Think you're middle class? Think again!!

[dropkickpa]

**cross-post from GD http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x1568340**

We've all noticed how our money doesn't go as far as it used to. We think that, as middle class citizens, we should be doing better, right? That meeting the costs of our daily lives shouldn't be this hard, that we're middle class, it should be like it was for our parents. I have news for you, you are not middle class, you are probably the working poor. But the gubmint tells you that you're middle class, I mean, look how far above the poverty line you are. The thing is, the federal poverty line is bullshit, through and through. For one thing, it hasn't been updated in eons, so inflation hasn't been taken into account. For another, it is calculated based on the minimum food cost in emergency situations (NOT on a diet that will keep you healthy). It doesn't take into account how much your rent is in your city, how much it costs to get to and from work, how much your gas bill will be this winter just to keep your home at 65 degrees.

An uncertain economy and major changes in welfare and workforce development policy have given
new urgency to the question of self-sufficiency. As many parents leave welfare and enter the labor market,
they join a growing number of families who are unable to stretch their wages to meet the costs of basic
necessities. Even though many of these families are not poor according to the official poverty measure, their
incomes are inadequate. But what is adequate income—and how does this amount vary among
different family types and different places? To answer that question we have developed a measure of income
adequacy: the Self-Sufficiency Standard.

The Self-Sufficiency Standard measures how much income is needed for a family of a certain
composition in a given place to adequately meet their basic needs—without public or private assistance.
Below we will explain the origin of the
Standard; how it differs from the official poverty level; how it is calculated; what it looks like for Wyoming
families; and how various public work supports, public policies, child support, and other available resources
can help families move toward self-sufficiency. We conclude this report with a discussion of the varied
ways that the Standard can be used as a tool for policy analysis, counseling, performance evaluation,
and research.

We feel better when we don't think of ourselves as poor. Poor is what other people are. Poor is bad. Poor is uneducated. Poor is conservative. Poor is dirty. Poor is badly-behaved children with snot caked on their face and shabby clothes. Poor is rednecks. Poor is ghetto-dwellers. It's not us, right? Wrong. YOU are just like them, poor. It's still okay to revile the poor, to stereotype them as lazy, do nothings. Welfare-queens (fuck you very much Mr. Reagan). You work hard, a good job, you have a degree!! But you just can't seem to keep up with your bills let alone the Joneses.

Poverty is so unglamourous, it's a sidebar in debates and policy stands. Supposedly good liberals ridicule the poor with taunts and insults when they tell them "I would donate/march/volunteer, but I can't afford to", calling them slaves, telling them that they aren't good liberals/democrats because they aren't willing to make the sacrifice to stand for what they believe in. An 8 hour work day at $10.00/hr is equal to $80.00 before taxes. $80.00 is equal to roughly one electric bill. Equal to 2 weeks of groceries for a family of two (I'm being generous, the cost is generally higher than this). But they are slaves and bad dems because they are not willing to "sacrifice" for one day to march with you. The working poor do not have a choice that is acceptable. I do not expect someone to sacrifice their childrens health and basic needs to fulfill my ideals, I would just speak louder for those who cannot be there, so that their voices can also be heard.

Why play the more dem/librul than thou game? Isn't that type of thing what we are fighting AGAINST??

Classism is alive and well in America, even among the good, progressive, liberal types. And it is more heart-breaking and demoralizing when it comes from those who should be fighting for us, those who should be our friends, than it ever could possibly be coming from the "other side".

Are you middle-class? Or are have you been duped into believing it? Are you upper-class, and carry around the idea that the poor are just lazy? Have a look at the documents below, and keep in mind, they are not accurate for today, even those done in 2005, because inflation has increased.

This is what it REALLY costs just to keep your head above water in America today. I am poor, I am the working poor. I have a degree, I work hard, full-time, at higher than minimum wage, in the biomedical research sector. Sounds impressive, doesn't it? My income is considered BARELY enough to survive, going by the single person standard. Problem is, I have a kid, and am far below what is necessary to survive. But the gubmint thinks I'm doing okay, I'm above the poverty line.

I have a face. There is no such thing as the "faceless poor". We are your friends, family, neighbors. We belong to the same political party as you. We vote for progressive candidates. We hate what has been done to our beautiful country just as much as you, if not more. But to you, we are slaves. Less than you. You are better, because you are willing to make a "sacrifice" for what you believe in. I'd sacrifice, but I have nothing left to give. I'm empty. There's a saying, "you can't get blood from a stone". I am that stone, but I am not granite, I am shale, I will break and shatter. My world is a precarious one at best, and I am not alone. I am angry. I am tired. I am filled with hope and rage and despair, all at the same time. I cry with joy and pain, and I fight, tooth and nail, for what I believe in.

I am human, and YOU are just like ME.




Alabama 2003 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/AL%20FULL%20FINAL%20with%20MAP.pdf
Arizona 2002 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/AZ%20full%20final.pdf
California 2003 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/2003%20CA%20Full%20Report%20with%20Map.pdf
Colorado 2004 - http://www.cclponline.org/pubs/sssfullreport5-04.pdf
Connecticut 2005 — http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/FinalCT%2005%20Full%20Report_12-13-05%20.pdf
Delaware 2003 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/ACF1E5.pdf
Florida 2002 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/Florida%20Standard.pdf
Georgia 2002 - http://www.womenspolicygroup.org/pdfs/GA-FINAL-fullreport.pdf
Hawaii 2003 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/HI%20-%20fullreport_FINAL_R.pdf
Illinois — 2001 http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/ILFullReport.pdf
Indiana 2005 — link
Kansas 2004 - http://www.kac.org/docs/SelfSuff3rdEd.pdf
Kentucky 2001 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/KYFullReport.pdf
Louisiana 2003 - http://www.agendaforchildren.org/pages/LASelfSufficiencyStandard.pdf
Maryland 2001 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/md%20-%20full%20report%2012-117pdf.pdf
Massachusetts 2003 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/MAFESS.SSS.report.pdf;
Mississippi 2003 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/Full%20final%20report%202-26.pdf
Missouri 2002 - http://www.womenscouncil.org/documents/self-sufficiency.pdf
Montana 2002 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/MT%20full%20report%20final.pdf
Nebraska 2002 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/ACFD8.pdf
Nevada 2002 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/Nevada%20final%20report.pdf
New Jersey 2005 - http://www.lsnj.org/PDFs/PovertyResearchInstitute/RealCostofLiving2005.pdf
New York City 2004 - http://www.unitedwaynyc.org/?id=69#sss
New York State 2000 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/Resource-StandardReport-NY.pdf
North Carolina 1997 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/Resource-StandardReport-NC.pdf
Oklahoma 2002 - http://www.captc.org/pubpol/SSS/okFullReport.pdf
Pennsylvania 2006 - http://pathwayspa.org/policy/FINAL_PA-2006_full%20report5-15-06.pdf
South Dakota 2000 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/Resource-StandardReport-SD.pdf
Tennessee 2002 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/TN-FINAL-fullreport.pdf
Texas 1997 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/Resource-StandardReport-TX.pdf
Utah 2001 - http://www.utahchildren.net/pdf_files/UT_SSS.pdf
Virginia 2002 - http://www.vakids.org/Publications/SSS-VA%20Full%20Report%207-9.pdf
        2006 http://www.dss.virginia.gov/geninfo/reports/agency_wide/self_sufficiency.cgi
Washington, DC Metropolitan Area 2005 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/FINAL%20DC%20SSS.pdf
Washington state 2001 - http://www.sixstrategies.org/files/WAcomplete.pdf
West Virginia 2005 - http://www.wvwic.org/reports/WV%20SSS2005%20All%20Families%20Tables.pdf
Wisconsin 2004 - http://www.wiwomensnetwork.org/selfsuffbody2004.pdf
Wyoming 2005 - http://wyoming.gov/governor/policies/documents/WyomingSelf-SufficiencyStandard2005_000.pdf

[angrycarpenter]

1. I will go from from inadequate to poverty stricken -

when I have to turn off my internet connection. Maybe that is A good land mark to chart on A graph

[Viva_La_Revolution]

3. yep, that's me too. nt

[dropkickpa]

5. Me too

I justify my even HAVING an internet connection because I do need it for work stuff, too.

[mediaman007]

2. I don't think that the poverty level even considers putting money away for

retirement.

The Republicans are great for telling us how Social Security is a entitlement, but they are never willing to tell us how the poor and middle class are able to send kids to own a home, pay for health insurance, feed a family, and save for retirement.

They are only good at marketing "wants" like HDTV, cable television, McDonalds, high-tech phones and other gadgets to the poor.

[dropkickpa]

4. Nope

Poverty level based on about 3x the cost of a "nutritionally adequate" diet. Forget retirement or ANY other sort of savings. Don't you dare try to save a penny, because that will be counted against you (I experienced this when trying to save for books for school, I almost got kicked off of assistance, which would have left me and my daughter without food stamps or healthcare). Do you have an old 401k from back in your "better" days? You better cash it in and pay all of the penalties and spend it all or it's counted against you when you apply for assistance.

BUT, if that tiny little bit of extra cash gets spent immediately, you're okay. It's a twisted, sad, down-ward spiral situation.