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.
This was probably written in the White House. Pitiful.
Profit!!!
Another Gimme Type wanting something for nothing
I doubt Ramos would work any harder or longer for the $25k
In fact, I’d bet she would start slacking off (if not doing so already)
Get a higher paying job, Ramos, if you aren’t happy
1. You are worth exactly what you are getting paid at any given moment. If you think you should be getting more you should go where your work has more value. Or do better at the job you have.
2. Obama and people like him are directly responsible for much of your lack of opportunity to move to a better job.
3. Opportunity is just that; a chance to do better and work harder, not a guaranty of more money. Stop reasoning like a child.
The Walmart store under discussion is right in the middle of SillyCon Valley. This is one of the very few places in USA today where there are still some jobs for people.
Many of the local jobs there pay high wages. What a worker needs is a saleable skill. Working at Walmart is fine but obviously does not pay engineering or computer programming wages.
So, what to do? Well, for starters, your Walmart employment location is just a couple miles from Foothill College. Foothill College is one of the very best community colleges in the entire United States (as you might expect, given its primary service area is Palo Alto and Stanford University). Foothill has dozens of good study courses that will lead you to much higher earnings than Walmart can or will ever pay you.
Its really that simple. Incidentally, Foothill (and its sister college a couple miles away, De Anza, and all the California Community Colleges ... and you have several more in your area!) charge the lowest fees in America. And, you probably qualify for a Board of Governors Fee Waiver (a simple one page application form).... whereby you can study for free, or nearly so (they might still charge you the parking and health fees, but really...even without a fee waiver, they’re GIVING IT AWAY!)
Check it out.
Here’s Foothill’s info:
http://foothill.edu/images/build/img1.jpg
Here’s DeAnza’s info:
I very much respect you are working, and Walmart is NOT the worst employer in the world. DO a good job there, be proud of yourself, but find a study course on the side and start building your VALUE in the employment MARKETPLACE.
(Complaining about “income inequality” is BS. The people who earn more are the people who have more skills than you presently appear to have, albeit I DO respect your work at Walmart, we all know that stocking merchandise or running a cash register is just not a road to riches, is all. It is wonderful you are doing the job. Now, make yourself qualified to do a higher-paid job. You have the tools to do it, just hop over to El Monte Road or Stevens Creek Road and sign up for some good courses .... in fields you think you might enjoy, and fields which PAY A LOT MORE!)
You have the resources right there .... and you won’t find a more beautiful college anywhere than Foothill, inidentally.
Go for it, buddy!
Go for it!
My first job was in field service in power plants...long hours, jobs all over the west. You couldn’t maintain a home because you were always on the road.
A colleague was so cheap he’d buy cases of peanut butter and saltines at discount prices and live on that...and bank the per diem food allowance. He’s probably a multimillionaire today.
Public whining is so unbecoming. What a shame that nobody is ashamed anymore of saying anything in public. Not many years ago, the author of this essay would have been so ashamed that she wouldn’t be seen in public after publishing it.
So, her *fundemental* problem is that she has a part time job that caps her at about 25-30* hours per week...and she doesn’t work anywhere else, so Walmart is to pay her - and others in completely different conditions - more because they don’t need her to work more?
*$400/ $8.00 minimum per hour/2 weeks = 25 hours/ week, plus hours to pay for taxes and deductions.
I sleep on the floor of my son’s living room because I can’t afford my own place
Darned son would not even let her sleep on the couch next we will learn she haste sleep on a old rug with a torn blanket for warmth
I know nurses that work full time at the hospital and then pick up a few hrs across town...I know men that work 2 jobs....my father did...my husband too...
there must be something good about working for Walmart....like maybe you get a nice discount?...pretty clean environment....stable industry....
Since when is any business a welfare organization?
There hours were cut to 32 thanks to Obamacare.
Pray America wakes up
Why doesn't he just get online and sign up for Obamacare instead of this whining?
“A lot of immigrants used to have their 2 or 3 kids in a two room apartment and eating wholesome, but bare quality, food and both parents each worked 60 hours a week to create a life for their kids.”
Exactly. There’s something wrong with this story. Where’s the father of her son? Are there other children who could take her in? If she has an adult son, doesn’t that mean that she has been an adult herself for 20 or more years most likely? What did she do in that time to improve her lot? Did she go to school? Did she learn a trade? One week of illness and a handful of medical tests rendered her homeless? She saved no money over the last 20 or 30 years? She had no family member who could have helped her with one month’s bills? Did she ask her church for help? I feel sorry for this lady, but mostly because she is so helpless in a world where you have to make your own way. She is simply not equipped to do that apparently.
Also curious if Senora Ramos gets any government assistance that she neglected to tell us about.
Including any welfare via EITC
Who the hell do some of these Americans think they are, thinking they
are entitled to have only one job and earn a respectable living!
She has time to work many jobs to make the income she desires. Heck,
if someone came into my office requesting more work because the other
job isn't enough hours, I would hire that person in a heartbeat.
That's what Americans call "Work Ethic" and I'll be damned if I feel
sorry for some lazy-assed person who wants somebody else to get the money for them!
Audacity, asking the President to force a company to pay them more money.
It 's the same President who is causing all the problems using Zerocare
to make companies cut worker wages, hours, and benefits.
So there lady. Get out of America, you are nothing but a lush!
BULLSHITTE! What son would make his colon cancer mother sleep on the floor?
Hey Pam. You should be proud of your white privilege. See how well that’s workin’ for ya? No wonder they wouldn’t let you near the lyin’king his-self.
In Obama’s economy, you believe people can get better jobs?
Hahahahahhahhahaha.
You’re funny.
Not that I disagree with you on your general point.
I worked three jobs for several years during my first marriage so that my wife could stay home with the kids.
“There hours were cut to 32 thanks to Obamacare.”
I assumed that too. I worked 260 hours in September. I worked 216 in March. She worked 128 hours. She could get a part time job (if she can find one of course).
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