Mom Forced To Live In Car, Cnn Article

[skinstzar]

she lived beyond her means....

Since she just now became homeless I'm willing to bet she lived within her means for the majority of her life. Without measures like rent control, provisions for senior citizens and Housing and Developement statutes the location was allowed to outgrow her.

Everyone wants this lady to invest, 401K's haven't always been around. People her age where told that social security would be there for them. Now that it isn't they were suppossed to see that coming? No. Throwing out a one sentence statement and chalking it up to that is naive and down right lazy. But hey that is what us 30 somethings are. Cheers.

[jpillian]

People her age where told that social security would be there for them.

I didn't see that mentioned anywhere in the article (that Social Security was not available for her, and should have been)

And as for her generation, Social Security IS available. If you want to feel sorry for someone, feel sorry for our generation and our kid's who will no doubt pay into Social Security for many years to support our parents/grandparents, and will in the end, get nothing out of the system ourselves.

[Popeman38]

Don't quite want communism. I do however expect money that I pay for services to be appropriated correctly and efficiently. If I pay my broker to invest in low risk funds I want to invest in low risk funds. When I pay taxes I want American problems to be solved before global problems are tackled. When I put to Social Security, I anticpate that society and all the eligible members benefit from said funds.

Social Security Trust Fund is what you pay into. Your money covers the current benefit-eligible people. What you pay in is being payed out. There is no "guarentee" that if you pay x you will get y. That is why you get a projected Social Security benefit statement yearly.

The latent reason I feel this way is because I work for the goverment and I realize that you, me and this lady are getting poled everytime we get paid. Now you can invest wisely if you like and I hope you do well. It still doesn't change the fact that it is the responsibility of the extraordinary to raise up the ordinary. The extraordinary are throwing money into a bottomless pit and being told that pit ends in the greater good.

I disagree. The extraordinary have no obligation to care for the ordinary. We are guarenteed life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Quite a few people today forget the pursuit part. She was afforded the pursuit, and had it for a while. But she was extended too far and based on her job, she knew better. If anything, she should serve as a cautionairy tale to others.

[skinstzar]

Skinstzar,

I understand that you feel badly for this lady (as do I). It sounds like she is in a tough situation; whether she could have done anything differently, she is where she is, and it doesn't sound great.

But do you really want to live in a country where failure is not possible?

Personally, I don't think it's possible for folks to really succeed if failure is not option.

Absolutely not, failure is a neccesity, what I do however expect is for the money I pay to fix problems to actually fix problems, not create them. I want my road paved, I want water clean, I want my neighbors kid educated and I want to be secure in knowing that I or my wife won't end up homeless should some string of unfortunate events fall my way. I do my part to make this happen but I also expect funds spent on things like HUD and the Department of Labor to do their part. Hence the term Security. I fill the coffers that make this country run. If those funds are appropriately apportioned things like this won't happen and we will all be better off for it.

Not neccesarily in this case but homelessness begats crime and crime begats spending windfalls and spending windfalls begat corruption. Everything is directly tied to the events that took place before it.

[Popeman38]

Since she just now became homeless I'm willing to bet she lived within her means for the majority of her life. Without measures like rent control, provisions for senior citizens and Housing and Developement statutes the location was allowed to outgrow her.

Did you miss the part where she was living in a codo that cost 75% of her income? That is on her, and her alone. Rent control would not have helped here because she was living in a wealthy area based on what she earned. So she wouldn't have qualified anyway! And again, do you have an issue with all those people her age who bought back in the day for thousands and sold for millions? You can't have it both ways.

Everyone wants this lady to invest, 401K's haven't always been around. People her age were told that social security would be there for them. Now that it isn't they were suppossed to see that coming? No. Throwing out a one sentence statement and chalking it up to that is naive and down right lazy. But hey that is what us 30 somethings are. Cheers.

Social Security is there for her. To supplement the retirement she had/should have had. Even if she works for a company that did away with pensions while she was employed, she gets to keep what she had accrued up to that point. She screwed the pooch here and you want those who haven't to throw her a safety net. If you institute safety nets, you also institute ceilings through which normal folks can not pass. And from the sounds of your posts, you probably want the govt to step in and redo the mortgages of those who got in on interest only, sub-prime mortgages and save them and their homes while those who were responsible get screwed.

[Popeman38]

I want to be secure in knowing that I or my wife won't end up homeless should some string of unfortunate events fall my way.

There can be no guarentee in a free market system. You have to allow the govt to be incharge of both housing and financials for this to be the case. That is communism.

[PleaseBlitz]

Has america really fallen so low that a mother is left homeless and her kids let her sleep in a car? FAMILY FIRST, ALWAYS. There is no way in hell that my mother sleeps in a car. She can take my bed and I'll sleep on the floor if I have to.

Yea, no ****. What a bunch of deadbeats.

[paige3girl]

Since she just now became homeless I'm willing to bet she lived within her means for the majority of her life.

Did you read the article? She wanted to live in an oceanfront community in Santa Barbara where the average home was $1million. She said she spent 3/4 of her income on her rent, she worked in a volatile industry. That is living beyond your means. It is common sense that you should not spend more than 20-25% of your income on housing as did many others. That was irresponsible.

There is a lot of places I would like to live but it is beyond my means.... so I don't

[endzone_dave]

Did you read the article? She wanted to live in an oceanfront community in Santa Barbara where the average home was $1million. She said she spent 3/4 of her income on her rent, she worked in a volatile industry. That is living beyond your means. It is common sense that you should not spend more than 20-25% of your income on housing as did many others. That was irresponsible.

There is a lot of places I would like to live but it is beyond my means.... so I don't

Exactly.

Boo fricken hoo for a person who can't afford to live in an ocean front community. I can't either. Maybe CNN should do a story on me and how I have to drive two stinking hours to get to the beach. Poor ole me.

[Popeman38]

Exactly.

Boo fricken hoo for a person who can't afford to live in an ocean front community. I can't either. Maybe CNN should do a story on me and how I have to drive two stinking hours to get to the beach. Poor ole me.

No, it is the governments responsibility to bring the beach to you. With global warming and rising oceans, in about 20 years you will have beach front property and you too will be homeless ina car because you failed to plan for the increase in your taxes! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[SkinsOrlando]

Her kids should have taken her in and number two she needs to move to a state with lower cost of living at this time/

[Skins24]

So...has there ever been in the time in the US where there weren't any homeless people? :whoknows:

Sad situation for her, but how is her story different than millions of others through the years to warrant CNN? Just curious...

I do agree with the 2 main points of this thread.

1. Her kids should do something

2. YES she did live beyond her means and/or had horrible or no financial planning.

[More Complete]

Did you read the article? She wanted to live in an oceanfront community in Santa Barbara where the average home was $1million. She said she spent 3/4 of her income on her rent, she worked in a volatile industry. That is living beyond your means. It is common sense that you should not spend more than 20-25% of your income on housing as did many others. That was irresponsible.

There is a lot of places I would like to live but it is beyond my means.... so I don't

[sarcasm]

Yes but she's 67 and she might have worked all her life (might not have) and the government should buy her house back for her you inconsiderate selfish jerk! Can't you see that the government has caused this whole thing! Oh well, that's just Bush's world for yee!. [/sarcasm]

[Special K]

Jeez, I can't believe the number of people in this thread who are blaming America. I'm sorry, but to be 67, paying 3/4 of your income into housing and having absolutely no savings speaks to the idiotic choices this lady has made, not to the state of America. And where the hell is her family? Again, not America's fault...rather a familial lack of responsibilty that is quite sickening.

[HogNose]

Well if you read the article her kids are offering to help and get her out of this situation but she is refusing their help. She seems to be throwing a pity party and should have planned better.

[cathartic-j]

I wonder what kind of exclusionary zoning laws Santa Barbara has...

Anyway, I think it's pretty clear that a lot of people just jumped to conclusions without even reading what little information the article provides:

Her older children are unaware of the situation because the woman has chosen to not tell them:

It's another chapter in her life that she's certain she'll get through. Her 19-year-old daughter moved in with friends to avoid being homeless. Her other children live overseas, and she didn't want to tell them about her living status. Even if her children offered to help, she said, she wouldn't accept it. "They know me well enough to know that I will get through this."

[Mooka]

You can drive 10mins from Santa Barbara and live in Isla Vista for pretty cheap...

[Popeman38]

You can drive 10mins from Santa Barbara and live in Isla Vista for pretty cheap...

According to some, the govt should keep her condo payment steady for her so she can live on the coast.

[cathartic-j]

You can argue that the government could be doing a better job of maintaining affordable housing that's in reasonable proximity to decent jobs without resorting to rent controls. I know that skinstzar was implying that rent controls wouldn't be a bad thing, but acting as if that's the only way that the government could change the situation is a straw-man if I've ever seen one.

(That's not to say that I necessarily think government policy is to blame for this particular individual's situation ... )

According to some, the govt should keep her condo payment steady for her so she can live on the coast.

[Drop]

Originally Posted by Drop

I'm all for helping out my parents and grandparents if they ever need it....but what do you expect them to do? Just drop everything to go take care of their mom?

YES[/Quote]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drop

So they're supposed to blow their future and come back to mom, the car, and the dogs???

YES[/Quote]

[/Quote]

So the kids are supposed to blow their future because their mother made assinine financial decisions?? That's moronic.

I'd never ask my son to put his own life's well being on the line because of my f*ck ups. I'm sorry but that's just irresponsible and pretty damn selfish.

[Thiebear]

So the kids are supposed to blow their future because their mother made assinine financial decisions?? That's moronic.

I'd never ask my son to put his own life's well being on the line because of my f*ck ups. I'm sorry but that's just irresponsible and pretty damn selfish.

Yet somehow children return to the home 3-4-5 times in a lifetime. If you can't count on your family when your living in a car WTF is the point.

You mean I'd have to give up an entire room and closet? That *****.

Taking the women that gave you birth in when she's in trouble is not putting his life on the line. It is doing the right thing.

Selfish is thinking that your current financial situation and fun first lifestyle is more important that sucking it up for a few months helping out a relative.

I'd give my life for my family, they are that important.

I was the first one to point out it was her fault not "America's" And the state did a pretty cool thing in coming up with a solution it seems. A free society means you have the ability to fail. Or we wouldnt allow people to live next to the Mississippi.

[Bang]

A thought to consider while blaming these adult kids..

Some people don't have the all-American relationship with good ol' Mom.

For example, if I found my Mom living in a car, my only response would be to call my sister to see if she cared.

And that would be IT.

And I'd only do that if I was feeling fairly generous that day.

This woman made lousy decisions. She lived well above her means. She put absolutely nothing away.. she's 67, what she thought she could keep working into her 70s and 80s? It sounds as if she made absolutely NO provisions for her own well being, even though she's getting into the years that she's going to MOST need it. (although, I'd be willing to bet those dogs are well cared for...)

And now I'm supposed to feel sorry for her?

This is a simple story of the Grasshopper and the Ant.

Remember that one? You learned it in elementary school, Aesop wrote it well over two thousand years ago.

Does anyone recall in that fable a government official coming along and saving the ridiculously unprepared grasshopper from the death he created for himself?

I sure don't.

~Bang

[Popeman38]

A thought to consider while blaming these adult kids..

Some people don't have the all-American relationship with good ol' Mom.

For example, if I found my Mom living in a car, my only response would be to call my sister to see if she cared.

And that would be IT.

And I'd only do that if I was feeling fairly generous that day.

This woman made lousy decisions. She lived well above her means. She put absolutely nothing away.. she's 67, what she thought she could keep working into her 70s and 80s? It sounds as if she made absolutely NO provisions for her own well being, even though she's getting into the years that she's going to MOST need it. (although, I'd be willing to bet those dogs are well cared for...)

And now I'm supposed to feel sorry for her?

This is a simple story of the Grasshopper and the Ant.

Remember that one? You learned it in elementary school, Aesop wrote it well over two thousand years ago.

Does anyone recall in that fable a government official coming along and saving the ridiculously unprepared grasshopper from the death he created for himself?

I sure don't.

~Bang

But Bang, in the 2000 years since Aesop wrote this we have evolved and should prepare for the grasshopper since he didn't prepare because the govt made it too hard for him to. He paid his taxes his whole life and now should be able to reap the benefits.

[Destino]

Some of you must have a ton of money. Let's try this for fun.

If you lost the vast majority of your income and were forced to get a low pay hourly position... how long can you go on what you have saved? Don't forget to feed yourself, gas your car, and all the rest of costs associated with living.

Do the math.

[jpillian]

Some of you must have a ton of money. Let's try this for fun.

If you lost the vast majority of your income and were forced to get a low pay hourly position... how long can you go on what you have saved? Don't forget to feed yourself, gas your car, and all the rest of costs associated with living.

Do the math.

I think it's referred to struggling/scraping by. Is struggling/scraping by still allowed?

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of our grand parents reverted to this mode of operation during the Great Depression. It does happen.

That's not meant to be snide, Destino. I just think if you want to live in "the land of opportunity", you really have to have BOTH opportunities (to succeed OR fail). Most folks go through their fair share of both in life, I think.