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I know, right!? Forget that! Let our light shine!!!
I am certainly willing SoCalNative but whenever I start to get as open about you know who as I might want to be I am told by certain individuals who have some sway here that I best put him back into the little box that they might wish for said individual to be in such that I shouldn't post as freely about you know who like I would about a good friend. Never mind about who said individual really is.
So with deference to those who might want said individual to remain somewhat if not entirely nameless and in the interest of my being able to continue as a poster here I must be careful about how often I mention...well...you know who.
I wonder if I can say you know who is worthy and deserves the honor and the glory. Yeah...I guess that's okay. There...I said it!
Quite frankly this is all quite ridiculous how mentioning just the name of you know who gets some people all in a dither but what can I say....
I wonder how a wonderful wife would feel about having to be referred to as you know who. Hmm...
Now, what about the poor folks living in San Diego all these years? Rarely, do they complain about San Diego being too expensive. Are they used to it or just living a complacent lifestyle? Are many poor ethnic families (Asians, Blacks, Hispanics) living in areas like City Heights, Linda Vista, Logan Heights, SE San Diego, parts of National City, Chula Vista, etc, used to it? Perhaps these folks live within their means (even if it's $28K a year for a family of 5) and yet, they still are happy with living in San Diego. They can enjoy the beaches, events, sceneries, etc, in San Diego as much as everyone else regardless of income.
What do these poor blue-collar low income folks do for fun anyhow as a lifestyle? Surely, it must not be expensive activities, but they still are happy and content with their life. Perhaps they don't have high expectations? Can the middle-class/rich learn from these poor families of San Diego?
Well, I hesitate to say that we're low-income... I came from just-shy-of-squalor in the South. Actual poverty. We live in Escondido right now. It was a nice bedroom community when we moved here 10 years ago, but it has grown rapidly down-at-the-heels. We would much rather live in Normal Heights, Banker's Hill, Kensington, North Park or Hillcrest, but we can't afford to move.
California standards are different... my mother made less than what I'm making annually, but out here it feels like having very little. My husband was laid off a few months ago, and I work 50-60 hours a week for what feels like no benefit. It's hard to drive through areas like La Jolla and Rancho $anta Fe ("Rancho Cantaffordya") and not see and feel the enormous gulf between the Haves and Have Nots. We drive through Coronado and I think to myself, "What do these people do for a living that they have such a nice house?" I've come to the conclusion that we will never have a house, though we came close to getting a townhouse while my husband was still working. My husband still thinks we might someday. I've grown tired of being optimistic.
I've never been out to the beaches at La Jolla and Del Mar because I have this weird feeling I would be escorted off. Granted, that would probably NOT happen, but it keeps me from going out that way.
Otherwise, I'm out at the beach, parks, walking trails and museums as much as the Haves! Nice to see my tax dollars in action, and it feels like being "culturally" rich. Before I moved here at 22, I had see the ocean once! My son gets to see it every weekend.
A season pass to Sea World for the 3 of us feels very decadent, but only comes to $25 dollars a month deducted from our bank account. Having a season pass to the Zoo/Wild Animal Park is also very do-able.
Of course, when I see people out at nice restaurants, or out on their boats or riding their horses or seeing a play at the Globe... I do feel like I have my nose pressed to the glass. But it could certainly be worse.
There is a lot of section 8 housing that keeps poor people in nice homes. They only pay one third of their income and the govt picks up the rest of the rent.As an exemple if the rent is 2000 and they make 2000 they p,ay 660 and the govt makes up the difference. If they only make 600 they pay 200 and the govt pays 1800.So if there income goes down or they lose their job they usually wont get evicted because their rent portion goes down.The wait for a sec 8 voucher though I have heard is 7 yrs.......once they get the voucher they have it for life., and most pay their rent because that voucher is gold to them and they dont want to ever lose it!
There is a lot of section 8 housing that keeps poor people in nice homes. They only pay one third of their income and the govt picks up the rest of the rent.As an exemple if the rent is 2000 and they make 2000 they p,ay 660 and the govt makes up the difference. If they only make 600 they pay 200 and the govt pays 1800.So if there income goes down or they lose their job they usually wont get evicted because their rent portion goes down.The wait for a sec 8 voucher though I have heard is 7 yrs.......once they get the voucher they have it for life., and most pay their rent because that voucher is gold to them and they dont want to ever lose it!
I've heard that the waiting list for Section 8 housing is up to ten years now. With Ahnold making all these cuts, it's just going to get longer.
CA itself says the poor are leaving the state and are not replaced.. I wonder if the definition of poor here is 50k a year or below. 50k here is about 20k elsewhere.
Everybody I know working here seems to have the thought of moving out on their tongue- even people who make good money.
I've come to the conclusion that we will never have a house, though we came close to getting a townhouse while my husband was still working. My husband still thinks we might someday. I've grown tired of being optimistic.[/quote]
Are there areas outside of San Diego but nearby that offer reasonable homes? A 40-60 minute drive (maybe even up to 2 hours) seems worth a reduction in home prices. Are there homes that are in nice neighborhoods, but cost less because they aren't in the middle of all?
Are there areas outside of San Diego but nearby that offer reasonable homes? A 40-60 minute drive (maybe even up to 2 hours) seems worth a reduction in home prices. Are there homes that are in nice neighborhoods, but cost less because they aren't in the middle of all?
Thanks for your thoughts!
Not really realistic for us. I have to get to work at 8, can't drop my son off until right before 7. It already takes 45 minutes to get to work (when traffic is good), I can't imagine it taking more! I suppose there are areas -- we've seen some pretty affordable places in Logan Heights. But... it's Logan Heights. We've never checked out other areas like Fallbrook because it would be an even farther drive and, admittedly, we do like to be able to hit the road and get to the places we like in about an hour.
I grew up lower middle class. Both my parents worked. We wore K-Mart clothes and Payless shoes, and took sack lunches with sandwiches and fruit to school. My parents kept the same vehicles for most of my childhood. Basically my parents budgeted, and budgeted well. We had a nice 4 bdrm 2 Bth house on a large plot of land in a very developed area so I know it couldn't have been that cheap. On sundays everyone either came to our house or we went to my Grandparents house for BBQ, and socializing. My family had a good sense of community, but weren't dedicated to each other. (which we'll talk about later.)
Now, my parents could have lived in a cheaper house with a smaller yard and we would have had a lot more disposable income They chose to live in a better neighborhood that was in a better school district so everything was a little more expensive, and we HAD to budget. But my sisters and I went to better schools with a better class of people, lived in a lower crime area and each had our own bedroom. We were taught that self reliance and YOUR KIDS were the most important things in the world, and that with hard work nothing is impossible.
This is how I raise my kids, and one of the reasons I am moving from Austin to most likely Carlsbad or San Clemente. I want my kids to grow up in a nicer area and go to good schools. (San Clemente's school district is rated in the top 2% in THE NATION! Carlsbad isn't far behind.) I had been looking in The Oceanside/Rancho Del Oro areas because the rents were so much cheaper, and I may still do that and just send my kids to private schools. But I also want to live in a "nicer" area, (which RDO seems to be, O'side schools seem to stink though.) with more "respectable" people who bring their kids up responsibly and teach them to strive to succeeed.
I guess because I grew up in a nicer area, and thats what helped shape my childhood.
My wife, on the other hand, is of Mexican decent and wants us to move to Corpus Christi TX, where her family lives (I am from "the burbs" outside of Houston). She wants to move there because 99% of her family is there, even though Corpus is polluted, crime ridden, has some of the worst schools in Texas, (which is in the lower part of the nation education wise already) and not very scenic at all. She thinks that would be the best thing to do for our kids. That way they would grow up around "family".
All her sisters that she wants to be an influence on my kids are on some type of Govt. aid. Yet they all have Premium Cable TV. Their Kids wear designer brand clothing and shoes, they drive newer cars than my wife and I, and eat name brand premium groceries. Meanwhile their kids are getting a crappy education, breathing in god knows what from the air, and they live in what I would basically call a slum. I am sure the people that are influencing and shaping the paradigms that their kids live in are not what anyone in my family would call desireable, but such is life.
Her family is happy in their own little slummy world, and my wife would be happier to if I were to take a pay cut, move to the hell that is Corpus Christi and give my kids a sense of "family" But I REFUSE to do that.
That is how the poor people are happy in SD I would assume. They grow up in a poor area, their family and friends are poor, and because they grow up thinking that its ok if you don't "look" poor, they never have any desire to succeed and better themselves. They are happy staying the way they are and socializing with the same people, and perhaps piling up in a dilapidated hole of a house and sleeping 2 and 3 to a bedroom and sometimes a bed... Thats part of the reason our society is in the rut its in now. We have created a couple of generations of complacent people who are content to get govt. aid, and work as little as possible, as long as they don't "look" poor, because image is more important than substance now in America. I'm sure my parents weren't that happy, working their butts off. My father acutally worked 2/3rds of the year in San Jose CA during the early 80's when jobs were scarce in the oil industry in TX, but WE NEVER HAD TO GO ON FOOD STAMPS!!!!!
So you ask how poor people are happy somewhere as expensive as SD... Section 8, Foodstamps, laziness and family. Thats my opinion.
I grew up lower middle class. Both my parents worked. We wore K-Mart clothes and Payless shoes, and took sack lunches with sandwiches and fruit to school. My parents kept the same vehicles for most of my childhood. Basically my parents budgeted, and budgeted well. We had a nice 4 bdrm 2 Bth house on a large plot of land in a very developed area so I know it couldn't have been that cheap. On sundays everyone either came to our house or we went to my Grandparents house for BBQ, and socializing. My family had a good sense of community, but weren't dedicated to each other. (which we'll talk about later.)
Now, my parents could have lived in a cheaper house with a smaller yard and we would have had a lot more disposable income They chose to live in a better neighborhood that was in a better school district so everything was a little more expensive, and we HAD to budget. But my sisters and I went to better schools with a better class of people, lived in a lower crime area and each had our own bedroom. We were taught that self reliance and YOUR KIDS were the most important things in the world, and that with hard work nothing is impossible.
This is how I raise my kids, and one of the reasons I am moving from Austin to most likely Carlsbad or San Clemente. I want my kids to grow up in a nicer area and go to good schools. (San Clemente's school district is rated in the top 2% in THE NATION! Carlsbad isn't far behind.) I had been looking in The Oceanside/Rancho Del Oro areas because the rents were so much cheaper, and I may still do that and just send my kids to private schools. But I also want to live in a "nicer" area, (which RDO seems to be, O'side schools seem to stink though.) with more "respectable" people who bring their kids up responsibly and teach them to strive to succeeed.
I guess because I grew up in a nicer area, and thats what helped shape my childhood.
My wife, on the other hand, is of Mexican decent and wants us to move to Corpus Christi TX, where her family lives (I am from "the burbs" outside of Houston). She wants to move there because 99% of her family is there, even though Corpus is polluted, crime ridden, has some of the worst schools in Texas, (which is in the lower part of the nation education wise already) and not very scenic at all. She thinks that would be the best thing to do for our kids. That way they would grow up around "family".
All her sisters that she wants to be an influence on my kids are on some type of Govt. aid. Yet they all have Premium Cable TV. Their Kids wear designer brand clothing and shoes, they drive newer cars than my wife and I, and eat name brand premium groceries. Meanwhile their kids are getting a crappy education, breathing in god knows what from the air, and they live in what I would basically call a slum. I am sure the people that are influencing and shaping the paradigms that their kids live in are not what anyone in my family would call desireable, but such is life.
Her family is happy in their own little slummy world, and my wife would be happier to if I were to take a pay cut, move to the hell that is Corpus Christi and give my kids a sense of "family" But I REFUSE to do that.
That is how the poor people are happy in SD I would assume. They grow up in a poor area, their family and friends are poor, and because they grow up thinking that its ok if you don't "look" poor, they never have any desire to succeed and better themselves. They are happy staying the way they are and socializing with the same people, and perhaps piling up in a dilapidated hole of a house and sleeping 2 and 3 to a bedroom and sometimes a bed... Thats part of the reason our society is in the rut its in now. We have created a couple of generations of complacent people who are content to get govt. aid, and work as little as possible, as long as they don't "look" poor, because image is more important than substance now in America. I'm sure my parents weren't that happy, working their butts off. My father acutally worked 2/3rds of the year in San Jose CA during the early 80's when jobs were scarce in the oil industry in TX, but WE NEVER HAD TO GO ON FOOD STAMPS!!!!!
So you ask how poor people are happy somewhere as expensive as SD... Section 8, Foodstamps, laziness and family. Thats my opinion.
For the most part you are correct from my life experiences too. Too many people on Govt aid that are healthy enough to be working. I'm not just talking about this recession mess but the last 30 years.
My above post stated that my wife was of Mexican descent and then went on to seemingly slam her family and state that all her sisters were on some type of Govt. aid and then slam people for being on Govt. aid.
1st off let me begin by saying that that, in no way was I trying to slam her family. They are all great and have a real sense of pride in family. What I was trying to show was how hispanics have a greater sense of "family" as a community and will do whatever it takes to keep their extended family together, helping each other out and socializing. I also falsely stated that they are all on govt aid/food stamps. I have been informed that I was wrong on that one. Only one is on food stamps/aid and is, as described in the previous post, buying expensive stuff for her kids and household. Although, one of her other sisters did tell me that I was a crappy father for working a job that keeps me gone 19 days a month, and that I would be a better father if I quit my job and took food stamps, that way I would spend more time with my kids.
Ahhhhhh, the differences between caucasions and hispanics when it comes to family are so different. In my opinion, those who don't do whatever it takes, no matter what, to provide a stable income for their family without the help of govt. aid are the crappy parents.
C'est la Vie.
She's a good moral person, and raises her kids to be good people to.
To her spending more time with your kids is more important then setting a responsible work/financial ethic for them. I just think that she's wrong about that. I think that if you have a job and quit, especially in this
economy, then you should NOT qualify for ANY type of aid. Food Stamps are there for EMERGENCYS. Programs like that are there to give people a hand UP. Not a hand OUT. I mean I understand her reasoning. It does suck that I am gone away from my kids, working, most of the time. I would very much like to be at home every night nurturing them and spending time with them. But, alas, I also feel that setting an example like what her sister suggested would be wrong. It goes against my very core beliefs of self suffiency and hard work. Not that every one should do hard work, but that everyone should work hard at what they do. Lack of hard work is bringing this county to its knees. And is part of the reason that our economy is in the can now.
Again. I wasn't trying to slam Mexicans, or my sisters in law. They would never do that to me, and after reading my post I realized how negative it sounded towards them. I was just trying to answer the question the OP posted about how poor people manage to stay happy, and using example of my own experiences to explain my opinion. (Hell if I lived in SD, I'd be happy too. It truly is the most beautiful place in mainland America.)
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Granted, that would probably NOT happen, but it keeps me from going out that way.
A little wrong information.
They are all great and have a real sense of pride in family.
