What Made Me Respond Was the Presumption and Haugtiness

Nicole Czarnecki I understand the military veterans and the disabled. I do not understand those who won't take the $7-an-hour jobs and start somewhere like many of my relatives did.

[Someone on the forum which I was on] The problem is that people can't live on those kind of wages. Imagine if suddenly you only had 1/4 or 1/3 of your previous earnings to cover home, health ins., food,education. You might work that $7l job but to what end? You might work 2 or 3 of those jobs... and people do---that's why they're called the working poor.

Nicole Czarnecki I'd be blessed to even be able to do that; and my great-granddad did that with six people to provide for in his household, and my granddad for 11 people.

 

Great-Granddad Tony Czarnecki inherited three houses from his dad, Julian, since he was the oldest son and the only one old enough to do so at the time. He was 18 on October 24, 1922; almost two weeks to the month anniversary of Great-Great-Granddad Julian's death. Great-Great-Granddad earned $5,000 a year by having himself and Great-Granddad be the breadwinners; and when he died, the income for 10 survivors (since three children had died) was down to near $2,000 (at least by 1930, when Great-Granddad was in a Wood River, Illinois mental hospital; far from Sugar Notch, and thus unable to help the then-nine survivors-- Great-Grandaunt Regina died on June 23, 1925.).

 

Great-Granddad then lived in 203 Freed Street with his wife (Mary M. Trudnak Czarnecki), sons Anthony, Jr. (1934-1934), John "Jack" (b. May 25, 1936), Francis "Red" (June 21, 1940 - July 9, 1985), James (later James, Sr. and Jim; b. November 24, 1942), and Anthony, Jr. the Younger (b. January 19, 1946; and still at home and in college when his dad committed suicide on December 2, 1964). He coal mined in Sugar Notch, then worked as a lawnmower in Watervilet, New York (and Great-Grandma's name is listed on the apartment, because he was probably too poor and working hard when he lost his job in the Sugar Notch coal mines).

 

Other relatives, including Mom's dad (who I already covered), were also the working poor. So, as I said, "I understand the military veterans and the disabled. I do not understand those who won't take the $7-an-hour jobs and start somewhere like many of my relatives did." Quit occupying Wall Street and work like avoti did.