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Tweet of the Day: Rep. Jan Schakowsky’s idea of slumming it
Liberty Unyielding ^ | July 24, 2014 | Howard Portnoy

Posted on 07/27/2014 11:23:23 AM PDT by heartwood

A number of prominent Democrats have pledged to spend the week learning how the other half lives. All have agreed to take the Live the Wage challenge, which entails limiting your cash outlay on food and transportation to $77 a week. The idea was developed by Brad Woodhouse, president of the labor-funded group Americans United for Change, who, according to the Washington Free Beacon, called on Congress to take the challenge. -- So how are the participants making out? Judging from a tweet by Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, it’s tough living down here among the hoi polloi. The tweet, which follows, contains her menu for the week:


TOPICS: Government; Politics/Elections; US: Illinois
KEYWORDS: ourbetters
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My heart bleeds. I do hope she'll be all right.

1 posted on 07/27/2014 11:23:23 AM PDT by heartwood
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To: heartwood

On the other side...Lobster Thermador, Wagu Beef Tips...


2 posted on 07/27/2014 11:25:26 AM PDT by albie
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To: albie

She got the idea from a Flop movie ?


3 posted on 07/27/2014 11:36:46 AM PDT by molson209 (Blank)
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To: heartwood

Credit cards didn’t count?


4 posted on 07/27/2014 11:37:38 AM PDT by ImJustAnotherOkie (zerogottago)
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To: heartwood

Seriously? I’ve got plenty of experience cutting corners with a food budget, both now, and in my youth-and frankly, she’s wasting money on processed crap like hot dogs and ramen instead of getting some more fresh veggies and fruit in season-for the same price-to go with the eggs, tuna, chicken, etc.

I take it she has never bought ground beef and made goulash or chili? How about putting chicken and fresh veggies in a crust for homemade pot pie? 86 the pasta for more protein-she doesn’t know how to cook a pot of beans, lentils, split peas, etc with hamhocks or cheap bacon pieces? That broad needs a cookbook of low budget made-from-scratch meals...


5 posted on 07/27/2014 11:42:48 AM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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To: Texan5

This isn’t even the food stamp menu, where one would be wise to follow your methods.

This is her idea of a menu on minimum wage (lots of minimum wage earners get food stamps, but I digress.)

The menu is a normal American family diet, not especially healthy or healthy, not the thriftiest and not spendthrift - and it spells PRIVATION to this clueless “public servant,” who has no notion at all about the daily lives of most of the citizens she purports to represent.


6 posted on 07/27/2014 11:52:13 AM PDT by heartwood
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To: heartwood

“healthy or unhealthy”, above.


7 posted on 07/27/2014 11:52:53 AM PDT by heartwood
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To: heartwood

Gosh! She eats 2x as much as me and I’m 210 lbs.


8 posted on 07/27/2014 12:32:08 PM PDT by Eagles6 (Valley Forge Redux. If not now, when? If not here, where?)
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To: heartwood

why only $4000/yr?

anyone making $7.25/hr for 40 hrs/wk would make $15,080/yr which is a single person. as a single person on minimum, the expectation would not be for them to live in a mansion. most likely a roommate scenario

assuming $400/mon for rent, $4800/yr, that would leave $10,220.

what happened to the other $6220?


9 posted on 07/27/2014 12:36:07 PM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: heartwood

10 posted on 07/27/2014 12:38:36 PM PDT by Focault's Pendulum (I live in NJ....' Nuff said!)
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To: sten

“assuming $400/mon for rent,”

In what world? I haven’t seen low rents like that in years.

.


11 posted on 07/27/2014 12:40:43 PM PDT by Mears
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To: heartwood

She couldn’t eat all that if she would have added the costs in there for dope and booze.


12 posted on 07/27/2014 12:41:31 PM PDT by dforest
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To: heartwood

Poor dear. She clearly doesn’t even know how to cook. She will remember this period of privation for the rest of her life as she chows down at pricey restaurants.


13 posted on 07/27/2014 12:54:01 PM PDT by informavoracious (Open your eyes, people!)
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To: Mears

In what world? I haven’t seen low rents like that in years.

***
The husband and I were camping recently in a state park. During the week that we were there in our camper, there was a campsite nearby that was occupied by 3 people in two tents. They were gone all day, and we found out that they were at work.

They told my husband that they do this every once in a while, i.e., camp but go to work every day. We saw no evidence that they were hanging out at night around the camp fire. Really heard no noise out of them at all.

I am convinced that they were actually living there. Seems like a pretty wise move if you are pinching pennies. Well, in the summer months anyway. I hope they have another plan when the weather turns cold.


14 posted on 07/27/2014 1:03:31 PM PDT by Bigg Red (31 May 2014: Obamugabe officially declares the USA a vanquished subject of the Global Caliphate.)
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To: sten

Is that $15,080 before or after taxes?


15 posted on 07/27/2014 1:08:18 PM PDT by Excellence (Marine mom since April 11, 2014)
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To: Bigg Red

Your transportation costs go way up if you’re living at a campsite, unless you’re doing local, seasonal work you can walk or bike to.

Otherwise, you’ll need a working car, and you’ll probably have a fairly long commute.


16 posted on 07/27/2014 1:11:25 PM PDT by heartwood
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To: Mears

nt in manhattan, but renting a room for $250-400/mon isn’t unheard of around the country

the assumption is you’re in a shared apartment


17 posted on 07/27/2014 1:23:08 PM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Excellence

it’s gross, not net

most taxes are usually refunded and many times with a bit extra


18 posted on 07/27/2014 1:24:42 PM PDT by sten (fighting tyranny never goes out of style)
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To: Texan5

She looks to be having a rough time heh.

Cut out your food talk, you’re making me hungry and I’m 2 hours from any sort of civilization.


19 posted on 07/27/2014 2:13:59 PM PDT by Bulwyf
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To: heartwood

You are likely right, and this is what she considers privation-no lobster and such. I live in the country, and I eat a healthy diet of unprocessed food on just about what she is spending, too. There are very few overweight people out here, either-but the general store doesn’t take food stamps/cards, either. People like that have no idea what anyone eats who doesn’t have a supermarket and several food joints right up the street and lives in a big city.

Out here, the nearest thing to a real grocery store is 20 miles away-she should come out here and eat on that $77-it isn’t hard, but if she can’t cook fresh meat, and grow some veggies she will not do well...


20 posted on 07/27/2014 2:17:20 PM PDT by Texan5 ("You've got to saddle up your boys, you've got to draw a hard line"...)
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