Poor in Northeast PA (ob-gyn, home, high school)

[Chefkey]

I dunno, so many have so little that were do you draw the line for comfort? I mean regardless of how much we make we all need to comfort ourselves sometimes with things we like. For instance, the pcs we are all typing on LOL

[Selena Cross]

Now, I don't mean to be picky, but I know we pay $72/month for our cell phone service, which amounts to a whopping $864/year. If you're struggling so much financially that you have to move to taxpayer-provided housing projects, then couldn't that $864 be better spent for...ummm...I dunno...NECESSITIES?

SWB, you have me confused...I thought you were a "Proud Liberal Wack Job."

[tsedeski]

When I was 24 I finished my 4 year tour in the Army, started college and met a woman with two kids. We had another son together in my senior year of college. We lived in subsidized housing, got WIC milk and cheese and qualified for credits on our taxes etc.

Today those kids are 16, 19 & 24 and all have been or will go to college while I earn a living well over $150K and pay annual taxes that likley equal the entire salary my father earned while I was growing up.

THAT is what entitlement programs are for! They helped me survive for 5 years and I have been paying back forever.

[mathjak107]

you got to love the gov't bail out for the sub prime mess. once again being not very responsible and ethical gets rewarded while everyone else has to pay ther mortgages as is. i cant believe it never occured to these people to ask what happens when their mega adjustable rate mortgage resets to the next rate. or to queston how come they got a 400,000 dollar mortgage on 12 dollars an hour. they call these ninja loans. no income, no job no assets...

[tsedeski]

I say shame on the banking industry and mortgage brokers and real estate agents who knew they were selling to someone who shouldn't be buying becuase they were ignorant.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Selena Cross

SWB, you have me confused...I thought you were a "Proud Liberal Wack Job."

Socially-Liberal, not Fiscally-Liberal. I don't like to see tax payer dollars being squandered. However, I do support gay rights.

[mustangtiff21]

Originally Posted by Caviar

YOu know, there is already a housing option for those with meager finances or poor credit. It's called RENTING!

I am sick and tired of hearing about how all these people are complaing about losing their home.

I'm sorry, you just NOW realized that you can't have a 150K McMansion, three kids, one parent working a 12 dollar an hour job and the other a SAHM (I really hate that term - remember when they were called "housewives"? Oh, I forgot. Most of them aren't even married, that's why)?

Too bad so sad, IMO.

I say let these people lose their homes. I know it sounds horrible, but it's not fair to the younger generation that are going to try to buy way over-priced homes that are not really worth what they're sold for. The real estate market has to come back down somehow.

I was watching on CNN not too long ago, a story about this family that got in over their heads with a home equity loan (read: SECOND mortgage). They got all this money and blew it on stupid stuff like vacations, expensive dinners, remodeling, and of course, a 40 foot RV!

Well, now that the bills are coming in they're finding themselves swimming in debt and of course, they don't want to sell the RV.

Somewhere along the line, the american dream went from "You can do whatever you put your mind to" to "YOu can HAVE IT ALL!" No, you can't have it all. And I'm tired of subsidizing other people's lifestyle choices because they don't have an iota of impulse control or understanding of birth control.

I think it's very sad that in today's society we REWARD bad behavior. Got knocked up by some guy you met in a bar? Here's Section 8, Food Stamps and all the free booty you want courtesy of Valley Santa, Toys for Tots and The Red Hat Society. Oh, and a free college education too, because someday, after you pump out four or five more with just as many babydaddies, you might want to actually contribute to society and work for a living.

Remember when one was ASHAMED to take charity? Now it's a badge of honor between the lower social ladder members to see who could fleece the most from their host.

**Standing Ovation**

You said it well and with more guts than I could have. I am ALL for helping those that are truely on hard times. But as your examples stated...it seems to set up some of society to go ahead...just get prego have some kids and get it all handed to you!! Yet working people like us sit here trying to support ourselves and our tax dollars are at work helping others who truly have the Ability to work!!

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

Originally Posted by mathjak107

you got to love the gov't bail out for the sub prime mess. once again being not very responsible and ethical gets rewarded while everyone else has to pay ther mortgages as is. i cant believe it never occured to these people to ask what happens when their mega adjustable rate mortgage resets to the next rate. or to queston how come they got a 400,000 dollar mortgage on 12 dollars an hour. they call these ninja loans. no income, no job no assets...

Have to look at who is looking for the handouts.....it's the same people over and over again who think they are entitled to things they do not earn. It's the liberals and the folks that think that everyone is entitled to the American Dream of owning a home..........you are not entitled if you do not have a down payment a good job and excellent credit. It occured to them, but they figured they are SPECIAL and again someone like the banks or mortage companies would bail them out.

[BLUEDIAMOND64]

Originally Posted by tsedeski

When I was 24 I finished my 4 year tour in the Army, started college and met a woman with two kids. We had another son together in my senior year of college. We lived in subsidized housing, got WIC milk and cheese and qualified for credits on our taxes etc.

Today those kids are 16, 19 & 24 and all have been or will go to college while I earn a living well over $150K and pay annual taxes that likley equal the entire salary my father earned while I was growing up.

THAT is what entitlement programs are for! They helped me survive for 5 years and I have been paying back forever.

My senior year of college I wasn't able to support myself let alone a baby.

[WasPA]

I prefer to be mindful, with gratitude, that I have been reasonably fortunate in my life, not without struggles from time to time like anyone else; I prefer to thank my lucky stars, if not my good fortune in having just enough smarts, good timing and ability to have what I have; I prefer thinking along these lines rather than standing in judgment of others who cannot hack it for one reason or another.----whether bone fide or bogus; there are circumstances that can hurl any of us into chaos--physical, emotional, financial. I recognize that I get help everyday whether I deserve it or not----teachers, the mechanic, banker, whoever built the bridge I cross, the car I drive and so on......even an occasional handout (always repaid) in my foolish youth.....

I'm more comfortable in this attitude than in one of comdemnation/ bitterness over people/things/ events that I have no control over. The minute I start bitchin'about all that, I deteriorate, pointlessly.

I hope that no one here suffers the anguish of reversals of any type; not a bad idea
to err on the side of gratitude rather than condemantion or those words could come back to haunt us.......

As regards the mortgage 'crisis', 'tis a horror show, as much the creation of the bankers, middlemen, Bush policy by extension of the Reganomics model that brought us to a very similar real estate crisis at the end of the 1980s (no lessons were learned!) as it is the co-
creation of the naive buyers some of whom were too anxious to get something for themselves before all housing went out of reach after being suckered in by the likes of Carleton Sheets (who got rich telling us how to get rich in real estate.....) and yadda yadda yadda. It's bigger than all of us, folks. Count your blessings, cover your collective ass and hope it doesn't take us all down the drain with it......

.........besides corporate welfare is just as noxious and draining of your dollars. Do you recall that Presidential son/ brother Neil Bush was bailed out of the $17 Billion dollar failure
of the Silverado S&L under his guidance in the 1980s---speaking of entitlement? No punishment/ no consequences for such as him....

Just some food for thougt, some perspective........

Merry Christmas. really.