Between the defenders of the president and the defenders of corporate supremacy, the chorus of denial is everywhere

Shut up and eat your peas. Rec

The AVERAGE pay is about $30,000 - most make far less.

http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Job=Reporter,_Newspaper/Salary

Edited to add: I had to leave the profession after a divorce left me a single Mom. I simply could not feed my child and myself on $18,000 a year.

Affordable is one of those wonderful words like "valid" that sounds like it means something, but actually doesn't.

If you want to, you can define an arbitrary level of cost to be "affordable". But because no-one else will know what level you've defined it as, and will be using it to mean different things, that won't do you any good.

There are some things that one can definitely say are "not affordable", because their cost is higher than the net worth of most of the population.

But below that level, and above the level of a few pounds that a homeless person can afford, one could describe practically anything as either "affordable" or "unaffordable".

We can't afford another large medical bill. Still paying off last years bills.

And, yes, we're insured.

Medicare is covering 80% of my wife who is very sick. It sounds like a lot to someone who doesn't use the health care system much. However when a hospital charges $80 for a box of tissues(true story) 20% is a lot of money.

they just couldn't understand why someone would purchase a "bronze" plan.

It just goes to show you that Republicans don't hold the patent on living in the bubble or having no empathy.

Don't they realize the money they'll save in repairs, how much more comfortable it is to drive, and how great its resale value is? Why, if you don't buy a Lexus GS you're either blowing it all on weed and hookers, or you just can't be financially literate.

I saw one the other day for $90k. It got 17 mpg. So you spend a little up front but look at what you get in return.

People just need to think harder about these things. So your car costs 3 years salary. IT's about choices. People just need to eat more rice and beans and watch less cable and buy more Masseratti's. It's simple.

there is a wide gap between living in poverty and making "enough." And so many people live just barely above paycheck to paycheck and the idea that oh, just stop cable! HOw expensive are rice and beans, really? ignores the reality of having a car that doesn't run, or that eats too much gas, or increasing rent, or a broken furnace, or a hole in the roof.

Just because you're not poverty level subsidy eligible doesn't mean that you're not struggling. That you don't have unexpected expenses. That living a life of basic sustenance is often a real struggle for millions and millions of people.

Not having an extra $50 or $150 or $300 a month, every month, for the foreseeable future isn't always because of poor life choices and too many luxuries. It's a reality of living on substandard wages in a society where the cost of everything is going up and your paycheck is staying stagnant, or going lower.

And "oh just move"...where? where? where? Moving to a place that is cheaper cost of living usually means that wages are that much lower. Places with cheaper cost of living usually (in my experience) means fewer public services like busses and bike lanes and good schools.

Some people CAN'T just pack up and move. There are family obligations, jobs, kids, schools. Not even thinking about the cost of moving. Saving up for first, last, deposit, credit check fees....Uhaul, quitting one job, finding another. Do you move in the hopes of finding a job later, or wait til you find a job to move? What about your spouse? Do you need a second car? How are the schools?

Many people say they "understand" but they have no idea. THeir ideas of working poor and working class are what they see on TV and what they imagine it is.

But...but...but... That nice, handsome, well-spoken Will Smith fellow did it in The Pursuit of Happyness. Now there's a guy who had his priorities straight. I don't understand why the poors can't be more like him.

People forget that in order to have boot straps, you have to have boots.

But yeah, that will smith. That's a real rags to riches story there. And his kids are so humble. So in touch with reality.

See I bet what will smith DIDNT do was spend his welfare money on lotto and cigarettes. I bet he could whip up some rice and bean recipes that would make your head spin.

Also poors need to rent movies from the library and not netflix this and redbox that. I don't know why anyone would want to see a movie or TV series made in the last 20 years. It's all garbage. Dallas was a great show, why not watch that?

fuckin poors.

and it describes our family perfectly. Paycheck to paycheck with nothing extra because what I make barely covers the bills. Miss a couple of paychecks and we are homeless.