Grover Norquist is literally retarded.

[Dinner]

What you fail to see is that calling poverty and food security issues 'fake' problems makes you a terrible, terrible person. I'm only continuing to talk about this, because I don't think you are a terrible person, just horribly misinformed on this stuff.

America is an extremely segregated society. Unlike the past they're not so much segregated based on race but they are most certainly segregated based on social class. If you're rich it is entirely likely that you'll go about your days month after month and have very limited contact with nonrich people (other then waiters, your maid, bell hops, service staff, etc...) and if you're poor living in a poor area it is very likely you won't run into any rich people during your daily life. It's like the two halves shall never meet because we don't force them (via urban planning as many countries do) to interact on a regular basis with people from different walks of life. The rich will segregate themselves into gated communities and go to restaurants and establishments which cater to them while the poor will be concentrated in extremely poor places with establishments which cater to that group. That's why millionaire Congressmen can sit in ivory towers declaring the economy is fine, there is no need to take measures to boost employment, in fact the unemployed are probably lazy never do wells so we need to end unemployment anyway, and say cutting the deficit (something which will massively decrease aggregate demand and thus worsen the economy) is really the biggest issue we should be dealing with.

[The Mad Monk]

No number of people starving to death is miniscule.

That said, poverty is often not the primary factor -- abuse is.

We recently had a story here about a man who let his invalid mother basically starve in her recliner.

[Dinner]

I imagine housing is the main thing people spend money on. I spend $320/month on rent. If I were to earn more and lived in better housing, I would be spending several times that, possibly a relatively higher portion of my income, as well.

JESUS **** ME WITH A STICK! $320 a month for housing? I'm not married, I don't have kids, and I spend easily 8 times that much. I think you're right about the housing thing.

In fact, 14 years ago in college I spent $350 per month just to split a one bedroom with a friend (granted just back from the beach) but still. I even only got that rate because my roommate/friend's grandfather was the slum lord who owned the place; they regularly charged $900 per month for the one bedroom. If you can't beat the slum lords move in with their kids/grandkids to get favorable treatment.

[Al B. Sure!]

What the hell are you talking about, Oerdin? I can walk down to Society Hill and see rich people. You think rich people have special rich people stores shopped at only by rich people and employing only rich people?

And ever heard of gentrification?

It's amazing how you just make **** up (thinking all rich people live like Prince or something) to suit your bizarre political point.

[The Mad Monk]

$1300 a month gets me a little Cape Cod on nine acres.

[The Mad Monk]

x-me'd:

No, Al, Cali's simply that bat**** on real estate values.

[Al B. Sure!]

JESUS **** ME WITH A STICK! $320 a month for housing? I'm not married, I don't have kids, and I spend easily 8 times that much. I think you're right about the housing thing.

That right there may be one of the reasons why ghetto poor can still 'ball' on minimum wage.

[Lorizael]

$1300 a month gets me a little Cape Cod on nine acres.

$1300 a month gets me a one-bedroom apartment with ~850 square feet.

[giblets]

I imagine housing is the main thing people spend money on. I spend $320/month on rent. If I were to earn more and lived in better housing, I would be spending several times that, possibly a relatively higher portion of my income, as well.

WTF? I'm in college and I pay twice that.

[Al B. Sure!]

WTF? I'm in college and I pay twice that.

Sucks for you.


I live in the ghetto.

Sucks for me.

[giblets]

I just don't understand why you can't afford somewhere better with your college degree. ****, now you're making me worry about the future.

[Al B. Sure!]

I just don't understand why you can't afford somewhere better with your college degree. ****, now you're making me worry about the future.

I have a degree from a public university. Where are you studying? If it's a state university, good luck.

[The Mad Monk]

$1300 a month gets me a one-bedroom apartment with ~850 square feet.

That was me in Belleville, NJ in 2004.

[giblets]

I have a degree from a public university. Where are you studying? If it's a state university, good luck.

Are you sure a private university improves things? Usually it means more debt.

[Al B. Sure!]

You can't live by yourself. It's not cost-efficient. Get a room-mate.