• Welcome to OGBoards 10.0, keep in mind that we will be making LOTS of changes to smooth out the experience here and make it as close as possible functionally to the old software, but feel free to drop suggestions or requests in the Tech Support subforum!

Republicans Shut Down the Federal Government Again & Suffer Humiliating Defeat

Junebug said:
The numbers don’t lie. Much less than 40% of the population lives below the poverty line, yet 40% of the population can’t pay an unexpected $400 bill. So, for the majority of the 40%, the problem isn’t that they don’t have the means to come up with $400. The problem is that they frittered it away, likely on material goods.

I lived at the poverty line for several years before law school. It was tough financially, but, even on that amount of money, I was able to save well over $400. I ate a lot of ramen noodles, drove a shitty car, and drank bud light at happy hours. No TV, no cell phone, and no Audi. Somehow, life went on.
Click to expand...

You seem to think the poverty line is some sort of line drawn by God. If anything people below the poverty can't afford necessities and people barely above the poverty can barely afford necessities.

A few questions about your time at the poverty line:

1. Can I read about your heroism as a white poor in a memoir? Netflix film or stand up special? If yes, please disregard the rest of the questions because I can find the answers myself.
2. When was this?
3. Were you married?
4. Did you have kids?
5. How much money to you remember saving during that period?
 
Junebug said:
The numbers don’t lie. Much less than 40% of the population lives below the poverty line, yet 40% of the population can’t pay an unexpected $400 bill. So, for the majority of the 40%, the problem isn’t that they don’t have the means to come up with $400. The problem is that they frittered it away, likely on material goods.

I lived at the poverty line for several years before law school. It was tough financially, but, even on that amount of money, I was able to save well over $400. I ate a lot of ramen noodles, drove a shitty car, and drank bud light at happy hours. No TV, no cell phone, and no Audi. Somehow, life went on.
Click to expand...

Your total lack of compassion for government workers who’ve had their paychecks held hostage for 5 weeks over a 3rd century border security strategy is disheartening and it is eroding my respect for you.
 
Junebug said:
Have you ever lived at the poverty line? If not, don’t lecture me on what it means. I remember.
Click to expand...

I didn't lecture you. I did basic math. Then I asked you questions that you're avoiding.
 
And many of us are arguing a different point. Many Americans don't have enough money to save and is has been leading to a huge economic meltdown you haven't felt yet because you do have enough money.
 
Junebug said:
So are you agreeing with my point or not?
Click to expand...

I think that train is coming down the tracks due to dramatic increases in health care, education and housing costs combined with wage stagnation and the erosion of stable jobs with good benefits. Whether people save a bit by foregoing tv and cell phones is fairly irrelevant to the economic disaster brewing in the country.

That's why things like Medicare for all, free college and substantially increasing marginal tax rates are gaining popularity.
 
Junebug said:
1. Don’t be a prick. I never claimed to be a hero, martyr, or anything other than an average Joe who had the wherewithal to appreciate my financial condition.
2. 1998-2001 timeframe
3. No
4. I was smart enough not to have any kids. How could I possibly have afforded them?
5. I don’t recall for sure, but I believe it was around $4,000.

Now answer my question: have you ever lived at the poverty line?
Click to expand...

Yeah. During the same time frame while in grad school. It wasn't that hard to do. It barely required appreciating my "financial condition." I was a young guy who never had money and had no responsibilities other than taking care of myself. I don't pretend that experience informs what many families are going through today.

As far as #5, you would have had more fun spending that $4000 as a single guy than whatever you spent it on as a family man. Either way, I doubt that $4000 lifted you out of poverty. Going to law school and getting a good job as a lawyer did. Of course, education cost dramatically more than it did back then making it even harder to afford and harder to benefit from upon getting a degree.
 
WakeForestRanger said:
I think that train is coming down the tracks due to dramatic increases in health care, education and housing costs combined with wage stagnation and the erosion of stable jobs with good benefits. Whether people save a bit by foregoing tv and cell phones is fairly irrelevant to the economic disaster brewing in the country.

That's why things like Medicare for all, free college and substantially increasing marginal tax rates are gaining popularity.
Click to expand...

Well said. And it explains the popularity of political newcomers like AOC and other progressives (aggressive progressives) in many quarters. The GOP has very successfully for decades been diverting the attention of working-class whites from the economic issues you mentioned by playing on cultural and social issues. It still works for the most part, but there do seem to be signs that their tactics are starting to wear thin.
 
Junebug said:
This is a different point from the one I’m making, and not inconsistent with mine. Do you agree with my point or not?
Click to expand...

What Ranger said.

WakeForestRanger said:
I think that train is coming down the tracks due to dramatic increases in health care, education and housing costs combined with wage stagnation and the erosion of stable jobs with good benefits. Whether people save a bit by foregoing tv and cell phones is fairly irrelevant to the economic disaster brewing in the country.

That's why things like Medicare for all, free college and substantially increasing marginal tax rates are gaining popularity.
Click to expand...

Sure some people are bad with their money, but plenty of people aren't and still have no chance at social mobility. Conservatives can't claim people can work hard and be successful while being against making sure people who work hard can meet their basic needs.

Let's say a family of four saves $4000 over a 3 year period. That can be wiped out by an accident and medical bills. Someone can lose their job. There's any number of reasons why savings disappear regardless of how people go without.
 
My point with the airport anecdote wasn't about how much they thought TSA agents made, but rather about how the well off guys thought missing 2 paychecks on a $50k salary would be tough when a solid chunk of America is living on half that a year.
 
Junebug said:
1. Don’t be a prick. I never claimed to be a hero, martyr, or anything other than an average Joe who had the wherewithal to appreciate my financial condition.
2. 1998-2001 timeframe
3. No
4. I was smart enough not to have any kids. How could I possibly have afforded them?
5. I don’t recall for sure, but I believe it was around $4,000.

Now answer my question: have you ever lived at the poverty line?
Click to expand...

Junebug said:
Have you ever lived at the poverty line? If not, don’t lecture me on what it means. I remember.
Click to expand...

Lol.

Follow up questions. Were your parents and grandparents also living at the poverty line during that time period? Did you have a high school diploma? A college degree?
 
 
Junebug said:
I can see it now: if Junebug had been Bruce Wayne in Batman Begins, Rchill would said “Pfft. Bruce Wayne didn’t *really* enter the criminal underworld.”

My relationship with my parents was complicated. I’m not going to go into it on a message board. Besides, you aren’t going to give credence to whatever I say, so why bother? You can have your opinion about my life, and I’ll have mine. I’m okay with that.

Minimum wage at the time was in the $5/hr range.
Click to expand...

Multiple things can be true- the majority of people aren't smart with their money. On the other hand, being smart with money does not solve financial problems for the majority of people who live in this economy.

And I'd retire the "phones and tvs" thing if I were you.
 
I sold an old TV to a guy on Craigslist, he needed it so “his bitch could watch some shows, stop bothering me”, little did he know he is also now rich!!
 
Another solution Junebug can get behind:

 
Reports that the FAA has stopped flying into LAG today
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top