Homelessness grows as more live check-to-check

USA Today ^ | 8/12/03 | Stephanie Armour

[Gothmog]

Homelessness in major cities is escalating as more laid-off workers already living paycheck-to-paycheck wind up on the streets or in shelters.

As Americans file for bankruptcy in record numbers and credit card debt explodes, more workers are a paycheck away from losing their homes. Now the frail economy is pushing them over the edge. With 9 million unemployed workers in July, the face of homelessness is changing to include more families shaken by joblessness.

[samuel_adams_us]

That's funny, my father was in the Army Air Corp during WWII, stationed in Papua New Guinea, and he made is salary plus he received free medical and dental, still does today, so for every dollar they paid him, he received benefits with that dollar, guess they were free right???

[Alberta's Child]

BTW, this country isn't a business, it's a democratic republic.

I understand that. And until this democratic republic learns some basic economics, I won't be hiring anyone anytime soon. How anyone in this democratic republic of ours comes out ahead in this case is beyond me.

[samuel_adams_us]

It's his job to listen, right, don't we pay him? Is he the king or the president? Should he not be concerned with teh well being of the citizens of this country?

[SamAdams76]

This is a bit off the beaten path but life is supposed to be an adventure. Life should be unpredictable and full of surprises. We only have about 70 years on average to live this life. Who says that life is supposed to be comfortable and uneventful?

Losing your job and being cast out in the street can be an adventure if you have the right mindset. You suddenly find that you are ALIVE and free to take a new path. Your priorities change. You find out who your real friends are. Your options are wide open. You can hitchike to Montana and start a brand new life in those open spaces. Or you can go to a big city and start all over again. The choices are yours. For the first time since you were perhaps a child, your future is an open book.

Hardship? Yes, there will be hardship. But even in the hardest times, you can find peace and contentment within yourself. Sit out in the grass and gaze out at the deep, blue skies. Take a deep breath and listen to the birds around you. You are ALIVE. You are living life to its fullest. Where do you go from here? That is up to you. Maybe this was meant to happen.

[samuel_adams_us]

Maybe you should move to another country where you can get your benefit, guess those paved roads you drive to work on everyday aren't a benefit.

[whereasandsoforth]

You are right only if you admit you are a liar. I feel sorry for you. Become a better person and then come back out to play. Want me to cancel a stamp for you?

[harpseal]

What clearly needs to happen is to cut the links to the Clinton trade policies. Insitute sensible tariffs to provide a better investment climate in the USA, get rid of all the guest workers who are taking American jobs without even immigrant status. Enforce our laws so those who perjured themselves to hire guest workers while Americans were looking for work go to jail. Deport every illegal alien immediately. I am not against legal immigrants who come to the USA to live and work here and contribute their brain power. I am however appalled that Clinton's trade and immigration policies are still continuing over two years into the Bush administration. Why do we have any holdovers from Clinton?

Anyone with half a brain in the re-elect Bush campaign should know that a recesion blamable on Bush, even if unfairly, that is not recovering substantially so that employment is rising is going to cost him votes. The only question is how many.

[samuel_adams_us]

I admit that I could be wrong, but I am telling the truth from what was said on the radio. I admit that I could be wrong and that my source may be wrong but I was there, and there were a lot of people lining the roads outside of lowry, not just there next to the museum, and tons of them had signs.

[Conservative til I die]

Well then either you're an idiot or you associate with idiots. Lose your prejudices.

[Alberta's Child]

Now that's the kind of attitude that I would expect to find in the office of a Democratic candidate for the White House.

Some guy in the Army Air Corps gets paid one dollar for doing ten dollars worth of work, and his medical and dental care is "free" because his employer is paying for it.

When I say that it costs me $1.50 to pay someone $1, I'm not even referring to the cost of employer-paid benefits (they should technically be included on the $1 side of the ledger). To me, there's no difference between paying someone $40,000 per year with a $6,000 medical plan and paying $46,000 per year with no medical plan.

I'm talking about the cost of things that the employee never sees as a "benefit."

[Gothmog]

"The news is based on numbers."

Provided by lib dems for the purpose of fooling whiny dupes like you.

"The numbers are not good."

Then why haven't these mayors done anything about it? Lib dems have (for the most part) controlled the cities where they claim there is a problem for decades.

"... things are worse than they have been since the Great Depression."

Rational people don't listen to the Dem line on NPR and mindlessly repeat it.

[samuel_adams_us]

And what costs are those? If you include all costs in that dollar then all you are spending is that dollar right? Explain to me where the hidden costs are.

[Conservative til I die]

I didn't either, was taking it from a radio station quote this morning.

But wait, you were there, right? You should have been able to discern between 100 and 4000.

[samuel_adams_us]

I was, and there were a lot of people outside of Lowry lining the streets.

[Elliott Jackalope]

I know a guy who was very careful with his savings. He has no debt, he has no mortgage, he owns his car, and he kept enough savings to live off of them for a year and a half. He has been without work for over two years now. He's run out of all of his savings and is living with friends. I guess he's just another big loser?

That's OK. Soon enough GWB will get to be unemployed as well. All you Bushbots can rah-rah until the cows come home, but the fact is the economy stinks on ice. Didn't y'all learn anything from the '92 elections?

[BMiles2112]

As Americans file for bankruptcy in record numbers and credit card debt explodes..
I wonder if there's a connection. Hint #1: Don't buy stuff you can't afford.

Nearly 28 million households -- one in four -- reported spending more than 30% of their income on housing, according to the Millennial Housing Commission.
I wonder if there's a connection. Hint #2: Don't buy a house you can't afford.

The increase in homelessness and hunger is overwhelming some cities and shelters: An average of 30% of the requests for emergency shelter by homeless people -- and 38% of the requests by homeless families -- are estimated to have gone unmet in 2002, according to the Conference of Mayors.
It's not the job of the gov't to provide you with housing and food. I know it's not always the case, but don't most these people have friends or family?

Alfred Thompson, a job trainer at Goodwill Industries of Kentucky in Louisville, says one of his homeless clients lost his job and is living in his Mercedes, which is paid for, while he seeks employment.
Uhh, maybe sell the Mercedes and buy something cheaper. You can get reliable transportation for less than $3000. See Hint #1.

Yup, sounds like the dems are trying to drop this turd in GWB's lap. It is, after all, his responsibility to provide jobs to everyone. Since there were no homeless during Klinton's term, why can't Bush do it?

[harpseal]

Before the First World War, it was considered normal for an employer to pay his workers no more than the raw cost of those workers' labor. I find it interesting (and it's no coincidence) that you never saw people clamoring for "jobs" at presidential campaign appearances before that time, either.

It depended upon the job actually. Labor Unions had been declared a violation of the anti-trust laws. But despite this Hebry Ford pioneered paying awage to his employees sufficient that they could buy his products. that was perhaps his true genius. might I strongly suggest if you want the conditions where you can pay your employees only the raw cost of your labor you migrate to China and not expect to sell your product in teh USA without duties levied.

[babyface00]

It's his job to listen, right, don't we pay him? Is he the king or the president? Should he not be concerned with teh well being of the citizens of this country?

This is his job:

"Section 1 - The President

The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. He shall hold his Office during the Term of four Years, and, together with the Vice-President chosen for the same Term, be elected, as follows...

Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Section 2 - Civilian Power over Military, Cabinet, Pardon Power, Appointments

The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States; he may require the Opinion, in writing, of the principal Officer in each of the executive Departments, upon any subject relating to the Duties of their respective Offices, and he shall have Power to Grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of Impeachment.

He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls, Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States, whose Appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by Law: but the Congress may by Law vest the Appointment of such inferior Officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the Courts of Law, or in the Heads of Departments.

The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session.

Section 3 - State of the Union, Convening Congress

He shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary Occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in Case of Disagreement between them, with Respect to the Time of Adjournment, he may adjourn them to such Time as he shall think proper; he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers; he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed, and shall Commission all the Officers of the United States.

Section 4 - Disqualification

The President, Vice President and all civil Officers of the United States, shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for, and Conviction of, Treason, Bribery, or other high Crimes and Misdemeanors."

I don't see anything about listening or job creation, or about making anyone fell better about themselves for that matter.

[Conservative til I die]

I've been out of work for four months and didn't get more than one callback out of about 50 jobs I applied to for the first two months. Then I picked up a book on how to effectively search for jobs, spruced up my resume for about two days, and started sending my resume out again, and have gotten about 6 callbacks in the last six weeks, which isn't too bad.

[babyface00]

"fell better" should be "feel better".