I wanted to write a thoughtful piece about the working poor. We have so many grades and levels on this mythical ladder of meritocracy that in reality most of are, we are the 99% who are one disaster away from poverty. And here we are in the middle of the most significant disaster in my lifetime and thanks to the acts of Congress with the support of both Presidents, Trump and Biden, we have lifted many out of that ranking. Most of it thanks to Biden and his actions to extend rental relief, unemployment relief, child care tax credit, the pandemic relief, stimulus checks, change the food stamp program, open the health care portals to offer enrollment in health care and in turn extend a credit there to offset enrollment costs, and overall the endless monies extended to States for their own use to do much of the same to offset Covid related expenses and liabilities; In other words, Big Government. Some states are running in the black and then there are the RED states that are of course eliminating if never having any options to enroll in Medicaid, Food Stamps, cutting Unemployment Benefits and of course never having a functioning rent relief/eviction plan in place. They are the up by the bootstraps and sure that there is a job for you out there while eschewing mask mandates, vaccine mandates nor even encouraging any of their residents to save their health by saving their community or vice versa and yet nothing changes. Covid up, employment down. The individual freedoms have now contributed to rising deaths, hospital overflows and of course shortages now of drugs not ventilators in which to treat patients. Let them eat cake! Oh whoops we ran out!
The situation is now 566 days in just the same as it ever was, but different. Schools are open only to close due to Covid outbreaks as there is no vaccine available for children and if one understands how children are walking Petri dishes of germs then you would understand why this is happening. We have Teachers, Child Care workers, Nurses, Aids and others who work in the field of care be that elderly or youth and they are as anti vaxx in the same percentage of the general population, their access and availability to appropriate and actual information aside, they choose not and hence the elderly and the young are back to day one of Covid is coming. The only saving grace is most elderly are vaccinated and hence that is what explains what is happening in Israel, the elderly got the vacc, the young people did not but they changed their behavior, opened the doors and the Covid came in, and that is the breakthrough cases we keep hearing about. The death rates and level of illness is never mentioned but in reality this is again highly a small cohort but within that means shit folks that is a lot. Paranoia it will destroy you and it is why they continue to cite that idiotic study to invoke a Moral Panic as a way of encouraging others to get vaxxed. It parallels the nascent days when they did the same to get people to quarantine and when that failed remember the curfews and state line watches to stop cross contamination. Those bring good laughs now, and we really have no idea what worked or didn’t but it didn’t stop Covid’s spread, that much I do know.
And we have the new migrants who relocated the RED states, Texas, Arizona and Tennessee. And while the States are thrilled to have the new residents this time not fearing the Covid spread, they forgot to tell them they are RED states and are busy trying to remove civil rights . prevention of masks and vaccine mandates, and access to abortion and of course making guns available in every home. A new kind of reverse access and availability plan when it comes to individual freedom except for women and pro mask/vaccine folks. And as for that bathroom access that will be back, if it ever left, right North Carolina?
What I love is that we here in the ‘North’ are not sorry to see you go as you are as stupid as your new neighbors so have a good time. I love the dude moving from Seattle to Austin to avoid income tax. For Brian Harden, 47, it was the taxes that made him consider leaving his home outside Seattle for Texas. “They don’t have a state income tax,” he noted. Besides, “My wife and I are both gun owners, and we’re big Second Amendment advocates.” Uh Seattle is in Washington State and they don’t have income tax either. And like Tennessee make it up in excessive taxes on food, gas, property, goods and services. Oh wait the gun thing, I see.
Understanding money is a common problem among the poor, we have failed to teach them basic micro economics so they confuse macro with the same, shouting out about the Debt and the other issues that have nothing to do with their own ability to pay rent, buy a car, feed their family and are sure that “others” are getting free stuff so no way are they supporting a federal safety net, neglecting to mention that they are also getting free stuff but that is different right?
Having a discussion with someone about buying a home here I spend most of my times looking at taxes, costs of maintenance, of course now flood zones and how the property will serve my needs to age in place and yet I hear that I must buy now while rates are low or I will miss out. No mention that I have a lease, it does not end for six months and I have to time this correctly to have a minimum 90 day close regardless to do a thorough inspection, research the books if the building is multi housing and see if there are upcoming assessments or debts that may arise post closing. It will take me at least the next six months to find a home, get the mortgage folder I need and from an appropriate lender. But you see many just buy shit without doing their homework in the same way the move to Florida and buy a Condo that then collapses to the ground. I think the loss of a 1/4 point on a interest rate is worth it. Call me crazy but call me alive and with money in the bank.
And there is lastly the issue of health care and costs. I pursue acupuncture for supplemental health care, it worked on my cyst on my scalp and right now I have a small one on my face. True i could go to the Dermatologist as it is not covered on my policy or be treated in a manner I like and in a way I prefer. It takes longer but by far more relaxing and supportive. Then the last time I went she asked me to get a drug panel. For a pimple that is stress related and there is a lot of stress around, my storage unit flooded two weeks ago, and the damage to the building was significant, my property was damaged and I am working through that rage of declined insurance and support by the company and the lack of overall support via the community to understand why this happened and why nothing is being done to prevent it in the future. That is enough to cause an outbreak of anything so this demand was utterly absurd and once again infuriated me to the point I have one or two more appointments left and I will stop going. I just once would like someone to give a shit about me where an exchange of a check or offer of a fuck is not involved. What happened to lunch no stings, no blame, no fault and just a laugh? Oh that is what everyone is talking about when they say they are so over Covid. Honey that never happened pre Covid why should it now?
The debate of what will happen with regards to the working poor, the return to the workplace and the general way of living that existed prior to Covid is moot at this point. Covid is with us for now, forever and we either get with the program, get vaxxed, wear masks, keep things cleaner than before, less crowded than before, have better ventilation and of course have access to quality health care, paid sick leave and better child and elder care, this will not change.
Get over yourselves I think is the message here. The poor well I get it they can go fuck themselves. I get it I really do.
Off the Rack Publishing 