Poverty's punch still packs power
Poverty series
Click here to view the 2008 Janesville Gazette three day series on poverty.
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Poverty Update
Kathy Patrick and her children were profiled in August 2008 in a 3-day series on poverty. See how they're doing a year later.
Podcast Episode
A Janesville woman has a new outlook on life, a year after being profiled as part of a look at poverty in Rock County. A series on poverty in the Janesville Gazette a year ago focused on Kathy Patrick, a single mother going to school and trying to make ends meet. Kyle Geissler reports. You can read more in Sunday's Janesville Gazette.
Podcast Episode
Huge changes in the local economy over the last year are having a dramatic effect on human service agencies in Rock County. The Janesville Gazette is reviewing the status of poverty in Rock County a year after printing a series on poverty. Kyle Geissler reports. You can read more in Sunday's Janesville Gazette.
JANESVILLE — Mike and Cheryl Easton have struggled over the past year.
The Janesville couple moved in with Mike’s dad after a stint at the House of Mercy homeless center. They’ve taken care of sick parents while dealing with their own health and family problems.
On top of all that, they can’t find full-time, steady work. They deliver newspapers to pay for necessities for them and their 3-year-old son, David, and contribute toward household bills.
“I’ve been applying everywhere,” Mike said. “It’s insane.”
The Eastons’ story is typical in Janesville since the economy crashed in fall 2008. Jobs just aren’t available, local experts and those looking for work said.
The Gazette addressed Janesville’s growing poverty rate in a three-day series one year ago. It pointed to U.S. Census data showing that Janesville’s population living below the federal poverty rate nearly doubled, from 6.5 percent to 12.7 percent, between 1999 and 2006.
Since then, the national economy has collapsed. The situation is even worse in Janesville, where a host of companies, most notably General Motors, have laid off workers or moved out all together.
Displaced workers struggle to find jobs. When they do, the jobs often don’t pay nearly as much as their old positions. A whole new group of low-income families don’t know how to access assistance.
Low-income workers who already struggled to find family-supporting jobs now face competition from workers with more experience and education.
Janesville’s unemployment rate has shot from 5.4 percent in June 2008 to 14.1 percent in July 2009.
Those who deal with poverty every day said the community is only beginning to see the effects of unemployment on poverty.
“I think it’s going to get worse before it gets better just because the jobs aren’t there yet,” said Karen Lisser, executive director of ECHO, a faith-based charity.
Statistics tend to lag behind reality, so it’s hard to tell exactly what has happened with poverty during the recession. But anecdotal evidence indicates need has grown tremendously.
ECHO is seeing two or three new clients every day. It saw a 46 percent increase in services in 2008 and is on course to increase that by 13 percent this year, Lisser said.
It provided about 77 percent more in services in the first seven months of 2009 than in the same period of 2007, she said.
The organization cuts out want ads for its clients every week. The ads used to fill the back and front of two pages, Lisser said. Now, the ads fill one side of a page in a good week.
As unemployment runs out and people go longer without income, they have more and more trouble paying rent, mortgage and utility bills.
“So much of it is directly related to employment,” said Ron Del Ciello, House of Mercy director.
Normally, about 60 percent of the shelter’s residents are employed, he said. Now, he doesn’t think half are employed. The shelter has relaxed its once-strict 30-day limit because so many residents have no income and nowhere to go.
Bruce, who asked that his real name not be used, has been out of work since he was laid off from LSI in July 2008. He and his daughter already were living with his parents as he saved up to get his own place.
He and his daughter moved into a mobile home in winter, but he still hasn’t found steady work. He makes $400 a month helping with a paper route, but that doesn’t even cover his monthly utilities and lot rental.
“A lot of people are going through (unemployment) right now,” he said. “It’s bad when McDonald’s ain’t hiring.”
Federal stimulus grants have helped ease the worst of the crisis, said Marc Perry, director of planning and development at Community Action of Rock and Walworth Counties. The organization received $440,000 for housing assistance in Rock County and is distributing the money through ECHO, Edgerton Community Outreach and Family Services of Southern Wisconsin and Northern Illinois.
The grant will allow ECHO to provide several months’ rent to struggling families, Lisser said.
Community Action also is using stimulus money to create a mobile advocacy program to make sure the newly unemployed know how to access services. Many of these people never had to use public assistance before, Perry said.
“We’re seeing some people, on the mortgage end especially, people who were pretty solidly middle class a year ago even who are now struggling,” he said.
But Perry worries that some won’t seek assistance until they’re at the edge of calamity. Often, people wait until the eviction or foreclosure notices arrive instead of seeking help as soon as they fall behind, he said.
“If that happens this time, it’s disaster,” Perry said. “I don’t know that, as a community, we have enough case management staff and enough phones to answer all those (calls).”
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The Gazette checked in on several Janesville families featured in last August’s three-part poverty series. Here’s how they’re doing:
The Gazette checked in on several Janesville families featured in last August’s three-part poverty series. Here’s how they’re doing:
Family: Kathy Patrick and her children, Carl, 11; Cullen, 9; Kiara, 8; and Keegan, 6.
Their story: Kathy, 37, can’t remember a time growing up when her family wasn’t on food stamps. She has worked a series of jobs since graduating high school in 1989, but her life spiraled out of control when she met the father of her children. She has trouble budgeting, and her boyfriend encouraged her in bad financial decisions, she said. She said he abused her and took illegal drugs.
At one point, Kathy lost custody of her children and ended up in a homeless shelter. After that, she started putting her life back together. She broke up with her boyfriend for good, regained custody of her children and enrolled at UW-Rock County.
When we saw them last: Kathy was working toward an associate degree in social work from UW-Rock. She worked at the college library during the school year but couldn’t work there in summer because she wasn’t taking classes. She relied on food, medical and rent assistance, child support and Social Security money for Cullen’s attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Where they are now: Kathy is preparing to start a new chapter of her life as she enters her final semester at UW-Rock.
She moved last fall to a house around the corner from her old one where she and the children are much happier, she said. The house was chosen for Community Action’s weatherization program, which can lower energy bills by up to 25 percent.
Financially, the family is about the same as it was last summer, Kathy said. She worked at the college library during the last school year but doesn’t plan to go back in the fall because she wants to focus on her studies and children before graduation, she said. Her goal is to make the dean’s list.
The family no longer receives child support from the children’s father. But Kathy said she’s getting better at budgeting. Every time she receives a check, she pays off any outstanding bills. Then she figures out how much money she needs for necessities and how much is left for extras such as a pizza night.
“My credit’s getting built up, slow but sure,” she said.
The family had to give up its dog, Ike, after he bit someone and got too big for Kathy’s unfenced yard.
That hit the kids hard, Kathy said, but in other ways, the kids are doing much better because she’s happier. On a recent Thursday morning, they dashed in and out of the house, trying (unsuccessfully) to avoid chores and affectionately teasing each other.
Kathy has become more sure of herself and what she wants out of life, she said. She even got dentures through medical assistance, improving her confidence.
“I don’t mind smiling now,” she said.
Although she loves the house she lives in now, she plans to move the family to Milwaukee after she receives her associate degree. She wants to get a bachelor’s degree from UW-Milwaukee and help young runaways, she said.
She feels like there’s more culture and opportunity in Milwaukee than in Janesville, she said.
“There’s no jobs here,” she said. “There’s nothing left for me (in Janesville).”
Part of Kathy’s growth came from the reaction to the poverty series she was featured in last year. She faced a lot of criticism for past and present choices, and some of it hurt, she said. But she put the criticism out of her mind and focused on the encouragement she received, such as a letter from an old schoolmate that encouraged her to keep trying.
“You either A, can sit there and pity yourself, or B … don’t take (the criticism) to heart,” she said. “You can put it in the back of your mind and just make yourself stronger, and that’s what I did.”
She hopes her participation in the articles, like her future goal of becoming a social worker, touches at least one person’s life and shows them that people can change.
“Right now, I can do anything I want,” she said. “Can’t nobody in the world tell me any different.”
Family: Bruce, a single father; his daughter, Hannah, and parents, Carrie and Joe. They asked that their real names not be used.
Their story: Bruce, 27, has struggled to find a steady job, despite earning a degree in welding from Blackhawk Technical College. He and Hannah, 8, moved in with his parents in May 2007 because he couldn’t pay rent. Bruce’s struggles have become his parents’ struggles as they help him while supporting themselves and two younger children, including one in college.
When we saw them last: Bruce was laid off from his $9-an-hour job at LSI in July 2008.
Where they are now: Bruce hasn’t been able to find steady work. He and his girlfriend, who is also unemployed, have set up a “work station” in his parents’ house stacked with job applications, want ads and bills.
He helps with a paper route on weekends, earning $100 a week. His unemployment compensation has run out.
Despite not having a job, Bruce bought and renovated an abandoned trailer at the end of 2008. Carrie and Joe needed the space in their house so their daughter, who could no longer afford to live on campus, could move back in, and the lack of space and privacy in the house created stress for everyone.
“(Living together) just wasn’t healthy,” Carrie said.
He paid only $500 for the trailer, but making it livable cost much more. He maxed out his credit cards and used help from his parents and unemployment to pay for the renovations, he said.
The $400 a month from his paper route doesn’t even pay for lot rental and utilities.
Bruce still is looking for a full-time job, but he doesn’t have any leads right now, he said. Carrie is encouraging him to get some extra training at Blackhawk Technical College to boost his resume.
“Anyone who has a good paying job, they don’t know how lucky they are,” Bruce said.
Family: Mike and Cheryl Easton and their children
Their story: Mike, 28, has struggled to rebuild his life after some poor choices in his youth. After serving time in prison, he regained custody of his two children and met and married Cheryl, 42. Together, they have a 3-year-old son, David. The family ended up at House of Mercy homeless shelter after Mike lost his job at Green-Tek in Edgerton.
When we saw them last: While staying at House of Mercy, Mike was laid off from his most recent job and Cheryl suffered a stroke related to a blood clot. As their time at the shelter ran out, they and their children prepared to move in with Mike’s parents.
Where they are now: The family continues to live with Mike’s parents, but there are fewer children there now.
The mother of Mike’s 9-year-old and 7-year-old children took custody of them this year. Mike wants to challenge the custody in court but can’t afford the legal fees, he said. David misses his siblings but enjoys spending time with Grandpa and his dogs, Cheryl said.
That wasn’t the only bad news to hit the family. Mike was hospitalized with depression and other mental health problems. His mother suffered heart failure, though she has recovered, and both of Cheryl’s parents are sick.
Cheryl never learned what caused her blood clot and stroke, but she hasn’t suffered a relapse. She spends her days taking care of her parents in Beloit.
Neither Mike nor Cheryl has found full-time work. They both deliver newspapers for The Janesville Gazette, though Mike lost some of his routes when his truck was rear-ended and totaled, making him unable to work for a few weeks.
The other driver had insurance, and Mike was able to get another truck. He’s still waiting for the insurance company to pay for medical bills and lost work time.
“Every time I think I’m getting ahead, something happens,” Mike said.
Mike doesn’t want to stay in his parents’ home forever, but his father is happy to have them, and the family doesn’t have another option right now, he said. The family relies on BadgerCare for medical insurance and receives gas vouchers from ECHO every three months.
Mike and Cheryl are thankful for what they do have—family, a place to stay and some form of income, they said.
“What little bit we get has helped out,” Mike said.
Sep 16, 2009 at 8:20 p.m.
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So you tell the truth on here and saw what happened while you were in public and you get your comment removed! Nice!!! WOW Gazette.
Sep 16, 2009 at 8:18 p.m.
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I agree! :)
Sep 11, 2009 at 10:07 p.m.
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Oh ok. :) I wasnt sure if it was a I feel bad you had to sit there or if it was a I feel bad for you for posting about them. :) Thanks.
Sep 11, 2009 at 7:43 a.m.
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I hope it was because I had to sit by them and not because I wrot in. :)
Sep 11, 2009 at 7:42 a.m.
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And why do you feel sorry for me??
Sep 8, 2009 at 9:41 a.m.
Sep 3, 2009 at 9:49 a.m.
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Poverty is not hereditary, it is not taught, it is a reality that some people just cannot grasp unless they, themselves are experiencing it. If you stay in Janesville, you will see it coming all around you.
Sep 2, 2009 at 3:37 p.m.
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The test of true 'community' is not its sighs of pity for its vulnerable citizens, but its acts of acceptance and inclusion
- Christina Hurr
Sep 2, 2009 at 3:11 p.m.
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justme46: Thank God there are people like you on this earth. Life would be more fair if some of those posting their nasty comments here had to experience poverty firsthand. I have had many clients/patients who were trying desperately to climb out of poverty. The majority displayed above-average intelligence, were respectful, looking for a hand up and not a handout, knew how to pinch a penny tighter than anybody I knew not living in poverty, and would be among the first to help another person having a rough time. For most of them, being on assistance was only temporary.
Sep 2, 2009 at 1:47 p.m.
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WOW! You negative people make me sick to my stomach. Who are you to say how people should run their lives and even to the point of telling them not to have a pizza night! Do you know how cold hearted and mean you sound (and probably are in person)? POVERTY, get used to the word cuz even our middle class in Janesville are going to be in it. I wrote the very first comment on here cuz I knew a bunch of idiots sitting behind closed doors and in front of a computer would make such assnine statements. If any of you have children, what are you going to do if they ask you for help when they are on their own? Are you going to tell them to go to HE double hockeysticks, or are you going to do your damnedest to help? I hope the latter part, but with your attitudes, I doubt it!!
Sep 2, 2009 at 7:03 a.m.
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Your concern for convicted felons who might be blogging is touching, but I suggest the discussion veer back onto subject.
Sep 2, 2009 at 12:58 a.m.
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kinsohn: I think it's important because you and Pete are committing libel by writing something false about the man. I don't know the guy or any of his family or friends, but I bet your comments are causing more harm than good.
Sep 1, 2009 at 9:49 p.m.
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The distinction is important why? Regardless, we would not be left guessing if the article's author had done any reporting on it. We are instead left to guess due to its inconvenience (and thus purposeful exclusion) to the left-wing borg.
Sep 1, 2009 at 3:12 p.m.
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kinsohn: Again, as I wrote to Pete, WHERE does it state that this guy was ever charged with ARMED ROBBERY? I must be missing something in those court records because I do not see that anywhere ... from what I read, he committed a THEFT in which the PROPERTY STOLEN INCLUDED A FIREARM. Can you show me where the information is that you refer to?
Sep 1, 2009 at 2:44 p.m.
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frusion - I hold a Bachelor of Science degree from UWW and am working on getting accepted into an MS program at UW Madison in 2010. I am skilled in several blue collar jobs, and am still unemployed. I look for work every day. On a different note, securing financial independence is one of our personal family goals, but we also realize that having money does not equal happiness, and to believe so is to be foolish, in my opinion. We do not strive to be wealthy, we strive to be happy. I love my field of training, but the jobs I am qualified to do are not in Janesville and I would have to relocate, and I cannot at this time; I have school age children. So until then, I garden, can, freeze, and give away fresh produce I grow organically, study hard for the GRE, and make ends meet on a very tight budget. Not impossible, just crafty. I learned from a pro; my grandmother was the 2nd eldest of 7 children during the depression, and her mother died when she was 12 and her father was worked to make ends meet. She was left to care for herself and the rest of the kids, because the eldest got married and moved away. The hard times we now face are nothing compared to what our grandparents and earlier relatives have lived through. Knowing this keeps me focused on moving forward and staying positive during times of adversity.
Sep 1, 2009 at 2:31 p.m.
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There will ALWAYS be those who prefer to live off others Pete. That is a simple fact, but in reality they represent only a tiny fraction of those living in poverty in the US. Poverty is often generational but is not necessarily a result of having children out of wedlock. Brad and Angelina seem to be doing okay. While living in poverty doesn't mean you're dumb, lazy or don't have feelings it does describe the person who criticizes those less fortunate. Not one person here can say they "made it on their own" unless they are printing money. Behind every successful person is a parent, teacher, mentor, spouse, co-worker, coach someone who took an interest and provided a path. Of course once you're there its easier just to call everyone else lazy. Evidently, in your book Pete, once you make a mistake you're done, nothing you do can make you good enough ever again. Why should someone like Mike even TRY to do the right thing when people like you just keep beating him down. Then people like you wonder why individuals don't do more to help themselves. I'm not saying a person in Mike's situation deserves MORE than anyone else, just the SAME as everyone else. So Kinsohn, you must favor same-sex marriage. According to you if everyone gets married there will be no more poverty. (or is that conservative-speak for "I'm better than you") What a concept!
Sep 1, 2009 at 8:02 a.m.
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JoeSchmo - First off, I love your moniker. Second, my condolences to you and your family: I wish you the best. But please realize that although there are people in poverty that are married, they are extremely rare. Those that are in poverty don't stay there long, because an intact family is by far the best form of safety netting.
By contrast, government programs that subsidize illegitimacy actually perpetuate the behaviors that cause poverty in the first place. You really needn't do anything other than drive through central Beloit to know I'm right.
As far as the kids being born in wedlock and then divorced, it's possible, but not very likely. "Mike, 28, has struggled to rebuild his life after some poor choices (liberal-speak for armed robbery) in his youth. After serving time in prison, he regained custody of his two children." Now how bad a mother do you have to be to lose custody to a father who's a convicted felon? Call me crazy, but I'm guessing the couple wasn't married.
"but her life spiraled out of control when she met the father of her children." Meaning baby-daddy, not husband. Two down.
"Bruce, 27, has struggled to find a steady job, despite earning a degree in welding from Blackhawk Technical College. He and Hannah, 8, moved in with his parents" So he had his daughter when he was 19. Married when he was 18? Not likely. 0 for 3.
Of course, the writer knew all these facts but purposely didn't include them because they are not helpful to her left-wing agenda.
Sep 1, 2009 at 7:24 a.m.
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Pete- Since you like checking CCAP so much, have you ever read the statement just above the "I Agree" button? The part that says "Notice to Employers: It may be a violation of state law to discriminate against a job applicant because of an arrest or conviction record. Generally speaking, an employer may refuse to hire an applicant on the basis of a conviction only if the circumstances of the conviction substantially relate to the particular job. For more information, see Wisconsin Statute 111.335 and the Department of Workforce Development's Arrest and Conviction Records under the Law publication."?
Your statement about not being hired to empty trash because of the background check is wrong. The conviction has to be substantially related to the job in order to be considered in the hiring process.
Sep 1, 2009 at 1:51 a.m.
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Pete: Maybe I am missing something, but where does it state the guy used a gun to hold up somebody for their car? "Moveable property" does not translate into "car" and it appears from the record that the "property" he stole was a "firearm". Correct me if I am wrong, but I think you might be having a comprehension problem.
Aug 31, 2009 at 11:19 p.m.
Aug 31, 2009 at 10:36 p.m.
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Why assume that about her phone?
I don't get it
Aug 31, 2009 at 10:14 p.m.
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That's a pretty nice EXPENSIVE cell phone she has...
I know how much it costs, I have the same one. I bet she has easy edge and unlimited texting on that thing too!
Aug 31, 2009 at 9:28 p.m.
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Pete, look a little further. The kids share the roller blades. Being poor doesn't mean you shouldn't indulge your children in a toy at some point. Maybe she saved up a long time. Maybe they were a gift. But, hey, they're poor. They shouldn't enjoy anything in life.
We can all guess and assume how one becomes poor-but we aren't in their shoes.
Aug 31, 2009 at 9:22 p.m.
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kinsohn-
My spouse got laid off from 3 different jobs last summer and we have struggled ever since. We have 2 children, both born in wedlock, and this is the first marriage for both of us.
I understand that being a single parent would make it harder financially, but isn't it possible (and highly likely) that some of those children were born while the parents were married, but then got divorced?
Aug 31, 2009 at 8:53 p.m.
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Pete: You must have too much free time to be running newspaper names through CCAP. You are missing the overall point of the article. Not everyone who is poor is a scumbag. I'm constantly astonished by the lack of compassion in this city and quietly counting down the days until I can get the heck out.
Aug 31, 2009 at 8:02 p.m.
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Interesting: the only real cause of poverty - out-of-wedlock children - was never mentioned as a potential cause of poverty. If you read closely, it is a factor in each story mentioned, not to mention a little crime (which is also usually a symptom).
Of course, there's also likely a history of single-parent backgrounds with the adults in each story as well. It's best not to mention this though, as this is not helpful to the leftist cause. Much better to blame everything else but the elephant in the room.
The shame is that as out-of-wedlock children are seen as more an more acceptable, largely by libs who don't want to be "judgmental", there will be more and more of them. And more and more poverty. It's a vicious circle.
Drive through any poor neighborhood in WI, and I will show you an neighborhood that has a high illegitimacy rate. No exceptions.
Aug 31, 2009 at 7:15 p.m.
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Sarah- Someone got charged for having a "loud muffler"???...now thats really, REALLY hard to believe...
Aug 31, 2009 at 4:58 p.m.
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Pete and Hannah: Sometimes, more often than either of you will admit, people do change. Maybe this guy is an example of one who has. Your "reporting," Pete and Hannah, might have been more fair if one or both of you had also mentioned that the only charges this man has faced since 2002 were for a seat-belt violation and a loud muffler. I would say that that is evidence that he has likely changed his life around. Thanks for adding to the stigma that this man has to face daily. Mike, you have my support and I wish you and your family all of the best. Oh, one more thing for Pete: The military is no longer short of members and is again being choosy about who it signs on.
Aug 31, 2009 at 4:49 p.m.
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If only the RECAP garden program could grow frozen pizza, fast-food burgers, pop and cigarettes (oh, I forgot, taxpayers are already providing these items -- along with just about everything else). Honestly, it's like feeding stray cats (but it feels so good -- "at least we're doing something")!
The funny thing is that everyone in these stories always looks so well- (if not overly- and nutritionally poorly-) fed in the pictures, including those seen pictured in your articles lined up in the food pantry handout lines. Odd, isn't it?
While there are some who are really having a tough time and are actually working hard to dig out, and some should be applauded for putting forth an effort in trying to further their eduction, staying in school on the taxpayers' dime in lieu of graduating and getting a real job is NOT functional. We do not owe you advanced degrees -- you can work to pay for them yourself! Doing otherwise is merely the illusion of accomplishment, and BTC is already chocked full of adult day-care "students," which is what it has come to do best!
Why is it that Latinos, among others, can come to this country with no money, little education, virtually no English skills, no driver's license or car, and still find and maintain steady employment while supporting themselves and sending money back home? WORK ETHIC and FAMILY VALUES, and the ability to recognize and seize an opportunity without expecting a handout (at least in the first generation). That, and they buy and alarm clock and show up at word, to work, whether or not they're having a "bad day." It's called "survival," and they come from a culture that knows what it takes to do so.
Society should provide something, anything, functional for people on benefits to DO -- getting handouts, taking classes to nowhere, and sitting around watching TV or playing on your government-funded computer will never lead to the core values that are missing in most of them: motivation, work-ethic and self-esteem (that is, until they develop pills for those likely DSM4-diagnosable excuses, er, "ailments," no, wait -- "diseases"! -- as well).
It's also amazing to me how "disability' (and the attendant social security payments) seem to run in families for generations. I've yet to meet few if any who could not do something (in Calcutta, they'd be picking trash to survive, not living in their own house eating pizza and watching TV). Another example of an unacceptable learned "coping" skill, I expect.
An attempt at a heartwarming story, I'm sure, but just two more words - eugenics or adoption. Or, if one doesn't like those options, how about "choices" and "consequences" -- quit popping out even more kids! Adults with arrested development, perpetual children and adolescents moving back in with their parents, will likely never have the skills to successfully raise the next generation to be functional and self sufficient. Hence, the cycle repeats and repeats itself!
Aug 31, 2009 at 2:25 p.m.
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I agree that poverty is a problem and I do feel for these people who cannot make ends meet, especially if they have children. I donate everytime I see a food drive and encourage others to reach out too. I do think that sometimes people are classified incorrectly. Especially when they can still find money to pay for cable, cell phones, and other "necessities." I think a lot of people just need to get their priorities straight.
Aug 31, 2009 at 1:31 p.m.
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I had a great uncle who was worth millions. He still clipped coupons. Big lesson learned there for me. I'm more fortunate than most because I planned ahead, but still out of work. Poverty has many faces. In this economy it's not as simple as someone just needs to better themselves. Even people with 2 and 4 year degrees are having trouble finding work. Right now this country is counting on those more fortunate to donate time, resources, or money to various food banks and organizations like ECHO. The only way we'll get through hard times is if we work together.
Aug 31, 2009 at 11:41 a.m.
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It is true that our country has no idea what 'real poverty' is. We are fortunate to live in a nation that has so many programs out there to help others. Let's face it, everyone needs help now and then. The true test is to better yourself and not stay there. No, it's not easy and it doesn't happen overnight. The thing is to keep trying and not rely on that help forever.
Aug 31, 2009 at 11:33 a.m.
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The poverty line is a set amount of income per month based on the # of family members. To assume these people are living beyond their means & putting themselves below the poverty line is just asinine!
Aug 31, 2009 at 11:27 a.m.
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Thank you Pete
Aug 31, 2009 at 9:27 a.m.
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Nope!
Aug 31, 2009 at 9:20 a.m.
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So napalm, are you lumping everyone into that category? What about those who had low paying jobs and now have no jobs. Or people who actually do live within their means. You see how gas and groceries have gone up in price. Not everyone wages have gone up.
Let's pick one scenario and apply it to everyone. That's brilliant.
Aug 31, 2009 at 8:35 a.m.
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But we don't need a national health care system?
Aug 31, 2009 at 8:22 a.m.
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partarican1, don't take this the wrong way because I am not trying to be mean, only to learn how it is that you've lived an entire life in poverty. Have you tried to better yourself through education? Yes, times are tough right now but what about 5 years ago, 10 years ago? Was Blackhawk an option for you to take up a trade in computers, welding, auto repair, office administration, or many other oppertunities? The cost would have been reasonable and it sounds like you would have been eligible for financial aid. Have you done anything toward an attempt to pull yourself out of poverty?
Aug 31, 2009 at 8 a.m.
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It's unfortunate that anyone has to struggle to make ends meet. Welcome to poverty. I have been living with my family below the federal poverty guidelines my whole life. You learn how to feed a family of 5 on $125/month very quickly, new clothes become new used clothes, and transportation on foot is the norm. It sucks when you don't know if you can feed your family or pay your bills, and you'll have to make the choice. And while there are agencies designed to help people in need, their funding only goes so far. It's times like this that the barter system becomes favorable and necessary.
Aug 31, 2009 at 7:44 a.m.
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My fear is what happens when unemployment runs out for many of those laid off over the last year+. Unfortunately, unemployment pays more than most jobs that are available.
Aug 31, 2009 at 3:42 a.m.
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I have been out of work for a year, I dont want to live off of the government dime and be a burden, I want a job!! As does my son, he cant even get a job flipping burgers. Cant move because I cant sell my house. Janesville is in trouble. Have to hold on as long as possible and wear out our printers doing up those resumes. I was actually told to dummy my resume down to get a job as a file clerk, most of us dont care anymore if we are "overqualified" we just want to work.
Aug 30, 2009 at 10:59 p.m.
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Thats the problem, the gov't DON'T CARE...With their lifelong healthcare and "pensions" and many other "benefits" that aren't and NEVER WILL BE available to us.. They won't ever have to worry in their lifetime and they've got enough money stashed for their family for a while after they die.
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Wake up..NONE of these jokers care, all their "jobs"(LOL) are secure, thats all they need to know.
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All bambam and his minions care about is their OWN agenda.
Aug 30, 2009 at 9:49 p.m.
Suggest removal
mjbike2--HEY, was the coffee grown in the US? ;o_
Aug 30, 2009 at 5:48 p.m.
Suggest removal
It's so good to see pictures of those kids again. I wish I could go back and hang out with Keegan, Kiara, Carl, and Cullen again.
Aug 30, 2009 at 5:28 p.m.
Suggest removal
If government really cares about helping our country then they need too keep all these jobs in AMERICA and people need to stop buying. foreign JUNK. Wake up and smell the coffee folks!
Aug 30, 2009 at 4:28 p.m.
Suggest removal
It's really quite scary for a lot of people right now. People who had the 'good life' have been hit with a ton of bricks and many don't know how they're going to make it. I have good friends who are married and both lost their jobs due to lay offs. They are barely keeping their heads above water to keep their house and food on the table. The very scary thing is that the way our economy is right now you never know when you'll be next.
Aug 30, 2009 at 4:12 p.m.
Suggest removal
Please hold your heads up high and thank everyone who has helped you. I know you will get alot of posters on here that have their heads in the sand, but don't let that bother you. They are nameless, typing negative words. I hope all of you can get the help you need. Good luck and God Bless.
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