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You know how I describe the economic and social classes in this country? The upper class keeps all of the money, pays none of the taxes. The middle class pays all of the taxes, does all of the work. The poor are there just to scare the shit out of the middle class… keep on showing up at those jobs.
-George Carlin, 1992
Y’all Americans should look up Victorian Debtors Prisons and Workhouses.
Because that’s what the conservatives want to bring back.
I’m not saying they’re already back but years ago I knew a guy whose child got hit by a car a spent a week ish in the hospital before dying. He was young, not married to the mother of his child, financially liable for the bill, and uninsured. He ended up not being able to pay the bill and got sued by the hospital. He lost the case and the judge ended up finding him in contempt for not paying the bill and he got sentenced to like 6 months in jail.
That is extremely fucked up.
I mean, you get a blanket in jail. Plus food and health care, shelter…
Brb, I’m gonna do a crime and fix my life.
And they get slave labour.
what case is this about?
The “blanket” part is because “clearing encampments” typically means jailing unhoused people and shoveling their possessions into dumpsters. So one question before the Court is whether police can throw away unhoused people’s possessions without due process, ie, whether unhoused people have property rights or not.
Most of us are afraid to admit that we could be the next person on the streets. None of us are immune from poverty, misfortune, unemployment, addiction, or mental illness. There but for the grace of god go I…
There are literally people who have committed crimes to end up in jail because then they get food and shelter. And people who make minimum wage might as well be homeless cause I have no idea how people can even buy food with that little money.
Cost of living wage where I live is $25.88/h. …and it’s a rural area. Just a regular New England small town. The cheaper areas are $23.50ish. the data for these number was updated by MIT yesterday.
America is really a nation of slaves. Ide need more then 2 fulltime jobs to live on my own. …since jobs still start around $8-10/h here.
Basically the options are slavery, homelessness, or suicide. Oh or slavery within prison.
The option is to be a slave owner yourself.
Living wage in my area is $20.67 (for single person no kids and assumes housing is only $765/mth which is hard to find). Lots of places still pay in the 8-10 range, and 15 is super common for stuff because “it’s a low cost area, you get low cost wages”. 20+ is hard to find even with a degree, unless you already have years of experience under your belt, which you can’t get because you need to have years under your belt to get the years under your belt… so basically unless you get real lucky real early, it’s almost impossible to find a living wage job around here.
And don’t forget that something like 40% of people who are unhoused have a job, but still can’t afford rent.
