half of america lives officially at poverty-level

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Pileo -

Alleluia and Amen!

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

So called poor people own high definition televisions.

Oh really?! Where's mine? BTW, has anybody read Barbara Erenreich's book "Nickel and Dimed to Death", about the working poor in America?

Also, thnk about this scenario: A person in an old, beat-up car, driving carefully and lawfully still looks suspicious in this upscale residential area, so the police officer follows him. The poor person's tag is expired because it's still 2 days before payday so he couldn't renew it. The poor person gets pulled over and ticketed.

Now the poor person who was going to have just enough money to get his tag and take his son to the doctor to get his vaccinations for school will not be able to do either, because he has to pay the ticket. And he can't drive his car for fear of getting another infraction. And his child will not be able to go to preschool without a vaccination certificate, so the father will not be able to work during the day (The public transportation system in the city where they live is almost non-existent, BTW).

Also, the man is late for work but can't call because he's nearly out of minutes on his cheap burner phone which is all he can afford on a waiter's wages so his section is given to someone else and he makes half what he normally would. It takes a couple of months to get caught up on the utility bills and he has to borrow from his elderly mother to pay the reconnection fee for his electricity, which got cut off while he was trying to pay off the ticket.

The well-off person was just too busy going to all his charity events, coaching his son's soccer team, putting in long hours at work, etc.. He forgot to get his secretary to renew his tag. He gets pulled over for speeding in his late-model, pretty nice-looking car and is given a speeding ticket, and just warned about the tag. He gets out his smart-phone and sends a message that he'll be a little late for his child's piano recital. Then he goes on with his life as if not much had happened. He has to disappoint his family by not taking them all out to the movies to absorb the cost of the ticket.

Both men have had the same level of education, although the poor guy was from a working-class family and paid for college with student loans and part-time jobs because his parents couldn't/wouldn't help him out. As a plain old white, European male, there were few scholarships open to him besides a couple of small academic ones. Both guys are the same age and race, too. The poor guy didn't have many connections, so struggled to find suitable employment despite his excellent academic performance. The other guy had average grades but he and his family had lots of connections to people of all walks of life. That's the only real difference.


And to those who complain about taxes, would you rather have to get by on half of $300,000 or all of $25,000?

This is hardly news. Losses have been socialized and profits privatized for at least 80 years.

ruveyn

So, they saved up for something nice. Or maybe it was a gift. As if poor people are somehow forbidden to have nice things. What's the point?

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Or they got it from tax money.

HD tvs are not that expensive anymore. You can go to Costco and get a decent sized TV for about $150. It's the cable and internet that's expensive.

For one, they have been socializing losses for waaay less time than that and also I never said it was new. I said it was happening and I implied that it was wrong. Our country has been in decline for several decades. Slowly at first and now it's snowballing. It's a problem we need to fix and a good place to start is by pushing for socialist policies for the working class (aka you and me!)

And before you tell me you don't need it, we're on a message board for Autistic people.

Meaning from social security or welfare? Only, again, if they saved their pennies. I seriously doubt anyone could buy a big screen TV in one lump sum of their benefits, and still eat and pay rent.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

not even the poor like the poor.

Guess not.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

my point was that if the poor started making common cause with each other, they could organize [using their overwhelming numbers] for better conditions for themselves. just another jejune thought.

If that happened, the powers that be in politics and business would be dropping bricks in their shorts, uncontrollably.

-Bill, otherwise known as Kraichgauer

Look into the history of agricultural subsidies.

ruveyn

From the state and federal. Everyone gets taxes back every year when they are employed. When you have children, you get more back, same as when you are married.

I've observed plenty who don't, though it is possible to have purchased a high definition television before ending up below poverty level...it may be possible to get it as a gift. Just not sure a high definition t.v alone is enough to judge someones level of wealth on even if they do happen to have one. Or perhaps they are living with family members who own one because they can't afford to live on their own.

Not to mention I've seen quite a few HD televisions that aren't too terribly expensive, or have been marked down.

I can't afford cable tv or expensive cell phone plans [where I live there isn't even any cellphone coverage!]. I consider myself to be "genteel poor."