On Tuesday, March 16, 2004, at 09:41 AM, Dan McGuire wrote:
David Strom should scare the livin daylights out of everyone living in Minneapolis. He and those creating this bus shut-down are very clearly willing and eager to see the transit system scuttled.
Strom's statement is probably one of the more absurd opinions we are going to see in a decade. It is quite clear that Mr. Strom has no idea what it means to be poor and have to balance the priorities of shelter, food, clothing, and nurturing. Some poor live in their cars but that is not possible in Minnesota in the winter. Gas is now what, $1.80 a gallon? Add the cost of the car, the maintenance, the insurance, and the percent that takes of a monthly budget for a family of four making $25,000 ($21,249.96 net of taxes) a year is 20%! ($144 for gas, $120 for car payment, $75 for insurance, $11 for maintenance).
Typically for the poor, rent is the biggest item, taking up to 40% of the month's income. Then utilities and food account for another 40%. That puts the choice of a car between clothing and nurturing. One accident. A snow tow. A couple of tickets. Some flat tires. These all spell ruin for the family.
I won't even go into the "thousands of jobs" he is speaking about. Try spending an eight hour shift in a factory that fries potato chips all day or extracts hazardous materials from computers.
Strom is living far, far from reality.
Laura Southeast Minneapolis
Laura Waterman Wittstock
MIGIZI Communications, Inc.
3123 East Lake Street
Minneapolis, MN 55406
612.721.6631 ext 219
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.migizi.org
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