(no subject)

So the Star ( a largely hack written right wing rag) has this big 15 500!!!! splashed on the cover with the word PANHANDLERS! on it. The fine print: that's how many charges and fines they have as a lot.

Of course, my first thought is...what's the average rate of unpaid fine amongst the working? amongst bay streeters?

Oh, right, we're talking those icky poors and how they're fleecing the city....except not, since we want to pull down social housing units and integrate them into market housing.

Oh, wait, its damn hard to rent here if you're on welfare, no job, no refs, no credit. how do you think we wound up at roachy towers? And that took a week and a raft of paperwork. People with less won't have a chance. and private housing is going to cherrypick for their liking.

So no, no shock that fining people doesn't magically make someone LESS poor. And try getting a job when you have no safe place to sleep, no place to shower. Employers are rather loathe to hire someone smelling of pee and having concrete impressions on their face. Funny that.

I was once on welfare, at the edge of homelessness, at the edge of going into prostitution to make ends meet. I was living on a pittance, and i could NOT catch a goddamned break, because jobs go to the pretty, trendily dressed and my resume, for love or money could NOT seem to get me hired. ( funny now since every job I've had has been a long term gig and I one of the most reliable guaranteed to save your ass" sorts going.)

I caught the break. I gamed the system. YOU are supposed to get it together every day and game a system of social services, stacked against your success. if you play by the rules, you will not win.

I did marry, but he's a good guy and that did contribute to some stability, though I don't think it's a guarantee for all to do so. I got job training. I worked. I had little to save and my job eventually did nearly drive me to suicide, but I did get that credit rating, unemployment benefits when I left, and re-training for a better job.

one job opens the door. One damn cel phone bought with money earned under the table, and a set of interview clothes that wasn't in tatters, and an address, got me a fucking job. Not telling me to bootstrap myself, and then throwing up more barriers.

The social services provided by my country and province and city, did help, at the same time they hindered.

And yet, we think if we just scold the poor, they'll magically become non-poor.

Speaking as someone formerly poor, but not super rich: to all those people who think that they have the moral right to scold and tsk and flail, thanks. Your mentality that welfare recips are nothing but lazy thieves so why bother....well, no wonder it was SO damn hard to find work. Thanks. You're a help. Really appreciated that grinding stereotype on top of a system gone bad. My cel? OH THE HORROR. it got me the job.

You can thank that 100 buck cel bought with 200 bucks of working under the table, for getting me off welfare 15 years ago: 90k in welfare I haven't needed in that time.

SO. take your pick. offer assistance, real assistance, or tsk at how the poor just keep being poor and how your taxes are wasted. Me? I think the long term smart move is to give people a hand up, and yes, even a handout sometimes. Because telling people they're shit and will amount to shit and deserve shit till they prove themselves isn't a working scenario.

but hey. You can feel free to send me that 90k.I'll make sure it goes to actually helping people as I was once helped.

I don't have swaths of money these days, but I donate when and where I can and I don't gritch and grumble about my taxes going to the icky, because I was once there. I've walked in those worn boots that leak and I've faced the stares and judgements.

( I've worked with and hired, from welfare, and I haven't the least regret. They were great people. When i start my business in full, and need to hire, I damn well hope to return the favor.)

dear toronto star: bite my lefty (but should vote con because it benefits me alone apparently) shiny metal ass.

According to some, I deserve none of this. or you'd sing bootstraps!! which it should be said, describes an impossible task. You cannot "pull yourself up by the bootstraps."

(no subject)

So the Star ( a largely hack written right wing rag) has this big 15 500!!!! splashed on the cover with the word PANHANDLERS! on it. The fine print: that's how many charges and fines they have as a lot.

Of course, my first thought is...what's the average rate of unpaid fine amongst the working? amongst bay streeters?

Oh, right, we're talking those icky poors and how they're fleecing the city....except not, since we want to pull down social housing units and integrate them into market housing.

Oh, wait, its damn hard to rent here if you're on welfare, no job, no refs, no credit. how do you think we wound up at roachy towers? And that took a week and a raft of paperwork. People with less won't have a chance. and private housing is going to cherrypick for their liking.

So no, no shock that fining people doesn't magically make someone LESS poor. And try getting a job when you have no safe place to sleep, no place to shower. Employers are rather loathe to hire someone smelling of pee and having concrete impressions on their face. Funny that.

I was once on welfare, at the edge of homelessness, at the edge of going into prostitution to make ends meet. I was living on a pittance, and i could NOT catch a goddamned break, because jobs go to the pretty, trendily dressed and my resume, for love or money could NOT seem to get me hired. ( funny now since every job I've had has been a long term gig and I one of the most reliable guaranteed to save your ass" sorts going.)

I caught the break. I gamed the system. YOU are supposed to get it together every day and game a system of social services, stacked against your success. if you play by the rules, you will not win.

I did marry, but he's a good guy and that did contribute to some stability, though I don't think it's a guarantee for all to do so. I got job training. I worked. I had little to save and my job eventually did nearly drive me to suicide, but I did get that credit rating, unemployment benefits when I left, and re-training for a better job.

one job opens the door. One damn cel phone bought with money earned under the table, and a set of interview clothes that wasn't in tatters, and an address, got me a fucking job. Not telling me to bootstrap myself, and then throwing up more barriers.

The social services provided by my country and province and city, did help, at the same time they hindered.

And yet, we think if we just scold the poor, they'll magically become non-poor.

Speaking as someone formerly poor, but not super rich: to all those people who think that they have the moral right to scold and tsk and flail, thanks. Your mentality that welfare recips are nothing but lazy thieves so why bother....well, no wonder it was SO damn hard to find work. Thanks. You're a help. Really appreciated that grinding stereotype on top of a system gone bad. My cel? OH THE HORROR. it got me the job.

You can thank that 100 buck cel bought with 200 bucks of working under the table, for getting me off welfare 15 years ago: 90k in welfare I haven't needed in that time.

SO. take your pick. offer assistance, real assistance, or tsk at how the poor just keep being poor and how your taxes are wasted. Me? I think the long term smart move is to give people a hand up, and yes, even a handout sometimes. Because telling people they're shit and will amount to shit and deserve shit till they prove themselves isn't a working scenario.

but hey. You can feel free to send me that 90k.I'll make sure it goes to actually helping people as I was once helped.

I don't have swaths of money these days, but I donate when and where I can and I don't gritch and grumble about my taxes going to the icky, because I was once there. I've walked in those worn boots that leak and I've faced the stares and judgements.

( I've worked with and hired, from welfare, and I haven't the least regret. They were great people. When i start my business in full, and need to hire, I damn well hope to return the favor.)

dear toronto star: bite my lefty (but should vote con because it benefits me alone apparently) shiny metal ass.

According to some, I deserve none of this. or you'd sing bootstraps!! which it should be said, describes an impossible task. You cannot "pull yourself up by the bootstraps."