I really think the Republicans are not aware of how their ‘Class Warfare’ mantra is going to backfire.

In a country where so many states are seeing double-digit unemployment and a country where 1 in 6 people are in the throws of poverty, I don’t think ANYONE feels bad for or doesn’t want those who pay very little, to pay a little more.

There’s one thing that has me conflicted. I understand that many people feel, regardless of their actual dollar amount income, they do enough for their community, their society. A man with a small business who spends gobs of money on health insurance for his staff and keeping up with expenses is, in concept, paying his share.

But the reality is that your income is taxable at a rate and so many people with larger salaries spend the extra money for accountants to find every deduction, every penny reimbursement, every way around the tax code. 

Big ups to the Small Business Man (whoever HE is) who makes $300k in income, but he is, most definitely, NOT paying at that income bracket. He has deducted every single receipt, every expense, every Amazon book he’s ever ordered, to lower his bracket.

It’s disingenuous, at best, to assume that those in higher income brackets are actually PAYING those taxes. Where the discrepancy lies is with those with meager incomes who are, in fact, paying exactly what they owe and should.

It’s Class Warfare, alright. It’s a continued assault on the people who do not have the means or access to skirt the system. 

I just want to say hello to everyone and welcome to my chronicles of being on the dole.

I had a few things I wanted to add from my initial introduction.

I am not here to dissect my, or anyone else’s, personal economics. You make what you make and you live the life that you have and this is a judgment-free zone.

But that also goes both ways. I am not here to solicit sympathy, charity or pity. My family is in this financial situation and this is the new normal. That’s it.

This wasn’t some massive fall from grace, wherein previously we ate out every night, had Cristal in the frig and pooped on golden thrones. We have been living on the precipice of financial ruin for a few years. Poor choices, inadequate information and the shitty US economy/job market have led us to where we are today.

So. I don’t plan on outlining every single financial line item and breaking it down to show what was and what is but I will outline my personal economic issues:

I have contributed towards my household significantly, financially. However, during the 2010 election year cycle, I took a job that did not pay well, for the experience and for the future work. During that time, we purchased a home. Any excess cash we had went towards the purchase. Therein, we lived paycheck to paycheck, literally.

Sadly, I was laid off on February 2011. I immediately went on unemployment, but was unable to find work for 7 months. My unemployment payments did not help us make all of our ends meet and therefore, we fell into arrears.

We couldn’t dig out of the hole and to make matters worse, bubba lost his job; his employer did not renew his contract in the spring.

Yeah.

We officially went into the red.

And have been scraping by ever since; we almost lost our home, I couldn’t pay anything towards my debt (FYI, I am still paying for my college debt) and it was terrifying.

In July I began the process of seeking out financial assistance. My dad gave us an emergency loan so I could buy groceries and pay bills. We’d been living without health insurance since February, so I looked into state insurance, WE QUALIFIED! I researched food stamps and lo and behold, we qualified there, too.

I am pretty ashamed and embarrassed and disgusted with myself. But at the same time, I don’t really know what I would’ve done differently. All I can do now is put my head down and push through the storm.

My current job is fantastic. Unfortunately, is a low-paying job. It offers no benefits and I am a contractor, paid by the hour. Therefore, I don’t have time off, benefits for my family or really any relief, especially since it’s all the income we have for the time being.

But, at the same time, I plan on discussing how these programs work, what they are for and who needs them, and I guarantee, based on my very limited research, you will be surprised. I am happy to say that medical health care and supplemental food benefits exist and are helpful.

So. Here we are. It may be depressing, but since this is rock bottom, the only way is up, right?

I’m rosasparks. I have another blog where I rant about my period and politics and my fucked-up hair and smelling bad and eating too many cookies. Those of you who are here probably follow me over there.

Here I plan on talking about my experiences as new member on the rolls of Medicare and SNAP/WIC/FOOD STAMPS.

I’ll probably steer clear of random rants and just stick to the task at hand; which I think is about trying to talk about what these programs do and how they work and what they actually mean.

This is a learning experience for me and I really wanted an outlet where I could barf all my sadness, confusion, and whatever else I was thinking about.

So hey.