General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: The Republican campaign to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients is working as expected. [View all]Marthe48
(16,935 posts)but over 40 years ago. We rented a house for $35.00/month, utilities were $5 or $10/month each, gas was .39 cents/gal. Bacon was .79/lb hamb. was .49/lb, loaf of bread .10 cents. potatoes .03/ lb in a 100 lb. bag. It cost us $300.00 for the hospital, which we paid, and delivery of our first baby, about $400.00 for our 2nd, which by then my husband was working and had ins., which paid that bill. So it was easier than it is now. I can't even imagine.
We were just on our feet, and bought a house and 9 acres for 9500.00, when the recession hit in 1974. Gas went to .79/gal, overnight, because the U.S. upped the price on weapons and the Shah of Iran said Allah told him to raise the price of oil, so I heard at the time. Blew our economy out of the water. No work for 26 months. We got through, because the state and federal government kept extending the unemployment benefits. Everyone we knew was in the same boat. The guys went looking for work all around, even out of state. My sister-in-law and I got short term odd jobs, that helped for a week or two. Maybe living in poverty short term can be done, but some of the poverty, and I know people who can tell you, is generational, and families don't know anything different.
I think there must be a better way than what we have, but adding to the burden that poor people already have is cruel. No one needs to pee in a gold toilet and to have a gold toilet when others have an outhouse is cruel.