I’ve lived in various parts of the United States: Colorado, Texas, Arkansas, Massachusetts. I’ve also lived in a couple countries overseas: Germany and Korea. It’s only since I’ve began living in Massachusetts that I’ve noticed a phenomena that I will call the Rich Poor. While I’m sure this occurs in other parts of the U.S., I can only account for my experiences here.
My wife and I make and OK amount of money and are planning on buying our first house, but we certainly don’t make enough to afford a fancy car, we make enough to pay the bills and feed the kids with a bit left over to do some fun things with the kids now and then.. We’ve rented the entire thirteen years that we’ve been married. Rent in Massachusetts can range from $1200 to $2000 a month in some places. We’ve only got one car, and 3 children, and both of us work.
Now, I look at a recent neighbor of mine, that has the same landlord as we do, who has since moved out. She had her entire rent of $1400 paid by the state every month. She was also on food stamps and her parents helped her out as well. I even heard of her having child support from the father or two of her children. I’m quite confident also that she was involved with drugs, but that really has no bearing on this topic today. She drove a relatively nice van. My question is, is she getting over? Is it MY money that is paying her rent, while she takes drugs, and sits at home not working. If she worked, I sure never saw her leave to go to work.
During this past summer, I was rear ended in moderate traffic. The other driver was clearly in the wrong, and wanted to leave the scene because he had to get to work. This guy was driving a pretty nice SUV, a Montero Sport, and he didn’t even have any U.S. ID let alone a Massachusetts driver’s license. How can someone like that even get insurance on a car? Some 8 months after this accident after I had already been reimbursed for all the damages by his insurance company, a representative from his company called inquiring about an individual hurt in the wreck. The name he said wasn’t even involved, as there was only 1 person in the SUV and that was the driver. Sounds to me someone trying to get money to sustain their new cellphone or car or whatever designer jeans have rolled out recently!
Another, is a story my wife relayed to me from a co-worker. His wife works for a state run day care facility or head start program, that is solely for low income persons. She said she would shake her head when these parents dressed up very nicely would drop their children off driving anything from Mercedes to BMW, Cadillac Escalade to Lexus. They were basically getting state run day care, for free, while they drove around in their fancy car, that I making a more than enough to not qualify for this free stuff, could never think of owning. Am I wrong to think they are getting over? Or do I just not place much value in a car and would rather spend the money else where.
I shop at a grocery store known for low prices, because I don’t have a heck of a lot to spare, so getting the extra dollars here and there helps. I go in there most often on Sundays, which seems notorious for when the people with Food Stamps go shopping there. I really have no problem with those that are lower income, those that simply can’t get the kind of high paying jobs for whatever reasons, but I do have a problem, with someone on Food Stamps taking the free food out to their new Mercedes Benz SUV. This all just sorta slaps me in the face for the hard work that me and my wife do for our family. I’m sure it feels like a slap in the face for many hardworking families.
I thought they took away Welfare after 2 years, or has that all been changed? I remember it happening distinctly sometime in the 90′s. I guess, I’m just jealous. I want a BMW you know, just want the state to take care of some of my bills so I can afford to buy it.
Yes I’m mad! So be it! It’s my right as a legal American citizen to be mad about this crap! This seems to be coming to head recently with the news of the politicians talking of pardoning of illegal immigrants. These people sponge of the working class of America. Making mine and every other hard working Legal American’s taxes higher in the process while they sit back and talk on their $500 cellphone, while driving their $80,000 car!
