Living Poor, Sick and Cold: The Nouveau Poor in America

SPOKANE, Wash. - Jan. 2, 2014 - PRLog -- “In the good old days, I could find a job in a day or two. “ said Myra K., of Yakima Washington. “Now, I’ve been without a job for going on 15 weeks and it scares me to the bottom of my stomach that I may never find a job.”

“What will I do if I can’t get a job, a good job that pays more than minimum wage?” she asks plaintively.

Myra, 63, has good cause to be apprehensive. The idea of not getting the job you are qualified for at the salary you need to provide for yourself and family is a common night-terror for the long-term unemployed. Adding to the absurdity is that employers are more reluctant to hire people who have been out of work for months and in some cases, years.

Couple years ago, at the height of the Great 21st Century Recession of 2008, I remember reading in the want-ads, as blatant as any discrimination against an entire group of people is, “No unemployed need apply.” Whaa? How does that make sense? Not only are you in dire need of a job that you know you are qualified for but you need not even bother to apply because … you are unemployed. You’re applying for a job because you are unemployed but they will not consider hiring you because you are unemployed.

I had to say that a few times to see if it made any sense whatsoever. Nope, no matter how I word it it’s still total bullshit. I don’t need see those blatant ads anymore but I know the bias is strong and growing.

Employers only want to hire folks who already have a job.

Really? Great. Look at the facts. During a bullish economy unemployment benefits were kept short to motivate people to get out there are get jobs. I a lame-duck economy as we have now unemployment can’t even be measured precisely. After unemployment benefits run out, folks are no longer counted as unemployed. So, officially we may have 8.5% (will check on that) as a national percentage but the numbers are more likely 20 to 30% unemployment in certain blighted neighborhoods and communities of people of color. And, children. We now have about 25 million children living in poverty.

Older American are having a heck of a time. It has been very humbling to see men of great success in their prime to now end up at 79 as a WalMart greeter. We Baby Boomers are definitely going to get hung out to dry because we did not learn to save. We have spent everything we’ve earned and a lot us – millions of regular, decent folks who have worked hard all their lives lost an estimated 35% to 50% of their wealth during the housing boom bust and aftermath of the credit collapse. Cancer and bankruptcy followed.

We have a lot of poor seniors in this country but for the most part they are hidden.It is estimated that 1 out of 2 seniors are struggling to make ends meet. Food insecurity for all families is increasing.

“I never thought I would be in the position of having $2.64 in my bank account and no food the last days of the month.” Said Lauren D, a former executive secretary who had to retire early from a long-time, very successful career due to medical issues. She is now facing foreclosure because she got caught up in the housing scam. Her home, bought years ago, had appreciated a great deal and had always been her nest-egg.

When a “friend” persuaded her to re-finance in 2005 she figured she’d pay off all her debts and have enough left over to fix things around the house. Her house was appraised at $145k, she bought it for $64k so she was able to easily pull out $40k making her mortgage rise to $890 from $525.

Then the bubble burst. Lauren’s house depreciated a whopping $51k to $89k but her loan (after re-financing again – which is another whole scam) is now 104k. She’s underwater. All the equity is gone. It’s an old house so things are breaking down that Lauren can’t fix or replace. Her once Middle Class lifestyle is gone.

She’s selling off her family heirlooms to make back payments so her gas, electricity, water, Internet won’t be cut off.

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