I think it depends on a person's definition of poor. They're talking about low income, but when I was growing up, we always had food on the table, clothes to wear (hand-me-downs/rummage sales), dad worked hard for mom to stay home and take care of 5 kids (even if we did have to sit by the fireplace to get dressed those winter mornings) and we learned to be thankful for what we had. Even now, our income is way less than the lowest number, but I don't consider myself poor. After all, I still have fabric! Plus, I know we're blessed and thank God on a daily basis for what we have.

There's a difference between being disabled and really needing assistance and just not going out and pounding the pavement because their knee aches.....no matter what city a person lives in. The country was in recession during my parents lifetime and they learned how to live on practically nothing (passing that info on to their children) and people of today don't have a clue how to 'make-do' with what they have.

Sorry for the rant......

SharonG/FL

Rant on Sharon!!!!!
Those of us of a "certain age" know what you are saying, having been there, done that!
Theresa

Sharon,
You should stand behind a well dressed person driving a nice car and buying steak with a WIC (food stamps), it happens to us all of the time here.

We live in a rural, high poverty county with Title1 schools. I know more people on disability than working! In our paper a few weeks ago a couple had a bad fire in their home and was asking for community help. The woman stated in the paper, she was on disability, but could do office work if it was available. I thought disability was when you were not able to work at all!

We have migrant workers that get free day care, foods stamps, free baby supplies. And get this, a free cell phone comes with welfare now!

I know there are truly people that need help, but I see too many that are just too lazy to work.

WHEW, I feel better lol!!!!!!
Rosa

I can remember as a kid having to wash and reuse aluminum foil and did not have a working dishwasher and not always having a working dryer and hanging laundry out in winter months leaving my hands chapped and bleeding. I feel good that I can afford all the foil I want, have a dishwasher, and have a working dryer. I believe in using things up and wearing them out before replacing them.

Best to you,
Sandra

This post was edited by quiltingfox on Mon, Oct 28, 13 at 10:40

Even though I no longer need to use it up, make do and wear it out....I still do. Old habits die hard. I appreciate my "luxuries" but consider them that and have no difficulty passing up if I feel it is unworthy of the expense or need. I feel sorry for the generation that hasn't learned to live with "enough". I am grateful that I have always had "enough".

It's funny you mention aluminum foil. I was watching Julia Child DVD's and, on TV, she reaches for aluminum foil and it is clearly used, all crumpled but smoothed out and folded into a nice square for re-use. She unfolds it and puts it on a pot, stating "you don't need a lid for every single pot."

I, too come from a long line of "use it up, make do, and wear it outers", but there seem to be few of us left. Alabama is also one with more on public assistance than employed. It seems you can get disability because you can't control your temper here (no, I'm not kidding). Few people plant gardens or even remember how, but don't mind standing in line for food stamps (did you know you can purchase seeds with food stamps). I get strange looks when I mention canning tomatoes, drying apples, or making jelly/jam. While I don't object to helping those who need it, I do object those who make a living looking for hand outs.

There are few environmental laws here either and what industry we do have is allowed to dump their waste products willy-nilly with little regard to the health of people or wildlife. Some have even been allowed to bring in their own workers, so locals aren't even offered jobs.

OK, off my soap box.
beverly

Laughing here because the median income for your area is over five thousand more than mine and some of our surrounding counties think of us as affluent. This is the foothills of Appalachia and I moved back here from the foothills of the Ozarks. Was talking to a friend of mine who has an orchard and he pays his migrants a salary most folks here would be proud to make. Nobody talks about the rural poor anyhow. It's an invisible demographic. The up side of it is, we never knew we were poor until the government showed up with their grants and told us we were. LOL