Elvis is speaking in extreme stereotypes. I'm sure there are people who fit squarely into what he described, just not a majority. I began a new job 6 weeks ago & my desk partner is a younger black woman with a 1 year old daughter. She is there 9 hours a day just like me for the same crap wage. I see her getting the same cup of noodles at lunch as me and refilling the same water bottle like I do. Does she get food stamps? I don't know. But I hope so. We make the same pay rate & I can't afford an apartment, let alone a 1 year old daughter and all that is associated with that. No way she could do it on the pay me & her receive.
So yeah, I hope she is getting some assistance. (and we make more than a Walmart employee, especially with all the benefits the company provides from day 1)
So back to Elvis and his sarcasm, $35/hour is nice, but a true living wage if you have even 1 child and trying to get by in California would be probably around $20-$25/hour. (obviously less in other states) And that's just to have a small apartment in a somewhat decent area where you won't get stabbed or dodge bullets, and have an older model Honda or Toyota car and maybe enough to hit Applebees or Chilis once a month as a family treat. No Hawaii vacations, but it is nice to be able to go see a movie at a real theater once a month as a getaway or escape without worrying if you are spending next weeks grocery money. People making $8/hour and trying to live on their own are seriously hurting.
Surviving & existing is expensive. Living is pretty much out of the question.
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