On 4/18/2020 7:54 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> On 4/18/2020 6:02 PM, graham wrote:
>> On 2020-04-18 2:50 p.m., wrote:
>>> On Saturday, April 18, 2020 at 3:09:18 PM UTC-5, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>>>
>>>> The drug store was an important part of the local economy back then.
>>>> Many of those people had two problems.Â* For some, they did not have the
>>>> $25 or so to open a checking account and if they did, many did not have
>>>> the ability of manage one.
>>>>
>>> That's true. I find it amazing the number of people that cannot manage
>>> money.Â* I'm talking about small amounts of money and checking accounts.
>>> For some, a book of checks meant they could write them until they ran
>>> out
>>> never mind there was no money in their account.
>>>>
>>>> Lower income people have a lot of disadvantages.Â* They get paid with a
>>>> check and [ay to cash it, then they pay a charge to pay a bill, if they
>>>> have a credit card they pay the highest interest rates.Â* If they get
>>>> trapped in the payday loan thing they pay 300% interest.
>>>>
>>> No all, but so many of those disadvantages of their own making.Â* Many
>>> are
>>> high school dropouts, no job skills other than menial labor with a
>>> passel
>>> of children.Â* Children they don't encourage to stay in school and try to
>>> do better than mom and dad.
>>>
>> So it's always the fault of poor people not to be successful and wealthy.
>> It was ever thus!
>
> Many reasons, some genetic.Â* Mental illness in various forms and lack of
> ability.Â* Some are addicted to drugs or alcohol and are content living
> that way.Not everyone wants help.
>
> Take the panhandler you see on the street corner with the "will work for
> food" sign.Â* The ones that don't show up when offered work.Â* The ones
> given food by well meaning people that toss it away because what they
> really want is money for alcohol.Â* There was one that stood by the exit
> to a supermarket in town.Â* After a few weeks the highway department was
> doing some work and they found a lot of discarded food.
>
> Yes, Twas ever thus
Someone will bash me for bringing this up but I'll do it anyway. Years
back when I was living in west TN I stopped at a gas station near my
apartment. There was a liquor store right next door. A homeless man
approached me while I was pumping gas and asked if I had any spare
change. He said he was hungry.
I don't hand out money to strangers. And I'm not very trusting of
people who hang out in the vicinity of liquor stores. However, there
was a Burger King right across the street. I said if you're hungry
let's go over there and I'll buy you a meal. He accepted and met me in
the parking lot.
He stood outside reading items off the drive-thru menu. He was too
ashamed of being grubby to go inside. I asked what he'd like to order.
BK had a deal at the time on the then *new* Black Angus Burger & fries.
He hesitantly asked, "Could I have that?" Of course! And yes, he ate
it. It was a nice day so we sat outside and talked while he ate. His
name was Steve. He said he was a Vietnam vet. He rambled a bit; he was
likely mentally ill and quite possibly a drug addict and alcoholic. But
at least I know on that day, he ate a hot meal.
Jill