In the Realm of the “Poor” (L-O-N-G)

Arguments abound as to what POOR is specifically. Some say it’s an attitude, others say it’s a lack of money; others say it’s a lack of knowledge, and still others say it’s the rich swooping down on their prey. Vulnerable, victimized, poverty-stricken—all terms associated with “being poor.”

“Poor”, as it turns out, is a whole separate world from the mainstream. It has become a discrimination marker that doesn’t involve race or religion, since those have been outlawed. The final remaining legal discriminator is green, which involves money, and this makes discrimination as faceless as it can be—reducing it to sheer numbers of FICO, credit scores, insurability, and purchasing power. Hopelessness seems to start in the wallet and emanate out from there.

Here are some tales of what mainstream people have found as part and parcel of the “poor” economic environment:

“I live in the NYC Metro area. Today, on my way home, I decided to take a "shortcut" to avoid some traffic, and got lost in the Bronx. I parked my truck, and stopped at a store to get a drink.

Can of Coke: $1.00
Snickers Bar: $1.00

I was hungry and thirsty, so I paid. But normally I think this would have cost me $0.50 or $0.75 based on grocery store prices, and buying soda in cases and Snickers bars in packages of 10.

Here's a short list of what you can spend money on in a not-so-nice neighborhood:

Other Stuff in the Corner Store I stopped at: Small loaf of bread $1.50, Generic Detergent $4.00, Quart of Motor Oil $2.00. I'd write more, but you get the idea.

Check Cashing Store: "We cash any check, 2% fee." "Money Orders $1.50". The store was standing room only with people waiting to cash checks.

Electronics Store: "We finance". A few months ago I bought 13" TV/VCR combination units for my siblings to take to college and paid $150 a piece. At this store the cash price was $250, but you could finance that for $28/month for a year. I think that comes out to $336, which is 25% APR.

Pawn Shop: I actually went in, asked how much I could get for my watch. $55.00. I had 30 days to pay back the $55.00 loan + $7.95 handling fee + $13.75 interest = $76.70. I asked if I could pay before 30 days, and the gentleman assured me I could, but it would still be $76.70.

There were more stores, but I didn't want to go in any more, so I left.”

And another:

“I have a friend who managed a convenience store a while back. Some article he couldn't move at $.29 FLEW off the shelves when he made it 3/$1.00. For the record, his store was not in a dying neighborhood and his customers represented a cross-section of the population as a whole.

I went to Wal-Mart just this morning when I picked up a 12-pack of Charmin for $3.48, only to notice 4-packs of the same tissue not ten feet away for $1.12 each. I left the store with 12 rolls of toilet paper: you guess how many packages!”

And another:

"Got the kids this weekend, Darl?" asked the clerk.

The man in front of me at the convenience store said, "Yep. Got caught up on my support, and she let me have 'em this weekend."

Darl's picnic supplies included 'dogs, buns, charcoal, condiments, a box of diapers, and some other things. His three urchins, meanwhile, kept running around the store and bringing suckers, candy bars, Gummy Bears, and so forth to "Darl," who approved most of it. One unwashed urchin lugged a 2-liter of pop to the counter.

"Go put that s*** back!" snarled "Darl" loudly. Then, "Darl" proceeded to profanely nix a few other things. He then pulled out his chain wallet, extended it, withdrew his money, paid. He turned as if to leave. "Hold on!"

"Are those there tickets them Bingo ones?" he asked the beleaguered clerk. "I'll take 50 of 'em."

And my personal favorite:

“Laurieann Cossey has always struggled with her weight. Four years ago, she was diagnosed with diabetes. Now, six months pregnant and struggling to get by, the single mother tries to make sure her 1-year-old son gets the fruits and vegetables he needs.

Cossey, a 43-year-old community college student, and her son, Andrew, survive on food stamps, trips to the food bank, and a state program for pregnant women and their children that provides essentials such as dairy products, fruit juice and cereal.
She knows they should both be eating more fruits and vegetables. But the foods on the government's new food pyramid are too expensive. Pasta, canned vegetables and hamburger are much more likely to be on Cossey's table. Boxed macaroni and cheese costs less than a dollar to feed the whole family, whereas a fresh chicken breast and steamed vegetables cost about $2.60.

Diana Crane, a spokeswoman for PCC Natural Markets in Seattle, argues that educated consumers can still find fresh food bargains. "Many types of produce remain very affordable, such as potatoes and many greens, many under $1 per pound," she said.
Crane said PCC would be happy to see more funding for government programs that get produce to low-income families…”

I don’t know if poverty can be the result of ONE thing—so far, from these examples of the working and living poor, it looks like a combination of things: poor decision-making, lack of information, lack of self-sufficiency, and lack of perseverance. These things can run generations deep in some families, as we saw in New Orleans and elsewhere.

A pregnant woman who already cannot adequately feed herself and her existing child—should she be having another? Some will say yes, some will say no. A man who chooses to celebrate bringing his child support payments current with a shopping/Lotto spree in a convenience store—does he know his money would go a lot further in a regular grocery store, or did he just happen to stop at the first place in his path for those things? We may never know. And that convenience store clerk who re-priced his canned goods for quicker sale—was he actively duping his clientele, or just harnessing the power of clever psychological marketing? It depends on how you look at it, and the circumstances framing your view.

Lastly, how guilty are any of these people of not doing more to help themselves? At least two out of the three people portrayed above could have benefited heavily from a home garden (even a container garden). At least two out of the three could have benefited more by shopping at a regular grocery store. And at least one could’ve benefited from subsidized transportation, which some communities offer. And one more could’ve benefited from privately-subsidized birth control. And all could’ve benefited from the existing Local Produce Coupon program, where local produce purchases at farmer’s markets are completely subsidized during harvest season (and it’s running NOW).

The word “can’t” seems to come up a lot, and perhaps drives the mentality of some people—sometimes the word “won’t” is more accurate. We need to teach them how to say the word “can” and mean it. We need to show them how. I personally have a strong feeling the government ought to get involved for those using food subsidy programs—recipients need to know how to use the programs to their best advantage, rather than just chow down on Uncle Sam’s dime. If WIC and food stamp clients were taught how to shop more effectively (through per-unit prices and nutritional content), the programs would accomplish a lot more than just merely “feeding” people…think of the Medicare benefits in decreased doctor visits!