I was reading on the internet, when I ran across an article written by Hannah Rappleye entitled “I’am working as hard as I can: For the poor, the costs of life can be higher.” That seemed to strike a chord with me! My husband is a laborer. He loves CNC machining. But he doesn’t make enough to keep our household together. He has a second job with a production company and works some 50-65 hours a week. I worry about him and how hard he works.
Since, I can not find a full time position, we are always on the edge financially. I work two part time jobs; but they don’t pay enough to buy groceries. From 2010-2012 I went back to school to get a teaching certificate. Still nothing in that area is open to me. I have given up looking, because I need a job now and need to work today not in the future. So what exactly is happening here?
According to another article written by US news, 4 out of 5 American’s live in danger of poverty. I know we are struggling every day just to pay our bills and buy clothes for the jobs I do have. Every year our rent goes up, our water and sewer costs get higher and the power company rates leave us keeping our heat so far down in the winter months, I am always cold. Even in the summer our costs are high. One thing that doesn’t go up is our wages. All in all the article states the prediction is the poverty rates will continue to rise and soon be beyond those in 1965. That is a pretty depressing picture for those of us who are struggling to stay out of poverty. The bottom line is 1% of the people control 39% of the wealth and that number is growing!
While Washington keeps telling us the economy will improve for the rest of 2013, it hardly seems like anything has changed when I sit down to pay our bills each month. It doesn’t seem like anything is changing when my husband is working 65 hours a week to make what he made in 40 hours in 1999, when we first got married. So, where are the improvements in our economy and who is reaping the rewards?
In an article in the Farm Press written by Hembree Brandon, the author wrote, ” Those who have jobs feel increasingly threatened as automation increases, as employers push workers to do more and more so they won’t have to hire additional workers, and as millions more have only part-time jobs or are forced to work as “independent contractors” so employers won’t have to pay Social Security, worker compensation, and other costs.” I can relate to that because I am a contracted employee. At the same time profits are higher for oil companies than ever before and I am certain its more than the oil companies profiting at the tax payers expense. So, my question is who cares about the middle class or even those just reaching the poverty mark? Apparently not Congress or maybe not even the president.
If these articles do not scare you, they do me. I see our inability to keep pace with the bills each month and wonder how we can possibly keep living like this. There has been no relief from the struggle to date and it doesn’t look like it is going to get much better in the near future. Every letter written to Congress just seems like a waste of time. As for the republicans…we best not get into that subject.
JOYSTECHTOOL 