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Blue_true

(31,261 posts)

51. I was born poor and was dirt poor all the way through college.

Fri Jul 19, 2019, 11:19 PM

Jul 2019

After college, when the moving company that the company that hired me showed up to pack me up, all I had was a small box of washed clothes, the sheets on my bed, an old bicycle and the cloths on my back. So don't lecture me on not knowing what it is like to be poor.

But, as I grew up and in college, I saw poor people routinely waste money that they could not afford to waste, even my parents. Rich people and solidly middleclass people can afford to waste money, I saw that in high school and throughout college, they recover from that or are simply not hurt by the waste to begin with. Poor people did not recover from the waste, something went unpaid for.

If we are going to expand the social safety net, one key element of that expansion is having people making sound decisions. If we do not set that requirement as a foundation, all we are going to do is waste money and continue to lose ground as a society.

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Parents Told They Could Lose Kids Over Unpaid School Lunches [View all] left-of-center2012 Jul 2019 OP

Surely, their is some wealthy individual out there who could send a check for $20,000 to the school richsonpoordad Jul 2019 #1

Or, you know, the whole policy could be chucked. WhiskeyGrinder Jul 2019 #4

Then how do lunches get paid for? Blue_true Jul 2019 #9

"there is no reason why a parent can't set aside $25 per week for a child." WhiskeyGrinder Jul 2019 #11

don't argue with them. they don't have empathy for people in a hard place. TeamPooka Jul 2019 #108

Reduced prices are below $5/day, if memory serves. Ilsa Jul 2019 #23

How did you come up with $300 per month. Blue_true Jul 2019 #37

Do you assume that every child's parent who cannot afford lunches is drinking or smoking? 33taw Jul 2019 #56

Post removed Post removed Jul 2019 #65

Uhm... pssst... school lunches are a boon to Big Ag jberryhill Jul 2019 #71

Do you have children? xmas74 Jul 2019 #109

That's very Libertarian of you. You think schools should have libraries & science labs... Hekate Jul 2019 #78

Excellent post. NT emmaverybo Jul 2019 #82

Thank you Hekate Jul 2019 #85

+1000. Crunchy Frog Jul 2019 #87

The tenor of many posts in this thread has me too sickened to keep participating Hekate Jul 2019 #89

Thank you for this yourmovemonkey Jul 2019 #99

Surely, the school could quit criminalizing low income citizens instead.... I like that better. Blue_Tires Jul 2019 #50

Who knows how to start a Go Fund me thing for this? TeamPooka Jul 2019 #2

Or hold a bake sale? Or beg on the street corner? Or do anything other than just feed kids... Hekate Jul 2019 #105

Oh for FS....... a kennedy Jul 2019 #3

Somewhere along the line gratuitous Jul 2019 #24

No One RobinA Jul 2019 #70

So it was totally fine of the school district to threaten that gratuitous Jul 2019 #86

This notion of ripping children away from their families has got to stop. Haggis for Breakfast Jul 2019 #41

It Takes A Lot More RobinA Jul 2019 #73

Stick your snark where the sun don't shine. Haggis for Breakfast Jul 2019 #110

If they qualify for free lunches for all students next year BigmanPigman Jul 2019 #5

Lose of industries and jobs. Blue_true Jul 2019 #12

Hopefully we can keep having kids as a choice. BigmanPigman Jul 2019 #15

punish the kids... threaten them with forster care... stillcool Jul 2019 #17

"Having children [is] a choice" WhiskeyGrinder Jul 2019 #18

Those places are either rapidly dying or slowly dying. Blue_true Jul 2019 #26

Okay wait, so you're saying people who can't pay school lunch debt should move? WhiskeyGrinder Jul 2019 #32

You really jumped the tracks. Blue_true Jul 2019 #63

Didn't have to jump anywhere to highlight your lack of understanding and empathy. WhiskeyGrinder Jul 2019 #93

You just don't follow the news regarding reproductive rights, do you? Hekate Jul 2019 #106

If school is mandatory, then states should provide meals. Lars39 Jul 2019 #6

I don't disagree about free lunches. But having kids is a choice. Blue_true Jul 2019 #13

Juggling exorbitant rent, high utilities, an ER bill plus dr bills, car repairs... Lars39 Jul 2019 #14

Then borrow the money from family to catch up. Blue_true Jul 2019 #28

And if family and friends are broke, too? Lars39 Jul 2019 #31

Then get the kids into the free lunch program or get enough food assistance to make the Blue_true Jul 2019 #59

spoken like a spoiled brat that has a family with money to borrow from questionseverything Jul 2019 #69

They should just ask their dad for small $1 million "loan" like Trump did. NYC Liberal Jul 2019 #90

while it's true, kids are the ones who will suffer AlexSFCA Jul 2019 #16

Post removed Post removed Jul 2019 #34

Your assumptions about the parents of these kids fit a right wing stereotype of the poor yourmovemonkey Jul 2019 #40

Poor people like rich people waste money on the wrong things. Blue_true Jul 2019 #49

I'd be interested in hearing mokawanis Jul 2019 #47

I was born poor and was dirt poor all the way through college. Blue_true Jul 2019 #51

You win most judgmental post of the day. TeamPooka Jul 2019 #55

I was born poor and lived poor through college. Blue_true Jul 2019 #61

I was too but I still have empathy for others TeamPooka Jul 2019 #68

It is not about not having empathy. Turning this into an emotional pissing contest accomplishes Blue_true Jul 2019 #72

rationalizing is a powerful drug. Hard to make it through the day without it. TeamPooka Jul 2019 #74

I have said what I have to say. nt Blue_true Jul 2019 #76

Good for you. TeamPooka Jul 2019 #107

As a society, we have chosen not to means-test parenthood. But... thesquanderer Jul 2019 #35

You are right about change. But even in difficult situations people can make choices. Blue_true Jul 2019 #54

You don't sound like you were ever poor. liberalmuse Jul 2019 #38

Exactly yourmovemonkey Jul 2019 #42

I grew up dirt poor and was poor throughout college. Blue_true Jul 2019 #57

NO. Having children isn't always a choice. Haggis for Breakfast Jul 2019 #45

Then people impacted by those government directives need to vote other people into office. Blue_true Jul 2019 #58

Voting new people into office is a solution for LOTS of things. But... thesquanderer Jul 2019 #95

The federal government does just that through the DURHAM D Jul 2019 #67

The talk is about free tuition at college, but why not free lunches for all? Merlot Jul 2019 #7

Jesus fucking Christ gopiscrap Jul 2019 #8

Because foster care is so much cheaper per day than lunch? panader0 Jul 2019 #10

IT'S NOT ABOUT OVERALL COSTS AND EFFECTIVENESS!!! THEY DIDN'T EARN THAT LUNCH!!! Sapient Donkey Jul 2019 #29

I live one school district over from WVW. ReformedGOPer Jul 2019 #19

I'm surprised they don't threaten them with their kids going to work camps JDC Jul 2019 #20

As a matter of fact, Jack Kingston Rep GA suggested making kids do jobs around the school for lunch. YOHABLO Jul 2019 #22

Sadly, he's still around, making the rounds as a "pundit." Haggis for Breakfast Jul 2019 #46

I knew Kingston from way back when. Went to high school with him. What a twerp. YOHABLO Jul 2019 #81

What are the socio economics of this school and district? There's needed info not provided here. YOHABLO Jul 2019 #21

I am curious how many people saw this letter and signed off on it thinking it was a good idea Sapient Donkey Jul 2019 #25

Did they plan on paying for the ER bills for those with peanut allergies ? Haggis for Breakfast Jul 2019 #48

In the U.S., every effing thing boils down to $$. Laffy Kat Jul 2019 #27

Ya gotta love those evangelical Christians. SCVDem Jul 2019 #30

It will cost more money to put each child into Doreen Jul 2019 #33

Children's Services and the court would not place children in foster care for not paying. Shrike47 Jul 2019 #36

What a horrible thing to do. Doreen Jul 2019 #44

Thank You! RobinA Jul 2019 #77

Not threatening? Snackshack Jul 2019 #39

Interesting diversity of opinions here drthais Jul 2019 #43

Yup jberryhill Jul 2019 #75

Taking Kids From Biological Parents DallasNE Jul 2019 #52

Utter Nonsense RobinA Jul 2019 #79

It looks like we found the s**thole Trump was talking about. Dawson Leery Jul 2019 #53

Where Lou Barletta is from durablend Jul 2019 #62

Casey lost the county to Louie. Dawson Leery Jul 2019 #64

The federal school lunch program provides free lunch to SED students. onecaliberal Jul 2019 #60

Here is some information on the National Lunch Program for DURHAM D Jul 2019 #66

I have a feeling there are people so poor they can't pay at all Hekate Jul 2019 #80

They don't need to. DURHAM D Jul 2019 #84

They need to sign up then Cosmocat Jul 2019 #96

The cruelty is the point, okay? The fact we even have to discuss this at DU as if there was ... Hekate Jul 2019 #83

Public schools should include lunch for every student. PoindexterOglethorpe Jul 2019 #88

The Office was set just up the road from here DeltaLitProf Jul 2019 #91

It's flown under the radar, but a few years DeminPennswoods Jul 2019 #92

Small claims court, maybe. But certainly not family court with foster care! no_hypocrisy Jul 2019 #94

Arggh Gothmog Jul 2019 #97

Sounds like the Wyoming Valley West School District Superintendent Buns_of_Fire Jul 2019 #98

Disgusting ck4829 Jul 2019 #100

in school district around me OkSustainAg Jul 2019 #101

Digusting Proud Liberal Dem Jul 2019 #102

People are being threatened to losing their children because they can't pay for their food? Pachamama Jul 2019 #103

The lawyer: superpatriotman Jul 2019 #104