A Fight For Them All

After painting tonight we sat down and watched a show on msnbc about prison inmates ('Lockup: Raw').

We've never seen it before. It's actually really interesting; and heartbreaking -tonight it is, anyway. (Knowing us, some of us would probably not think so)

This show makes us, well, me, miss the many homeless, low-income, and mentally ill people we worked with in one of our previous jobs (the one we got fired from almost exactly two years ago).

People don't respect the homeless, the low-income, people who struggle because of mental illness. Often those people are all part of the same group. Some people play a victim, in their day-to-day life, meanwhile able to manage a semblance of a productive life. The people we've met and knew on a daily basis never did that...they just seemed...lost and trying. Lost and fighting. Lost and being defeated. But they never seemed like victims.

We remember one guy. He was very nice. He struggled with some pretty severe mental illness. As a matter of fact we had met him the first few times while he was going through a schizophrenic episode. Then he got put into medical care.

When he came back he was..."completely normal". While he was "no longer ill" he kept coming back to the facility where we worked for quite a long time. We got to know him, his story, his past; he had been successful in law-enforcement, a father, a husband...he told us about the voices of angels and demons he used to hear.
He had been, and still was, fairly religious.

Eventually he started asking us to go out for with coffee with him, and after repeated "rejection", he came around less and less. We probably will never forget him.

In the short time (almost a year) we worked closely with people who had criminal histories, mental disorders, were high on drugs - from meth, to chemicals they huffed in back-allies...it changed our view of the people who fall through the cracks of society.

We may struggle with mental health issues on a day-to-day basis, like so many in the world; but working closely with those people...it was something special. It was something sobering. It was something that made us want to fight for them all.
We write for them.

Some of us are hard angry bitches.

Thankfully we're not all like that.

Credit Ratings Perpetuating Poverty

Warning: this is a political/financial/economic/opinion entry, we've been known to write about whatever piques our interest and causes us to dig deeper. Today, it is this.

How things can change in eight years is amazing. Being outside of the United States for that long really shielded us from many of the issues that have grown, and started to loom, over the years.

Imagine our surprise when James (our Boyfriend), while reading forums about job prospects for immigrants in the United States, found that many people on the forum, not just immigrants, had been denied employment due to their not bad, but lack of, credit history; and then last night over Christmas gift opening (yes, we celebrated three weeks late) Angry Brother mentioned how last year he had been denied a job because of his poor credit history.

Let us get this straight. 

If you lose your job and have a difficult time finding a new one, get chronically ill, or fall on some bad luck, and are unable to pay your bills on time for a few months, therefore degrading your credit rating, then you will have a harder time finding a job? If you are homeless, below the poverty level ,or new to this country - meaning you probably don't have much of a credit history to being with - then you have a less positive outlook for gaining employment, or bettering your economic stature?  Let's be honest, with the unemployment rate, and financial and economic climate of the United States, many of these unfortunate situations are entirely plausible.

That sounds like a dangerous downward spiral, if you ask us; but then, we're no expert.

The arguments for a credit rating check do, of course, hold some water, but in a bucket full of holes.
Yes, the ability to carry a good credit rating can be an indication of the level of responsibility and maturity of a human being, theoretically making them a good, or better, candidate for the job; however, sometimes life throws you a curve ball - the realities of life and government - and when forced to prioritize bills, chances are water, heat, electricity and food (survival) will come before a credit card payment (not survival), even though the defualt of a credit card payment will be detrimental to your credit rating much more quickly, because credit card companies are likely quicker to take action on bills in default than are utility companies.

So how many employers are actually checking credit? In 2006 the Society for Human Resource Management, "the largest association devoted to human resource management", polled its members and had found that since 1998 there has been an 18% increase in the amount of companies/members who do credit checks (1). According to a survey by EmployeeScreenIQ, credit checks by companies had gone up by 61% between 2011 and 2012 (2). Though some organizations will allow you to explain the situation in regards to your poor credit, if you are an adequate candidate, not all may be willing to do so.

It's not the people working at McDonalds, the guy bagging your groceries, or pumping your gas that have been, and are, hugely affected by this; it's nurses, accountants, managers, supervisors, professional people who, before the economic downturn, held jobs with responsibility and good pay, who lost their jobs and have struggled with lower paying jobs over the last few years to make basic ends meet, who fall short of being able to make credit card payments, or have been forced into unemployment. It is mainly these people who are now being denied jobs because they are not deemed mature, or responsible enough to be a manager; a bank teller, or work in a banking or lending institution as an accountant, a supervisor, or in an executive position; jobs involving security; government jobs even at state and local levels, even in some cases jobs in Universities. Basically any job where you will have access to funds, the personal or business information of an employer, it's employees and/or customers. 

There is a perception that because someone can't handle their own money, or you have a lot of debt (for some companies that cut off mark is around $5000), they are more likely to mishandle business funds, steal, defraud, embezzle from the company, or commit identity fraud; which if you ask us is ridiculous - any person, at any income level, is just as likely to perform any of those actions. If anything an employee with some debt, who wants to improve their credit rating, would make a better employee, because they need income to be able to improve their rating.

The important thing to note is that they cannot request your information without written consent, all requests to view your credit report are logged on the report. Basically they can't secretly access a credit report and deny employment without permission front he perspective employee or record of the action. Of course if you deny them access to the information if they ask, you can guarantee you won't be getting the job. While credit inquiries account for 10% of your credit score, some information located indicated that credit checks from employers are considered "soft inquiries", and do not effect your rating.

The good news is that there are six states currently with new laws restricting the use of credit ratings in hiring, but that doesn't mean they can't still run credit checks though, the states of Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington (3) passed laws the end of last year restricting the practice in certain industries; and currently there are about a dozen additional states with legislation proposed and pending. Believe it or not there are actually law makers against restricting hiring based on credit reports; that means they want to make it harder for people to get jobs simply because of what might appear to be poor personal financial behavior and skills. For all the other states with no restrictions on the books, you can be denied a job for something as minor as manager of a small department store.

What's next? Medical records to make sure you're not sick too much, not "mentally ill", or have a history of health problems? 

At the end of the day it's just discrimination, another loss of freedom, another marker on the road to stripping away opportunity, at the hands of the people voted into office, and the people who have authority. The trick will be if it deviates, it's never too late to turn back; it's all the more reason people should be more educated, and aware, of what the people they vote into any office really stand for. Let the actions of the elected/hopefuls, let their history, their standards for human rights and freedom, be used as a credit report to determine their ability to stand office and represent the people of the community, the states and our country.

Sources and Citation:

• (1) 'How Bad Credit Can Cost You A Job'  - Liza Pulliam Weston, MSN Money, 2009 http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Banking/YourCreditRating/how-bad-credit-can-cost-you-a-job.aspx 
• (2) 'Survey Finds More Companies Credit-Checking Candidates' - John Zapp, May 16, 2011 http://www.ere.net/2011/05/16/survey-finds-more-companies-credit-checking-candidates/
• (3) 'New California Credit Report Check Law Unnecessary and Confusing for Employers According to Safe Hiring Expert' - Tom Ahearn, ESR News Editor, December 29, 2011 http://www.esrcheck.com/wordpress/2011/12/29/new-california-credit-report-check-law-unnecessary-and-confusing-for-employers-according-to-safe-hiring-expert/
• 'Use of Credit Information in Employment 2011 Legislation'- National Confrence of State Legislators', December 19, 2011http://www.ncsl.org/issues-research/banking-insurance-financial-services/use-of-credit-information-in-employment-2011-legis.aspx
• 'No discriminating against applicants with bad credit in California' - Law Offices of Rheuban & Gresen, January 6, 2012 http://www.losangelesemploymentlaws.com/2012/01/no-discriminating-against-applicants-with-bad-credit-in-california.shtml 
• 'New Credit Check Law Takes Affect' - HireRight, January 5, 2012 http://www.hireright.com/blog/2012/01/new-credit-check-law-takes-effect-ab-22/
• 'What You Need To Know About Credit Inquiries' - LaToya Irby, About.com, http://credit.about.com/od/creditreportscoring/a/creditinquiry.htm

Good Deeds and Old Jobs

We're not going to say what nice thing we did. But we did a good deed this afternoon after work.

This may confuse people (who follow us on Twitter). It shouldn't; perhaps you just don't know all of us.

Look. We're not ALL angry and hateful. We're not. It would be easier if we were, there would probably be less fighting. (less anxiety too)

Did you know we used to work at a soup kitchen that not only served free soup but also whole meals for very little money to the homeless and low income people of our neighborhood? They also had a food program where low income locals could buy food at low wholesale prices, but not in wholesale sizes; fresh foods like meat, fruits and vegetable and dairy. We were in charge of the food there, making menus, helping with ordering and inventory, as well as being manager/director of the social media. We all think food for everyone is very important (though some of the others don't like to eat very much).

We always had to be very careful what we said about our job; but since we don't work there anymore...and we never signed a confidentiality agreement, we can say what we want. It's been over a month now too, since we worked there.

Yes, those who used to follow us know that some of us used to say some pretty mean things about some of the people we encountered on a daily basis, from volunteers to the people we were serving (and sometimes about co-workers who deserved it *coughs* Fuck Face *coughs*)

There is a reason for that, for our anger. It's probably not a good reason though, so maybe it's an excuse.

Some of the people we encountered on a daily basis were on government assistance and not because they were mentally ill; some of them were lazy, or decided to be a baby making factory (you could tell the difference between the woman who hadn't planned on having a child, and those that were perpetually pregnant by different "baby-daddies").

They also acted like they were entitled to everything (mostly the "welfare" mothers). We knew the ones who were too mentally ill to work a regular job, and even some of them would help out by volunteering...they were beautiful tortured souls.

We interacted with people who were schizophrenic on a daily basis, people who would give tours to imaginary people outside our office, tell us at least once a week that there was "feces on the mirror in the washroom", when in fact, there was nothing. These people we're not on street drugs.

We also interacted with people who's minds were so addled by drugs and alcohol that they could barely walk and/or speak...and it was hard to tell if they were on the drugs to "scare off" their mental illness, or the mental illness came from the drugs and alcohol. Sometimes it really is a "what came first" situation.


Some of them were on prescription drugs that were supposed to help them get off of street drugs, drugs that they got addicted to instead. Clearly the governments of the world think it better we be addicted to something approved of by society, not to mention taxable...then some "dirty" drug.

People there would steal, even though they were getting an amazing and inexpensive service; and when we would confront them, they would get pissed off at us. One time we were told "why don't you get a real job?" by a snarling woman who looked like she was going to spit on us, when we confronted her about an apple her kid didn't hide fast enough, that he was trying to steal. She got very angry and defensive, and acted like WE were in the wrong. Poor behavior begats poor behavior (yeah, we like that word lately, begat), and she taught her child a very bad lesson that day...and it probably wasn't the first time.

Another example; we overheard a young man, no more than 23 years old, who was a frequent visitor, talking to another "guest". He said the reason he doesn't have a job is because he is lazy and has poor work ethic. We've see him as a volunteer there, and he was right about himself; but hearing him say that that day made us beyond angry, mostly because the day he was tasked to help us as a volunteer we were in so much pain we could barely move and he was a pissy little baby about having to stand while he waited on customers.

Some of the people there made us sicker.

So, sometimes we would say mean things at that job in tweets because the people made us angry. Angry that sheer laziness got them off the hook at being responsible, that THEY were okay with their laziness...and having other people pay for their laziness. We were angry because we were struggling every day to make it to work, to function and be coherent, when much of our day was brutally difficult for us to manage, and we were the sickest, mentally AND physically, than we'd even been in our life. In addition, they money being lazy, living off the government, than we did working...and then we got fired from that job.

Back to why we do nice things. Back to why I do nice things (or rather, Catherine and I).

At any point in our life we could have been/could be that person who is hungry on the street corner...we could be that person dining in a soup kitchen...sleeping on a cot in a shelter. We've been lucky to not ever have to do that. The same can be said for anybody who is barely scrapping by on a day to day basis. All it takes is one wrong thing to happen and you are the guy sitting on the corner with a sign that simply says "Hungry".

So tonight, we did a nice thing and we were told we were awesome. And while we thanked him we know we're not awesome, we didn't do it just for him. We did it for us, to remind us to be thankful...even if some of us are a bitch most of the time. Our life isn't great, most of the time, by any stretch of the imagination...but it could be worse.

Now having said that, we don't give change to bums. The local downtown security group advises against it, citing that over 70% of the time it's for drugs and alcohol - and we agree and have seen it in action; but we will offer food if we have it on us, bus tickets if we have them and they are asking for change for the bus. We offered a lady an apple one day, after she said she wanted money for food. She declined it, of course, she didn't want money for food after all. Probably if some guy walked up to us and said "I want money for a fifth of whiskey", we'd walk him to the liquor store (if we had the money ourselves) and buy him some whiskey, because with us honesty works. The people we don't like are the people who try to scam for anything. We'd sooner spit on a person in need who is being dishonest.

Over the years we've gotten smart about it. They (the beggars, bums, what have you) are not asking for money to pay their bills (likely), they are not asking for money to pay rent (you have to have a job in order to have a place to rent)...if they are asking for money to get to a different city (like a young couple who hangs around in our neighborhood) you have to wonder why they don't just get a job for a couple of weeks, rather than beg for a month. They are probably asking for money for food, drugs or alcohol. Surely you can provide them one of those things, just a little of it...maybe just once; because wouldn't you want someone to show you a little kindness if you were legitimately in need?

~Cassandra and Catherine (and we're the reason that kid didn't take our "death stare" seriously on the bus...we almost started giggling at him, and our eyes give everything away, always. *blush*)