Holy crap! Amunet, you have a bunch of people telling you to open your eyes, but you are insisting that they all must be wrong because you have THE insight?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Amunet
My whole point is that middle class working individuals are having a harder time surviving, because its up to them to generate their income, they can't rely on a government fall back plan.
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Wrong. My SO and I were middle class. We both lost our jobs. We relied on the government for a backup plan by collecting unemployment compensation. So now our government provided income is closer to what the lower class gets with their welfare and other poverty benefits. Here's the difference:
When we were both working and getting the middle class income, we both had health insurance, could choose our doctor and had access to a very high level of medical care. Now, I don't have insurance, avoid going to the doctor and filling prescriptions, and for serious medical needs the emergency room will be my first and probably only resource.
When we were both earning a middle class income, we could afford to buy nice clothes, eat out frequently, go see a show or movie when we wanted to. Life was good. Now I have learned the many ways to make Ramen more interesting and how to put enough ketchup and mustard on a turkey frank that it almost tastes like a hot dog. I don't buy DVD's or go out anymore. I've got Netflix for $8.99 a month and we get all of our entertainment at home.
When we had middle class cash, we were ahead of the bills and were building our credit rating. We could afford an upscale 3 bedroom apartment in a nice neighborhood where one doesn't worry much about crime (which is a big deal in a city of four million people.) By the end of March we will be moving to a smaller apartment in a crappier neighborhood to keep our expenses manageable. And we are just getting the bills paid, living payday to payday, and both of our credit ratings have taken a hit.
Now that I am getting unemployment compensation I have a lower class income. And even with the government support, I am struggling to make it much more than I ever did when I was working.
So you might want to gently back down off that ledge you've walked yourself out on, stop yelling as if you're the only one who knows what's going on, and have the grace to at least acknowledge that your understanding of what middle class is might be a bit off.