Canadian Healthcare from a Canadian...

[skinsguy]

Originally Posted by jsarno

It's all about priorities.
We have a program out here that helps poor people go to college for free. Do you know how many take advantage of that? Very few.

Being poor and being lazy are often connected.

Really? What programs are these?

[MTK]

Originally Posted by jsarno

It's all about priorities.
We have a program out here that helps poor people go to college for free. Do you know how many take advantage of that? Very few.

Being poor and being lazy are often connected.

I tell you what matty...you show me a guy that is HONESTLY doing everything he can to make it in life, and busting his ass, just getting the shit end of the stick, and I'll change my mind for him. Those are an extreme rarity.

Weren't you without a job for a while?

Just curious if you gave up any luxuries and if your priorities were straight.

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Weren't you without a job for a while?

Just curious if you gave up any luxuries and if your priorities were straight.

Yup, and absolutely I did.
I changed my eating habits, I changed my electricity habits. I had my truck up for sale (took it off when I got a job). I sold several collectible items as well. I used my wife's car instead of my truck cause her car gets about 15 miles more per gallon. Completely drained and shut off the circuit breaker to my hot tub. We used to go out to eat 2 or 3 times a week, and we didn't go out at all. I also planned ahead for a rainy day, so I lasted several months without having to go all out crazy to afford to live. I also did not have insurance, I took the chance there and didn't expect a single soul to help me. It was my problem, and I handled it. I had to adjust my priorities to fit my lifestyle. Not once did I put my hand out.

ps- it's killing me I can't think of that program...I'll ask around tomorrow. Maybe it's just a New Mexico thing...not sure...but I know some of the people I work with will know the program. I'll post it here tomorrow.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by jsarno

Yup, and absolutely I did.
I changed my eating habits, I changed my electricity habits. I had my truck up for sale (took it off when I got a job). I sold several collectible items as well. I used my wife's car instead of my truck cause her car gets about 15 miles more per gallon. Completely drained and shut off the circuit breaker to my hot tub. We used to go out to eat 2 or 3 times a week, and we didn't go out at all. I also planned ahead for a rainy day, so I lasted several months without having to go all out crazy to afford to live. I also did not have insurance, I took the chance there and didn't expect a single soul to help me. It was my problem, and I handled it. I had to adjust my priorities to fit my lifestyle. Not once did I put my hand out.

ps- it's killing me I can't think of that program...I'll ask around tomorrow. Maybe it's just a New Mexico thing...not sure...but I know some of the people I work with will know the program. I'll post it here tomorrow.

What's scary is you have an advanced degree and here you were without a job. Think about people out there without a degree or meaningful experience in place to fall back on. So many people just jump from dead end job to another. Once you're in that cycle it's not easy to climb out.

What if your period of unemployment lasted longer? What if you started exhausting all of your resources, it's possible at some point you might have had to ask for some help. You're lucky you didn't get to that point I guess.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

So I guess if you are poor you should just sit in the dark, have no furniture, and basically have no possessions that you might actually take any joy from.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

You take care of your needs before you take care of your wants.

In other words, you spend your money on shelter, food, water, heat, electicity, healthcare, and then if you have anything leftover, start taking care of your desires.

So yes, the poor should sit without cable TV until they can afford healthcare. Otherwise, they are complete pieces of shit in my book.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

You take care of your needs before you take care of your wants.

In other words, you spend your money on shelter, food, water, heat, electicity, healthcare, and then if you have anything leftover, start taking care of your desires.

So yes, the poor should sit without cable TV until they can afford healthcare. Otherwise, they are complete pieces of shit in my book.

All on minimum wage huh? Talk about stretching a dollar.

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

All on minimum wage huh? Talk about stretching a dollar.

Not a whole lot of people make min. wage.
Those that do, make it for a reason, and it's not cause they are exceptional employees.

[MTK]

Originally Posted by jsarno

Not a whole lot of people make min. wage.
Those that do, make it for a reason, and it's not cause they are exceptional employees.

Huh?

Why do we have so many people below the poverty line?

[jsarno]

The department of labor was the ones who told me about it, but I can't find it online right now. I must not be looking in the right areas.

At worst, I'll call them tomorrow...they'll know.

[MTK]

Wait a minute, so you chose to stay unemployed vs. taking a job you didn't want??

[jsarno]

Originally Posted by Mattyk72

Wait a minute, so you chose to stay unemployed vs. taking a job you didn't want??

I had the ability to take a job under ground and I would have had to lie about my claustrophobia. I probably could have worked at McDonalds, or Taco Bell too. Shitty jobs are always available.
There is ALWAYS a job you can have...from flipping burgers to digging ditches. Open a paper anywhere and there is always a job.
This job that I got came at the very last minute for me. I would have had to accept an extremely hard labor job had it not come through. But I planned ahead enough, and cut expenses enough for me to wait until a good job came around.

[FRPLG]

I wish there was some good way to quantify the "Poor Picture". There are many people who think that most poor people are just lazy or are simply poor due mostly to their own doing. There are just as many who think the exact opposite. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Based on my experiences and my knowledge I tend to think there are a lot more people out there who have financial difficulty because they refuse to act financially responsible rather than those whose situation is totally or even mostly out their control.

I do recognize though that I, as does probably everyone else on this board, have very limited point of view when it comes to this stuff.

[jsarno]

I called my buddy and asked him about that program, and he couldn't remember the name but said it was through the department of labor. He said his wife went and got her nursing degree...they paid for the college and paid around $150 a month too.
I'm going to call the DOL tomorrow to get the name of the program.

[jsarno]

FYI, I texted my friend that goes to NMSU (she does pay tuition) and I asked her how much she pays in non tuition per semester and she says $200 to $300 depending on the classes.
Sure it's not your area, but don't tell me it can't be done.

[skinsguy]

Originally Posted by jsarno

FYI, I texted my friend that goes to NMSU (she does pay tuition) and I asked her how much she pays in non tuition per semester and she says $200 to $300 depending on the classes.
Sure it's not your area, but don't tell me it can't be done.

What is your point with college? What can't be done? What is NMSU? By the way, I paid my tuition...it wasn't free. Yeah, I bet you $200 to $300 per credit hour.