Originally Posted by sadarl

To add more misery to this unstable economy, I heard on t.v. tonight that 38 states are about to run out of unemployment funds! Gosh. They said the government will have to step in and bail out those states or there will be no funds. Um, if the government does much more 'bailing out' we are really going to see hard times as a country. My little brother and his family (3 kids) are living off his unemployment right now as his place of business (a large factory) burned down a few months ago; it's in a small town (no other jobs) and the company has decided not to rebuild there. Not good for them. Expect things to get much much worse I'm afraid.

It is so hard for so many people right now (I don't believe in stealing though--I was raised poor and my parents never resorted to that--but these aren't the same times/same lifestyle as when I was growing up so I try not to judge either). I agree with you guys--you never really know what you will do in desperate times. I'd steal too I suppose if my kids were going hungry. I used to be a case manager for DHS so I have pretty much seen it all. You do get a lot of people that abuse, take advantage, etc., the saddest cases are the ones that you know really need the help. Not everyone qualifies though that really needs the help, etc. Right now especially it's the poor AND middle class hurting. A lot of people are barely paying for gas and housing/utilities--nothing much left for food.