Regulators Expand Subsidy Program To Bring Broadband To The Poor

[Megalith]

Federal regulators voted Thursday to expand a $1.5 billion phone subsidy program to bring broadband to the poor, recognizing the necessity of Internet access for work and education.

In a 3-2 vote, the Federal Communications Commission approved expanding the Lifeline program to include discounts for broadband Internet service. The vote split down party lines with the panel's three Democrats voting in favor and the two Republicans against. The vote expands the Reagan Era program, which was designed to provide subsidized phone service to low-income households, to broadband Internet service. Starting in December, broadband providers offering discounted Internet service to eligible Lifeline customers will receive a $9.25 subsidy per Lifeline subscriber.

 

[Nukester]

That's great. Now it will take a pry bar or TNT to get the newly addicted facebook addicts out of their home.

 

[pxc]

$9.25 a month can get introductory rate AOL dial-up, I think, but that's not broadband.

YOU'VE GOT FAIL.

 

[cyclone3d]

Yay, more subsidies (wealth redistribution [government stealing your money]) for the lazy entitlement class who refuses to work.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Starting in December, broadband providers offering discounted Internet service to eligible Lifeline customers will receive a $9.25 subsidy per Lifeline subscriber.

Translation: ISPs are going to be getting a FAT paycheck from the government because they will bill the government for huge undiscounted prices.

 

[jojo69]

where do I sign up for mah free shit

 

[Mut1ny]

Yay, more subsidies (wealth redistribution [government stealing your money]) for the lazy entitlement class who refuses to work.

Since you seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject, can you tell me what the number of working age people there are in the United States vs. the number of available jobs and more importantly the number of livable wage jobs there are? Thanks!

 

[Exavior]

Translation: ISPs are going to be getting a FAT paycheck from the government because they will bill the government for huge undiscounted prices.

That isn't how that works. The will "break even" in the end.

Lifeline is in place right now for phone lines. Anyone that meets certain requirements (you already get medicaid, food stamps, utility assistance, section 8, short list of other similar programs) get a savings of $9.25 on their phone bill (landline or wireless). The government turns around and pays that amount back to the telephone company after they submit the paperwork showing how many customers they have on lifeline.

This would be the same. They sell the service at a $9.25 savings to the customer and turn around and get $9.25 from the government just like they do for phone. All they are doing is taking a program that has been in place for about 20 years. They are just saying that instead of this only applying to phone you can now use this toward internet only packages also. However in the long run this really won't help many people. As since you can only use this with one person at a time ie your landline provider or your cell phone provider. Most would already probably be using this for one or the other now. So adding in internet won't make any difference since they would already be getting the saving. You would have to find somebody had has no phone line at all of any type and now wants to get internet access.

Unless you can't use this right now if you are doing a phone and internet bundle, but I am pretty sure we have lifeline customers with bundles.

 

[nutzo]

Since you seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject, can you tell me what the number of working age people there are in the United States vs. the number of available jobs and more importantly the number of livable wage jobs there are? Thanks!

Can you tell me the percentage of people who complain about not being able to find a job with a livable wage who didn't graduate from college and own an iPhone?

Out here in California the Democrats just voted to solve the livable wage problem.
They are going to increase the minimum wage to $15 over the next few years (something that took me a college degree and 6 months of hard work proving myself to get when I first started out)
Our unemployment number are already higher than the national average, and I'm just going to laugh at all the people who think they are going to be making a lot more money, but instead are going to lose their jobs when this goes into effect.

I only received a 1% raise last year (due to the increased health insurance costs, etc.), and once the prices start going up, I'll have no choice but to tighten my belt even more.

 

[Mut1ny]

Huh?

Get mad. You said nothing that pertains to my question.

 

[Krab]

I will never understand why IT attracts so many weird FYGM libertarian types.

 

[Tsumi]

Since you seem to be very knowledgeable on the subject, can you tell me what the number of working age people there are in the United States vs. the number of available jobs and more importantly the number of livable wage jobs there are? Thanks!

Can you tell me what a livable wage job means? Because I'm fairly sure a single person renting a room is perfectly capable of living on minimum wage in most areas of the US. Or are we deciding that a minimum wage needs to support a 4 person family with just one working parent and own a home?

 

[Twisted Kidney]

I will never understand why IT attracts so many weird FYGM libertarian types.

It doesn't, really. It's just the internet that does. There is truth in the idea that IT workers tend to be less than sociable and even tend toward antisocial, but it's by no means a majority. However, can find anything on the internet, even a super-specific social group to wrap yourself in. When you're disconnected from reality and utterly delusional in your admiration of your own internet "success" the internet can help you find a handful of hate-filled ass holes to share your time with.

Plus there is that age old truth: "It's much easier to hate people you don't know."

Edited for strange disconnect.

 

[Mut1ny]

Can you tell me what a livable wage job means? Because I'm fairly sure a single person renting a room is perfectly capable of living on minimum wage in most areas of the US. Or are we deciding that a minimum wage needs to support a 4 person family with just one working parent and own a home?

Where the fuck do you live that $7 and some change an hour is enough to actually live on?

 

[Mut1ny]

I will never understand why IT attracts so many weird FYGM libertarian types.

It doesn't really. It's just HardForum. Most IT people, in fact all, are actually caring people that wouldn't have a problem with something like this. For some reason this forum is just full of selfish people that, God forbid, do something nice for the people that live here. Helping some poor people get internet is the most horrible thing ever but they don't care about the TRILLIONS of dollars the government completely wastes elsewhere.

It's so weird and pitiful.

 

[Osirus]

Can you tell me what a livable wage job means? Because I'm fairly sure a single person renting a room is perfectly capable of living on minimum wage in most areas of the US. Or are we deciding that a minimum wage needs to support a 4 person family with just one working parent and own a home?

Livable wage means one parent supporting at least 4 children like you said, plus they should be able to pay for the latest iPhone plus a wireless plan for themselves and at least 2 of those children, broadband internet, cable TV and at least a 46 inch screen to view it on, the latest video game consoles and whatever subscription plan exists for them, and enough left over to eat out 4 nights a week. Earning anything less constitutes a human rights violation that's literally the same as holocaust.

 

[Deleted member 136890]

Livable wage means one parent supporting at least 4 children like you said, plus they should be able to pay for the latest iPhone plus a wireless plan for themselves and at least 2 of those children, broadband internet, cable TV and at least a 46 inch screen to view it on, the latest video game consoles and whatever subscription plan exists for them, and enough left over to eat out 4 nights a week. Earning anything less constitutes a human rights violation that's literally the same as holocaust.

You forgot alot of stuffs like 300 dollar hair do's with the optional hair weaves, the latest in IPhones, nail jobs, 24 inch rims and the latest in the Jordon sneakers or whatever is popular at the time and lets thru in some weed while we are at it.

 

[__hollywood|meow]

I will never understand why IT attracts so many weird FYGM libertarian types.

FYGM isnt a libertarian trait.. but libertarians sure as shit dont believe in taxing everyone to give superfluous subsidizations to people who arent even receiving a vital service or good

government waste & misappropriation/misallocation of tax dollars is ruining the country just as much as the corporate lobbyist (figurative) army that controls it

 

[Mut1ny]

You forgot alot of stuffs like 300 dollar hair do's with the optional hair weaves, the latest in IPhones, nail jobs, 24 inch rims and the latest in the Jordon sneakers or whatever is popular at the time and lets thru in some weed while we are at it.

Is everyone that needs public assistance black to you? You sound very racist. Like, bad.

 

[Jagger100]

I will never understand why IT attracts so many weird FYGM libertarian types.

I always wondered how FYGM, translates to "Fuck You, I Earned Mine". Just doesn't make sense.

 

[Osirus]

I always wondered how FYGM, translates to "Fuck You, I Earned Mine". Just doesn't make sense.

How about "I bought mine, you can buy yours."

 

[Mut1ny]

I always wondered how FYGM, translates to "Fuck You, I Earned Mine". Just doesn't make sense.

"Fuck you, I GOT mine".

 

[Tsumi]

Where the fuck do you live that $7 and some change an hour is enough to actually live on?

Let's take the SF Bay Area, one of the more expensive places to live. Quick look shows rooms for rent in the lower range of $600-800 a month, including utilities. Current minimum wage is around $9 an hour, depending on where in the Bay Area you are. ~$1700 a month in wages, being low income your taxes are minimal. That leaves you about $600-800 a month for living expenses, assuming paying about 20% in taxes (which are likely less). Cooking yourself, you can live on $30-50 a week. $150-250 a month. Find a place close enough to your workplace, and bike/walk to work. No car expenses. Health insurance was on average $200 per person, but now low income pays significantly less. Cell phone plans are as cheap as $25 a month for unlimited talk and text. Even before Obamacare, you can be saving ~$200 a month if you're smart and frugal. After Obamacare, that's close to $400. If you find a roommate and a place that allows room sharing, your rent would be cut in half.

Yes, other parts of the US have lower minimum wages, but rents are also correspondingly lower. Not even looking outside of California, rooms for rent in the San Bernadino/Riverside area are in the $200-300 range at the low end and $800 at the high end. More expensive Orange County spans $500-$1200. The minimum wage is perfectly livable as is if you're smart about how you use your money.

 

[Osirus]

"Fuck you, I GOT mine".

I see it went far over your head, not that that's saying much.

 

[Mut1ny]

I see it went far over your head, not that that's saying much.

Why do you feel the need to be insulting and judge my intelligence despite not knowing a thing about me? How immature, really. No wonder the world's so fucked. Shitty attitudes like yours don't do jack to make things better.

 

[Wrecked Em]

Let's take the SF Bay Area, one of the more expensive places to live. Quick look shows rooms for rent in the lower range of $600-800 a month, including utilities. Current minimum wage is around $9 an hour, depending on where in the Bay Area you are. ~$1700 a month in wages, being low income your taxes are minimal. That leaves you about $600-800 a month for living expenses, assuming paying about 20% in taxes (which are likely less). Cooking yourself, you can live on $30-50 a week. $150-250 a month. Find a place close enough to your workplace, and bike/walk to work. No car expenses. Health insurance was on average $200 per person, but now low income pays significantly less. Cell phone plans are as cheap as $25 a month for unlimited talk and text. Even before Obamacare, you can be saving ~$200 a month if you're smart and frugal. After Obamacare, that's close to $400. If you find a roommate and a place that allows room sharing, your rent would be cut in half.

Yes, other parts of the US have lower minimum wages, but rents are also correspondingly lower. Not even looking outside of California, rooms for rent in the San Bernadino/Riverside area are in the $200-300 range at the low end and $800 at the high end. More expensive Orange County spans $500-$1200. The minimum wage is perfectly livable as is if you're smart about how you use your money.

This is exactly the problem. People somehow believe that they're entitled to live in the most expensive and desirable zip codes, without having to pay for it.

I'd like to vacation in Monaco, but I don't whine that they don't have a Motel 6. I simply vacation someplace cheaper.

 

[Exavior]

Where the fuck do you live that $7 and some change an hour is enough to actually live on?

Now, I know it has been a little over 10 year ago. But out of college I got myself a cheap studio apartment for $350 a month, drove a car that I didn't have to make payments on so was able to just get by on liability for insurance, and was paying about $90 a month for health insurance due to being a healthy person. I got by just fine on $7.25 an hour because I knew I had little money and was careful about what I spent. The area I live in now, cost of living is still at a reasonable level. If renting one would be about $500 - 700 a month for a smaller 2 bedroom house, with there being some places that are based on income so would be cheaper. The point is that if you are a grown adult that works a min wage job you just have to accept a few things, one of those is that you won't have money to be like most other people. It also means that your work week might not be 40 hours a week but might need to be two jobs working 60+.

Somebody is always going to be at the bottom that is just how it is. The problem is that the more you try to help those at the bottom by just giving them money the more you fuck things up and make the problem worse. So you want everyone to make at least $15 - $30 / hr. Well that make that cost of everything have to go up to support the higher cost of paying people. So a meal at McDonalds will no longer be $7 but will start costing you $15 because we want to double want they have to pay employees. That means fewer people eat out there as who wants to pay $15 for their shitty food. Which means more people get fired then as they can't make money to pay everyone or just don't need as many people. Let say we raise this for everyone. Now the cost of everything goes up, which means that while you get a raise, the cost of everything you buy just increased based on the same scale as what you got a raise. So you are in the exact same position, your twice as much per month is buying stuff that now cost you twice as much. If we increase the number of programs like this, we are increasing taxes on everything to pay those that refuse to work or get a better paying job to stay on the system. As a result those that are just over that line now suddenly are below it as you just started taking more and more of their paycheck away to pay for other people.

Livable wage means one parent supporting at least 4 children like you said, plus they should be able to pay for the latest iPhone plus a wireless plan for themselves and at least 2 of those children, broadband internet, cable TV and at least a 46 inch screen to view it on, the latest video game consoles and whatever subscription plan exists for them, and enough left over to eat out 4 nights a week. Earning anything less constitutes a human rights violation that's literally the same as holocaust.

I hope that you are trying to be sarcastic here.

 

[Tsumi]

Now, I know it has been a little over 10 year ago. But out of college I got myself a cheap studio apartment for $350 a month, drove a car that I didn't have to make payments on so was able to just get by on liability for insurance, and was paying about $90 a month for health insurance due to being a healthy person. I got by just fine on $7.25 an hour because I knew I had little money and was careful about what I spent. The area I live in now, cost of living is still at a reasonable level. If renting one would be about $500 - 700 a month for a smaller 2 bedroom house, with there being some places that are based on income so would be cheaper. The point is that if you are a grown adult that works a min wage job you just have to accept a few things, one of those is that you won't have money to be like most other people. It also means that your work week might not be 40 hours a week but might need to be two jobs working 60+.

Somebody is always going to be at the bottom that is just how it is. The problem is that the more you try to help those at the bottom by just giving them money the more you fuck things up and make the problem worse. So you want everyone to make at least $15 - $30 / hr. Well that make that cost of everything have to go up to support the higher cost of paying people. So a meal at McDonalds will no longer be $7 but will start costing you $15 because we want to double want they have to pay employees. That means fewer people eat out there as who wants to pay $15 for their shitty food. Which means more people get fired then as they can't make money to pay everyone or just don't need as many people. Let say we raise this for everyone. Now the cost of everything goes up, which means that while you get a raise, the cost of everything you buy just increased based on the same scale as what you got a raise. So you are in the exact same position, your twice as much per month is buying stuff that now cost you twice as much. If we increase the number of programs like this, we are increasing taxes on everything to pay those that refuse to work or get a better paying job to stay on the system. As a result those that are just over that line now suddenly are below it as you just started taking more and more of their paycheck away to pay for other people.



I hope that you are trying to be sarcastic here.

Exactly. In addition to what you said, there has been a greater march towards automation of the service industry. Now all those minimum wage jobs will be replaced by robots as the cost of implementing such tech drops and wages increase. Sure, it will create middle class jobs in that someone has to build and be able to service those robots, but what about the no skill workforce? Where would they go?

Also, I'm fairly sure he's being sarcastic.

 

[mavrocket]

Typical thread. Libertarians and Conservatives spouting truth recklessly upon the do-gooder wannabe liberals who have absolutely no damn idea how much of their tax money (and their children's children's children's future tax money) is being squandered on welfare and entitlements for those who don't deserve nor have earned it.

Stop being so reckless! It's not fashionable or hip to speak the truth, unless it's approved truth!

 

[tetris42]

Let's take the SF Bay Area, one of the more expensive places to live. Quick look shows rooms for rent in the lower range of $600-800 a month, including utilities. Current minimum wage is around $9 an hour, depending on where in the Bay Area you are. ~$1700 a month in wages, being low income your taxes are minimal. That leaves you about $600-800 a month for living expenses, assuming paying about 20% in taxes (which are likely less). Cooking yourself, you can live on $30-50 a week. $150-250 a month. Find a place close enough to your workplace, and bike/walk to work. No car expenses. Health insurance was on average $200 per person, but now low income pays significantly less. Cell phone plans are as cheap as $25 a month for unlimited talk and text. Even before Obamacare, you can be saving ~$200 a month if you're smart and frugal. After Obamacare, that's close to $400. If you find a roommate and a place that allows room sharing, your rent would be cut in half.

Yes, other parts of the US have lower minimum wages, but rents are also correspondingly lower. Not even looking outside of California, rooms for rent in the San Bernadino/Riverside area are in the $200-300 range at the low end and $800 at the high end. More expensive Orange County spans $500-$1200. The minimum wage is perfectly livable as is if you're smart about how you use your money.

Okay several things:

1. Where are you getting $1700 from? At $9 an hour that comes to about $1557 a month. At minimum wage in other states, it's about $1254.
2. $30 - 50 a week on food? In other words, $1.42 - $2.38 per meal, with no snacks? Yes, cooking drops the price (assuming you have that kind of time, since you likely have a 1-2 bus commute for an apartment that price) you better add a little more to your healthcare budget for malnutrition then.
3. Finding a place that is cheap and finding a place that is close enough to bike work is very often not the same thing. You should factor in bus ticket costs as well.
4. You say 200-300 a month, I suppose that's possible, but christ, the cheapest place I've ever lived was for $400 a month for a one bedroom apartment and it was in the slums in Tennessee back in early 2000s. You should be aware many apartment ads aren't real at all and are often a bait and switch technique. Never mind the fact that rock bottom rent places mean you'll almost certainly have a break-in while you're at work.
5. Besides food, poor people also need soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, cleaning agents, laundry detergent or laundromat budget, other misc. supplies they may not have. Yes, this stuff can be cheap, but at this level, every fucking dollar counts.

Living on minimum wage isn't impossible, but you're going to be sacrificing your health or security one way or another. Between you miscalculating how much you actually take home, talking about $200-300 apartments, and a $30 - 50 food budget, it suggests to me you've never actually done it. I have. It's not sustainable in the long term. Any unexpected expense is crippling, to say nothing the day-to-day stress of watching every single purchase you make and never veering for any reason, ever. Your budget is a partial fantasy based on lucky break after lucky break.

Now don't get me wrong, I think in an area where unemployment is already high, a higher minimum wage will NOT solve the problem, but give me a break saying anyone can make it on minimum wage.

This whole post reminds me of those people talking about how you can make a gaming PC for $250, then ignore that it includes lots of mail-in rebates, doesn't include shipping, tax, round numbers down, don't count a monitor or any peripherals, price of a Windows license, include a power supply that will probably die in 2 months, no-name RAM that may not even work, etc. Sure, it might be theoretically possible from certain angles, doesn't make it a realistic scenario at all.

 

[DeathFromBelow]

Typical thread. Libertarians and Conservatives spouting truth recklessly

Can you conservatives knock it off? You're 'spouting' all over the forum.

 

[Mut1ny]

Typical thread. Libertarians and Conservatives spouting truth recklessly upon the do-gooder wannabe liberals who have absolutely no damn idea how much of their tax money (and their children's children's children's future tax money) is being squandered on welfare and entitlements for those who don't deserve nor have earned it.

Stop being so reckless! It's not fashionable or hip to speak the truth, unless it's approved truth!

Well considering that the government is wasting money on a bunch of bullshit and can't even take care of some of the countries most basic needs (like maintaining infrastructure) I would at least want my taxes to help the people that it can. Yes, of course there are those that take advantage of the system but this happens with anything. $1.5 trillion spent on a jet we don't need that's not even that good but yet some poor people getting some internet that's going to cost a few billion (which we blow every day anyways...it's not that much money in light of other shit we pay for so calm your happy tits down) is just the complete and utter destruction of the American way.

Give me a break.

 

[kac77]

This is exactly the problem. People somehow believe that they're entitled to live in the most expensive and desirable zip codes, without having to pay for it.

I'd like to vacation in Monaco, but I don't whine that they don't have a Motel 6. I simply vacation someplace cheaper.

So before you were born you were given an option? You have Jesus on speed dial?

 

[BBA]

So before you were born you were given an option? You have Jesus on speed dial?

How do you know he wasn't? Isn't the point of life to overcome struggle?

 

[kac77]

How do you know he wasn't? Isn't the point of life to overcome struggle?

I think of think the point of life is to live. If you can do something beneficial or overcome something along the way then that's just a bonus.

 

[Tsumi]

Okay several things:

1. Where are you getting $1700 from? At $9 an hour that comes to about $1557 a month. At minimum wage in other states, it's about $1254.
2. $30 - 50 a week on food? In other words, $1.42 - $2.38 per meal, with no snacks? Yes, cooking drops the price (assuming you have that kind of time, since you likely have a 1-2 bus commute for an apartment that price) you better add a little more to your healthcare budget for malnutrition then.
3. Finding a place that is cheap and finding a place that is close enough to bike work is very often not the same thing. You should factor in bus ticket costs as well.
4. You say 200-300 a month, I suppose that's possible, but christ, the cheapest place I've ever lived was for $400 a month for a one bedroom apartment and it was in the slums in Tennessee back in early 2000s. You should be aware many apartment ads aren't real at all and are often a bait and switch technique. Never mind the fact that rock bottom rent places mean you'll almost certainly have a break-in while you're at work.
5. Besides food, poor people also need soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, cleaning agents, laundry detergent or laundromat budget, other misc. supplies they may not have. Yes, this stuff can be cheap, but at this level, every fucking dollar counts.

Living on minimum wage isn't impossible, but you're going to be sacrificing your health or security one way or another. Between you miscalculating how much you actually take home, talking about $200-300 apartments, and a $30 - 50 food budget, it suggests to me you've never actually done it. I have. It's not sustainable in the long term. Any unexpected expense is crippling, to say nothing the day-to-day stress of watching every single purchase you make and never veering for any reason, ever. Your budget is a partial fantasy based on lucky break after lucky break.

Now don't get me wrong, I think in an area where unemployment is already high, a higher minimum wage will NOT solve the problem, but give me a break saying anyone can make it on minimum wage.

This whole post reminds me of those people talking about how you can make a gaming PC for $250, then ignore that it includes lots of mail-in rebates, doesn't include shipping, tax, round numbers down, don't count a monitor or any peripherals, price of a Windows license, include a power supply that will probably die in 2 months, no-name RAM that may not even work, etc. Sure, it might be theoretically possible from certain angles, doesn't make it a realistic scenario at all.

1. That was a miscalculation on my part.
2. Yes, it is perfectly possible to have healthy meals on $50 a week. It's not expensive to buy healthy foods. Now, if your definition of healthy is "organic, name brand" only, then yes, your cost will go up. But buying in bulk at grocery stores is not expensive.
3. I said nothing about apartments. I said rooms. Rent a room in a house. If you seriously can't find a minimum wage job within 5 miles of whatever room you rent (30 min. biking distance), then you're either in a rich area, or in the middle of nowhere. Even if you have to factor in bus tickets, a monthly pass is about $40 a month. Still cheaper than a car.
4. See 3.
5. A $5 bottle of shampoo and a $5 bottle of soap usually lasts me ~2 months with showering every day. It is trivial compared to other costs. Same with detergent. Renting a room in a house most often gives you free access to laundry.So no, you don't have to sacrifice so long as you're planning things out properly. Rent a room in a house, and it'll be more secure than a low end apartment in the slums.

Yes, I overcalculated the monthly wages. However, I also assumed a 20% tax rate for that bracket, when in reality it's only 15%. That puts my estimates at only $50 over, not $150 over. It is not a partial fantasy, it is ground entirely in reality. Yes, you might not feel full after every meal, but it is sufficient to sustain yourself. If you really want to indulge, you can expand to $100 a week, and not save as much. It still fits within the minimum wage living. You shouldn't expect a good living on minimum wage. If you need a little more, work two jobs.

Additionally, if you're making minimum wage for 15+ years, you're either not motivated to move up, or you're doing something wrong. In either case, society shouldn't be obligated to help you. As for incidents outside of your control that occur, that's what social safety nets are for.

 

[tetris42]

1. That was a miscalculation on my part.
2. Yes, it is perfectly possible to have healthy meals on $50 a week. It's not expensive to buy healthy foods. Now, if your definition of healthy is "organic, name brand" only, then yes, your cost will go up. But buying in bulk at grocery stores is not expensive.
3. I said nothing about apartments. I said rooms. Rent a room in a house. If you seriously can't find a minimum wage job within 5 miles of whatever room you rent (30 min. biking distance), then you're either in a rich area, or in the middle of nowhere. Even if you have to factor in bus tickets, a monthly pass is about $40 a month. Still cheaper than a car.
4. See 3.
5. A $5 bottle of shampoo and a $5 bottle of soap usually lasts me ~2 months with showering every day. It is trivial compared to other costs. Same with detergent. Renting a room in a house most often gives you free access to laundry.So no, you don't have to sacrifice so long as you're planning things out properly. Rent a room in a house, and it'll be more secure than a low end apartment in the slums.

Yes, I overcalculated the monthly wages. However, I also assumed a 20% tax rate for that bracket, when in reality it's only 15%. That puts my estimates at only $50 over, not $150 over. It is not a partial fantasy, it is ground entirely in reality. Yes, you might not feel full after every meal, but it is sufficient to sustain yourself. If you really want to indulge, you can expand to $100 a week, and not save as much. It still fits within the minimum wage living. You shouldn't expect a good living on minimum wage. If you need a little more, work two jobs.

Additionally, if you're making minimum wage for 15+ years, you're either not motivated to move up, or you're doing something wrong. In either case, society shouldn't be obligated to help you. As for incidents outside of your control that occur, that's what social safety nets are for.

So you're still OVER BUDGET for being "grounded in reality." Here, let's break it down:

$1554 starting
-20% for taxes (yes, it could be closer to 15%, but don't forget state tax, plus it still gets deducted from your paycheck, and we'll assume what you had leftover went towards buying your basic supplies like dishes, towels, etc.
-$700 for renting a room (we're saying 600-800, so let's say you have average luck. Afterall, not everyone will take you. Also I'm very skeptical of finding one that includes utilities, usually they include water and garbage, not electricity)
-$215 a month for food using your magical meal plan (white rice will lead to malnutrition btw. Potatoes won't, but you need to supplement that with something else)
-$40 bus pass
-$25 phone plan
-$150 for insurance? You didn't give a number on this, just saying less than $200. When I was on minimum wage, I didn't have any because the money just wasn't there.

This leaves about $113 a month (or about $28 a week) leftover for toiletries, clothing, laundry, household items, misc. supplies, medical expenses, and this is ASSUMING you're not having to spend any money on electricity, heating ($0 for entertainment is a given). Nevermind that I think your food budget is still unrealistic, it means when you're not working, you're spending much of your day riding the bus and cooking. "Perfectly liveable" my ass, sounds like wage slavery to me. And for the record, I'm not still working at minimum wage, but I don't have my head up my ass to pretend that people at that level don't need all the help they can get. It's mostly luck that got me out of that situation. I had plenty of hard work and ambition, but without luck it would have been more like an early grave. I guess it's easy for some people to judge when they're looking down.

 

[YeuEmMaiMai]

Is everyone that needs public assistance black to you? You sound very racist. Like, bad.

my wife works in a nail shop and sure as can be the first few days are busy as people come in talking about how they get free this and that... it's not free if taxpayers (like me and other hard workers) are footing the bill...

I thank God every day that I can get up, go to work, tide to my church, provide for my wife and I but I was never rewarded for being lazy and depending upon others for handouts.

 

[VonGriffin]

I thank God every day that I can get up, go to work, tide to my church, provide for my wife and I but I was never rewarded for being lazy and depending upon others for handouts.

I must say Americans sure have a weird notion what Christianity (assuming) is all about : to help your fellow man (yes even if he doesn't deserve it). From people that are armed to the teeth and "suck it up" when it comes to poverty, there are no handouts, life is a struggle...

 

[Mut1ny]

I must say Americans sure have a weird notion what Christianity (assuming) is all about : to help your fellow man (yes even if he doesn't deserve it). From people that are armed to the teeth and "suck it up" when it comes to poverty, there are no handouts, life is a struggle...

No shit this! I'm a good little Christian that gives money away to some church but GOD FORBID I help other people! Hypocritical doesn't even BEGIN to describe this nonsense.