Working paycheck to paycheck

By: Anna Gomenyuk

Take a few minutes to put yourself in these shoes: you’re working a full time job, more than 40 hours a week, getting paid minimum wage. You go grocery shopping buying the cheaper items and using coupons because you cannot afford to spend a lot, but need to put food on the table for your family. All bills and rent must be paid. By the end of the week, you know that you will have no money left in your bank account until the next paycheck comes, which will again be used to pay for something else. It’s a struggle to make ends meet. Unfortunately, this is the reality for millions of Americans today.

               

Above is a chart showing the Poverty Line for 2009-2010. For anyone with an income below the guidelines is considered poor. However, people having an income above the poverty guideline are struggling just as much and receive no help from the government. They work from pay check to pay check in order to support themselves and their families. Studies show that one out of every three families is low-income. The sad thing is that America is only increasing in the number of working poor. Since the recession began in 2007, millions of Americans have been laid off, received cut in pay, reduction in hours and were replaced as part time workers at their full time jobs.

There are many misconceptions that the working poor are not trying hard enough or are lazy. However, that is not the case. They work very hard to keep a roof over their heads and put food on the table. The government needs to understand that these people need financial help and things must change for them. 

Status in a New World

By:  Tyree V. Reese




I hope to touch on a superficial topic such as ''Status'' in this blog, to hopefully figure out why so much enfacise is placed on something so materialistic in this society. The definition of Social Status is the honor or prestige,  attached to one's position in society (one's social position). I never seemed to understand why so much Status and time are given to some of the most trivial people. The people that American's place on pedestals and fawn over is completely beyond me. Those celebrities are so fake and superficial that they go to extremes to keep the public's attention if only for just a mere second. Americans run to stores that they can't afford to be seen in the same shoes, car or just possessing the same items as ''Celebrities''.


Our society is losing its ability to think on its own. The average American family is hurting with this rescission, yet more than most will spend money on item they know they themselves cannot afford, just to be able to say that they brought it. 

This is why I believe that other cultures are more advanced than ours mentally, because Americans spend way to much time looking at a persons social status and what that person owns instead of their real addition to society as a whole. We as a people are to wrapped up in materialism to see that were drowning as a society.  Can any help me to fully understand why Americans are willing to risk life and limbs to be the first to say ''I brought it!'' When will this society start to value real accomplishments instead of glorified stupidity? I really want to know am I alone here in thinking that society's views of Status are messed up?

Why is money more important than human life

by Daniel Augustin

It seems like the people in power in America value  money over human life. Healthcare has rapidly turned into a luxury that most can't afford. How long can you live without being in good health? Why stress where is the money to fund healthcare for all ? The people in the government should say  let's save lives.  I' ve decided to use one of the most influential republican in the house of representatives out of Texas M.D. Ron Paul. 

In Both interviews Paul is against health care for all, he argues down and only bring negative points supporting his position .  Ron Paul feels like that health care is not a government issue and  feels that it denies freedom in this country, if the goverment interferes with the health care situation. Ron Paul doesn't like the idea of taking from the wealthy to make all healthy. Not only does certaint government offical feel money is more important than a person . In a hit song named " Money on my mind"  rapper lil Wayne states " New Orleans my birth place where money is more important than a person ."

I think its sad to see what the world has come to , how come were not wise enough to pick life over a piece of paper? I feel health care for all is a great idea. We are all  past due. I'm a victim of not having insurance it really affects my life and i can bet im not 100% because of it. Instead of seeing Obama is ruining this country i feel like he s trying to expand our lifespand.