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Welcome to a very special edition of Americans voices this week, the voices of people who are financially challenged at the end of the week, at the end of the month, even day to day, voices that aren’t often heard until now. I’m Dr. Frank Luntz, and welcome to the latest installment of American speaks. Right here on straight arrow news. We gathered 15 Americans from 14 Different states to talk about setting priorities, making tough decisions, learning how to accept sacrifice, and how they survive on incomes that barely keep pace with inflation. It’s a conversation you will only hear right here on Schraeder news.
You are fascinating group because each of you
have challenges. At the end of some weeks, at the end of some months, making ends meet, paying the bills to come in. Not always, not even often. But sometimes. That’s what matters so much in this communication. This conversation is what you go through
each week each month to make it all work. So the first question I have for you is give me one word or phrase to describe the economy today. And Eva, I’m gonna start with you.
One word.
I want to say it’s expensive, okay. To a word or phrase.
Oh, I will say rat race, rat race. Joseph word or phrase to describe the economy today.
getting harder to make it. URL what would you say? A struggle? Kevin? shaky. Victoria.
Overwhelming. Samantha?
Difficult. Marry.
Challenging. Rebecca depressing. Sylvia? Challenging. Okay, guys, how
I keep hearing from the politicians that things are okay, or that they’re getting better.
I see skepticism in your face. Explain this. To me, it’s not getting better.
into how you look at it. Like when I went to school, I went to school for business. And so I can look at it from like the big picture. The things I can control. You know, it seems like all right, you know, relation is kind of stabilizing, as far as they know. Prices are kind of stabilizing for certain extent. That doesn’t really wait to what’s going on in real life. I mean, when you see that ad dollars, she’s different groceries doesn’t go as far.
Or when you see that, you know, like for example, my bills have gone up, like not only have my bills gone up, groceries gone up, everything’s more expensive. So yeah, listen, you’re not going up steadily like, and
Samantha, I see you nominating your head. Tell me why. Um, I’ve noticed, speaking of groceries, but that’s where the biggest difference has been for us where I mean, I just went to the store and bought a bottle of olive oil that used to cost 799. And it costs me 1299. The other day. It’s the same bottle, I don’t get any more. But I’m paying $5 more. And occasionally I’ll get myself a treat, I’ll get a soda and McDonald’s. And that’s gone up 50 cents in the last year. And that’s a big difference. I mean, it’s not a ton of money, but it adds up over time. Somebody else explain what you’re going through.
Sylvia, by the way, just jump in guys. Yeah. So I did the biggest jump, I moved from California to Florida, because I absolutely couldn’t afford our lifestyle anymore. And now I’m here. And all of these other things keep popping up.
So, I mean, I’m paying less, but I’m having to pay for more things. So I don’t even know. I get excited about one thing. And then I turn around and it’s like, you know, just more expenses. So
I’m curious about the impact of food and we’ll get to it in a bigger way. How many of you struggle to pay either for restaurants or for food in stores? How many of you would say that that’s a struggle.
Okay, David, please tell me how Mary please tell me how, again, she jumped in.
I mean, if you think about it, excuse me, you’re where it seems like you’re paying more to live worse than what you were before. Things that you when you take, for example, just something as simple as McDonald’s. You know, whenever I was growing up, it was $3 for a Big Mac meal. Let’s bring it up a few
yours sure what it what is it now you can’t even walk in there and get and get one value meals for a person for less than like 11 or $12. And some of that’s even worse depending on you know where you live California, my God, it, but you go to the grocery store, you know what you may spend one week you turn around and you go to buy the same things the for the following week or the next two or three weeks, it’s gone, it’s gone up again. Yeah, that I can’t even afford to go out and eat anymore. Like, I may go out once a week if I’m lucky. But it’s literally me taking every little bit that I can and pinch here, do this, put this on this credit card or this credit card, you know, we’re robbing Peter to pay Paul to survive. Yeah, um, I’ve had a grocery budget of four to $500 a month for a very long time and it is not going it’s not lasting the entire month anymore. I’m definitely having to
shift some some cash from one area to another and that will def that would definitely be the restaurant budget or the entertainment budget, cut off some streaming services so that the grocery budget can go farther.
Rebecca, you’re nodding your head, are you living through the same challenges, I understand that and we’ve got a family full of kiddos and they don’t stop eating. And we’ve got toddlers and teenagers. And so we’ve just we’ve got to make it work. And so we eat out a lot less than we used to, which means I spend a lot more time in the kitchen and trying to plan well and just be wise about how we handle it. We’re also trying to run a business. And so so many of the basic expenses have gone up. And now we’ve got, you know, employees that we’re trying to pay as a small business and when your insurance skyrockets, you know, we have to have insurance in order to operate. So we cut back on household expenses, in order to continue to invest in the business and the people that we’ve committed to. Meanwhile, like I said, kids keep eating. So that’s not something you could sacrifice, we just, we have to make a lot more choices because the money doesn’t go as far. If anyone knows someone who could purchase one or two of Rebecca’s kids, I’m sure they’ll be up for sale by the rental will agree to rent a few out
in college and a 15 year old, I don’t anymore. That’s something that everyone’s familiar with. Everyone knows the menus, and everyone has known the price of how much everything cost for so long. And I think part of the problem is that in 21 and 22 prices, inflation went up so much so quickly. And a lot of people don’t realize that that that that inflation even though the amount has come down, the prices are staying up, the prices aren’t going to come down. It’s just the rate. And I think that’s kind of where allowed the misconception is about why why does the economy look so great on one hand, but then we’re feeling the opposite.
Switching gears
How many of you had to give up stuff that you want?
Because you couldn’t afford to pay for stuff that you need? At some point over the last 12 months? Who’s had to give up stuff you want to pay for stuff that you need over the last 12 months? Raise your hands
Okay, that’s almost all of you. I mean the decision making process
did you decide I’m going to give up x so that I can pay for a why
anybody?
Why are you talking in general or fast food in general? Okay, well we did several things one we cut back on going out to eat too we cut back on the luxury what we considered luxury items you know we cut from brand name to the general item the
the whatever generics we stopped drinking sodas which I mean it’s I guess it’s better for me but with things like that that we could cut out so that we can still have everything else and
pay whatever bills are coming in. Was that process Joseph difficult for you?
Once I got over the caffeine fix Yes, it was not well, until I got the caffeine fix. Yes After that it was I mean, there were some things we gave up which
is you don’t you don’t mind too much. Because you realize I guess I really don’t I don’t need it that much. Yeah, I like it. But we did consider a luxury for a reason.
Somebody else describe to me your process. I had to get rid of satellite TV and just in general that you know pay TV because it was too expensive. And in we looked at and how much we use everything and we kept our internet line. Now we my wife watches Amazon all the time.
I watch YouTube and other videos and sometimes it’s when there’s a live event on a news site, CNN Fox or whatever. Watch it there. And I mean, it’s just it’s something that I had to cut back on but if I want to really watch TV like I did with the football season, I did put up a
antenna and watch my team. And how did that make you feel?
It was hard. Because I had it for eons, it seemed like, but it’s livable.
I wish I could get it back. But right now No, because it’s too costly. And I’m actually thinking about Nike getting it ever again, because it’s just too costly.
Somebody else tell me about the sacrifice you’ve had to do. For me, it was kind of like a
cold turkey kind of thing. So like, I was really big on getting my nails done, especially during like you’d like right before COVID, I was really big on getting my nails done. One of the self care things that I enjoyed doing a lot was going out to places like Sephora, Ulta, things like that, and like just shopping for new beauty products. And as things started to get more expensive, my bills started taking up a lot more of my money, it would be something like I would have my nails done, but I would realize like, it’s going to cost me 45 To $60 to get my nails redone today. Or I can use this money towards groceries. So obviously, this is gonna go towards groceries. And as that continues to happen, you just kind of put in your head like that’s a luxury. And I’ll do that when I have extra money. And that’s rare. So
does that bother you on a day to day basis? Do you? I don’t even know how to ask the question. But do you? How does that affect how you view life that you can’t?
Oh, sorry.
I will say that it has affected me and like, you know, just being very transparent when I was doing therapy. That was one of the things that I talked about in therapy was just feeling like, I feel like my entire life now is go to work and use that money that you use to work to pay your bills, and it’s just a cycle, and that the things that I actually enjoy, like getting my nails done and having self care just getting a pedicure just because I had a stressful week, I can’t do those things anymore. And so I definitely think it just makes life like a little bit less enjoyable, honestly, because these are the things that made me happy.
The same way, I think that will tap on that. Same like I had to give up. Like the things I enjoy for self care as far as like going into the hair salon and getting my nails done. I can’t afford to do that anymore. Because I have to pay for like just basic necessities. Even like health care. I can’t go to a therapist anymore because my insurance doesn’t cover it and I can’t afford that out of out of pocket costs. So like, my mental health is suffering. So it really sucks because I I can’t get what I need mental health wise, but then I can’t even do like the things that I used to suffocate with that as far as like going to get a massage or going to get my nails like going to get my hair done to kind of like self medicate. I can’t even do that anymore. But mental health and necessity. It is a necessity but it’s like something I had to put it on the back burner. Because I can’t afford it. It is not free.
Yeah, I’m considering that. I think that’s really significant.
Somebody else tell me about your day.
I’m right there.
Excuse me. I’m right there with her. Every everything that I everything that I used to do or used to be able to go places go have retail therapy, you know, buy myself something go eat at a nice restaurant, you know, go go go take a trip somewhere go visit a theme park I love roller coaster. Anything now guess what I get to do I get to see here work from home, stay at home, look at these four walls, drive myself crazy and end up in Canada and counseling on medication I’ve never needed in my in my entire life to balance myself out from anxiety. And now we’ve got the depression coming in, you know that I’m isolating. It’s even to the point even when my best friend wants to go somewhere. I’m like, I don’t even want to go because I don’t want to be around people. It’s made me reclusive. It you know, it’s just like, I feel like nothing is like we every you know, we got the freedom from COVID to a degree, right? But then all of a sudden, here we are. We’re back into it even though we don’t have the lock downs and bolt and bullshit Excuse me, but you know that that’s where that’s where I’m at. I feel like I’m just sinking back into that without the restriction, you know?
Yeah. Like things like being able to spend money on my son. Let him
by some video games that he liked, that he that he would ask for
the he was able to go to camp only because we were able to apply for and qualify for a scholarship.
So that if if we hadn’t been able to get that scholarship, that would have been pretty devastating to him, because that’s something that he looked forward to every year.
So yeah, that’s, that’s, those are kind of things that not being able to do my nails having to reduce my streaming services, those things don’t make me feel bad on a daily basis, or, or ad or weekly basis or monthly basis, but
not being able to get my son the things
that he would like. And that’s where it hurts.
Somebody else is having to think about every decision you make, you know, like, it used to be able to just kind of, you know, because we need you to do the lever, and then you really have to think it’s just
never could I have worked with this, you’re stressing about if I spin this here, if I sit on be able to do this over here, or what have you. And then you know, thinking about okay, I can’t afford, they used to do if I wanted to do it, you know,
having Go ahead.
kind of piggybacking off Eva like, we have our costs that we can’t like in the past we we could buy, you know, whatever we wanted to buy, if we wanted to go out to eat, we go out to eat and so on. Kind of like you were saying, like we have our fixed costs that we can’t do anything about. So now to pay for those fixed costs, we, I find that we have to keep trying to cut back and make everything else cheaper. So we’re not completely eliminating things so much. We’re always trying to find a way to make it less expensive. Like for TV, you know, now we stream online for free. Or for car insurance. We’re shopping around for cheaper car insurance, and so on so and so like maybe we’re not going to the Hilton, maybe we’re staying like a Best Western Hotel.
During the conversation, one of the participants mentioned the impact of their financial hardship on their children. So I decided to ask the group whether their children were aware of their economic challenges. Let’s hear what they had to say.
Who’s got kids here? Kids at home?
Okay, for a number of you. So Rebecca, Sylvia, Kevin, and Samantha, let’s go with you guys. And anyone else who wants to jump in?
Have you had to turn your kids down when they’ve come and asked you for something that you really wanted to buy for them? You couldn’t because your economic situation? Rebecca, I’m gonna start with you. Okay, this one hits home because it just happened recently, we have a great kiddo. And he has some special needs. And His birthday was coming up. And he has this game that he really, really likes. So we were going through the grocery store, he saw this game. And I said, Okay, well tell me how much it costs. So he goes off to bring it back. And we just hung up all the groceries, it was a little more than I was expecting. And he brings me the game and he hands it to me. He says, Can we get this? I said, How much is it? And he said $80. And I said, buddy, I’m sorry, not not today. And he just looks at me. And he doesn’t. He doesn’t want to make a scene, but it’s hard for him to understand. And I’m like, I’m sorry, but I just it’s the groceries for this past week. Like you don’t want to stand there and explain it in front of the cashier and God and everybody. But it was just it was heart wrenching for me because it was special to him. And I couldn’t do it. And I he never asked for anything. And so it was really hard to turn him down and say I’m sorry, we can’t we have to we have to plan for this. Maybe later we can and we can budget for this. But it’s not today.
Well, it’s it’s been through the same challenge because of making ends meet with your kids. I, I find you know what I find now that now even when you buy clothes or something, now you could do like a type of layaway type of thing, like they got after pay karma.
All of that now. So now you could buy a pair of sneakers, or clothing, let’s say a pair of sneakers you want $200 Let’s say Oh, well give us $45 And then every week we’re going to charge you so much. So I guess the retailers are getting to it now also as it’s getting into the retailers where the public’s not covering up the money that we’re used to anymore. We’re now alternated we got to tell our kids no which we as parents, we hate it because you try to give your kid better. You know when always you know, try to gratify them, but now you got to come back from them. And sometimes they don’t understand. Like Rebecca said they don’t understand where you know what was before can’t be now. Instead of the young kids. How did it make you feel when you had to turn down your child? Oh, I feel horrible because I have I also have a special needs kids. And he’s crazy about Playstation and so we go to Walmart and his thing is he wants to play something
He’s like that. And I’m like, Well, how about if we get a cheaper older PlayStation game? No, I already did that. So the kid tries to throw a tantrum and you try to explain the kid, the finances, we can’t do this. Or the last ultimatum is, let’s see if they have layaway and I can, I can help you that way. You can’t get in now, maybe in a month or so when I finished paying the layaway, so you gotta you gotta struggle, you know, and it’s sad. Because then, you know, you try to show your kid the right values, but then you don’t want them to think that yo, my mom and dad has a cheaper one we’re not, you know,
it’s you got to adapt to your situation. Who else has had to say no to your child because of economic conditions right now. Silvia, what was that experience? Like? Um, yeah, so I gave up a lot of different things. When I left California, like benefits, so no more medical insurance, and no more snap. So it’s kind of like micro, not micro aggressions, but like, a little bit of everything every day, you know, because now I’m having to pay for groceries out of my pocket. Which, you know, so I’m not, I’m like, Oh, we don’t really need that, you know, so like, no more like, drinks that he’s used to, or, you know, foods, and I just keep like, we’re going to weird stores. And we didn’t go to before and I blame it on the store, which is easy. But um, yeah, movies, like, you know, can only go on a Tuesday when it’s half price. And like all of these little things like that, you know, so it makes me feel poor.
You know, but I try not to show it.
The only point in the discussion where the participants vocalize their frustration, was in response to a question that I asked almost every focus group, what would you tell your elected representatives if you had the chance? The answers were direct, pointed and left no doubt about what they really think of Washington. Let’s listen to elected officials understand what you’re going through? Nope. Why?
They don’t understand because they’re not in that predicament. They’re constantly getting raises and their needs are always met. They don’t suffer like we do. They don’t go to none of that, that we do. Everything is basically a gold spoon and platter. Now we the public are the ones who have to go through the trial and tribute, the lock downs, the change where when you go down now when you go to a store, if you want to get your regular grade eight eggs that too expensive. So you have to say, Oh, now I gotta alternate for the Walmart great value. But, you know, I’m saying even though I don’t really like it, but I want to eat eggs. So I gotta reduce myself. Do you all agree with that? You don’t meet
somebody else.
Politicians will go on TV, and they show us their giant refrigerators in their spacious mansions and the refrigerator freezer is full of ice cream.
Yes. Hold on, hold on. That’s a direct shot at Nancy Pelosi is it? I wasn’t gonna say her name. But yeah, that’s her. And but this is not just her. It’s most politicians in Congress they live very insular lives. They’re not aware of and they don’t care how the working classes living.
It doesn’t it doesn’t affect what basically what we’re going through doesn’t directly affect them. And if you’ve noticed, they never have any reaction to anything until it happens. Something happens to the suit and ties to their front door. That’s when they care if it doesn’t, they don’t give a flying shit. Pardon my French again, Rebecca, you agree with this. And I know that to be true, because the decisions that they are making are making things worse, not better. And then they get on campaign cycle. And then they tell me how much they care about what it’s like to live as a common man or woman. But then they get in and they vote themselves pay raises. And they continue to pursue economic policies that continue to make it even harder for everybody that actually has to work for a living. So no, sir or ma’am. I don’t believe that you actually care. Because if you did, it would show in your actions. Just if you agree with that. With Rebecca, very much. So they are very insulated. One of the things that if you notice, they specifically talk about oh, how we can relate. When do you think the last time either presidential candidate had to worry about their finances? I mean, seriously.
I mean, they tell these great stories, but we all know they’re not true. I mean, right now we have an election here in the upstate between a guy whose family donated an entire enough money to build a athletic facility for a local college. And the other guy, his family. He’s here
is the second generation the dad built a large company, which he is now, a part of looking around, which I think is great. You’re passing it on. But they’re acting like they’re every ordinary day people. I’m like, I’m sorry, guys, I appreciate the efforts you’ve done to the success success of your family. But you can’t relate to me I’m a teacher. How in the world can you relate to my experience?
Samantha Go ahead. I think that there are a lot of them are out of touch, because they’ve gone so long without actually having to do a lot of the things that we have to do every day. You know, they do have people who take care of some of their basic needs, they have assistants, they have staff who are probably dealing with their dry cleaning, or going and grabbing them coffee, and they’re the ones who are seeing how much things actually cost and how hard it can be to make those choices that we’re making every single day. They’re not worrying as much about their insurance co pays going up or what things like that. That’s, that’s why I think they’re out of touch. Yeah, not to make this controversial. But you can tell that they don’t get it. And honestly, they don’t care, because they’re still debating about whether or not they should raise minimum wage from 725. When gas here in North Carolina is 350, there is no reason why someone should be getting paid a little a little less or a little more than twice what gas is. So that means that this person, they work for an hour, and they can barely afford a tank of gas. Like that’s ridiculous. And if you have to argue about that is because you’re not living in reality. And you it doesn’t affect you.
You haven’t recently went to a advocacy day at my state capitol about renters rights. And I had a conversation with my state senator. And I, one of the things he’s out of touch because he was completely floored to learn that the policy nowadays for applying to an apartment is that every person, whether they’re married, or just or roommates has to pay a $45 background check credit check fee, every buddy who’s applying to live in that apartment that’s over the over the age of 18 has to pay that fee. And he that blew his mind, he had no clue.
You have any Go ahead. I’m just sick and tired of it. And I just find it very insulting that they keep telling us over and over and over again, how great bionomics is and how great it is inflation is down and how gas prices have come down. Everything’s going great, great, great. But they completely they take us for fools that we don’t realize how much everything went up over the last couple years. And it’s not going to go back down. So just because inflation is down a little bit, maybe gas is down a little bit mean when it goes from $2 to $5 down to 350. That’s not a win. You know, inflation goes up to I don’t know, probably what 25% total over the last couple years and goes back down to three. We’re still paying what 25 30% More than we were playing a few years ago. But they’re counting it as a win because now it’s 3%. They don’t get that or they just play us for fools. And I think that’s kind of insulting. It was important to me to let my hardworking participants know that I was listening, that I wanted America to hear them as well. So I asked them one last final question. What do you want Americans to know about you? And the challenges you face? They did not disappoint. So if I can show this to elected officials, to your senators, your congressmen, your governors,
what do you want them to hear?
I want them to live on my budget for a month.
And a few months? No, absolutely not. That would it would completely blow their mind.
I think they need to understand the choices that we sometimes have to make. So it might be a decision where I need a new pair of sneakers because I literally have holes in the soles of them. But I also need to make sure that I’m paying for my child’s therapy and my student loans and my mortgage and making sure that everything is covered and I have electricity so the sneakers have to wait a couple of months. And then I get Walmart ones because they’re $20 and I think there’s just like they don’t understand the choices that we have to make on a regular basis deciding what’s more important
from you
how hard you have to work to to move like
how I think sometimes people think of poverty they think almost
and they don’t realize that you can have a house for clothes on your back. So
it’s kind of like a huge
His work eight hours, and you feel like
he just that isn’t going to even be enough to maybe paint the goods. What else do you want them to know, this is your chance, speak up.
Just go. sure that it’s our money that they’re spending. And I think sometimes they forget that they like to say, okay, we can fix this, we’ll just keep spending money on everything, like there’s going to be no consequences. And it’s our like, we are supposed to be the employers, we are the ones that are supposed to help direct this whole crazy ship. And they continue to spend like there’s no tomorrow. And the reason that we don’t have a portion of that income is because we send it to you. So you need honorable with the choices that you’re making, in the same way that we have to make choices here. You will also as you know, at that government level, have we’re hiring you to make these tough decisions for us. And it seems like you don’t seem to understand the balance of power in this relationship. You just keep spending, and I mean, I can’t keep spending money on the credit cards, otherwise, they will call they will call that debt. And it just seems like government officials keep spending, and they’ve lost so much of that reality check, because they’re living on somebody else’s dime. And it’s you and me. David, what do you want them to know? I mean,
like Rebecca just said, you know, they, they they need to take into account and remember that, that they are our employees, we are the employers, if it is not of the people, by the people, for the people, then you are not doing your damn job. I mean, literally, I pay taxes all year long. What is what did I just have to do? I just had to spend $1,300 Out of my personal savings, my personal nest egg that just threw me backwards, just so I didn’t have penalties and interest with IRS and state. You know, why did I have to you held out 1000s and 1000s of dollars for me? Why did I have to pay another another 1000? Or 1300? Excuse me? You know?
I can’t? Sorry? But just what do you want them to know?
That just just because for you, it’s not that 10th of a percent is not a big deal. For some of us, that is a very big deal. Now I understand that. That, you know, spear shares a very vague terminology they like to throw around. But just remember that just because you
have a very large amount of expendable income. That doesn’t mean everybody does.
And no, I’m not expecting you to pay for everything for me. No, I understand that. I’m responsible for my choices and my actions. But doggone it, so is everybody else. I’ve already paid my student loans, why do I care? I’m paying for my kids to go to college. Why am I paying everybody else’s bill? He’s don’t quit waving your magic wand and trying to erase Debt Debt doesn’t go away like that, that money still has to be paid by somebody.
Why are you making me pay it again? Why are you making? Why are you giving money to everybody else? When we’re in debt? You’re spending money like it’s nobody’s business
is no concept of reality. And it doesn’t matter which side of the aisle they’re on. They’re both doing it.
Victoria, what message would you say to them? Have you had the chance to speak to your elected officials
to get their priorities in order
in the same sentiment of how we have to prioritize what we’re spending our money on, in our individual lives, as government officials, as Congress as our representatives, they need to do the same.
I have sympathy for what’s going on and other parts of the world. But we can keep sending billions and billions of dollars overseas for wars that we aren’t involved in. And yet we can’t get a decent education system in our own country. I think that’s the problem. Like less tanks and more highways. Maybe Nels is someone who sometimes does have trouble
at the end of the week or end of the month. What message would you send to your elected officials? Let’s take that money that we were going to spend on weapons for Ukraine and Israel and use that to actually make the economy better to
get people into a place where they can keep a roof over their heads and send their children off to school, at food in the refrigerator and not be struggling to make ends meet. Just not Nancy Pelosi is refrigerator just to be clear.
Be her ice cream, whatever she wants, I’m available. Okay, last question on mail before it gets there and else
you want Americans to know.
Some of you indicated that you have trouble almost every week.
And many of you
indicated that you have trouble every month.
What do you want Americans to know about the challenges that you face? They may not understand.
It’s a great way to end this conversation
and giving you the power and giving your voice to whatever you want to say, anti Asian, I’m gonna start with you. Yes. Okay. I want Americans to know that we have been, Oh, I feel bad saying this, but we have been brainwashed into fighting against each other, we we are fighting against people who are making $10, more or $10 Less, when we are all in the same boat and the people, we need to be going up against the people, we need to be questioning the people we need to be arguing with on social media and making all these podcasts and these think pieces and everything else that we’re doing to each other, or the politicians that are not doing things in our interest. Outstanding. Can I get five more volunteers here? What do you want America to know?
I think Americans should know that. Um, if we’re at a state where you feel like you need to work a second job in order to stay afloat, then we’re not in a good place. Um, I feel like you should be able to work your 40 hours and feel comfortable. And in the event that you that you can’t, I think that there, there needs to be some things that shift on a political level. Because it’s like, we are, you know, under the structure of capitalism, where it’s like, you have to work, work, work, work, work, don’t worry about sleep. And then my health care doesn’t cover mental health. And now I’m about to, you know, maybe snap at work, but I need to pay my bills. So it’s like a revolving door of being burnt out. And the most important thing is, you know, just having joy and you know, fill in, like your livelihood doesn’t deter from your, you know, doesn’t deteriorate your mental health. I feel like everything should be in sync. And when it’s not, there needs to be some changes made.
Okay, let’s get three more of you. What do you want America to know? I’m not alone.
I kind of think sometimes we talk about people like living paycheck to paycheck or having financial problems. And sometimes people are like, well get a better job, you know, or DoorDash man complains, he didn’t get a tip. And we’re like, Well, don’t work. DoorDash. And I wish more Americans understand those people are doing the best they can. It’s not as easy as you think it is. I mean, I know everyone wants to say there’s jobs everywhere. But how many of them actually hired some? Yep.
That’s right. And how many jobs did that person apply to? Like, I see people applying to 300 jobs and not getting one callback. So I mean, it’s not as easy as you think it is to kind of change what’s going on in your life.
I think we need to also look at the corporations in addition to the politicians. I mean, I keep reading all these articles about record corporate profits, record corporate profits, inflation is supposedly coming down, but the prices are not coming down for the consumer.
And someone said that, that we are the bosses of the politicians. But that’s not necessarily true, because the bosses of the politicians are the ones who pay their donations for their campaigns. And that’s not the average American person. What else do you want Americans to know?
Americans know that we need to have more grace for each other. So to piggyback off of what TJ just said, we have a lot more in common than we have different, and the people that we need to help hold accountable and fight with our like the corporations and the politicians and not with each other. Is there any last person who wants to speak to America, about the challenges that you face, and what you want them to know about your life about? Everyone’s like, Rebecca, you’re gonna have the last word, I would just like the opportunity to be able to succeed. And I think each and every person either on this call, or that I see walking down the street wants the same thing. And I just need the freedom to be able to do that I want my government not to make decisions for me, or to tell me what’s real and what’s true. You know, never believe my lying eyes, but to just please kindly get out of my way, you know, keep me safe, so that I can maybe give me back a little bit of that money that I earned, so that I can make my decisions and so that we can raise our kids
and have a peaceful prosperous community based on what we’re able to do. It was a tough but essential conversation. My question as we end this segment, is Washington listening. Is anyone listening? I’m Dr. Frank Luntz from the people at America’s voices. Thank you for listening
