Continued from America's Poor: Lazy, Irresponsible, Dependent?
Some say that the "New Poor", not to mention the "Old Poor", need to learn "personal responsibility". They need to stop sponging off of those rich "job creators"!
Meet some of the "New Poor" (and some of the "Old Poor" as well). We're watching them sponge off of others, show no "personal responsibility", and demonstrate how little they value money and how dependent they are on the government:
Lazy sponger Number 2: Busy with Businesses
Another man, now in his early 60's, grew up in the "projects." He worked his way through school, got a job programming computers in the 70's and worked in IT for several decades. He did reasonably well and worked steadily.
He had a son, but that marriage didn't last. Other family members struggled, and he was always generous with them, with his sister and his mother, in particular. He remained very involved in his son's life and always paid his child support.
He married again and had children in the mid 90's. His wife was a college-educated professional; they bought a modest home and things were going well.
He worked during the late 90's as a consultant on several Y2K projects. After the dot.com bust and the end of the Y2K fixes, assignments became harder and harder for him to come by as many companies off shored their IT people, and as "new technologies" replaced the older technologies that he knew.
He started a small home-based business selling insurance. He made an income and he was able to be home with his kids. Eventually his mother's health went downhill, and they took her in. Her social security check did help the family meet their bills.
Then the recession hit. Overnight, almost all of his customers just went away. He looked for temporary or full-time work and couldn't find any. He was hired for the Census, but, after they did their background check, a 40+ year old arrest record (not a charge or a conviction) came back to haunt him. He couldn't work until it was straightened out, and by the time that happened, the Census work was over.
Meanwhile, back in late 2009 or early 2010, his wife (now in her 50's) lost her job. She worked in a construction-related field. They are both trying to find jobs; both developing small business ideas; she's written a couple of eBooks and has a couple of online businesses going. They are trying to keep their heads above water and pay the bills.
Grandma's dementia, however, got worse last winter and she could no longer stay in their home. She is now in a nursing home. So there went Grandma's social security check, which was helping them to pay their bills. The wife's unemployment will run out soon, and they are desperately trying to get some income regular going before it goes away. He will soon turn 62 and will probably have to take early social security. He's still completely healthy and he would much rather have a job.
Lazy Sponger Number 3: She Left her Bootstraps on the Bus
A young woman had two children out of wedlock at a young age. It created a life of struggle for her, but she vowed to work hard and not pass a life of struggle on to her kids. She worked for a large retailer, but pay slightly above minimum wage doesn't go that far when you have two kids to raise.
She realized she would have to go back to school to get some kind of skill, and she went to school on the weekends and worked during the week.
More here: Lazy Sponger Number 3: She Left Her Bootstraps on the Bus
He started a small home-based business selling insurance. He made an income and he was able to be home with his kids. Eventually his mother's health went downhill, and they took her in. Her social security check did help the family meet their bills.
Then the recession hit. Overnight, almost all of his customers just went away. He looked for temporary or full-time work and couldn't find any. He was hired for the Census, but, after they did their background check, a 40+ year old arrest record (not a charge or a conviction) came back to haunt him. He couldn't work until it was straightened out, and by the time that happened, the Census work was over.
Meanwhile, back in late 2009 or early 2010, his wife (now in her 50's) lost her job. She worked in a construction-related field. They are both trying to find jobs; both developing small business ideas; she's written a couple of eBooks and has a couple of online businesses going. They are trying to keep their heads above water and pay the bills.
Grandma's dementia, however, got worse last winter and she could no longer stay in their home. She is now in a nursing home. So there went Grandma's social security check, which was helping them to pay their bills. The wife's unemployment will run out soon, and they are desperately trying to get some income regular going before it goes away. He will soon turn 62 and will probably have to take early social security. He's still completely healthy and he would much rather have a job.
Lazy Sponger Number 3: She Left her Bootstraps on the Bus
She realized she would have to go back to school to get some kind of skill, and she went to school on the weekends and worked during the week.
More here: Lazy Sponger Number 3: She Left Her Bootstraps on the Bus
Middle Molly, I met your challenger for Sponger #1 (see the first comment section), and am quite willing to continue for Sponger #2.
ReplyDeleteThis guy, by your own admission had a job programming computers in the 70's and worked in IT for several decades. He did reasonably well and worked steadily. Later he did Y2K work, then had a small business selling insurance. So That is thirty years of steady income. So why does he now require public assistance (ie. he sponges")?
The only answer to that is that he continuously made poor financial decisions in not to save for retirement. Rather than taking personal responsibility for himself by planning for his future retirement, he spent as he went. Like the grasshopper he fiddled during the summer and now that the weather is cold hopes the ants will take him in.
Now he is 62 and has put nothing aside for his retirement. His wife is in here early 50's and appears to be in the same situation and for the same reasons. Likewise his mother, who depends on social security (which is NOT a retirement pension or fund) to pay her bills.
My guess is that his entire family has this same lack of financial and personal responsibility-- as it mentions that the guy is "generous" with his sister and mother, suggesting that they mooched off him in turn. They do not, in fact, "value money" as they have failed to save any for their old age and now require the money of others (public assistance) in order to buy the resources they need to live.