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People who make money have a right to spend it as they please- and if that means living in an extemely HCOL area due to career or educational institutions or other reasons, then YES they have a right to say $250k isn't all driving Ferraris and shopping sprees in Paris.
People who don't work for a living or chose to drop out of school or had so many babies they're unable to work shouldn't complain as the government DOES provide food, shelter, clean running water, medicare/ obamacare, and other basic needs. There are many places in the world where there is no clean water or access to immunizations. So no, it's not that bad to be poor in America. I'd rather wake up and be poor here than be dropped into hundreds of other counties in their definition of poor.
Oh, come on! If you can't afford a trip to Paris on $250K, you've got a drug habit, a gambling habit, or you're a VERY POOR money manager!
I do agree with the second paragraph.
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Originally Posted by OhBeeHave
You were an older mother who had time to establish herself in her nursing career (nurses do very well here in NY; I would think they are paid well in CO, too) in addition to her spouse's salary. Chances are one of you has a pension or benefits paid by their employer.
If you could afford to send your oldest to a private college which currently runs $48K total a year, (overlapping one year?) with the younger child whose tuition (if living on campus) would currently be $22K, you're doing better than many of us.
Excuses, excuses (for me)! First, I had my kids a long time ago when college didn't cost that much, then I was older and had time to save, blah, blah.
Yes, we were both older, but we had to live during those years and spend our money. Maybe we just manage money well, or maybe, just maybe even $75K (about what our income was when the oldest started college), isn't that POOR. You don't know our financial situation, and I'm not going to tell you all of it, but nurses don't make that much in Colorado, I didn't work full time from the time my oldest was born until the youngest was a senior in high school and some of those years I didn't work at all. Mspouse is in IT which sees frequent layoffs, etc.
Oh, come on! If you can't afford a trip to Paris on $250K, you've got a drug habit, a gambling habit, or you're a VERY POOR money manager!
I do agree with the second paragraph.
I didn't say trips to Paris- yes, we can afford to take a nice vacation every year- I said "shopping sprees". Our president would have you believing the $250k "rich" can afford to drop $35k to get on the Hermes Birkin bag waiting list and won't miss the cash one bit.
And no, sorry, on $13,500 take home pay each month, I can't afford to drop 50% of my paycheck on a Ferrari monthly payment. People who buy Ferraris have so much money they don't make "monthly payments".
You're really comparing the US to Africa? The fact that our poor are among the worst off in the entire first world isn't bad enough, you have to compare them to the worst places in the world in order to feel OK about screwing them? I repeat what I said. You are arrogant and dumb.
I'm sorry, I didn't realize that someone who can still afford to buy a car, 2 tvs, a microwave, an iphone, xbox, have each of their kids sleep in their own bedrooms, etc was sooooooo badly off. Basic needs are food, shelter, clothing, air, clean running water, and access to basic health care (vaccinations, etc). What more should the taxpayers foot the bill for to make you happy? Should we be sending out Wal Mart & Target gift cards each month so they can buy toys and junk food and tvs? Is Target not "good" enough for those who contribute nothing?
Seriously people. We have an obligation to make sure BASIC needs are met. Beyond that, people who don't contribute anything (don't provide any service or intellectual value to the economy) don't deserve "play" money. This isn't Monopoly. It's Life.
Perhaps what is shocking is that someone who makes 20 million a year has the same tax rate as a couple that makes 250,000 a year... Which wasn't always the case.
What is even more shocking is that the person who makes $20 million a year pays the exact same amount as the couple that makes $250,000 a year for the exact same meal at a restaurant. Oh, the horror!
I'm sorry, I didn't realize that someone who can still afford to buy a car, 2 tvs, a microwave, an iphone, xbox, have each of their kids sleep in their own bedrooms, etc was sooooooo badly off. Basic needs are food, shelter, clothing, air, clean running water, and access to basic health care (vaccinations, etc). What more should the taxpayers foot the bill for to make you happy? Should we be sending out Wal Mart & Target gift cards each month so they can buy toys and junk food and tvs? Is Target not "good" enough for those who contribute nothing?
Seriously people. We have an obligation to make sure BASIC needs are met. Beyond that, people who don't contribute anything (don't provide any service or intellectual value to the economy) don't deserve "play" money. This isn't Monopoly. It's Life.
Oh but their self esteem will be crushed if they don't have the illusion they are living the middle class lifestyle as well.
This is America. It's all about perception, illusion and materialism and faux wealth.
Actually American poor are very well off,probably live better than 90% of the world.
Where else can one be considered poor and own two TV's,have cable,a cell phone,etc....
Because two TVs, cable, and a cell phone are a one-time investiment of under $1000 but an uninsured or underinsured trip to the doctor or hospital can easily drive you into bankrupcty.
Because two TVs, cable, and a cell phone are a one-time investiment of under $1000 but an uninsured or underinsured trip to the doctor or hospital can easily drive you into bankrupcty.
Poor have 'free' healthcare...
And you just don't pay the ER bill if you go...dang you don't know much about poor people....
They don't declare bankruptcy,there is no point.
Do you have any idea how poor you have to be to qualify for Medicaid?
Please tell us how poor you need to be...although 53 million people have managed so far....
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Do you know what that life is like?
Please tell us what life is like for everyone on Medicaid?
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Or even what that life is like when you're living just above the Medicaid threshold?
Most likely I do...
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The bureaucracy for any person to qualify for those programs is immense. It can take months to qualify.
That is terrible,you aren't just given immediate access???
The horror.
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People with money don't have to jump through these hoops.
No,they just pay for those who do jump through the hoops.
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You obviously know nothing of being poor and attempting to navigate adult life with limited means.
Wrong again.
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