, the minimum wage is only $7.50 and housing is around $500 - $800 for an average 2 bedroom place...and goes up from there. Here in Central Oregon the minimum wage is $9.10 and housing starts at around $700 for anything....although I've seen a few studio apartments going for $500 if you don't mind living in a place that is not more than a hotel room. Getting a room for rent is around $500 to $600 bucks a month here.

Most jobs are also part time now. If you can find full time in Central OR (that isn't temporary), you are either a computer tech of some sort, a teacher, or in the medical field.

I pay $5.78 for a gallon of milk, $4 for a dozen eggs, $8 for a small chicken, $4 for a pound of butter, $1 for a cucumber, $3.99 for a pound of tomatoes, . That's around 25 bucks just for a few essentials. Not more than a few decades ago, I could feed 2 in style for that much for a whole week.

It's also harder and harder to get benefits of any kind. Employers keep jobs under full time so they don't have to pay benefits. The average worker now gets no vacation pay and no paid sick days. You go to a restaurant with employees that have families to feed and you might be served by someone severely ill and contagious because they can't afford to take a day off when they are sick...........something I akin to slavery, not a job.

Unlike a lot of areas of the world, too - most workers, if they GET a paid vacation, start with one week per year, and if they have a good job can, over time, build up to 2 or 3 weeks a year.

It really is disgusting. But.........we have enough in our history books to teach us how crony capitalism works, and I don't see a major outrage or demand to change conditions, which are disintegrating rather than getting better. In the next decade, if people don't get in line, this country is going to look like China, with sweatshops that have to arrange for housing units for employees, and extremely few opportunities for entrepreneurs. It will be work for the gov or large corp or don't work.

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Sal
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seasoned

12 years ago

Originally Posted by HeySal

Most jobs other than very high level pay just over minimum wage and our cost of housing doesn't allow for people making minimum wage to earn enough on their own to afford housing.

There are PLENTY of jobs that pay over minimum wage and aren't that hard. Minmum wage was never meant to be a wage to live on your own. Now that I think about it, IMAGINE if a 16year old could work at minimum wage and get by. They might drop out of highschool, etc.... There HAVE been kids that would LOVE that!

Where I am, people are renting rooms in their homes because they can no longer afford their mortgage or their own rent.

Nobody on minimum wage will get a decent home. That has been the case for MANY decades, perhaps forever.

Rent on a room here is more than you can get your place in some areas......but then the wages are lower in those areas. In Idaho, the minimum wage is only $7.50 and housing is around $500 - $800 for an average 2 bedroom place...and goes up from there.

That's actually pretty low! When I moved into my first apartment, in the 1980s, I had to pay about $600/month for a one bedroom. If I wanted to live as a homeless person having ONLY that apartment, NO electricity or water, I would have had to make $10,080. This was back THEN! The last change to the federal minimum wage in the 80s was 1981. The rate was $3.35! On a 40 hour work week with NO holidays, that is $6700! If I had to pay NO income tax, that would pay for an apartment costing $558.33/month. I would ACTUALLY have about 4 cents left at the end of the year! WOW! But I don't think th government would accept the 4 cents as payment in full!

Here in Central Oregon the minimum wage is $9.10 and housing starts at around $700 for anything....although I've seen a few studio apartments going for $500 if you don't mind living in a place that is not more than a hotel room. Getting a room for rent is around $500 to $600 bucks a month here.

Most jobs are also part time now. If you can find full time in Central OR (that isn't temporary), you are either a computer tech of some sort, a teacher, or in the medical field.

Thank YKW for the NO full time jobs! Did YOU know that full time has been redefined as 30 hours a week? Because of the nasty triggers, many jobs are now 28hours a week, JUST FOR THAT!

I pay $5.78 for a gallon of milk, $4 for a dozen eggs, $8 for a small chicken, $4 for a pound of butter, $1 for a cucumber, $3.99 for a pound of tomatoes, . That's around 25 bucks just for a few essentials. Not more than a few decades ago, I could feed 2 in style for that much for a whole week.

It's also harder and harder to get benefits of any kind. Employers keep jobs under full time so they don't have to pay benefits. The average worker now gets no vacation pay and no paid sick days. You go to a restaurant with employees that have families to feed and you might be served by someone severely ill and contagious because they can't afford to take a day off when they are sick...........something I akin to slavery, not a job.

Unlike a lot of areas of the world, too - most workers, if they GET a paid vacation, start with one week per year, and if they have a good job can, over time, build up to 2 or 3 weeks a year.

It really is disgusting. But.........we have enough in our history books to teach us how crony capitalism works, and I don't see a major outrage or demand to change conditions, which are disintegrating rather than getting better. In the next decade, if people don't get in line, this country is going to look like China, with sweatshops that have to arrange for housing units for employees, and extremely few opportunities for entrepreneurs. It will be work for the gov or large corp or don't work.

well, the government has taken ITS part. Apparently....

1776-1861 NO TAX!
1862-1863 about 3%, next, and max was 5%, but only the VERY rich paid it, apparently to pay for the civil war
1864-1866 about 5%, also 7.5% and 10%, but only the VERY rich paid those, apparently to pay for the civil war
1867-1869 about 5% apparently to pay for the civil war
1870-1872 about 2.5% railroad maybe? Also, there was a change to the banking system
1873-1893 NO TAX!
1894 2%
1895-1912 NO TAX!

1913.... STUPID GARBAGE KNOWN AS THE FED RESERVE CREATED!!!!!!!!
1913-1915 1,2,3,4,5,6,AND 7% Don't worry, most paid 1%
1916 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15 Don't worry, most paid 2%
1917 TWENTY ONE RATES up to 67%, but most likely paid 2%

This went like nuts UNTIL....

1941 the average person paid between 10-17%, and it just kept getting WORSE! NOTE how, until 1913 is was LOW, REASONABLE, and SIMPLE! They NEVER had more than 3 tiers, and usually had 0-1, until 1913. From 1913 on they had no less than 7 apparently.

Steve

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ThomM

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Sumit Menon

Almost brought tears to my eyes and I ain't no emotional guy.

Humans of New York

Should say Humans of New York CITY.

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Kay King

12 years ago

Where I am, people are renting rooms in their homes because they can no longer afford their mortgage or their own rent.

But - isn't that what people used to do years ago when hard times hit? They rented out empty rooms and put their house to work earning money for them.

What's going on with new home sizes - is the madness finally over? | Kaid Benfield's Blog | Switchboard, from NRDC

If I moved around a lot - I'd get a used travel trailer and stay in national and state park campgrounds or camp off the grid part of the time.

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HeySal

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Kay King

They probably did, Kay. I was just saying that times are like that now. What is different is the prices that people expect for that room. They have gone greed stricken. When the "boarder" is paying more that the "landlord" it's getting crazy. People out here also very often expect the boarder to do work for them, even though they're paying through the nose already just to be there. For example - the diabetic that wanted 500 just for the room, 1/2 of utilities for the home, and COOK for him three times a day at the times he needs to eat. WTF? That's just one example. There are a lot of people just going crazy about what a renter is. They confuse renting a room and being the person's owner.

I have thought of getting something mobile to live in. Still kinda consider it now and again. I'm not sure I'll ever want to settle full time in one place - not for a lot of years at the least. I've been contemplating moving again pretty soon and not sure where I want to go yet, but a mobile would definitely solve some issues. It would actually create a few, too, though. With Wifi what it is now, I might be more inclined to make that jump before too long unless I land somewhere in the next year or two that makes me want to stay for good.

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Kay King

12 years ago

I like the teardrop trailers. They are basic but can be found cheaply. It's easy to tow - a good sized sleeping area and outdoor kitchen. I've seen them in campgrounds combined with a small tent or screen room to add living area.

Loads of them for sale - including many homemade ones - check out google images for teardrop trailer to see the variety. These are fun to look through...at least I think so.

I especially like this modified teardrop

Pricing-

NestEgg Trailers - NestEgg Teardrop Trailers - Trailers

And check out the "tiny houses and campers" - talk about innovative!

SignaTour Campers Hand Made Teardrop Trailers in Tampa, Florida

I LOVE this one, too - these are in Oregon and you can rent one by the night to see if you like them or not.

Though I might add a screen porch or small 3-season room - I also like this "tiny house".

Small House that Feels Big: 800-square-feet Dream Home?

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ThomM

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Kay King

Most of the time I lived in Florida it was in a 17ft. Shasta camper.
For at least a year my girlfriend and her baby stayed in it with me also.
The best place I stayed (in it) was on 80 acres that a church had bought. After buying the land they couldn't afford to put up a building, so they had a big tent they used for services. They had services Weds. night and Sunday and one day a month they would throw a pot luck birthday party.
They figured some one some where had a birthday that month so why not have a birthday party. Great bunch of people.

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Getting old ain't for sissy's
As you are I was, as I am you will be
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Kay King 12 years ago

My favorite-ever camper was one I bought and paid for myself and my sons and I used almost every weekend for several years. It was a "scamper" brand popup with canvas and screens all around. I've never slept better than I slept in that camper. Later I married again and we had fancy and fancier campers for a while - but I always missed this simple one.

Just googled them and WOW - those are really inexpensive. The one below is a different brand but almost identical to the one I had. I miss that thing - it was like sleeping outside...without bugs.

Used 2002 Rockwood Rv Premier Pop Up For Sale In Hope Mills, NC - FAY548643 - Camping World

The best place I stayed (in it) was on 80 acres that a church had bought.

That sounds great!
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HeySal

12 years ago

A tiny house is something I would definitely consider if I decided to drop down somewhere permanently. I'd buy my land then put one of those on it. My only real requirement for full time living that a lot of options don't have is a bathtub. I don't want to give up baths - don't like showers, especially in winter. It's one of the real drawbacks of RV living, to me. There's some awesome log cabins that can be had pretty cheaply, too. That just seems to be a perfect fit for me.

As far as "outside cooking" -- I don't want to "camp" full time either. Don't get me wrong -I love to camp, but not 24/7. I just think that would be a very hard lifestyle. I'm not looking to make life harder - just like to make it cheaper.

For right now, renting a room works pretty well other than there's a lot of loonies out there renting so you have to be careful.

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When the Roads and Paths end, learn to guide yourself through the wilderness
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ThomM

12 years ago

Originally Posted by Kay King

My favorite-ever camper was one I bought and paid for myself and my sons and I used almost every weekend for several years. It was a "scamper" brand popup with canvas and screens all around. I've never slept better than I slept in that camper. Later I married again and we had fancy and fancier campers for a while - but I always missed this simple one.

Just googled them and WOW - those are really inexpensive. The one below is a different brand but almost identical to the one I had. I miss that thing - it was like sleeping outside...without bugs.

Used 2002 Rockwood Rv Premier Pop Up For Sale In Hope Mills, NC - FAY548643 - Camping World

That sounds great!

Out of the 80 maybe 2 where used for the tent and parking, the rest was woods, streams, and palmetto fields. Absolutely fantastic

Originally Posted by HeySal

Sal my Shasta had a 4 burner propane stove with oven, a small electric frig and electric lights.
I did a little remodeling with the bed and table. Originally the bed converted into a table. What I did was make a smaller two seater table against one wall and put the bed on long legs so I had plenty of storage space below it. Great place for one, kind of crowded with the girlfriend and her kid.

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Life: Nature's way of keeping meat fresh
Getting old ain't for sissy's
As you are I was, as I am you will be
You can't fix stupid, but you can always out smart it.

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HeySal

12 years ago

Originally Posted by ThomM

Out of the 80 maybe 2 where used for the tent and parking, the rest was woods, streams, and palmetto fields. Absolutely fantastic

Sal my Shasta had a 4 burner propane stove with oven, a small electric frig and electric lights.
I did a little remodeling with the bed and table. Originally the bed converted into a table. What I did was make a smaller two seater table against one wall and put the bed on long legs so I had plenty of storage space below it. Great place for one, kind of crowded with the girlfriend and her kid.

When I went to NV last weekend, my niece and "nephew" and I met up at my ex-landlord's house for the first night. He had a trailer beside the house we stayed in. It was narrow and hard to fit 3 people in at the same time because you had to turn sideways to get past each other. The table would have been okay if it had folded down but it didn't. It did have propane stove, electric, and water. There was a small shower and flushing toilet. It was kinda miserable. Since all we did was heat coffee for breakfast (everything else was cold food) and sleep, it worked but I can't imagine two people trying to live in that thing as if it were a home. Yikes. It would have be really convenient for road trips, though.

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Beyond the Path

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This is so sad...

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