Re: How to live on $500/month?

On Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:52:31 -0500, "GaryJames@xxxxxxx"
<none@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Mon, 12 Mar 2007 12:29:47 -0700, Janet <JanetR@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

On Mon, 12 Mar 2007 13:58:42 -0500, Gary James <none@xxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:

On 12 Mar 2007 09:57:29 -0700, "California Poppy"
<GoldenStatePoppy@xxxxxxx> wrote:

On Mar 11, 5:28?pm, El Castor <NotAny...@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Allan Adler <a...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


Allan, I'm going to say what some others around here are probably
thinking. Why would a man of your obvious intelligence simply coast
through life, oblivious to the future? At age 60 did the light bulb
turn on and you suddenly realized that you wouldn't be living too well
on $500 a month? Frankly, I find your tale of woe hard to believe, but
if you are not pulling our chain, I have three words of advice -- "Get
A Job" -- any job. The world does not owe you a living.

I happen to know several who are in a similar situation to Allan's.
For various reasons, they arrive at old age with no assets and refuse
to work at jobs which would provide money, but no job satisfaction.
One was an actor, another was an English teacher who couldn't or
wouldn't keep a job. I don't know what we do with these people except
let them find their own way. It is unlikely that they will change.

This thread has gotten me interested in a subject I'd never given any
thought to before -- that of senior poverty.

Here is the Federal guidlines for 2007

http://aspe.hhs.gov/poverty/07fedreg.htm

Persons in family Poverty Level
-----------------------------------------------

1................................................ $10,210
2.................................................. 13,690
3...................................................17,170
4.................................................. 20,650

Allan speaks of $500 a month. That's just over 58% of the poverty
level for one person. I don't see how anybody can live in this
country on that. At least live outside of prison, an asylum or a
monastery.

So how *DO* they live ? I realize there are a few programs for the
poor, but how universal are they ?

Do we honestly want to see these old folks starve ? How about ---
"There but for the grace of god , go I" ?

At age 65 the Social Security Supplemental Income program
(SSI) will up a retiree's income to around $600 a month. Also
such a person would qualify for food stamps and Medicaid.
You have to remain living in the U.S. to receive SSI, unlike
regular Social Security. There are many who exist this way

Low income people may also get some reduced charges for
utilities and phone and bus passes and the like - each
state and community has its own list of benefits.

Indeed many homeless people have income from SSI because of
age or physical or mental disability but it does not provide enough
to put a stable roof over their heads.

If one can find government subsidized housing, the rent (30 to
40% of the regular rent) might just make it possible to live
in an apartment. But there are far more people seeking subsidized
housing than the units that exist and typically one must wait
several years to move up to the top of the list.

So the U.S. does not leave old folks to live on "nothing" but neither
is the amount enough to expect a very comfortable life. These
programs are "safety nets" but not a guarantee one will live
well.

Thanks. I suppose most manage, but I had really never given the
subject any thought.

BTW, Janet. You need a code of some sort so certain posters won't
lose track of who you are. Have you given any thought to using just
an e-mail address as a your poster name ? I'm no expert in this but I
think if you did that it would be hard(er) to forge. For instance if
you used Janet-Rita(at)NYC.com and being it would be an invalid
address, you could change it to Helen-Rita(at)NYC.com if anyone
started using it. Anybody forging through google would have to open
a new account (I think) instead of merely changing their "nickname".
That may get tedious after awhile. That way anytime you posted
something that seemed "odd", and it was followed by a post with a
new-rita(at)NYC.com, people would know the last one wasn' t you.
Alos, I doubt that google would allow anyone to use a phony email
addy as a post name. I could be wrong. In order to get a new
"nickname" at google

I have a google account , although I don't use it. I do know that
it's quite simple to change that part, but hard to change the email
address because they have to mail that to you.

This is all just theory but I like puzzles :-)

Anyone can create multiple accounts with Google. An Email address
can be used that is phony and may have just one character changed
to make it different than a valid Email address. Some people are
willing to go to the trouble of creating such accounts. However,
Google always includes an IP address in the header so one can tell
who the poster was, regardless of the phony address.

.

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