Then suddenly I had two kids, a divorce, a single, crappy job, and all of the expenses of a household on my head.
...in item No. 2 in the list she made.
For those whose lives have been smooth sailing, I am happy for you. You may blame it on planning, sound judgement, being a good judge of character, whatever, and you'd be half right.
Marriage takes two, and if one stops, it's over. Divorce has hardships well beyond emotional/spiritual, and is only part of or the instigating moment in some serious life changes.
Going to school takes time and money, and with two kids, that gets tough.
Note she works one or more jobs, and mentions no time where she doesn't work at all.
This is 'food stamps' (equivalent), not full blown welfare.
If you took the costs written into all she purchases and what her employer pays to have her on the payroll for the actions of the Government, and gave that money to her in increased wages, she'd likely be getting by much better.
The living wage thingy was sad (probably the only reason the piece was published). Those jobs were never meant to feed a family, and I notice there is no mention of tips.
Kids can complicate life to the point where it can be difficult to raise them and hold down a job, especially when shifts are not predictable. It is a different world than the steady world of 9 to 5 so many live in. If you are one who works from 9 to 5, remember everyone else you see working when you are off work doesn't--and there are a lot of people who don't.
If she is on minimum wage with two kids, she’s on more than SNAP.....you can pretty much bet she’s shaped her argument to only one of the entitlements she gets.
With her income and dependents, she’s definitely getting a few thousand free cash each year in EITC. That bare bones phone is probably an ObamaPhone. You qualify for SNAP - you qualify for that phone and you can get signed up for one in a New York minute.
That house on the edge of town her grandparents bought to ‘rent’ to her. Is it on Section 8? Does she get nearly all of that rent paid?
While we’re at it. If she’s so poor, then she’s probably drawing SSI for the two children, too.
The problem with entitlements is that they’re so easy to get if you don’t have anything much. Just a kid or two and a nowhere job does it most times. And if you get one program, you’re prequalified for many of the others. It never stops at “just that one.”
Yours is the most reasonable reply...
Husband and I are married 32 years. We have (almost) raised five children (youngest two in college). I work “dead end” retail (w/a few years as a real estate agent—got licensed via community college courses) for about the last 30 some years. Why? Because I could work evenings & weekends and my husband could watch the kids.
Much has been said about her “advancing” up the food chain where she works and fast food management was given as an example. I’ve never worked fast food, but I’ve been a store “assistant” manager (keyholder) where you make a couple dollars more an hour than the clerks but, w/o a 4 year degree in business, marketing etc. you NEVER become even a store manager.
All that said, I have worked w/enough women like Christine to know her story. Not making excuses, but the working world is different now. Most are part timers, hours are not “set” so the weaving in of a second job is almost impossible. And she has kids. So if they are to have any kind of after school activity that figures into the equation as well.
Some of my co-workers ha e qualified for SNAP, CHIP and Food Stamps. They weren’t proud of it, but trying to keep an old car on the road (so they can get to work) coupled with unexpected illness, injury, and a stretched budget snaps. What do you do without?
The tone of her article is whiny, but that doesn’t make her points any less valid.
IBFSFBTASOWTTPTNMT*
(In before financially solvent Freepers boast they are so overwhelming wealthy that they pay their neighbors mortgages too!)