Posted on 05/17/2014 8:54:15 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
When I woke up to see the news, I could hardly believe it: President Obama is planning a visit to the Mountain View Wal-Mart where I work.
But the excitement quickly passed when I found out the store would be shutting down hours in advance of his visit. I wouldn’t be able to tell the president what it’s like to work at Wal-Mart and what it’s like to struggle on low wages, without the hours I need. I am living at the center of the income inequality that he speaks about so often, and I wanted to talk to him about how to change this problem.
My situation is not unlike that of many of the 825,000 Wal-Mart associates – and many other Americans – who are working hard, but just can’t keep up. Most of us aren’t even paid $25,000 a year even though we work at the largest employer in the country and one that makes $16 billion in profits.
I wanted to tell the president what it’s like working – and living – like this.
Things have always been tight. After four years working at Wal-Mart in Mountain View, I am bringing home about $400 every two weeks (I’d like to get more hours, but I’m lucky if I work 32 hours a week). That’s not enough to pay for bills, gas and food. All I can afford to eat for lunch is a cup of coffee and a bag of potato chips. I’ve always done everything possible to stretch paychecks and scrape by. Sometimes it means not getting enough to eat.
But then I got some bad news that made stretching my budget impossible.
Two months ago, I started feeling ill. My doctor told me I needed to take a week off to have a series of medical tests. Every day for a week I went to the hospital and had to pay $30, $60 or $100 in co-pays for each appointment, test and X-ray.
With these additional expenses and without a paycheck for the week I was out, it pushed me over the edge. I didn’t have enough money to pay the rent.
Right now, I don’t have a place to call home.
I sleep on the floor of my son’s living room because I can’t afford my own place. All of my belongings are in my car. I don’t know where to send my mail.
I used to think, “At least I have my health and my family.” But my doctor thinks I may have colon cancer, and with all of the money I still owe the hospital, I’m not sure how to finish the tests and get treatment. Even though I do have insurance through Wal-Mart, the co-pays are more than I can afford with only $400 every two weeks.
I wanted to tell the president I am scared. I am scared for my health. I am scared for the future for my grandkids. And I am scared and sad about the direction that companies like Wal-Mart are taking our country.
I don’t wish the struggle I’m facing onto anyone. But sadly, my situation isn’t unique. I know that I am one of many living in the Wal-Mart economy who has no financial stability. We expect to work until our deaths because we don’t have any retirement savings and are concerned about the future in front of our children and grandchildren.
There are so many of us who have it so hard – trying to live paycheck to paycheck. While the president is here visiting my store, I want him to look inside at what is really happening at Wal-Mart.
I want the president to help us and tell Wal-Mart to pay us enough to cover the bills and take care of our families. That doesn’t seem like too much to ask from such a profitable company, a company that sets the standard for jobs in this country. And I hope it’s not too much to ask from a president who believes that income inequality is the defining challenge of our time.
Don’t like Walmart’s wages? Simmons and cargill have openings in their chicken gutting line here in NW Arkansas. I would like to hear her gripe after spending a few hours operating a lung suction gun and I can assure she won’t smell like roses when her shift is ended.
They now pay a decent wage as WALMART stole all their employees years ago by offering much better wages.
Or government issued cell phones. Etc.
At least this poor woman recognizes the huge economic problem this country has, and that she's not in a unique position (underemployment.)
The problem is she's looking for help from the very President who's economic policies and anti-business policies not only contributed to, but greatly exacerbated the problem!
First, we need a voucher program to get children out of the schoolag archipelago, where they lose their common sense.
Secondly, children should be allowed to apprentice and/or work, beginning at age 13.
Work keeps people in touch with reality.
I eat PB&J sandwich on my lunch breaks. Cost is less than a bag of chips.
In years past, multigenerational households were the norm; and not a bad thing.
Son should let mom sleep on the couch, at least.
Workers of the World, Unite!
Everyone blames WALMART for Chinese goods. Dozens of other stores also import Chinese goods to sell. A few years ago SEARS stocked a special patented tool made in the USA. One day they canceled the contract and started importing an identical tool from China.
If it is true she is mad at the wrong people. To reach her age and not have any skills that would help her demand a higher paying job is an indictment of whatever education she received.
***Her problem is that she only works 32 hours a week.***
And if she worked a full 40 hours she would be griping that the hours were too long!
I remember back in 1962 it was predicted that work week would be 32 hours to give all the population a job.
I doubt any business could pay this woman enough to shut up her whinging.
How many people know that inflation is caused by an increase in the money supply, and not greedy businesses, etc.?
12 years of schooling and children learn nothing.
And she can get a used mattress at the SALVATION ARMY, very cheap.
She can’t work 40 hours a week at Wal-Mart because Wal-Mart has a handful of slots at each store that are full time, and everyone else is part time. Your average Department Manager at Wal-Mart is part time.
Gee what have you done in the last four years to look for a better paying job or getting the skills to move on? Also how much does the government take from your paycheck in taxes? You might be working hard but the government is taking probably 25 cents of every dollar you earn in taxes, Social security, Medicare etc. If you are just getting by now what will happen when that fast food hamburger you can enjoy today nearly doubles in price because the government mandated that fast food workers should get $15 per hour? How about being unemployed when a government mandated minimum wage makes it cheaper for Wal Mart to fire checkers and go to all self pay stations?
A woman victim of capitalist income inequality...what could be be more tailor-made for sitting at the right hand of Moochelle Antoinette!
Leni
Exactly. Buying goods from China to sell is not the problem, nor is people buying them at the store the problem.
The problem is that our country has created an environment where we cannot produce these items in a competitive manner. We intentionally cripple industry at the behest of hundreds or thousands of lobbies (such as the environmental lobby and union lobby)
Excessive Regulation. Excessive Legislation. Excessive Environmentalism. Excessive Taxation.
If we believe that capitalism is the engine that drives prosperity, the ability to make money, then we must fight the demonization of wealth. One of the key components of capitalism is producing something that someone will buy.
Sure, we can produce many items such as lawn chairs and such that people will buy...but they won’t buy it at a USA made price, they will buy it a a China price. (this does not take into account the willingness to let a country dump product into another country, subsidize production, steal intellectual property, etc. Those are separate things that, even though they matter greatly, people who buy from a store cannot control)
Just a statement of fact. If we mandate people buy more expensive or lower quality from the USA simply because they are made here, then we have lost.
I’ve worked with someone like this at some point in the past, and they are a workplace cancer.
Pam Ramos: If you don’t like Wal Mart, quit. People will gladly work for them. Pam Ramos cry me a river...
“schoolag archipelago”
I am so stealing that. Beautiful.
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