It's been a long day and I can't recall who all asked for information but this might help some who are interested:
In the U.S. one can apply for Pell Grants to earn an undergraduate college degree. One must earn under $45,000 and can receive up to a little over $3,000 a year free with no payback. The way I read it, one can also take out student loans or receive other aid in addition to the Pell Grant - here are the official links (why didn't I know about this in college?! Maybe they didn't have it then ;-) http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide/2000-1/pell.html https://www.pellgrantsonline.ed.gov/Disp_Intro.htm Housing for persons with low income. The U.S. has offered housing aid to low income earners since the depression. In 1974 Congress (and I understand it was those "evil" Republicans who came up with this great idea ;-) changed the law so that people who not have to go into blighted public housing and could rent nice private apts. or houses. It's called Section 8 housing and it is mandatory in California for each city and new developments to allot for it. I assume it is mandatory in the rest of the U.S., too. The low income threshold varies from region to region, but would definitely take in those earning minimum wage. They must pay 30% of their income on rent and the government pays the remainder of the rent up to a certain amount. I live in a very nice building where the rent averages $1,700-$3,000 a month and I have a number of neighbors with Section 8 rents where they pay as low as $250 a month. Here is the link: http://www.hud.gov/offices/pih/programs/hcv/index.cfm Minimum wage can vary from state to state. The wage the state decides if higher than the Federal minimum, supercedes the Federal law. An example of min. wages by state: $6.25 HI, $6.75 CA, $7.01 WA, $7.15 AK, $6.90 OR, $6.90 CT Maybe if companies were given more tax breaks they could afford to pay employees more. The business giveth - it is the government that taketh away. Don't assume Republicans want to do away with welfare. The issue is more with mismanagement and government waste and the larger issue is with the outrageous taxes we must pay. Most of the middle-class are making what some consider the salary of the rich. I'm in that category. So why, if I'm so rich and not deserving of a tax cut, do I only have the same amount of money as someone living on social security left over after I pay my rent? The answer is not to cut needed services - the answer is to revamp the tax system where you could get the same amount of money coming in, but in a smarter way. But that would put a lot of people (tax attorneys, CPA's, IRS) out of lucrative jobs now, wouldn't it? I've also had to use public assistance at times and lived poor for years and made minimum wage, too. If my low income had not been taxed at the rate it was then, I could have eaten full meals, had my own apt. and not had to work two jobs just to exist. Kakki
