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Offline bijou

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Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« on: June 25, 2008, 03:31:23 PM »
Quote
Crewleader (1000+ posts)       Sat Jun-07-08 12:19 AM
Original message
Sleeping in Cars in the USA
 Advertisements [?]by Mike Whitney / June 5th, 2008


Look around. The evidence of a withering economy is everywhere. In “good times” consumers shun the canned meat aisle altogether, but no more. Today, Spam sales are soaring; grocery stores can’t keep it on the shelves. Everyone is looking for cheaper ways to feed their families. The Labor Dept. assures us that core-inflation is only 4 per cent, but everybody knows it’s load of malarkey. Food prices are going through the roof. White bread is up 13 percent, bacon is up 7 percent and peanut butter is up 9 percent. Inflation is rampant and there’s no end in sight. The dollar is closing in on the peso and working people are struggling just to get by. The bottom line is that more and more people in “the richest country on earth” are now surviving on processed pig-meat. That says it all.

In Santa Barbara parking lots are being converted into hostels so that families that lost their homes in the subprime fiasco can sleep in their cars and not be hassled by the cops. The same is true in LA where tent cities have sprung up around the railroad yards to accommodate the growing number of people who’ve lost their jobs or can’t afford to rent a room on service-industry wages. It’s tragic. Everywhere people are feeling the pinch; that’s why 9 out of 10 Americans now believe the country is now headed in the wrong direction and that’s why consumer confidence is at its lowest ebb since the Great Depression. This is the great triumph of Reagan’s free trade “trickle down” Voodoo economics; whole families living out of their cars waiting for the pawn shop to open.

The economy is on life-support. The rest of the world would be doing us all a favor if they decided to chuck the dollar and boycott US financial products altogether. That would put an end to Wall Street’s chicanery once and for all. Foreign investors should be demanding restitution and impounding American assets to compensate for the trillions of dollars they lost in the subprime/securitization swindle. Litigate, litigate, litigate; that’s the only way to make the guilty parties pay for their crimes. Either that or set up a gallows on Wall Street and get down to business.

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/06/sleeping-in-cars-...
 
Quote
mike_c  (1000+ posts)       Sat Jun-07-08 12:47 AM
Response to Original message
1. there's been a guy living in his pickup behind my house for weeks now....
 I have an old detached garage that opens onto the alley behind my house-- it's a tiny rural town so the "alley" is just a dirt drive between back yards. The garage door is sealed closed, and a man parked his truck on the apron in front of the garage door a few weeks ago. He sleeps there at night. I hope he's OK.
Quote
rwenos  (1000+ posts)      Sat Jun-07-08 01:17 AM
Response to Original message
3. Free Fall
 I live in Cali now, but I lived in Portland, OR, in the early 1980's. Twenty-Five percent unemployment. Yeah, just like the Great Depression. (After that, my Mom quit saying "You didn't live through the Depression, you don't know . . . ")

Middle-Class Depression:
First signs: restaurants go belly up.
Next: independent gas stations, indy coffee shops and small independent retail shops; big corps lay off white collar workers
Then "nice" single mothers are seen on the streets, living in their cars.
People start leave town in desperation.
People start trying to get small businesses going. People go back to school. People try selling Amway or getting real estate licenses. People move home with parents. People get roommates. People lose insurance and start going to ER's, but only when they're REALLY sick.
More drinking. More divorces. More violence toward women and children. More violence generally.

It gets pretty ugly. And then you REALLY know it sucks, when people who are still doing well start showing off -- like, "Look at my Mercedes."

It's happening around us right now.
 
 
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defendandprotect  (1000+ posts)      Sat Jun-07-08 02:24 AM
Response to Original message
5. Welcome to the GOP's "third world America" . . . !!!!
 A superpower . . . . with 25% of our children living in poverty . . . and homelessness a huge

problem since the Reagan days ---

not to mention that he cut off so many disabled people that they began killing themselves --- !!1
Quote
fasttense (1000+ posts)      Sun Jun-15-08 07:57 AM
Response to Original message
13. Sleeping in cars is the modern day Hooverville or bushville.
 I was wondering where all the newly homeless families were going. I guess the poorest end up sleeping in their cars.

I feel like I've moved to a banana republic.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=114x39322#39323

I expect this all to end as soon as Obama is elected.
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Offline USA4ME

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #1 on: June 25, 2008, 03:42:03 PM »
Quote from:
Crewleader

Look around. The evidence of a withering economy is everywhere. In “good times” consumers shun the canned meat aisle altogether, but no more. Today, Spam sales are soaring; grocery stores can’t keep it on the shelves.



.
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Because third world peasant labor is a good thing.

Offline Peter3_1

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #2 on: June 25, 2008, 03:50:44 PM »
Back in the day I was working shares in the marine salvage buisaness in LA Harbor, CA. It was a shoestring operation, our tubboat was built in 1917, our wood barge before WW2. Often, we'd have a week with no income, so I'd be sleeping on the tug, revolver under the pillow, in Fish Harbor across from San Pedro.  Some days, I'd eat only once at Joe Biff's Cafe on Terminal Island. But I was working and learning a very hard trade, and that was enough at the time.

When I was eventually drafted, life was much easier.
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Offline franksolich

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #3 on: June 25, 2008, 04:02:03 PM »
I'm confused about something.

The mike_c primitive has a guy sleeping in a pick-up truck on his property.

The mike_c primitive is concerned for the guy.

The mike_c primitive is ostensibly a socialist, meaning "sharing."

Why doesn't the mike_c primitive invite the guy to live with him, in his house?

The mike_c primitive makes a big deal about having angrily "rejected" those values instilled in him as a little lad, but really, he never did.  The mike_c primitive remains a Kansas boy at heart, and nothing will change that.

So one expects the mike_c primitive to at least practice that world-famous Kansas hospitality.

I have no idea how the mike_c primitive can sleep at night.
« Last Edit: June 25, 2008, 04:04:05 PM by franksolich »
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apres moi, le deluge

Milo Yiannopoulos "It has been obvious since 2016 that Trump carries an anointing of some kind. My American friends, are you so blind to reason, and deaf to Heaven? Can he do all this, and cannot get a crown? This man is your King. Coronate him, and watch every devil shriek, and every demon howl."

Offline ReardenSteel

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #4 on: June 25, 2008, 04:04:25 PM »
Quote
The dollar is closing in on the peso
That's true, it was one US dollar to almost 11.2 Peso's a year ago.  :whatever:

http://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=MXN&submit=Convert
Currency Conversion Results
Jun 25
U.S. Dollar- 1 Jun 25 Mexican Peso-10.269

Quote
mike_c  (1000+ posts)       Sat Jun-07-08 12:47 AM
Response to Original message
1. there's been a guy living in his pickup behind my house for weeks now....
 I have an old detached garage that opens onto the alley behind my house-- it's a tiny rural town so the "alley" is just a dirt drive between back yards. The garage door is sealed closed, and a man parked his truck on the apron in front of the garage door a few weeks ago. He sleeps there at night. I hope he's OK.

Bullshit. You hope he's OK? Why, after all those weeks have you not bothered to freakin find out? Is he safe? Are you safe with him there? What kind of a impotent douchebag does nothing (for weeks) but whine and moan when a troubled human being moves into their backyard?




 
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"When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed."

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http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=1826

Offline ReardenSteel

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #5 on: June 25, 2008, 04:06:31 PM »
Quote from: franksolich on June 25, 2008, 04:02:03 PM
I'm confused about something.

The mike_c primitive has a guy sleeping in a pick-up truck on his property.

The mike_c primitive is concerned for the guy.

The mike_c primitive is ostensibly a socialist, meaning "sharing."

Why doesn't the mike_c primitive invite the guy to live with him, in his house?

The mike_c primitive makes a big deal about having angrily "rejected" those values instilled in him as a little lad, but really, he never did.  The mike_c primitive remains a Kansas boy at heart, and nothing will change that.

So one expects the mike_c primitive to at least practice that world-famous Kansas hospitality.

I have no idea how the mike_c primitive can sleep at night.

Your right and you beat me to the punch while I looked up exchange rates, lol. H5 for that.


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"When you see that trading is done, not by consent, but by compulsion - when you see that in order to produce, you need to obtain permission from men who produce nothing - when you see that money is flowing to those who deal, not in goods, but in favors - when you see that men get richer by graft and by pull than by work, and your laws don't protect you against them, but protect them against you - when you see corruption being rewarded and honesty becoming a self-sacrifice - you may know that your society is doomed."

- Ayn Rand
http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=1826

Offline DumbAss Tanker

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #6 on: June 25, 2008, 04:07:19 PM »
Great, I love Spam!  Sliced and fried crispy, made into a sammich with butter or margarine, Yum!

 :evillaugh:
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Offline franksolich

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #7 on: June 25, 2008, 04:21:09 PM »
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apres moi, le deluge

Milo Yiannopoulos "It has been obvious since 2016 that Trump carries an anointing of some kind. My American friends, are you so blind to reason, and deaf to Heaven? Can he do all this, and cannot get a crown? This man is your King. Coronate him, and watch every devil shriek, and every demon howl."

Offline MrsSmith

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #8 on: June 25, 2008, 05:15:12 PM »
Quote
White bread is up 13 percent, bacon is up 7 percent and peanut butter is up 9 percent.

Come on, no self-respecting lib is still eating unhealthy, low fiber white bread, high-fat pork bacon, or high-fat peanut butter.  Crewleader has to be a troll...

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Offline MrsSmith

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #9 on: June 25, 2008, 05:17:15 PM »
Quote from: franksolich on June 25, 2008, 04:02:03 PM
I'm confused about something.

The mike_c primitive has a guy sleeping in a pick-up truck on his property.

The mike_c primitive is concerned for the guy.

The mike_c primitive is ostensibly a socialist, meaning "sharing."

Why doesn't the mike_c primitive invite the guy to live with him, in his house?

The mike_c primitive makes a big deal about having angrily "rejected" those values instilled in him as a little lad, but really, he never did.  The mike_c primitive remains a Kansas boy at heart, and nothing will change that.

So one expects the mike_c primitive to at least practice that world-famous Kansas hospitality.

I have no idea how the mike_c primitive can sleep at night.

mike_c is a lib...he can't help the guy unless mike_c's neighbor is out of town, so he can "borrow" the neighbor's house for the guy.
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Offline BlueStateSaint

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #10 on: June 25, 2008, 06:08:54 PM »
Quote from: ReardenSteel on June 25, 2008, 04:06:31 PM
Quote from: franksolich on June 25, 2008, 04:02:03 PM
I'm confused about something.

The mike_c primitive has a guy sleeping in a pick-up truck on his property.

The mike_c primitive is concerned for the guy.

The mike_c primitive is ostensibly a socialist, meaning "sharing."

Why doesn't the mike_c primitive invite the guy to live with him, in his house?

The mike_c primitive makes a big deal about having angrily "rejected" those values instilled in him as a little lad, but really, he never did.  The mike_c primitive remains a Kansas boy at heart, and nothing will change that.

So one expects the mike_c primitive to at least practice that world-famous Kansas hospitality.

I have no idea how the mike_c primitive can sleep at night.

Your right and you beat me to the punch while I looked up exchange rates, lol. H5 for that.




RS, H5.  Coach, should I, every time I come onto the site, just H5 you for something that I'm gonna see that you typed?  This is one more of those . . . ;)
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Offline DixieBelle

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #11 on: June 25, 2008, 06:31:29 PM »
Oh my. I guess they don't notice the irony of being to able to post on DU while people starve in driveways.

Idjits.
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Offline djones520

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #12 on: June 26, 2008, 12:39:05 AM »
I make 26k a year, and I'm the only income with a wife and child.

I have never bought SPAM.
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Offline JohnnyReb

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #13 on: June 26, 2008, 03:44:03 AM »
Spam is the high priced canned meat..........call me when they're down to buying Treet, the cheap imitation Spam.
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Offline Carl

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #14 on: June 26, 2008, 06:47:49 AM »
The original source link..... 

http://www.dissidentvoice.org/2008/06/sleeping-in-cars-...
 

If you take a look you will find that there is no evidence provided to support his claims and a google search didn`t find any for me either.
Perhaps someone can find corroborating evidence of people living in their cars in Santa Barbara patking lots.
The only thing I found about "tent cities" was about one in Ontario (not Canada) but a suburb of LA it seems.
It is not a cut and dried situation of people suffering in a poor economy but more of one of chronic homlessness.
That was just a quick reading of some articles so more research is needed.

The linked website reveals he lives in Washington state so if he made a trip and saw this all firsthand he should have provided photographic evidence.

My take is that is more of the same that passes for credibility at the DUmp...a circular scam of blog articles regurgitated on leftist sites then sourced again by other blogs and around it goes.

Listen to Frank when he says always check primitive "sources".
They are most likely phony.
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #15 on: June 26, 2008, 07:12:09 AM »
Quote from: djones520 on June 26, 2008, 12:39:05 AM
I make 26k a year, and I'm the only income with a wife and child.


 :rofl:  :lies:  :-)
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There's a reason why patriotism is considered a conservative value. Watch a Tea Party rally and you'll see people proudly raising the American flag and showing pride in U.S. heroes such as Thomas Jefferson. Watch an OWS rally and you'll see people burning the American flag while showing pride in communist heroes such as Che Guevera. --Bob, from some news site

Offline djones520

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #16 on: June 26, 2008, 07:18:59 AM »
Quote from: Rebel on June 26, 2008, 07:12:09 AM
Quote from: djones520 on June 26, 2008, 12:39:05 AM
I make 26k a year, and I'm the only income with a wife and child.


 :rofl:  :lies:  :-)

Hey, my only taxable income is 26k a year.  The IRS doesn't care about the other 10k or so in benefits I make, so I don't need to tell anyone else about it.  :tongue:
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Offline Rebel

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #17 on: June 26, 2008, 07:26:49 AM »
Quote from: djones520 on June 26, 2008, 07:18:59 AM
Hey, my only taxable income is 26k a year.  The IRS doesn't care about the other 10k or so in benefits I make, so I don't need to tell anyone else about it.  :tongue:

Yeah, I thought I didn't make a lot. Until I ETS'd as an E-5 and got a higher paying job in Atlanta. Then I really didn't make a lot.  :-)
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There's a reason why patriotism is considered a conservative value. Watch a Tea Party rally and you'll see people proudly raising the American flag and showing pride in U.S. heroes such as Thomas Jefferson. Watch an OWS rally and you'll see people burning the American flag while showing pride in communist heroes such as Che Guevera. --Bob, from some news site

Offline djones520

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #18 on: June 26, 2008, 07:29:31 AM »
Quote from: Rebel on June 26, 2008, 07:26:49 AM
Quote from: djones520 on June 26, 2008, 07:18:59 AM
Hey, my only taxable income is 26k a year.  The IRS doesn't care about the other 10k or so in benefits I make, so I don't need to tell anyone else about it.  :tongue:

Yeah, I thought I didn't make a lot. Until I ETS'd as an E-5 and got a higher paying job in Atlanta. Then I really didn't make a lot.  :-)

Well, when you tally it all together, I'm still only making about half to 1/4th of what I could be making on the outside.
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Offline DixieBelle

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #19 on: June 26, 2008, 10:25:23 AM »
Carl - excellent work!

I remember us talking about the Ontario tent city once before. I'm not sure where, or what DUmmie mentioned it, but it was your typical "OMG!!111, Teh sky is falling!!" stuff.

Here's a link about the tent city. It's called Camp Hope - http://www.hoanewsnetwork.com/media/news/tent-city-in-ontario-offers-shelter-services.php

DUmmie indignation Round One (April 2008) - http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x3206887
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I can see November 2 from my house!!!

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Forget change, bring back common sense.
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No, my friends, there’s only one really progressive idea. And that is the idea of legally limiting the power of the government. That one genuinely liberal, genuinely progressive idea — the Why in 1776, the How in 1787 — is what needs to be conserved. We need to conserve that fundamentally liberal idea. That is why we are conservatives. --Bill Whittle

Offline jtyangel

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #20 on: June 26, 2008, 10:35:13 AM »
This is the left's hysterical stuff I was talking about in another thread. Areas of California extended loans to people barely above poverty level for 300k homes and now those people are on the street and that is supposed to reflect the rest of the country? I agree inflation is up. Liberals fail to see how policies THEY supported helped to get to this point and their idea is to institute yet another likely to fail policy to 'eliminate' more consequences of irresponsibility. The ONLY thing I'll agree with them on is that businesses should feel some of the repercussions for bad decisions too. Both the individuals and the mortgage companies do NOT deserve a bail out, however they should understand that many businesses have already felt the pinch. Bear Stearns went under and is now part of JPMorgan due to their heavy investments and packaging of mortgage market investments. Ugh, it's just an ugly mess. But as a country when there is some failure in business or policy, we all have to bear the brunt. This is an important reason why when times are good, we need to shuffle some money away and I'm as guilty of ignoring that as anyone else.
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Offline jukin

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #21 on: June 26, 2008, 11:58:03 AM »
First off, I live in Santa Barbara. Average price for a house here is a little over one million dollars. It is in the top three most expensive places to live. We have always had a homeless problem here, nothing new.  90% of the homeless are people that have decided not to be a net contributor to society or as my dad called them, bums. We keep giving the bums more and more and guess what?  We get more and more bums.   IMHO, bums do not deserve to be subsidized to live in a very expensive area.  It is cheap to house them in the desert.  There I will take the cost benefit ratio.

BTW, I live between 6-8 weeks in my car.  It just happens to be an RV. A big old polluting V8.  That I leave idling all the time.
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Offline vlad335

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Re: Sleeping in Cars in the USA
« Reply #22 on: June 26, 2008, 05:29:00 PM »
Quote
bijou

I expect this all to end as soon as Obama is elected.

Haha! The very same day like it never happened!
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