The Star has a piece about a Brookside family of four who set out on a "Social Exercise" to live at poverty level for one year. I'm sure they are decent folks, so my beef isn't with them so much as the way the Star portrays their plight. The husband was laid off mid experiment, making the scrimping and penny pinching a necessity. That said, pinching pennies does not poverty make. I suppose it makes for more interesting reading to toss around phrases like Poverty Level and Financial Necessity, but this Experiment was not in any way shape or form a study in living at poverty levels. All this family really did was what middle class families are doing and have been doing in these tough economic times. It's called getting by.
The article talks about how they struggled to pay insurance premiums, and gave up orange scones from Panera. The horror of it all was almost to much for me to take. Maybe I'm just being a curmudgeonly stick in the proverbial mud here, it happens, but cutting out scones and worrying about health care don't even begin to scratch the surface of life at or below the poverty level. They talk about shopping at Aldis, and how they had to use coupons. I hate to be the bubble buster but gimme a break already.
Brookside in my opinion is the most idyllic neighborhood in the city. The homes range from really nice, to really really nice. The streets are lined with mature trees, children play without fear of catching a stray bullet, nobody is slinging dope or their body on a street corner, it's a safe place to live. Travel 5 minutes east and you will find the polar opposite. I think that's why this seemingly benign story struck a raw nerve with me. Frankly it left me wondering why this socioeconomic experiment was even worthy of print. Everyone is struggling to some degree or another, at least everyone of middle income. Again, my problem isn't with the folks in the story, it's with the story, the writer , and the Star.
Fluff, human interest horse shit, pandering to a certain demographic, are three things that come to mind, when I read this piece of drivel. Living in poverty is a far cry from getting by on 21 grand a year, giving up scones and lattes, and growing your own bell peppers. Kansas City's paper of record would have been better advised to search out a family east of Brookside, a family dealing with poverty in real time, rather than one who is playing at it. The Star ran what I considered one of it's best series ever on the high murder rate in one particular zip code. It pissed off more than a few "Community Advocates", but it rang true and brought to light the plight of the people forced to live in a war zone. It almost instilled faith in me that the Star was trying to be a real newspaper again, and not a vehicle for insipid tripe like KC INK.
Alas it was not to be, it was just a diversion until they could find more hard hitting news like impoverished Brooksiders, or the economic hardships of dating. So if the local paper can't be bothered with delving in to the real world reality of life at poverty level, I'll do it for them. I want to write a piece on a family who is really struggling, who is living at or below the poverty level, or a single mother who is just barely above water. Is it one of my readers? Someone you know?
Send me an email kramsmith50@hotmail.com, tell me your story, or the story of the person. I don't get a million hits a day, but as local blogs go I garner more than most. Who knows, bringing attention to someones plight might help them in the end, it certainly can't hurt. What I can promise you is this, I'll write it like it is, 100 percent fluff and horse shit free.
Well, those at poverty level probably don't have Internet. But maybe some of your readers knows somebody who's really living at poverty level.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great idea. I am sure people will pitch in to promote the story. I know I will. Also I shop at Aldi too. They have an Aldi in the middle of South JoCo and they know their customers, so I imagine many people go but don't want to admit to it. Aldi actually beats WalMart in Europe.
ReplyDeleteWe all know that newspapers have no basis in reality. Journalism today is nothing but fluff and eye candy. People read newspapers to get a break from reality. It's the same reason people watch Geraldo or Jerry Springer. I'm sure you can write a compelling story and catch people's attention and maybe even make a difference. But if Big News catches on, it will all go to waste.
ReplyDeleteI used to live in Brookside, and while it's overpriced and pretty, it's far from safe. I lived off of brookside blvd and the sirens at night made me miss JoCo...where the world makes sense.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea MM!
I read the story in the Star before I read this post. The people in the Star story experienced what probably happens to a true middle class family who "suddenly" find themselves living below the poverty threshold due to a job loss or some such financial calamity. However, people who have lived in poverty for years don't have nice houses or newer appliances or cars or lawn mowers that require little or no repair, don't have a closet full of nice clothes, don't have teeth in good shape due to regular dentist visits, etc. In other words, the couple in the story had a cushion to fall back on due to their previous middle class wealth.
ReplyDeleteOf course the family who has lived below the poverty level for years also may be eligible for medicaid, food stamps, housing vouchers, etc.
I think there are some apples vs oranges comparisons or corrections to be considered when writing a piece like the Star did. I'll be eager to read your take, Midtown.
Well yeah, sure it's a fluffy Star piece, but it lets those who are in the upper middle class take a peek at what THEIR life might be if it was a little rougher. I think it is a useful article in that it appeals to those Star readers who can still afford to subscribe, are fearful of their own future, and it begins to crack open the window into what real poverty might be like. That said, "poverty" in the US is nothing like poverty elsewhere in the world, but that doesn't mean it isn't a harsh, sad, and depressing experience in the USA.
ReplyDeleteI actually love Aldi's so I don't see why it's such a hardship. I'll admit to not using a lot of coupons, but most of the stuff I buy is store brand and often cheaper than name brand even with a coupon. I think the people in the story in no way experienced poverty, but on some level I can relate to them. 10 years ago Dan earned a lot of $$. We didn't think it was a lot at the time, but it was comfortably in middle class. Then he was unemployed for 2 years. At the time I felt like we had fallen off a cliff and were poor. We weren't and we aren't. We're broke, but getting by and that's a far cry from poor. I think that's where this family landed, in broke - not poor.
ReplyDeleteMainstream, did you even read the article? That response is a bit harsh for someone that did, IMO.
ReplyDeleteThe story even concluded by saying, ""There’s no way to claim that we experienced poverty. It’s what some people deal with on a daily basis with no end in sight,” Erin said." They get that they aren't poverty-stricken, and haven't experienced even half of the hardships that folks who have to deal with it or more than one year face.
They lived on about $21,000 for the year. For their WHOLE family of four. Dude, I cannot even fathom trying to do that for even just me and my husband. It would suck ASS.
And they had to deal with injuries not covered by insurance, and putting off maintenance on the car that would make me worry, that's for damned sure.
I think they experienced something valuable in that year. THEY think they experienced something valuable in that year. Why chastise them for attemting to walk in the shoes of the less fortunate for a year?
I did overreact. I was ranting. I haven't had a Brookside rant in quite some time.
ReplyDeleteThis is a sticky issue for me. By government standards I fall below the poverty line. IMO I am NOT living in poverty. I don't make much money, but I don't spend much money either. I have everything I want and certainly everything I need.
ReplyDeleteI own a store where probably 90% of the people are living in "poverty" and you know what they buy. Dragon figurines, dreamcatchers, and glass pipes. (there are other things too...but the percentage of "trash" is huge). My store is next door to a "free store". People drag out bags and bags of free clothes....way more clothing than anyone could use in a year. Some of the people don't wash their clothes...they just come and get new ones. The same people show up 3 times a week. I don't feel sorry for these people.
From my experience the majority of the people choose to live this way. It's a whole sub-culture. Other people don't understand. I didn't understand. I still don't fully understand.
The middle class (IMO) want other people to want to be middle class. Many of these people don't want this. They look down on people with "money". They don't understand them.
I am a middle class person that doesn't make much money....it's different.
And I have chosen this.....for now.
I think we need a good definition of poverty before this can be discussed.
Poverty as defined by the government or agencies is full of politics and big money.
"I did overreact. I was ranting. I haven't had a Brookside rant in quite some time."
ReplyDeleteAaah...well that explains it. Hahahahaha! That's not the response I was expecting from you! This gave me a good giggle, dude. :D