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Today I realized that the $2000/month proposals would mean that the life that my partner and I currently live would become about the floor for the entire country, and I found this realization to be extremely moving..
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We live in a 1bd that costs $1575 in Portland. Last year we made about $24-$26k each and we both work in the food industry. We have some credit card debt, and money has always been tight in the sense that we always shop on a budget: compare value/oz for every grocery item..
We& #39;re 28/29, and we havent owned a car for 4 years because we can& #39;t afford it. We& #39;ve never really had savings, and the one thing we did to go out is to the local small theater that has $6 movie tuesdays. I hope you continue reading cuz this isnt only about what we dont have.
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Weve been together for almost 7 years, but we put off getting married bc we can& #39;t afford a wedding, and we are waiting for when we feel more financially secure. I think if we made more money, we would own a small home to renovate, and start a family. We want to he foster parents
Be* I am an artist, but it& #39;s been a struggle having that take off while working, but I& #39;ve been making progress, and if I could afford to do this FT somehow, It& #39;d grow more consistently. I also am really active in volunteering with non-profits for causes I& #39;m passionate about..
Lol I forgot to number it /6
But here is what we do have now. We have a dog, and a cat that are like our babies for now. We can afford to feed them good quality food, they have vet plans, and we can get them treats here and there. We have a spacious 1 bd in a nice, safe part of town. /8
We have a decent laptop, smart phones, and internet. We have always been able to make rent, and we have never gotten our utilities shut off bc of unpaid bills. We aim for the lowest grocery bill we can, but we will always be able to afford food. /9
I would absolutely LOVE and be so proud of this country if the life that my partner and I live could be the FLOOR of security for every person and family in this country. And if each of us could build off of that this country could become a truly amazing society to live in. /10
If we had this level and got to build off of this from our employment and work, we could strive towards those dreams. We could build a savings, we could afford a vacation, and we could make purchases that are beyond necessity or of higher quality without a worry of budget. /11
There are millions of people like me out there that have so much less, and I think in the wealthiest nation in the world that is supposed to be a leader in this world... my quality of life should be the floor. And our government should be ashamed of itself that it& #39;s not. /12
For those also that consider that $24/yr per person goes a lot farther in rural towns, I& #39;d say GOOD! Cuz your rural towns deserve a surplus then to grow, and if that extra amount would help those communities thrive and compete with a city like Portland, it should happen. /13
I want a guaranteed Income, a UBI for everyone because I know that no one should have to endure the states of insecurity that I see. I know that the basic level of comfort that my partner and I experience of having a home, to eat everyday, a nice bed, and sometimes a treat... /14
Is a level of quality of life that we should all understand as absolutely BASIC and NECESSARY in the year 2020. That when this is unattainable for MILLIONS we should ask why it is this way and why our government has tolerated this when we are a developed nation. /15
Because I know: I deserve at the very least a roof over my head. I absolutely deserve to be able to eat everyday. I deserve to be able to have my basic needs met and to live a life with some comfort and joy. To pursue happiness. and so do you. And I want this for you everyone/16
