I’ve been following this and it’s great:
Friday was the final day of the Working America Minimum Wage Challenge, during which Minnesota Rep. Jason Metsa lived on a budget of $7.25 an hour for one week. Previously, Rep. Metsa made a budget, went grocery shopping, looked for housing, and met with Minnesotans who are living on minimum wage.
On his last day, Rep. Metsa’s challenge was to do something he usually took for granted: go home at the end of the week.
Metsa hails from the Iron Range, specifically Virginia, MN, and it’s about a three hour drive from the capital. On the budget he had set out at the beginning of the week, he had $268 a month for transportation. “Most people would have a car payment, but luckily I don’t, because my car is a ’99,” he told us.
He does have an insurance payment of $138 a month, which leaves him $32 a month for gas and maintenance; not enough even to get around on the metro during the work week and also get him home.
And then there’s maintenance. “I need an oil change, but there’s no way to do that on this budget,” Metsa commented. “Just before I started the Challenge, I put $1,800 into the car – on minimum wage I’d have to take out a payday loan to cover that. And that’s not ideal for a low-wage worker, with the high interest.”
It was sobering for Metsa that on a minimum wage budget, he’d literally have to take out a loan in order to make it home. “This budget has no room for mistakes, no room for an emergency, and it’s almost an extra job to make sure I’m spending each penny wisely,” he said.
“If I really was on minimum wage, I probably wouldn’t have a car,” Metsa continued, “I’d probably use the extra money to secure housing. Without housing, considering any other part of this budget is impossible.”
So without a car, Metsa would have to work either walking distance from his home or somewhere that was metro or bus accessible. This is feasible in St. Paul near his current job at the Minnesota House, but impossible in Virginia and other parts of the Iron Range (and much of the country) where adequate, affordable, public transit is nonexistent.
I also love the pensive photo as he ponders his predicament.
This challenge should be a requirement before running for office or pundit’ing, professionally.
MikeJ
It should be required before getting a business license.
Bighorn Ordovian Dolomite
Yep. Pretty much.
Pincher
There was a HUD secretary who did this years ago — lived on a food stamp budget. It might have been Jack Kemp under GHW Bush. It was a publicity stunt but it did teach people a little about what it’s like at the bottom.
sharl
That IS a great link.
But since – like that horrible story about the Philly
abortion doctorbutcher – it addresses the problems of poor folk, look for most of mainstream media to ignore it, at least until an Alan Greenspan or Michelle Rhee shows up withmagic beansa privatization scheme that is GUARANTEED! to fix the problem, as long as there are government programs available for plundering.bemused
I know Jason..he’s from my neck of the woods. He’s a great young guy.
Pincher
More interesting might be to challenge a conservative economics knowitall like McMegan to live for one year on the median family income of around $50k.
Gin & Tonic
Guy looks young and in decent shape, he should ride a bicycle.
jrg
@MikeJ: Or a fishing license. Or a pack of forever stamps.
But seriously… It’s hard to imagine what this is like until you’ve lived it. One unpaid bill can easily cascade into a job loss in short order. It’s scary.
rikyrah
I wish we could force every elected official to do this..to honestly do this.
? Martin
You should try it in OC. There’s a reason why it’s not uncommon for apartments to be shared by 2-3 families.
? Martin
@Pincher:
Fixed, for better outcomes.
Kay
@Gin & Tonic:
Right, but it’s Minnesota. It’s going to be cold.
Jay in Oregon
@Pincher:
I wouldn’t give someone like McMegan the cushion of living on the median “family” income; find out what the median income is for single people with no dependants and have her live on THAT.
But if they do it, they need to do it all the way; rent an apartment or house with no down payment or deposit since she has no savings or investments to draw upon, set up a “business” that can issue her a “paycheck” every week (and deduct the appropriate amount for “taxes”) that she can take to Wal-Mart to get cashed for $3 or more a pop, manage all of her money via envelopes because she can’t get a credit card or checking account because of a “poor credit score,” etc.
She wouldn’t last a week.
Liquid
I hear Freedom(tm) Ringing!
Lee
OT:
Explosion close to finish line of Boston Marathon
bemused
@Gin & Tonic:
It’s winter here, you know…snow, ice, freezing temps. Idiot.
Trollhattan
Couldn’t he be an American, take that money,
buyinvest in a holy gun and liberate the necessary resources for maintaining his lifestyle?More seriously, great for him. Perhaps a smattering of folks will change their viewpoints as a result. I recall the “30 Days” episode where Morgan Spurlock and his fiancee lived in Columbus, surviving on minimum wage. Even though I knew there was an endgame, it was pretty gut-wrenching because it was easy to envision this being somebody’s actual life, in perpetuity.
Liquid
Bombs over Boston.
“Hot shit Dave, let’s go look at the bodies!”
danimal
Libtards just don’t get it. It’s not the duty of public officials to find a way to get by on poverty wages. It’s the job of public officials to grow the economy by investing in the right things. Investing in poverty only gets more poverty. Investing in proven winners produces more wealth. Cut tax rates for the wealthy and the wealthy will grow the economy.
/limbaugh wannabe (how’d I do?)
liberal
Henry George had it all figured out over a century ago.
Redshirt
Hard time finding any info about the bombs in Boston. Websites are not responding.
Amir Khalid
@Lee:
Associated Press report has no count of casualties yet, but mentions a woman spectator and a cop were injured.
Liquid
10-1 it’s domestic.
bemused
Jason introduced an education bill in Feb. for union history to be taught in schools. It didn’t go anywhere but good for him. Of course, he got the wingnuts all upset, angry letters to the local papers. Nevermind that unions played a huge role on the Iron Range for decades which is why our legislators have been predominately Democrats.
Jason’s younger brother worked on Rick Nolan’s campaign, another good young guy.
Trollhattan
@Redshirt:
BBC has just this:
Horrible.
Mr. Longform
Every time some doorknob Republican says he wants to repeal Obamacare, I think they need to to try and get by without any health insurance. This is a similar exercise. But the flaw is that it expects other people to have an empathetic response, and that is what’s missing. Can’t reach the souls of the soulless.
Violet
@Trollhattan: Yeah, that was a great episode. Especially when he got sick or injured and had to go to the hospital. Really gut wrenching.
Completely agree. It should also be required to be performed at appropriate intervals–maybe every five years–to keep those jobs. I’d also love it if Lobbyists had to do it as part of their approval to lobby Congress.
Davis X. Machina
Sox game would have just ended….
Gin & Tonic
@bemused: I have bicycled in snow and ice and freezing temps.
My argument is against what I see as the default position in this article, which I’ve seen before: the options are walk, drive, take the bus, end. Those are not the only options. A bicycle significantly expands your range for barely more energy expenditure than walking. And walking 45 minutes in the snow, ice and cold is not more fun than bicycling 10-15 minutes in the same conditions.
Michele C
@Kay: And, rather too often, the snow will be too deep or the roads to icy for bicycling to be safe.
The Moar You Know
I applaud Rep. Metsa for doing this, but he’s a Dem. We already know all this shit.
The point needs to be rammed home to those who do not give a fuck because they think (usually quite correctly) that having to live like this will never happen to them.
Mnemosyne
@Trollhattan:
Some reports are saying “dozens” injured but, again, there doesn’t seem to be much information.
My question is Terrorism or Infrastructure Breakdown? There was a nasty explosion and fire in the Bay Area a few years ago that was due to a break in a old gas line that should have been replaced years ago.
Another Halocene Human
Boston.com is down. Oh shit.
bemused
@Trollhattan:
Oh no! Our friends are there to watch their daughter run in it.
Violet
@Kay: I know two people who bike to work in the Minneapolis area. They do it year round. I asked about the snow and ice and they said on the very worst days they’ll take public transportation, but otherwise the bike paths are excellent and you just have to dress for it. Both have between a 20-30 minute commute on an average day, so not like a one mile ride or anything. Apparently cycling to work is pretty common there, from what they tell me.
Mnemosyne
@Kay:
Believe it or not, Minneapolis is the #1 bike city in the US. They’ve put a lot of money and effort into bike infrastructure, so it’s really not the jackass question it first sounds like.
As someone who bike commutes to work, I agree it would be nice for people to mention that as an option every once in a while, though the guy still isn’t going to be able to cycle home from DC to Minneapolis.
Another Halocene Human
@Mnemosyne: Fuck, that would be the right part of town. Big water main break a few years back destroyed collections at BPL.
bemused
@Violet:
One of our kids lives there and he bikes to work a lot. Winter, not so much, and it has been super crappy weather since last week.
Trollhattan
@Mnemosyne:
Yeah, I remember when San Bruno first broke the newsies thought a plane from/to SFO had gone down, because the fireball and devastated area were so large.
Violet
@bemused: I biked to work for five years. There were days I’d choose to drive my car, or walk during the time I lived really close to the job, because of weather or some other reason, but mostly I rode my bike. I live in a hot climate so July and August were the toughest months for me. Cycling home in the afternoon heat was something I’d have to gear up for mentally–just brutal. Occasionally a cold, rainy January morning would dissuade me, but otherwise I did it five days a week. I loved it. My very favorite part of working there.
Kay
@The Moar You Know:
I think it matters. He’s a state rep, so chances are he is himself middle class so none of this is news to him, but still.
I think the “no room for an emergency” part is especially important.
He found out why people “choose” to take payday, high interest loans.
Violet
@Kay: Yeah, I think that sort of knowledge, learned by doing, is really important. I’m very glad he’s doing the challenge and wish all our Reps had to do it. Is there any kind of movement to get/shame Reps to do it for a week?
raven
BOSTON (AP) — Two explosions shattered the euphoria of the Boston Marathon finish line on Monday, sending authorities out on the course to carry off the injured while the stragglers in the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton were rerouted away from the smoking site of the blasts.
Gus
@bemused: Where you from, bemused? I’m a Hibbing native myself.
bemused
@Violet:
Many people bike there. Some are also very dedicated winter bicyclists. Need some adaptations to bike and human gear for that!
Mpls/St Paul is a great area. Lots to do there. Lakes, trails, trees, pretty cities.
gene108
With 70% of the population supporting a minimum wage increase, with minimum wage increases routinely winning on state ballot referendums with overwhelming support, one needs to look no further at the lack of attention raising the minimum wage (a) receives in the media and (b) can be opposed by Republicans, with no chance to hurt their re-election prospects, as to what is wrong with the political process.
Something as popular as raising the minimum wage should be a policy both parties fight each other over, as to who can raise it the most, but that’s not what’s happening.
Republicans want to either do away with it all together or if they are feeling generous just not bother to raise it.
Democrats do try to get it raised, but aren’t able to keep the issue front-and-center for very long.
bemused
@Gus:
Really? I live outside Cook.
Gus
@Gin & Tonic: Ha! I doubt you’ve experienced Iron Range freezing temps. Long stretches of well below zero air temps (not wind chills) are annual occurrences.
Rick Massimo
I’m glad he did this honestly, budgeting for things like car insurance and such. I often hear politicians proclaim with great fanfare that they “had no problem living on the minimum wage for a week” when what they really mean is that in that time they managed to spend less than $290 on gas and (new) groceries. It wasn’t the week the mortgage or the car insurance or the heating bill were due; the kids didn’t need to go to the doctor, etc.
Gus
@bemused: Yeah, I live in “da Cities” now, but my mom’s still in Hibbing, so I make a few annual trips up there. Waiting for the snow to melt before I go up again. Stay strong, spring’s coming!
bemused
@Gus:
That’s immaterial to Git & Toady who just wants attention.
Spending money to gear up your bike for freezing temps and snow is probably quite expensive for a minimum wage earner.
bemused
@Gus:
Oh, people are complaining like hell but it is what it is. You’d never know it was mid April but this is Minnesota.
bcinaz
Poverty simulation. I keep hoping more people who have no concept of these challenges take the opportunity to participate in a Poverty Simulation. Hopefully they gain insight. However there’s another thing that might happen; people who make lots of money for whatever reason have a way of thinking about money that most of us do not. Bringing their way of thinking to such an intractable problem might spur some innovation in policy and solution orientation.
That Other Mike
Public transportation is pretty cheap in the cities, too. Not cheap like a loaf of bread cheap, but tons cheaper than owning a car.
gvg
Lots of people on minimum wage I know who are no longer young, couldn’t manage a bike. injuries, age and disabilities make it a no choice for many. If they can, yes it can be a choice. Of course it’s going to cost more to dress for cold and bikes don’t seem to be as cheap as they used to be even the nonfancy ones. In practice its mostly a bus or car. Both have drawbacks.
The Other Chuck
It goes without saying (at least til I said it just now) that Jason Metsa is not a Republican. If you want the requirement for real, or at least something vaguely approaching an attitude in the neighborhood of empathy from politicians, then there’s an obvious solution that’s available every couple of years.
PIGL
I was a bycycle commuter for 20 years. Rode all year round in a frigid northern Canadian city for years when few people did (it is now relatively common). I rode up a mountain every day for years to get work and back in a rainier Canadian city…people who are now the age I was then buy mopeds instead because the climb was a bear and kids these days are wimps…who have professional jobs with all that implies for No Sweaty Stinky Muddy Clothes..
I always knew that the day would come when I would be too old and or too busy for that. And now it mostly has.
Cycling is great, and everyone should do it as much as ever they can, but it is not a workable transportation option for everyone always, not the way our cities have developed.
PanurgeATL
My solution in those days was to get (or be) a roommate. I still groaned under credit-card debt, partly because I let compound interest get the best of me (Note: Pay the finance charge on top of the minimum payment, at the very least) and partly because I spent money on the wrong things (hotel bills in L.A. pursuing the Rawk Star Dream, crap used cars I never should’ve bought). I could keep my head above water and had a bit of spending money, but I couldn’t get ahead, either–though I might’ve been able to if not for the crap used cars and the Rawk Star Dream. If I’d just gone ahead and bought the car I really wanted, I’d likely have done about as well, with less headaches.