Homelessness In The Middle Class: Stable Families Reduced To Poverty (generation, borders)
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Quick quick, she tried to follow her dream and a recession happened... vilify her!
Yes, who could have imagined all those Wall Streeters were selling toxic mortgages behind our back? Can you imagine how the rest of the world must feel?
This is just what I don't get. The Average Joe - even one who voted for Barack - would criticize a woman for going back to school to get a degree in which "there is always a shortage." After that lie, they then begin to dump on her or circle on her like cannibals. WTF is wrong with people, and this includes liberals? I am not beyond criticism of liberals. Liberals, by definition, are supposed to be tolerant. Some of the supposed "liberals" in this thread come off much more like conservatives.
This was a mistake. I cannot condone this even during good economic times:
Quote:
That summer, with her teaching credential in her pocket and a teaching internship lined up for the fall, Cooke, now 51, decided to reward herself. The job she had just left, as an administrative assistant in risk management for the paint company Behr Process Corporation, had paid her $38,000 a year, with generous quarterly bonuses, she said. With her kids out of school for the summer, she devoted herself entirely to them, and decided to coast for a short while on her savings.
Yes, who could have imagined all those Wall Streeters were selling toxic mortgages behind our back? Can you imagine how the rest of the world must feel?
This is just what I don't get. The Average Joe - even one who voted for Barack - would criticize a woman for going back to school to get a degree in which "there is always a shortage." After that lie, they then begin to dump on her or circle on her like cannibals. WTF is wrong with people, and this includes liberals? I am not beyond criticism of liberals. Liberals, by definition, are supposed to be tolerant. Some of the supposed "liberals" in this thread come off much more like conservatives.
You know---I do have sympathy for this woman and her children.
But I still think it's a bit irresponsible for a woman with children to quit a job until having another in any economy.
When people are going bankrupt due to medical bills, something is seriously wrong with the system in this country. I'm already bracking for this possibility already with the onset of illness and aging of an elderly parent. Even WITH a decent pension and good insurance, it's just not going to be enough, I'm afriad, to cover the horrific and ridiculous costs of care that are getting ready to come down the line.
You need to be either rich or poor in this country to receive care. Otherwise, you're screwed.
SANTA ANA, Calif. -- Three and a half years ago, Kathleen Cooke was breathing easy. Having left her well-paying job for a new career as a teacher, she spent a blissful summer with her kids, sipping lemonade and baking cookies.
But within months, the life she had built evaporated. When she failed to secure a new job, she entered a steady downward spiral that eventually led her to a homeless shelter. Homelessness, once an abstract idea, had become real.
You know---I do have sympathy for this woman and her children.
But I still think it's a bit irresponsible for a woman with children to quit a job until having another in any economy.
Well, maybe with children, but don't forget she had child support. Now, I know rule of thumb is to never count on anyone else, but it happens. I can understand how, pre-recession, she fell into the trap and the school pushers that teaching was a step in the right direction. I almost succumbed myself. I was thinking about getting an MA in teaching ESL, but then I changed my mind. I still haven't ruled out getting another master's but will be very careful. My first one was very marketable. I want to make sure the next one will get me where I need to be.
Well, maybe with children, but don't forget she had child support. Now, I know rule of thumb is to never count on anyone else, but it happens. I can understand how, pre-recession, she fell into the trap and the school pushers that teaching was a step in the right direction. I almost succumbed myself. I was thinking about getting an MA in teaching ESL, but then I changed my mind. I still haven't ruled out getting another master's but will be very careful. My first one was very marketable. I want to make sure the next one will get me where I need to be.
I would not do that (quit job and rely on savings only) and I am single and have no children. In some ways the odds can be stacked against a person - no need to stack them higher...
You know what? I am 51 and I've done everything backwards my entire life (including reading the paper). This means I bought the house before I had the job. I moved to a new city before I had the job.
It's only now in this "new economy" I have to re-evaluate my strategy. I've always landed on my feet just fine by having a dream and pursuing it. This is the first time in my life I really have to think it through. So all that bunk about "have a job before" whatever only really applies based on education, experience, and how much money you have in the bank. If you're young and have the money, I say go for it! Dreams still have to count for something. And it's the snowball effect. Take a risk. Roll down the hill, more snow catches, more opportunities open, and before you know it, you have a whole new different life. The only reason I am cautious is due to my age. If I were young I would throw the dice, again.
I would not do that (quit job and rely on savings only) and I am single and have no children. In some ways the odds can be stacked against a person - no need to stack them higher...
I also am single and have no children and my house is paid for. I can live for five years on what I have, if I watch it. Certainly, by then, something has to break. If it doesn't well...
I also keep active doing volunteer work and keeping skills sharp (or getting new ones) and I am very appreciated (which is something one doesn't get on the job). I can't tell you how GOOD it feels to be thanked to show up each week. Not only do I work with the public in a high volume environment, but I speak Spanish all the time and it keeps my skills honed.
Because she quit. I don't feel sorry for her for making a bad judgment call. If she had been fired it would have been out of her hands. But she wasn't fired - she left on her own free will.
but she had the teaching credential and had a teaching internship set up and when she finished that there were no jobs. How was she suppose to know there wouldn't be any jobs.
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