A Perfect World

So I was reading this article. Low Income Housing and I got a little pissed.

Something is bugging me about the picture that they posted for the story. This family is worried about a $75 hike in their rent bill. If you look closely at the picture, you can see the kid is holding something - like a cell phone. He's holding it in a manner that suggests he's texting. Now, maybe my husband and I just suck at finding cell plans that work for us, but usually any phone plan that has text messaging is at least $100 a month. They can't afford a $75 raise in rent so the owner doesn't get foreclosed on? but they can afford a $100 cell bill for the kid to sit on his ass and text his friends? WTF?

I guess cell phones are now more important than a roof over your head. The landlords are trying to do what they can to keep their rents low, but they need to raise the rents. There's nothing they can do. So why can't the renters help him out? He's doing his best to save their asses.

I had a hard time last year with a tax appt. A girl came in with her boyfriend. They wanted their taxes done and to have the refund immediately (like H&R Block does). She was sitting there snapping her gum and texting on her Sidekick through the whole interview. When I told them it was going to be at least $50 and that they would have to wait a week for the refund, she said that she needed the money now to pay rent.

EXCUSE me? I wanted to tell her to give me the phone and I'd do the return for free. Those Sidekicks are expensive. I said I was sorry, but I couldn't help them. Then she asked me to look up the nearest H&R Block, which I gladly did. I was pretty sure they were planning on not paying their bill anyway. They has asked if they could pay after they got the refund.

Another example of a want over a need. What the hell is wrong with people?