Many people are upset about the proposal for the $9 an hour minimum wage, I see both sides. I see the side of the small business that can't afford to pay their employees that much. I also see the struggling employees trying to make it at $7.35 an hour. A lot of people say that people raising a family shouldn't be working for minimum wages - they should go to school and learn a trade/get a degree. Obama last summer slipped a new law in regarding financial aid, reading - the Pell Grant. In the past a person could receive the Pell Grant for 18 semesters- which to some read as 9 years - you think that is a lot, but if you are raising a family then it is really hard to go to school full time. Now Obama has made it where you can only get it for 12 semesters or 6 years. Some people's reply is to get a loan, these people that need to go to school cannot afford to get a loan. They are trying to raise a family, and are probably already living paycheck to paycheck, even after they get done with school they most likely will be living from pay check to pay check.
For an example me. I went to college right out of high school for 3 semesters. Ended up getting married and starting a family. After my son was born I quit my part time job at the bank to raise him. At that time in 2007 I was making 8.00 an hour and couldn't afford to pay daycare and fuel to and from work. So after discussion it was decided that I was going to stay home. I babysat for supplement income for about a year. In the fall of 2008 I became pregnant with our 2nd child. I babysat until just before our daughter was born. After Sophia was born I decided to go back to school. So in the fall of 2009 I started back to school, part time. Technically I have only recieved the Pell Grant for 10 semesters, but this spring they denied it because I have spent too much time at a 2 year college. So they are telling me that the only way I can go back to school is to pay for it myself with loans if I can't afford out of pocket. I already owe approx. $20k in student loans. I imagine it would be at least quadruple that if I went on to the University. And then I would have zero promise of making a decent living after that. So I am now just a stay at home mom. I do however have enough credit hours I can substitute teach, and plan on doing that after the kids are both in school.
As for my husband, he is skilled in HVAC, but the competition is just a lot- not to mention the rising prices of freon and equipment. He is skilled in working on heavy machinery as well - he has worked for the county road and bridge dept for over 5 years now. He has his CDL- he drives a dump truck and now is running one of the brush cutters. He was "promoted" to assistant shop mechanic, but that usually comes with a pay raise... the county commissioners said he wasn't going to get a raise, so he is brush cutting now. He makes under $11 an hour and hasn't had a raise in over 3 years. But if he stays there 2 more years he will be able to draw retirement, and their retirement is pretty good.
So... here we are, family of 4, living on around $1200 a month - 2 kids not in school yet. If I was to get a part time job, it would probably be for minimum wage - $7.35 an hour... if I worked 20 hours a week I might make an extra $600 a month, putting us at $2000 a month... but then I would have daycare - 2 kids at $25 a day each, so 10 days a month that would be $500 a month... and would probably spend more than $100 in fuel. Life just isn't fair is it? If I made $9 - I might break even. I can't go back to school... nothing.
We barely make ends meet, and often when we think the ends are actually going to meet - someone or something moves those ends. Luckily if we need to we have cattle/calves we can sell, we can scrap (just opened a scrap yard about 3 miles from our house - so it really does pay to do so now), we cut cedar logs when needed (did that last week) and I know how to ration.
A lot of the reason we make it is because we supply a lot of our own food, we don't shop at the places most people shop - even WM is too high for us most of the time.
Okay sorry for the rant - but I am sure we all have these from time to time.
I know I must have faith in our Heavenly Father, and I lean on Him often. I know that there are others living without Him in their lives and are doing far worse than we. I also know that every month when we have to scrap or cut cedar that He is providing us with the supplements. This world takes all kinds to make it go round, just wish we had a bit more sometimes. It is hard for me to tell my kids no, because we don't have the money when they ask for certain things. My son has been needing some new boots for quite some time... but we just haven't been able to afford them just yet. I could buy him tennis shoes from WM, but they wouldn't last and it would be a fight every time he put them on. Boots last so long, and are just more practical here on the farm. We are waiting on our tax return to buy him some. Also the kids are going to get bunk beds (they don't know that yet)-- but waiting on this return is so nerve racking! We filed the last week in January, and the return is to be direct deposited, but they said it could be the end of March...
Ahhh government.
This ^^^^^ is all why I don't like politics on my page. It is stressful and gets everyone upset. But I do feel better after I got this off my chest.
So...
We have been hit with Storm Q or ThunderSleet Storm as we call it. Ice and sleet all morning, making it very nasty out there. We don't have any snow, but just ice. We need the precipitation, just wish it was rain and warmer.
I started another braided rug last night. I braided 75 bags together so far, and am now trying to sew it together instead of melting it. I am making this one oval.
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