Canadian Healthcare from a Canadian...

Here is a link to most of the jobs that are available at this time in my area:
http://www.careerbuilder.com/JobSeeker/Jobs/JobResults.aspx?strCrit=QID%3DA6654265465447%3Bst% 3Da%3Buse%3DALL%3BTID%3D8114%3BBID%3DC8NZ%3BCTY%3D Carlsbad%3BSID%3DNM%3BCID%3DUS%3BENR%3DYES%3BDTP%3 DALL%3BYDI%3DYES%3BIND%3DAll%3BPDQ%3DAll%3BJN%3DAl l%3BPOY%3DNO%3BETD%3DALL%3BRE%3DALL%3BMGT%3DDC%3BS UP%3DDC%3BFRE%3D7%3BCHL%3DAL%3BQS%3Dsid%5Fgaca1011 %3BSS%3DNO&ch=AL&IPath=PI&lr=cbga_ca
That comes straight from the local newspaper online. It's NEVER good here, but there are always a few jobs to shoot for.
I had my share of no calls when I applied to jobs, shit happens. I know I'm too old / out of shape for a bust ass labor job. I need something that is not very physical.
We have an employment agency in town that is always looking for people to work at constructors digging ditches and such. They don't care about age. Maybe you have something like that in your town (job placement agency that is).

It's just as bad here if not worse. We have had just every single factory closed in this area. Thousands have lost their jobs and have had to sale their homes, uproot and move. I'm quite lucky because I was able to find a programming job for a non-profit community service board. Which means, I basically get paid half of what other programmers doing the same thing would get paid for, but those jobs just don't exist around here.

Not a whole lot of people make min. wage.
Those that do, make it for a reason, and it's not cause they are exceptional employees.

Huh?

Why do we have so many people below the poverty line?

Huh?

Why do we have so many people below the poverty line?

The poverty line and $5.15 (now $5.75) are two different things. Isn't it anyone that makes under 20k is under the poverty line? That's around $9.61 an hour. Unsure of where it is for sure. But you're talking about two different things...and you totally missed my point of people that are making that low of an income are making that for a reason. Great employees don't make min wage, and ANYONE COULD be a great employee...don't you agree?

Hold up...are you telling me there are no colleges near you at all? No community colleges you can commute to? There should be no need for room and board.
Yes, books are a part...buy used and save big.
Activity fees? What activities will you be doing? You should be focusing on school work and actual work, activities are a luxury.
The cost to apply is small. $39 I think.

Again, you go to night school and don't quit your job. You are assuming you need to quit your job and do what a 19 year old kid does when he moves to college...that's just not required.

If tuition is covered, there is very little other expenses required to make it.

ps- you can get a refurbished computer from the school if you just ask.

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Save big on used books? LOL!!!! When I was in college, I bought all of my books used and the average cost per book was $60. Every student is required to pay an activity fee. It might be called a technology fee, considering which college you go to, but this is not a luxury fee. It cost me $200 to apply to the college I graduated from. And I think you're assuming I'm only talking about adult students. I am talking about going to college in general. I had to drive an hour to the closest University just to avoid the high cost of room and board.

You can't just limit your scope to community college. In today's world, community college is just an extension of high school. The job market is so competitive, that even those with bachelor degrees often find it difficult to find work. A community college education is only effective in getting a student to the next level in education.

It's just as bad here if not worse. We have had just every single factory closed in this area. Thousands have lost their jobs and have had to sale their homes, uproot and move. I'm quite lucky because I was able to find a programming job for a non-profit community service board. Which means, I basically get paid half of what other programmers doing the same thing would get paid for, but those jobs just don't exist around here.

I understand...we had a few mines close and a lot of people left town. My wife works for a non profit orginization, so I am fully aware of what they pay.
I was lucky enough to find my job too. I make less than I should, but I'll make it with a smile on my face!

It's just as bad here if not worse. We have had just every single factory closed in this area. Thousands have lost their jobs and have had to sale their homes, uproot and move. I'm quite lucky because I was able to find a programming job for a non-profit community service board. Which means, I basically get paid half of what other programmers doing the same thing would get paid for, but those jobs just don't exist around here.

If you're talking about Martinsville, then yeah, it doesn't get much worse anywhere in the country (Unemployment rate as of October 26, 2007 = 8.8%. (http://www.vec.virginia.gov/pdf/newpres1.pdf))

If you're talking about Martinsville, then yeah, it doesn't get much worse anywhere in the country (Unemployment rate as of October 26, 2007 = 8.8%. (http://www.vec.virginia.gov/pdf/newpres1.pdf))

Yep! Everywhere else, even Roanoke looks like New York City compared to our employment here.

The poverty line and $5.15 (now $5.75) are two different things. Isn't it anyone that makes under 20k is under the poverty line? That's around $9.61 an hour. Unsure of where it is for sure. But you're talking about two different things...and you totally missed my point of people that are making that low of an income are making that for a reason. Great employees don't make min wage, and ANYONE COULD be a great employee...don't you agree?

I'm well aware that the poverty line and minimum wage are 2 different things but in the grand scheme of things does it really matter? Point is you have people out there that can barely support themselves, even on $10 an hour. I think there are plenty of great workers out there making shit money, just as there are plenty of people out there who are shit workers making great money.

You obviously have no idea what you're talking about. Save big on used books? LOL!!!! When I was in college, I bought all of my books used and the average cost per book was $60. Every student is required to pay an activity fee. It might be called a technology fee, considering which college you go to, but this is not a luxury fee. It cost me $200 to apply to the college I graduated from. And I think you're assuming I'm only talking about adult students. I am talking about going to college in general. I had to drive an hour to the closest University just to avoid the high cost of room and board.

You can't just limit your scope to community college. In today's world, community college is just an extension of high school. The job market is so competitive, that even those with bachelor degrees often find it difficult to find work. A community college education is only effective in getting a student to the next level in education.

LOL...you obviously don't know what it takes to go to school at night and not live there. The last I knew (granted like 5 years ago) it was $39 to go to NMSU here in town. They offer associates degrees, and bachelor degrees without having to go to class during the day at all. I seriously doubt that we have the only college in the country that does that. You don't need to go to the BEST college in the area, save the money and go to cheaper college.
I have done it all man. I've lived at college (cost me $14k a semester), I've done night school (cost me 2k a semester), and I've done internet classes ($200 or so per class). You have preconceived notions of what college should be, and trust me, hundreds of thousands of older people are working full time and getting degrees at night.

I don't know what expensive college you are going to, but when I went to Harding University (14k a semester) I bought all my used books at around $20-$65 a book max. Also, there are ways to buy it from college students for even cheaper. You have to be willing to look. One semester I bought all my books from a couple students and spent maybe $100. Rough.
So again, I ask, if someone took care of your tuition, you couldn't find a way to pay for books? Give me a break man.

I wish there was some good way to quantify the "Poor Picture". There are many people who think that most poor people are just lazy or are simply poor due mostly to their own doing. There are just as many who think the exact opposite. The truth probably lies somewhere in the middle. Based on my experiences and my knowledge I tend to think there are a lot more people out there who have financial difficulty because they refuse to act financially responsible rather than those whose situation is totally or even mostly out their control.

I do recognize though that I, as does probably everyone else on this board, have very limited point of view when it comes to this stuff.