GENERAL TOPIC: The cost of living!

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:19 pm

sqook wrote:
The US has more wealth, but it also has a much larger division between the rich and the poor. And as you noted, it's growing, sadly..

I'm even willing to bet the division between rich and poor in Seattle is even bigger - lucky to have bought a house when I could afford it but unless you're able to pay $250k plus for a house you aint living in Seattle

but to me that would be a challenge to either get an education or extend the one you have with a secondary degree - hell I'm even in school at age 31 because I don't plan on living in poverty forever and I was always taught if youw ant to succeed get your education.

The people with money are usually well educated and determined to succeed

and I also noticed the people with jobs tend to do better than the people without - there's no shortage of jobs in Seattle

I don't see the division as being sad I see it as a challenge to work harder and try harder - you never know, you might be one of the rich ones

smutek · Post by **smutek** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:00 pm

djadonis206 wrote:people with jobs tend to do better than the people without

kennerb · Post by **kennerb** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:08 pm

djadonis206 wrote:
sqook wrote: and I also noticed the people with jobs tend to do better than the people without

Not sure if that is so true in the US. I wish it were but I know that the people holding "Will work for food signs" on the corner are making a hundred dollars a day on average around here. I am working a pretty decent job and I am living paycheck to paycheck and I have it good for the working poor. I have to pay for my healthcare and pay a pretty large amount of taxes. This is the part that gets a lot of the working poor. We make too much to qualify for any assistance but don't make enough to have savings.

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:24 pm

I said that, not Sqook with all due respect

yeah, I'm in the same boat - broke ass hell. I was hella sprung to find $4 in my glove compartment just now but I do have a job (that pays peanuts) but i still contribute to that 401K - i can't save actual cash because i have a drug and alcohol problem but that 8% comes out of every paycheck to that 401K and the mortgage is steep some months but it's making money in the long run and I have a place to call home

You may not be able to save cash per se but that doesn't mean you can't start or contribute to your 401k - Seattle / homestreet bank has a great program for 1st time homebuyers who don't make a lot of cash, saving etc

I know it sounds easier in wirtting than actually doing it but it can be done - and I can't stress enough - don't rent stuff, buyout

kennerb · Post by **kennerb** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:35 pm

djadonis206 wrote:I said that, not Sqook with all due respect

yeah, I'm in the same boat - broke ass hell. I was hella sprung to find $4 in my glove compartment just now but I do have a job (that pays peanuts) but i still contribute to that 401K - i can't save actual cash because i have a drug and alcohol problem but that 8% comes out of every paycheck to that 401K and the mortgage is steep some months but it's making money in the long run and I have a place to call home

You may not be able to save cash per se but that doesn't mean you can't start or contribute to your 401k - Seattle / homestreet bank has a great program for 1st time homebuyers who don't make a lot of cash, saving etc

I know it sounds easier in wirtting than actually doing it but it can be done - and I can't stress enough - don't rent stuff, buyout

Yeah sorry. I knew it was your comment. I clipped it wrong. I hear you on the buying vs. renting. Unfortunately I just lost a $280,000 house in my divorce so buying is not quite an option yet. Hopefully I can turn that around soon.

djadonis206 · Post by **djadonis206** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 6:43 pm

kennerb wrote:
Yeah sorry. I knew it was your comment. I clipped it wrong. I hear you on the buying vs. renting. Unfortunately I just lost a $280,000 house in my divorce so buying is not quite an option yet. Hopefully I can turn that around soon.

that sucks, sorry to hear that - but you will bounce back, know what I mean?

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:30 am

Since it's gone this way a bit.... I'm all for working hard, I probably have a harder job than 99% of you, but I see why people get down.
Run into enough trust fund kids getting thousands of dollars for free from their parents, people who were born rich as hell, and they all talk about how capitalism is the only way etc... makes you want to smack them....

To me capitalism is a first step, but it sure isn;t the end product IMO. Something like a democratic socialism with free market drive would be best.

BTW the Russians were toe to toe with us in the space program, but I wouldn't call them a communism anyway, more like and autocratic dictatorship.

I NEVER give money to bums, that is the other side, people who have decided that living a short ugly life, drunk all the time off other people's money, are sad parasites.... except the seriously mentally ill, and most of them just go to the homeless shelters, and don't even beg...

forge · Post by **forge** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 6:39 am

Machinesworking wrote: I NEVER give money to bums, that is the other side, people who have decided that living a short ugly life, drunk all the time off other people's money, are sad parasites.... except the seriously mentally ill, and most of them just go to the homeless shelters, and don't even beg...

I havent read any of this thread at all, but I just read this last bit first

unless you actually have spent a good deal of time with homeless people, that's a pretty far out sweeping thing to say

I dont know where you get the idea that "most of the mentally ill just go to shelters and dont beg" either, but considering the different kinds and effects of mental illness and the completely unpredictable nature of it, it's pretty unlikely that's true in any city in the world.

If you choose to not support the homeless that's totally fine - it's your right, but it is a bit unfair to tarnish all of those people with very many different stories with the same brush

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:12 am

forge wrote:
Machinesworking wrote: I NEVER give money to bums, that is the other side, people who have decided that living a short ugly life, drunk all the time off other people's money, are sad parasites.... except the seriously mentally ill, and most of them just go to the homeless shelters, and don't even beg...
I havent read any of this thread at all, but I just read this last bit first

unless you actually have spent a good deal of time with homeless people, that's a pretty far out sweeping thing to say

I dont know where you get the idea that "most of the mentally ill just go to shelters and dont beg" either, but considering the different kinds and effects of mental illness and the completely unpredictable nature of it, it's pretty unlikely that's true in any city in the world.

If you choose to not support the homeless that's totally fine - it's your right, but it is a bit unfair to tarnish all of those people with very many different stories with the same brush

You're pretty much trumped big time with this one forge! My mothers best friend's father was a bum. Really nice guy, really sad story, but a total waste of talent. Really good folk singer.. as in old country.
When I moved away from home to San Francisco, we lived on the streets, and the wharf with the bums for about 8 months.
The stories are always sad, very different, but it always ends with the adaptation of the hobo mentality..... I can't support that. I really liked some of the bums who were our neighbors, but I did not, and do not, like the attitude that the world owes them a buzz, for free.
I recognize that it seems to be a part of human behavior, but I don't have to like it.

forge · Post by **forge** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:49 am

well there you go!

well at least I said THIS:

forge wrote: unless you actually have spent a good deal of time with homeless people.....

...but still there are alot of genuinely mentally ill people who struggle to fit in anywhere

eyeknow · Post by **eyeknow** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 7:50 am

the biggest problem is that you never REALLY know if they are homeless.......

in 1989, at MI in hollywood, there were a bazillion "homeless". I'm sure some were legit......but I'll never forget some dude I gave money to ..hours later....asking another one how he "did".....

"slow day, only about 500....you"....other dude "about 700....tomarrow will be better." the guy I gave money to got in a mercedes and drove away.......

One instance?....ok

Seattle....summmer of 98......there was this lady asking for money in capitol city (of course.....).....yada yada.....turns out she is a millionare and is under investigation.

More........you want more?

Here in sac, I went into a taco bell once and someone asked for money for food. I said I didn't have much.......but I gave him the rest of my change......about 2 bucks.......which is TRUELY all I had after eating. What did he say? "don't you have any bills?".......I fuckin' grabbed the change back out of his hand...........

There are more but I can't write forever!

Look, the homeless are cool and all......but I've been poisoned from many MANY years of experience. Plus, these days ( and it just happened to me two days ago) you might be running into crooks/punks.......who want more than a couple of bucks....if ya know what I mean.........

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:33 am

Living in the inner city for 10+ years I've seen a lot, not going to go into it, I don't know where to start. When I go out to eat, when I can, I get a to go box to leave on top of a garbage can or to give to someone. I learned a long time ago to put on my city face so I don't get hassled, I don't give out money but I've seen giving out food make people happy. It's a tough situation, it changes in every town. Drug addiction, insanity, fakers, suburban weekend punks, vagabonds and hustlers, I've seen them all, and more than a few got the better of me. That doesn't bother me as much as wondering where that methadone addict I talked to who was my age and falling apart, where's he at? $12 is all he needed for his next fix at SF general, could've been me.

forge · Post by **forge** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:56 am

eyeknow wrote: "slow day, only about 500....you"....other dude "about 700....tomarrow will be better." the guy I gave money to got in a mercedes and drove away.......
.

shit man, sounds like they're on a good thing to me!

If you can handle doing it - they could go home and make music all night!

sqook · Post by **sqook** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:13 am

forge wrote:
eyeknow wrote: "slow day, only about 500....you"....other dude "about 700....tomarrow will be better." the guy I gave money to got in a mercedes and drove away.......
.
shit man, sounds like they're on a good thing to me!

If you can handle doing it - they could go home and make music all night!

I may sound like a huge hippie for saying this, but karma will eventually come back to bite people like that in the ass. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow.... but someday.

eyeknow · Post by **eyeknow** » Wed Jul 26, 2006 9:33 am

I hope so.........but I'm waiting..........

No, seriously, the homeless is not a "light" subject.......I just wanted to make sure that "that" side was mentioned........lot of asswipes out there......

It's wierd, in my travels.....I've seen the "good" homeless and the "bad"......like this last weekend. Crescent City was fine.....walkin' around at 3am was like seedy, but not dangerous.

Man, Eureka which is about 80 miles south.......5PM.......DANGEROUS! I almost got robbed/mugged twice and it was broad daylight! Punks posing as "homeless"......

how depressing.........