Working poor struggle to get by. Our party is the only hope for such folks

[jackson_dem]

-snip-


Twenty-five dollars. That's all Sandra Walerski can spend in the Claymont Save-a-Lot today for a week's worth of groceries.

Walerski, 47, who lives in Trainer, Delaware County, travels over the Pennsylvania line to shop in tax-free Delaware - part of a mighty fight to keep her family of six afloat as the hard-time economy grows wide and deep.


-snip-

The family often faces months in which they owe about $800 more than they take in, debt they carry around like lead luggage. They always pay the water bill; they're slowly paying off the $1,500 they owe the electric company.

They haven't bought heating oil in three years. This winter, three space heaters and lots of sweaters provided the only warmth. ("You'd be surprised to see how fast everyone moves in the house in the morning," Walerski says.)

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/front_page/20080408_Working_poor_struggle_to_get_by.html

[keep_it_real]

1. The worst is yet to come, unfortunately, to America

Stock food now before it's tool late.

[Double T]

2. OURS is a nation of one pathetic disgrace after another.

We are a TOTALLY failed nation.

[Ichingcarpenter]

3. More Free Trade with Colombia!!!

Bill and Penn are working for that deal!!

[midnight]

4. This is such a difficult post to read. Also it is so unacceptable

to me when we have millionaires(most of our elected officials) getting free health care on our dime. Can our millionaires get their heads out of their asses and stop spying on us, and taxes us into poverty, and do their job. So sorry that all I can do is complain.

[Ichingcarpenter]

5. Mark Penn and Bill Clinton

Yeah!!!!! FREE TRADE!!!

NAFTA ROCKS!!!

[Ichingcarpenter]

6. This is what people think about NAFTA and those trade agreements

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3127426

[jackson_dem]

8. I agree. This is a big reason why I supported Edwards until he left

[otherlander]

7. I don't believe

that any party offers hope. I believe we should vote for Democrats to keep republicans out of office, and try to take back the Democratic party from within, but I don't believe that they, of all possible things, offer the most hope to the average American right now. I think that we're our only hope. We have to learn our own power again.

[Mojorabbit]

12. I agree

especially after what the Senate passed re the housing crisis. Most of that money isn't going to help the average homeowner. I don't see them changing their ways to help the little guys any time soon. We will get thrown a few small bones but that is about it.

[tavalon]

14. You are completely, totally right

They want to frame it as Republicans against Democrats but the curtain keeps falling off and the view is not pretty.

[readmoreoften]

17. You got it.

If the Democrats are the hope of the poor. The poor have no hope. We are our own hope. Strength in numbers is our hope.

[datasuspect]

19. the power the oligarchs in both parties fear the most is the power of the people

it's been that way forever in this country.

back in the 30s, before television and fast food, we came close to civil insurrection and socialism in this country. the "power" got a wake up call then.

people need to wake the fuck up.

[blindpig]

20. to hell with hope

Hope is illusion, delusion. Hope prevents action.

I'll take collective agency.

Hope equates with conditioned helplessness. May as well get down on your knees.

Fuck hope.

Remember the tale of Pandora's Box. Hope was in there, the most insidious of evils.

When ya stop hoping ya may get up off yer ass do something. (and that means me too)

[BlooInBloo]

9. But the working poor ALWAYS struggle to get by. That's what "working poor" MEANS.

[jackson_dem]

11. The point is "working poor" should be an oxymoron in a nation as wealthy as the US

[penguin7]

10. $25 will not buy a week's worth of groceries.

[Horse with no Name]

15. It can

if you do it right. The problem is...that it will exclude any fruits and veggies.
Stock up on beans and rice and mac and cheese.

[ulysses]

13. pretty thin hope, that.

[readmoreoften]

16. Our party hasn't done anything much for poor people, working or not, for ages.

If we cared about poverty, we'd fight free trade tooth and nail and overturn the agreements we've already passed. No Democrat will do that. The hope for the working poor is in organization and political struggle inside and outside of the labor movement.

[KillCapitalism]

18. The working poor do need a lot of help, however...

I have to agree with some of the posters who posted comments at the end of this article that it's a bit irresponsible to continue to have children you really cannot afford to care for. Their disregard for the environment is irresponsible too. This planet already has nearly 7 billion people on it and the people of this nation consume something like nearly 50% of the world's resources, yet these people want to continue breeding like rats?

Anyway, back onto the topic, they really should be able to qualify for food stamp assistance with an income of only $28K.