I have been fairly fortunate in my life so I have trouble understanding a friend who hasn’t been so lucky in her life. She has lost parts of her body and it not permitted to lift more than thirty-five pounds. She recently developed diabetes and is being treated for it. She is not yet old enough for early social security but does get some disability, food stamps, and Medicaid to pay for medical costs since the company she worked for folded.

She tried for custodial work with Exelon but they require tests to be taken to push a broom and dust desks. She wasn’t given a person to read the questions so she failed the test. I thought the law required someone to read the test for a Dyslexic.

I know many people thinks $15.00 minimum wage is too high but working out a budget for her shows she has to work two part-time jobs of $9.00 per hour or one full time to break even. She thought if she could just get social security she would be okay. She won’t because she has to pay Medicare reducing her future check. She will have to work the rest of her life even with social security. Of course if she makes too much money she loses her subsidies and will be in even worse shape.

I know another lady on social security and a small retirement pension who is barely able to keep her head above water. I know others who can’t ever retire because they have spent their lives buying things they could have done without.

My parents and siblings lived through the depression and WWII which influenced my outlook on life. How will the later generations learn to save for loss of their job or health, much less retirement?