Why are the rents so high when wages don't support it? (Portland: lawyer, home search)

[pdxMIKEpdx]

The Rent Is Too Damn High Party

[Leisesturm]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Well you have nailed it.

The actual numbers of unemployed and underemployed are very small. I always find it interesting how many of the homeless and underemployed have cell phones and internet access to inflate the numbers of door sleepers ranting here.. And don't give me that "They hang out in the library all day" stuff.

Even with the perceived throngs of homeless, and unable to pay their bills underemployed, the numbers are really very small and the large majority of residents have good homes, pay their bills, were able to gain family wage employment, and found a way to better themselves. The minority spend their time whining and slacking off.

50% of Americans make less than $27K/yr. That is underemployment any way you slice it. Not even in some ghetto in a rust-belt state can $27K be considered living high on the hog and half of individuals are living on that amount of income. A Pay As You Go cell phone account is not luxury. Internet access is not a luxury.

Why must ideologies be so fixated on the talking points? Can't people ever go against type and see things from a vantage of humanity? You know... I sent my eggs back at the cafe that I was eating at this morning... I wanted them over hard and they were runny. I would have been happy with the exact same eggs done some more but they threw them away and made completely new eggs. At the levels of upcharge that they are working with... 1 egg @ ~10c = $1.50 retail it is hardly worth it to try and save them. That's privilege.

I am privileged to be middle class and be able to eat in a place like that. And I never forget it. And I never think that those who aren't as privileged should be deprived of basic civilities to make them want to aspire to better. Because all the aspiration in the world will not get you better in America. You MUST be BORN into economic security in America in order to have it. This is not open to debate. It is the way it is.

H

[Steve Pickering]

OK, so 25% of $27,000.00 is $6,750.00 per year or $562.50 per month. That is per person. not per household. So a single person will find rents in his preferred 25% price range and two or more working in a household (which is average) will have almost $1,200.00 a month to pay rent with. It is not society's fault that so many are underachievers.

The majority of the current wealthy in this country came from modest means. Old Money was all spent a couple of decades ago for most.

[ccjarider]

Originally Posted by Leisesturm

50% of Americans make less than $27K/yr. That is underemployment any way you slice it. Not even in some ghetto in a rust-belt state can $27K be considered living high on the hog and half of individuals are living on that amount of income.

The item that is ALWAYS missing when stats like this are thrown out is that 99% of people and families do NOT stay in any one category as they move through life.

My wife and I together made less than $27K early n our marriage. Life experiences, challenge, luck and perseverance have allowed that income to grow to much larger amount.

Our adult children may find themselves in the <$27K category now but they probably will not stay there as they too move through life.

Life is not static and that needs to be pointed out.

Most start out poor and develop skills that allow income to grow. This is the way it always has been and always will be. No amount of social engineering or gov't redistribution scams will change that reality.


Further - Internet IS a LUXURY.
What next a gov't program to insure internet access because it is a RIGHT?
Oh wait- that already exits..

[Steve Pickering]

Same with Cell Phones. They are not required for a quality life. Desire and require are not the same. If you can't feed yourself, why are you paying for the Internet, a PC, and a Cell phone with unlimited data and text?

[Huckleberry3911948]

The term roommate is coming back to have meaning sharing a room in the 1930s was the norm

[Steve Pickering]

Pretty common these days too.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by freemkt

??? I have never made as much as $9.00 per hour, WhoTF is going to pay me $17.00 per hour? I can't afford to go back to school, so I don't see an emerging hot skill set in my future.

Minimum wage is currently more than $9 in Oregon.

And not being able to afford to go back to school is untrue. If you have little to no income there are a lot of grants available and community colleges in this area have fantastic programs. You don't have to go for an academic degree, there are a lot of certificates available too and training programs eligible for financial aid.

I went back to school when I wasn't making enough and am finishing up a masters degree now. I can be done. And you'll be a lot more ahead than you are now.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by Steve Pickering

Same with Cell Phones. They are not required for a quality life. Desire and require are not the same. If you can't feed yourself, why are you paying for the Internet, a PC, and a Cell phone with unlimited data and text?

I disagree about cell phones. They are a necessity in this day and age and especially if you're on public transportation as it's the only reliable way to figure out when the bus is coming and how to get where you're going most of the time. Old paper schedules are mostly non functional--try using one sometime in Portland.

I also think having internet access is crucial given that most jobs require online applications as well as only advertise online. You can access the internet at the library but it's only for 60 minutes per day. For some people that's only enough to fill out one application let alone do job searches. It's really a barrier to employment to not have access to technology.

[spicymeatball]

[quote=Leisesturm;35191741 A Pay As You Go cell phone account is not luxury. Internet access is not a luxury.
[/QUOTE]

Yeah I don't get these people who still think the Internet and cell phones are luxurious items. Are they still living in 1994 or something? Even people who live in huts in Africa and don't have running water have cell phones these days when a computer chip is worth a nickel. Moore's Law yo.