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I'm better off now than one year ago

Physically and financially, I'm in better shape today. I'm healthier (no more caffeine and no more nicotine!) and I have more dollars to spend on food. It's a shame to admit that I'm better off as a homeless bum than I was as a productive member of society. Yet it's true. As a working woman, my job took six days of my life out of every week. Yet I was still not a full-time employee. I averaged 30 to 35 hours per week, at minimum wage, which is currently $8 an hour. After paying rent and eating beans (I had no oven to cook my beloved cornbread), I barely had money left. I had no bills, owned no car or pets, and I only shopped at resale places for goods and clothing. I felt frustrated, hopeless and like I was just spinning my wheels. Now I live in a homeless shelter. I get three healthy meals each day and I also get foodstamps. I buy mostly liquids, like water and tea, with my E.B.T. (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card but I also treat myself to ice cream and chocolate too. Foodstamps have been a blessing in my life as have homeless shelters.
It would help a lot if I could get cash assistance , aka General Relief because I could use a new pair of shoes. But I only qualify for $41 per month. The catch is that I would be required to work 80 hours per month for that $41. (Yes, that works out to 50cents per hour or 1950s wages.) I like to make my money the honest way. I am a Goody Two Shoes and I almost jumped at the opportunity. I said "almost jumped". I caught myself just in time before I went into the abyss of abject poverty. Desperate people are vulnerable to this type of exploitation. That is why Social Security was invented. But alas the villians of America are trying to tie Social Security to the railroad tracks of progress so they can plunder the poor. (Wealthy people are under the delusion that we poor folks are having a ball in life. Hey Billionaires of the world. Being poor and homeless sucks. We have no fun and no lives so get over it.) Heaven help us all.

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San Diego Reader 2024 Music & Arts Issue

Favorite fakers: Baby Bushka, Fleetwood Max, Electric Waste Band, Oceans, Geezer – plus upcoming tribute schedule

Physically and financially, I'm in better shape today. I'm healthier (no more caffeine and no more nicotine!) and I have more dollars to spend on food. It's a shame to admit that I'm better off as a homeless bum than I was as a productive member of society. Yet it's true. As a working woman, my job took six days of my life out of every week. Yet I was still not a full-time employee. I averaged 30 to 35 hours per week, at minimum wage, which is currently $8 an hour. After paying rent and eating beans (I had no oven to cook my beloved cornbread), I barely had money left. I had no bills, owned no car or pets, and I only shopped at resale places for goods and clothing. I felt frustrated, hopeless and like I was just spinning my wheels. Now I live in a homeless shelter. I get three healthy meals each day and I also get foodstamps. I buy mostly liquids, like water and tea, with my E.B.T. (Electronic Benefits Transfer) card but I also treat myself to ice cream and chocolate too. Foodstamps have been a blessing in my life as have homeless shelters.
It would help a lot if I could get cash assistance , aka General Relief because I could use a new pair of shoes. But I only qualify for $41 per month. The catch is that I would be required to work 80 hours per month for that $41. (Yes, that works out to 50cents per hour or 1950s wages.) I like to make my money the honest way. I am a Goody Two Shoes and I almost jumped at the opportunity. I said "almost jumped". I caught myself just in time before I went into the abyss of abject poverty. Desperate people are vulnerable to this type of exploitation. That is why Social Security was invented. But alas the villians of America are trying to tie Social Security to the railroad tracks of progress so they can plunder the poor. (Wealthy people are under the delusion that we poor folks are having a ball in life. Hey Billionaires of the world. Being poor and homeless sucks. We have no fun and no lives so get over it.) Heaven help us all.

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4S Ranch Allied Gardens Alpine Baja Balboa Park Bankers Hill Barrio Logan Bay Ho Bay Park Black Mountain Ranch Blossom Valley Bonita Bonsall Borrego Springs Boulevard Campo Cardiff-by-the-Sea Carlsbad Carmel Mountain Carmel Valley Chollas View Chula Vista City College City Heights Clairemont College Area Coronado CSU San Marcos Cuyamaca College Del Cerro Del Mar Descanso Downtown San Diego Eastlake East Village El Cajon Emerald Hills Encanto Encinitas Escondido Fallbrook Fletcher Hills Golden Hill Grant Hill Grantville Grossmont College Guatay Harbor Island Hillcrest Imperial Beach Imperial Valley Jacumba Jamacha-Lomita Jamul Julian Kearny Mesa Kensington La Jolla Lakeside La Mesa Lemon Grove Leucadia Liberty Station Lincoln Acres Lincoln Park Linda Vista Little Italy Logan Heights Mesa College Midway District MiraCosta College Miramar Miramar College Mira Mesa Mission Beach Mission Hills Mission Valley Mountain View Mount Hope Mount Laguna National City Nestor Normal Heights North Park Oak Park Ocean Beach Oceanside Old Town Otay Mesa Pacific Beach Pala Palomar College Palomar Mountain Paradise Hills Pauma Valley Pine Valley Point Loma Point Loma Nazarene Potrero Poway Rainbow Ramona Rancho Bernardo Rancho Penasquitos Rancho San Diego Rancho Santa Fe Rolando San Carlos San Marcos San Onofre Santa Ysabel Santee San Ysidro Scripps Ranch SDSU Serra Mesa Shelltown Shelter Island Sherman Heights Skyline Solana Beach Sorrento Valley Southcrest South Park Southwestern College Spring Valley Stockton Talmadge Temecula Tierrasanta Tijuana UCSD University City University Heights USD Valencia Park Valley Center Vista Warner Springs
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