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Almost half of US families can't afford basics like rent and food

money.cnn.com

21–30 of 112 posts

Re: Almost half of US families can't afford basics like rent and food

#21
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[Deleted]

Do the downvotes cause you pain? Just leave your original comment.

Yes they do. I don't know why but I really should just stop using these forums.

Re: Almost half of US families can't afford basics like rent and food

#22

If "Nearly 51 million households don't earn enough to afford a monthly budget that includes housing, food, child care, health care, transportation and a cell phone" Is true does that mean those households do without those things? Or are they subsidized via other methods? Medicare/medicaid for health insurance for example. Such programs often have income maximums that households may be attempting to optimise for. We o…

I would argue that there are worse things than the sweet release of death. Living without dignity might be one of them. That being said, I'm not sure how I feel about having "cell phone" in that list of things that are considered necessities.

Cellphones are cheap computers these days. It's very hard to participate in today's economy, much less its education system, without internet access.

Re: Almost half of US families can't afford basics like rent and food

#23

If "Nearly 51 million households don't earn enough to afford a monthly budget that includes housing, food, child care, health care, transportation and a cell phone" Is true does that mean those households do without those things? Or are they subsidized via other methods? Medicare/medicaid for health insurance for example. Such programs often have income maximums that households may be attempting to optimise for. We o…

I would argue that there are worse things than the sweet release of death. Living without dignity might be one of them. That being said, I'm not sure how I feel about having "cell phone" in that list of things that are considered necessities.

Land line phones are more expensive, and require a stable address; public phones are scarce and getting scarcer.

Mobile phones are a necessity.

Re: Almost half of US families can't afford basics like rent and food

#24

In many of these cases it seems like having kids may have been an ill-advised life choice. Having kids is always a choice not a right.

This is a really bizarre position.

If reproduction is not a right, then you shouldn't have a problem with the government coming to sterilize you for some arbitrary reason, right? Maybe your skin is not the 'right' color?

Re: Almost half of US families can't afford basics like rent and food

#25
post #10

If "Nearly 51 million households don't earn enough to afford a monthly budget that includes housing, food, child care, health care, transportation and a cell phone" Is true does that mean those households do without those things? Or are they subsidized via other methods? Medicare/medicaid for health insurance for example. Such programs often have income maximums that households may be attempting to optimise for. We o…

They end up shuffling between homelessness, homeless programs, and family / friends. A good portion of the children pass through the foster care system and the adults end up in jail or prison for various stretches. It's a very expensive system, and people's lives are wasted even if they are not out right killed.

> They end up shuffling between homelessness, homeless programs, and family / friends.

51 million people? A sixth of the US?

Re: Almost half of US families can't afford basics like rent and food

#27
post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[Deleted]

It's very clear that the Republican Party is not supportive of funding a sexual healthcare provider unless it only teaches abstinence. I'm glad you're in favor of artifical wombs, but until that happens, please note that the live ones are attached to people who deserve the same degree of bodily autonomy you have. Simplest possible case: there is no situation in which the current law will force you to donate your orga…

I wrote that I am against the current legal retaliations for exactly the reason you describe.

Re: Almost half of US families can't afford basics like rent and food

#28

If "Nearly 51 million households don't earn enough to afford a monthly budget that includes housing, food, child care, health care, transportation and a cell phone" Is true does that mean those households do without those things? Or are they subsidized via other methods? Medicare/medicaid for health insurance for example. Such programs often have income maximums that households may be attempting to optimise for. We o…

I'm guessing there are welfare programs that make up the difference? Subsidised housing, food stamps etc.

Re: Almost half of US families can't afford basics like rent and food

#29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

[Deleted]

In response to your original comment, I believe there's also a desire to punish people for having premarital sex, as evidenced by right-wingers' strong opposition to emergency contraceptives.
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