Now that I’m of an age to get social security and still work full time, I have lived by shoestring budgets, prayers I have a job when I come to work the following day and hope I don’t become ill or be in an accident where I would be homeless or without the means to rebound.
I was a lucky man when I suffered my stroke in 2002 because I was living with my parents at the time. Without them to keep me fed, clothed and housed, I doubt very much I could have survived on my own.
But I know many people at the casino I work for who are in that mode. They work but their means are limited. They live in apartments that are in poorer parts of town. They can’t afford a car. If they have a car, it’s nickel and diming them because fuel, parts that need replacement, registration and insurance saps their budgets. Many have to work two or more jobs to survive.
A.L.IC.E. that stands for Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed is how many if not most families in Spokane and Coer d’Alene have lived since I can remember since moving here myself in 1998. It’s a form of poverty I’m very much aware of from my own experiences living in the Tri Cities. If my experiences are an example, many of these people have other issues that go hand in hand with their predicament. That was drug and alcohol dependency issues. I can’t for certain say all are in that category, but it seems to make sense that these issues or problems would become a constant. There are other reasons of course that includes lack of formal education, immigration status and plain bad luck defines the overwhelming reasons these people struggle.
ALICE families are above the poverty line, but that isn’t very comforting when you have to decide what bills can be paid or rent or groceries. I soon discovered a creditor’s patience was limited when it came to paying bills or utilities. They’re understanding to a point, but then they too expect payment in full eventually.
What’s the solution? It’s complicated, made more so now there is a very conservative government in power now, who see anything smelling of social help as somehow smacking of socialism. In the view of rich conservatives, people need to pull up their boots and make do with what they have and be happy about it.
Ideally the solution is simple; raise the poverty standard to allow limited aid to these families. But as I stated above, a very conservative electorate and government insists otherwise, hence the conflict will undoubtedly continue for the near future. In the meantime, families will continue to struggle though they are gainfully employed.
Jerry Schellhammer 