Homeless yet can afford $500 Blackberry at Soup Kitchen.

There was a story on a homeless guying running a forum for other homeless people.

 

So, its not any less relevant now.

This is probably why he lost his home. Living beyond his means...

Sure, a "Cell Phone", not a "SMART PHONE".. Certainly not one that has data plans and contracts more expensive than most people's gas or electric bills.

A tracphone would have been suffice. I've got a friend who DID lose his home and he's got a tracphone.

The point being made here is not that a homeless person has a cell phone, but that a homeless person has such an expensive and extravagant cell phone that most average middle class people cannot afford.

 

What's the cost of the plan? $80 a month? That's a lot of money. A 375 ml bottle of Richard's Wild Irish Rose sells for $1.74.

Cable tv, internet and cell phones are luxuries. You are correct that the bills are making these people homeless.

 

So the OP is basically saying that if someone is down on their luck, how dare they have anything at all.

There is no confirmation that this person is homeless, it's just a picture. If he is homeless, there is no indication how long, or even if that phone is connected to a plan...you know it will still take pictures as long as it has battery life? He could plug that in at any shelter, or gas station bathroom.

He could be living in a shelter, or with friends (Homeless doesn't mean on the street), had the phone before he was homeless, and it's the only thing he can keep going to make sure he can get calls for a job...I know if I was homeless , that's what I would do.
Without a phone, or an address, you are truly dead in the water.
I hope he is homeless with enough forethought to keep his phone on, at least it shows he is trying to get out of the hole.

 

Living above their means got a lot of these people into the hole in the first place. I don't buy the liberal arguement that the homeless need cell phones to get jobs.

 

Of course not. They need cell phones to sell drugs to other homeless while collecting welfare and eating free food served up on taxpayer dollars. Its part of what makes this country great!

 

The very conservative Governor of South Carolina just disappeared from his job. Nobody knew where he was. Not his wife or family. Not his staff.

He is in charge of the state National Guard, amongst other things and was simply and inexplicably missing with no contacts whatsoever.

The guy is paid over $106,000/year. Plus he gets benefits.

He should take one week of pay and either return it to the citizens of South Carolina or possibly donate it to the homeless.

They need the money.

Maybe he should just outright resign.

How can this outspoken Conservative mouthpiece just walk away and take the people's money?

He is a disgrace.

Of course he is the same kind of guy that makes snarky comments with stupid pictures....sort of like the point of this thread. Meanwhile he just stole taxpayers money!!!

 

No, you know damn well what I am saying... Stop being so obtuse.

 

And that is what is wrong with this country. He worked hard to get to where he is, so since I didn't work, and refuse to, let me get his money. IT's that kind of thinking that is wrong with this country.

 

It's much more likely that he lost his home (if he is indeed homeless) because he lost his job. And, if you haven't noticed, many people are losing their jobs right now.

 

Some really arrogant attitudes towards people having a hard time in this thread. It seems that a lot of people associate bums begging for beer money with all homeless people, and those who have lost everything, no matter the reason... and that is sad that we are that arrogant and selfish.

12 years ago, I was homeless. No I wasn't on the street, I stayed with friends for a few months while I got back on my feet, but if I didn't have those friends, I may have had to sleep in my car. I was homeless, plain and simple.

I wasn't homeless because I was an alcoholic, or drug addict, and I wasn't living beyond my means. My company went out of business and my savings dried up before I could find work. It's really that easy.

I made the conscience decision that it would be best to keep my car and my cell phone paid with the little bit of money that I had left, rather than pay rent, or I would have place to live, but no way to communicate with anyone, return phone calls, set up interviews, and actually get to them.

It worked out. I actually found 2 jobs, got myself another place, and life went on..better than before, but I would have never, EVER, gotten either of those jobs, if I didn't have my cell phone. Actually one job called while I was on an interview for another because someone else didn't work out. It was my lifeline and it alone is how and why I got back on my feet.

I can't see how that would ever happen to me again.., but I didn't think it would that time either. You never know what is just around the corner in life...medical bills to help keep your spouse, children, or parents alive..lawsuit...your business dries up,or collapses..fire or natural disaster.....sudden injury, or illness that prevents you from working.....anything can happen to anyone at anytime and insurance doesn't cover everything, or last forever.

If one of your kids needed an experimental treatment that was not covered by insurance...wouldn't you empty your savings and sell everything you had to get it for them ?

Everyone (actually most people) that is homeless is not a bum. Not many sane, healthy people would chose to be on the street, so don't equate the guy standing on the side of the road looking for beer money with everyone who has fallen on hard times.

Let's not forget how many normal, working class people with families lost their homes all along the gulf coast during hurricane Katrina, and just recently in Texas with hurricane Rita. Would you tell them they shouldn't have their blackberry's?

 

I beg to differ. You CAN make it up. You just did

You took a picture on the web and made up a story.

A) The phone does not cost $500. It's a blackberry curve and costs $100.

B) You said the man was homeless. I don't know many homeless people walking around with blackberrys unless they are recently homeless.

This is classic conservative redirection. A clear case of a closed mind if I ever saw one. Instead of thinking what any normal person would think which is: Some joker heard the First Lady of the United States is in a soup kitchen in his hometown and he stopped in and pushed homeless people out of the way to get a picture. You thought a homeless person was in a soup kitchen with a $500 phone... Wow, just wow....

But hey what do I know. For all I know you got this off some conservative whining forum or blog you visit. But the fact that you actually believed that shit speaks to your intelligence

Seriously dude? Nothing about that seemed off? Even while you were posting it and adding your comments?

 

I didn't see anyone point this out: the blackberry could've been stolen.

 

$80 a month could be better spent for someone down on their luck for the basics like food, shelter and clothing.

S.C. Gov. Mark Sanford is a member of the the Air Force Reserve, the 315th Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, based in Charleston.

Joel Sawyer, Sanford's spokesman said Monday the governor told staffers late last week where he was going to be. “Before leaving last week, he let staff know his whereabouts and that he’d be difficult to reach,” Sawyer said in a interview with The State.

According to the South Carolina Constitution, the lieutenant governor has have the full authority to act in an emergency, disability or temporary absence of the governor. Neither the Constitution nor state law details what is an emergency or a temporary absence.

Granted that as Governor he should have keep better communication but that's the way they do it down there. The last Gov. of South Carolina used to take deep see fishing trips and was out of contact as well.

However, Governors can be irresponsible in other ways. Gov. John Corzine was with his State Police Escort driving at 100 miles an hour and was almost killed. He was hospitalized for a time in critical condition.

Homeless is a person that doesn't have a roof over their head and no means. Your friends help stopped you from being homeless.

The people that are "homeless" or living on the street on there for different reasons. Some are there by choice. These include bums and drifters. Many of the people on the street have economic problems or health problems.

I believe that a part of the exploding homelessness is being caused by illegal immigration that causes low end jobs to be come unavailable.

The housing bubble is another big reason for homelessness. Small multi famaily buidlings have tripled in price over the last ten years. Rents that were $495 a month are now $1200. The avearge working person can't afford that kind of rent.

 

You are aware that not all homeless people are poor?

I know of a guy who is a tramp in an area I used to live in, he is a multi millionaire, his family were killed in a housefire so he blames luxuary and materialism for his parents' death.

He lives in the woods in a hand-made makeshift shelter and buys his food from a local off-license which I'm sure you're aware are pretty expensive to live off!

You're naive if you think all homeless people are homeless because they have no money...

 

I don't understand why it bothers you how people chose to spend their own money. There is no welfare of govt assistance that pays for cell phone bills so it's not like it has anything to do with you at all, so why does it bother you so much ?

Soup kitchens are supported by donations and volunteers, so there is nothing about this possible story that costs you one single dime for that guys cell phone.

Anyone smart enough to keep their phone so that they can find a job, is probably smart enough to downsize their plan for just the basics...I highly doubt someone who is down on their luck would pay a premium plan, or just use a pre paid card to make out going and access voice mail.

I don't care what ever happens to me, I would never give up my phone, and it's really no ones business since I am the one that has to come up with the money to pay the bill.

This thread seems to say, "How dare you have anything if you are homeless". I don't know if you guys realize this, but you can't get govt assistance without an address. Not only that, but welfare is not what it used to be (you get 3 months) so, it's not like homeless people are costing you tax dollars for welfare and food stamps, and most shelters and soup kitchens are supported by donations...so homeless people are not sponging off of you since I am sure that you do not give to homeless charities or the Salvation Army, or you would have a completely different attitude.

People love to point a finger and have someone to blame to justify looking down their nose at others. Those are always the very same people on the news saying, "We never thought it could happen to us."

 

It doesn't bother me that homeless have cell phones. I'm just saying that there are better uses for the money like food, shelter and clothing.

You are incorrect that the homeless receive no government funding. Many homeless receive small welfare payments or SSI payments of a few hundred a month.

There are some cases. But these guys are one in 10,000. More I see illegal aliens that are kind of migrant workers. They eat in soup kitchens and either send all the money back to their country or blow it in bars on the weekend.

 

Its hard to move those bindis if you dont have a number where people can reach you.

 

I'm not arrogant, I am realistic though. You have to get your priorities straight and a roof over your head is a far higher priority than having a cell phone. I went without a cell phone for the last several years, never had one up until recently.

Let me be honest, i've had some pretty rough times. We live in a great country where the government is willing to help the vast majority of people who have hit a rough time. I know from experience. The vast majority of people out on the street begging for money are only there because they want to be or have other issues unrelated to just having natural bad luck. Not saying all, but the vast majority are that way. In a country like ours, there is no reason for anyone to be on the streets unless they just can't use the money wisely.