"What is sad is the huge number of people that don't realize they're effectively living without money now. Oh sure, they have job and they buy things. But they're only buying the bare essentials. Housing, food, clothing, etc. They're not saving for their retirement or their children's education. They can't take vacations or go to the movies without giving up something first.
But, they say, at least we're not communists!
Well, no. But you are serfs. Way to go, you took the great leap 400 years backwards from Marxism. Are you happy now?
ontheleftcoast's comment from this diary http://www.dailykos.com/...
I am a serf of the lowest type on the economic ladder. I am a housewife, a non-employed person. No health insurance, no 401(k), no Roth or IRA, no savings account, no credit rating-a "ghost" according to the reporting agencies. I won't even qualify for Social Security when I'm older.
I took this role when the hubby decided being a truck-driver was better than being a laid-off construction worker. With no family, no neighbors, no child-care options and 3 ADD/ADHD sons me staying home was the only option. We live in a county with a population of 32,000. Whatever benefits the county provides are severely limited. I've discovered that many federal programs administered at the county level don't exist here. "There isn't a need" claim officials. The nearest big city is Albany, about an hour south. Tourism is the main job producer along with the hospital and several medical device manufacturers. There are 9 grocery stores, 2 dozen outlet stores, at least 23 fast-food places-not counting pizza places. There is the ubiquitous mall, walmart and kmart. We do have a fabulous library. It is possible to order from the state-wide lending system, so with a little planning I can get all the books in a series.
The company hubby works for is tiny-3 employees-and the only benefit he has is his health insurance. Which he needed last year for a series of problems which put him in the hospital for several weeks, out of work for several more weeks and this year delayed the DoT (Dept. of Transportation) required medical card. His doctor was on vacation and "none of the other doctors would cover for her on this case." Thankfully the medical bills were all covered.
We're still two months behind on the cable bill, have been for over a year. Without cable or satellite there is no tv reception. Had the electric turned off a few times both winter and summer. Given a choice, I can do without power a bit easier in the winter-gas stove for cooking and heat, and the back porch keeps food safe from critters and plenty cold. I applied for HEAP and other utility benefits. I was turned down because we're over income. We're over-income because the guidelines do not allow road expenses for my hubby. They also use the Gross Federal Income-before taxes are with-held and any money left over after the allowable expenses can be used to pay said utility bills. Never mind the fact that there isn't any money left over and the gov'mint has to grab its share. I've been told hubby can "take food from home", "eat at cheaper places like McDonalds", "he could eat when he's home." He leaves home sunday and comes home friday. He has to eat on the road, where he can park a 53" trailor, when he finds someplace near where he's delivering/loading.
He doesn't know where he's going till he gets the info from his boss. Given the DoT driving rules for truckers,(http://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/...) he has to consider how much time he has left to drive and how long it'll take to get there. He has been known to go an entire day without food just to get the load in on time. And for this he gets paid 27% of the loaded price. If the rate is $1.50 a mile for the load he is paid .$32 per mile driven under that load. Thirty-two cents a mile. If the next load is $1.25 a mile then he gets 27 cents a mile. He can legally work 60 hours in a 7 day period. He can also legally not be paid for any unloaded driving. If it takes 200 miles to get the next load, he isn't paid for driving those 200 miles. It's called "dead-heading", it bites and has nothing to do with music or hippies...
I do our taxes because tax preparers want several hundred dollars just to put my figures on the forms. They won't go through his log books, I have to and then do the math to figure out the amount allowed for meals. I took a couple courses on tax prep so I'm at least as qualified as they are. Form 2406 allows a 70% deduction for his road food expenses, less 2.5% of the AGI. Added to the list of standard deductions we should be getting a huge refund. Nope, couple hundred at best. House is paid for thankfully. No car loans-no credit rating. No medical expenses, child care or education. Just $18,000 in work expenses which are never fully allowed as a legitimate expense.
My college knowledge is in accounting/financing. I graduated as computers were becoming common in most businesses, yet the college courses didn't cover anything related to computers. This was in 1980. Bookkeeping was being transformed from hand entries to machine programs, I happened to be in the transition phase and was soon phased out. When I tried to re-enter the job field in 2005 every field was closed except maid work and store clerk. Even those positions were closed to someone who'd been out of the job market for 20+ years. The local Dept of Labor did not have any training, work-force or displaced homemaker programs. They had job listings (mostly from the local paper) and interviewing skills classes and dressing for success classes. No training or education available. And to this day I remain ineligible for any DoL training. Why? Because I have a skill-double-entry bookkeeping-which is no longer needed. I have learned some open source software programs similar to what Microsoft publishes, but without a piece of paper issued from an institute of higher learning or accredited training program I am unhireable. And I could work at convenience stores on my feet all day if I could get the medical treatment for the leg problems I've been having for 3 years. Or clean rooms if I could get my right shoulder problems diagnosed. Or get any of the other things wrong put right. Until I can do any of that I'll stay home and do what I can when I can, cook and bake from scratch-freeze the leftovers, use vinegar, baking soda and elbow grease to clean, have laundry hanging all over to dry, raise the grandkids, care for the cats and guinea pigs, pester the congress critters and hope for the best.
To the few who read this, thank you. I'm a new diarist, have been lurking since 2005 and decided to let my voice be heard. And despite being a serf of the lowest order I am happy. I can take a coffee break whenever I blessed well need it!