Nickel and Dimed in the USA

I just finished reading "Nickel and Dimed on (NOT) getting by in the America" by Barbara Ehrenreich. It is a rather depressing book but one that I think every middle class citizen should read; while you are still middle class!

It seems the poverty rate as risen 17% since G. W. Bush has been president. He has three more years. This is scary stuff! In the book the average wage was $7.00 an hour or less. These people had to work two jobs to get by. There was no way on earth that they could ever get ahead. There was not enough money being made that they could get put away for a rainy day, much less retirement.

The author, Barbara Ehrenreich, a journalist with a Ph.D. took the time to move about the country, alone with out children, to see if she could make a living on $7.00 per hour. She couldn't!

One of the things she ran into was employers usually hold back one week's pay; so how could she come up with the security deposit on an apartment? She had to pay week by week in a motel.

At one point she worked as a maid and a co-worker hurt her foot, actually, she broke a bone it appeared. It went untreated and the woman hobbled on it, still working every day. She had too, she could not avoid to take the time off without pay; her kids had to eat! There was no worker's compensation or any insurance for that matter provided by her employer. What was suggested was "work through it!" by him.

Besides spending long hard hours at work, many have no cars and must commute for a long ride, switching from train to bus, or from bus route transferring to another. It is very sad to read about these people knowing that they are stuck in their pedicament.

She stood for eleven hour shifts at Walmart with aching feet and her back hurting. She finally just gave up, because what money she had as a reserve (about $1200.) got used up

I can't imagine having to work two jobs just to make ends meet! "Only in America!" Clueless George proclaimed. What a shame he didn't have a clue what this mother was going through or even talking about!

So many of the good paying jobs are being out scourced to off shore companies where cheap labor can be had. Of course, corporation save money and claim that the product price stays lower; but, who will buy the cheaper product, here in this country, when people are being paid less than $7.00 per hour and spend all their available time working at two or more jobs to try to make ends meet.

It's a sad situation. There are some areas in the country where people working and still living below the poverty line (family of four living on $30,000) can get aid and food products.

It is such a sad sad situation;the youth of today better know that they must get well educated, and try to pick a profession, that you think can't be done by out-scourcing. Lots of luck! Today there are places where x-rays (your x-rays) are read overseas.

The middle class section of the population is becoming smaller and the poverty section is growing. The few rich are becoming more wealthy at lower class expenses.

Not on our goverment but more common middle class citizens are living more and more in debt. I think the average credit card debt per family is $10,000. or more. Not only this country's government, which is in high debt to China and Japan, but middle class people are living way beyond their means; and are barely making ends meet. Just how long can that last; just how long can things appear to be normal and people appear to be getting by before the truth comes out.

Recently I spoke with a realitor and a title company employee and they both said that they have stacks of "re-sales" on their desk waiting to be processed. In fact, they couldn't keep up with the work, so many people can't make the payments and they must sell their homes and either downgrade or move into an apartment.

We as Americans are reactive rather than proactive. We are a breed of "immediate gradificiation" seekers. We want it now! No one saves or plans for a rainy day. This all scares me about our economy; it looks good, but is it? When will we all fall on our "in denial" faces.