High food prices may be affecting middle-income families, but an anecdotal report on CBS's "The Early Show" April 28 made the situation seem as if one family's use of a food bank was "the new face of hunger."
CBS reporter Priya David highlighted Pablo and Ada Melecio, a couple who recently lost their jobs and have elected to use a food bank to make ends meet. Ada Melecio said their "mortgage payments started falling behind and all the interest on that plus all the credit cards" were making their situation even worse.
The report didn't explain "all the credit cards" or discuss whether the Melecios were looking for new jobs, but implied that in order to find jobs, they would have to move.
"They may have to move out of state, away from their adult children," David said. She concluded: "Middle-income families are finding themselves financially stretched to a point when it's tough to manage even the basics."
Things are bad for the Melecios, but a family in which both breadwinners have recently lost their jobs is not an accurate picture of the impact of higher food prices on the working middle class.
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poor them
April 28, 2008 - 15:08 ET by candanceHere's a little clue...don't buy a house and rack up debt to the point that higher groceries cause you to lose it all.
Awww, Candance....cut em
April 28, 2008 - 15:11 ET by bassndudeAwww, Candance....cut em some slack...after all, neither one of them looks all that bright...:-)
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
Racism
April 28, 2008 - 15:27 ET by the curatorWow... at least I know who's the racist on this board. Had you been reading a transcript as opposed to watching the piece (given their last name), I assume you'd be thinking the same thing about them.
That's sad.
"I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building."
-George W. Bush, October 11, 2000
???
April 28, 2008 - 15:30 ET by candanceI didn't realize he was talking about their ethnicity.
"I didn't realize he was
April 28, 2008 - 16:05 ET by ckc1227"I didn't realize he was talking about their ethnicity."
Which, if you think about it, makes Curator the racist, since he's the only one equating race with intelligence.
Ah, un-cured irritator, that took some serious mental gymnastics
April 28, 2008 - 15:47 ET by R D HelmThat sort of mental stretch had to be painful.
However it was that you managed to twist bass' comment into a racist one really pushes against the boundaries of intelligence, if not common sense.
You lefties will go to any mental length to prevent anyone from being criticized for any reason, particularly if that person doesn't reflect as much light as some of us.
Except for conservatives, of course.
Theme for Election '08: Who cares?
Yeah, RD...and consider
April 28, 2008 - 16:22 ET by bassndudeYeah, RD...and consider this, curator only uses half his/her brain...
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
wrong half
April 28, 2008 - 16:34 ET by wizardjrapparently they need to try using the other half
bass,
April 28, 2008 - 16:40 ET by R D Helm...curator only uses half his/her brain...
LMAO-Now you're the one "stretching" things. :-)
Theme for Election '08: Who cares?
Soup lines as far as the eye can see.
April 28, 2008 - 15:25 ET by Missouri ConservativeI love how the drive-by media sees desperation in American every election cycle. Desperate, miserable, helpless people everywhere.
"women and minorities hardest hit"
two-faced
April 28, 2008 - 15:36 ET by BurgherI agree, Especially with a Republican in office.
Funny how the homeless went away during the Clinton administration and came right back when Bush was in office.
where were they hiding?
Experience it
April 28, 2008 - 15:26 ET by the curatorThings are bad for the Melecios, but a family in which both breadwinners have recently lost their jobs is not an accurate picture of the impact of higher food prices on the working middle class.
In watching this story (thanks for providing the link, by the way), it seems to me more a story of general hardship. How bad things are getting for some people.
The recession, coupled with the rising food prices, are making things exceedingly difficult.
So, for you to characterize this as a story soley about food prices, I feel, is somewhat misleading.
Secondly, for you to say this couple does not accurately represent the food price hikes on normal middle class working families is not accurate. They ARE middle class, working America.
Unfortunately, middle-class, working America is being laid off... and food prices keep going up.
This is a sold representation of what's happening to parts of our country.
"I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building."
-George W. Bush, October 11, 2000
"The recession, coupled
April 28, 2008 - 16:21 ET by Dan The Man 2"The recession, coupled with the rising food prices", there is no recession and teh rising food prices via corn subsidies are via Al Gore and his 51/50 senate vote. We may go into recession and historically we are due for a slowdown in teh economy.
Nuke em til they glow then shoot em in the dark.
Bogus ecnomic woes.
April 28, 2008 - 16:27 ET by bassndudeNo matter the state of the economy. Someone, in some part of the country is having a hard time of it. Good times or bad, you can find someone who is out of work or working for less. This is a bogus story, period.
Save a SeAL, club a liberal!!
Exactly Bassn hardships are constant
April 29, 2008 - 11:48 ET by exLibI always tell people that during the "greatest period of economic growth" in the 90's the company I worked for had numerous lay-offs and had it's biggest layoff in 1998, which incidently is when the Tech Bubble broke.
I remember many talks with some of my engineer friends who had excellent qualifications who couldn't find jobs and had to scale back their lifestyles and ran on hard times.
Then of course in 99/00 the Dot.com bubble broke and thousands of people lost jobs and dreams.
However, those people don't count and aren't the "important" people since they lost jobs while a Democrat was in the WH.
what recession?
April 28, 2008 - 16:41 ET by wizardjrI am middle class (unless you ask my wife who says "no class"). Things are so desparate that recruiters keep calling me all the time to switch jobs so they can fill their body list. BTW... I am currently working as a programmer. My son is in media arts. He is media director for a modest sized marketing firm and makes more than I do now (good for him). I know some folks got laid off, especially in the housing industry but this is not a general recession. These folks were over extended. One hiccup and they are toast. Looks like the mortgage industry redux.
meaty beaty big and bouncy
April 28, 2008 - 15:32 ET by BurgherIt's just a new diet craze. The credit overextension diet.
looks like they could loose a few pounds.
What have they been buying
April 28, 2008 - 15:30 ET by goldboughWhat have they been buying with all the credit cards? Are there no apartments in their city? Apparently they forgot to beef up their savings account for situations just as this.
This story could've been
April 28, 2008 - 15:33 ET by bobthemanThis story could've been filed regardless of economic conditions. This is a story about financial hardship, not the general consensus of the current economic environment. I don't know how this family manages money or their current employment outlook, but seems to me this has little relationship to our current economic times.
http://politicsofdes...
Follow-up report?
April 28, 2008 - 15:33 ET by Mica the MagnificentI'm sure as soon as Barack or Hillary become president, within 24 hours CBS will have a follow-up report on these 'middle-class' losers and show them riding in a Jaguar and booking a cruise on the Mediterranean.
What a difference change made.
Republicans make sure there is 'no soup for you!' - - - Libthink
Wow.
April 28, 2008 - 15:36 ET by the curator'middle-class' losers
And I thought conservatives claimed they represented the 'heart and soul' of the country. You know, middle America?
The lack of compassion shown on the board astounds me.
We know nothing of this families background... to serupticiously lable them as 'losers' is pretty heartless.
"I don't think our troops ought to be used for what's called nation-building."
-George W. Bush, October 11, 2000
Curator
April 28, 2008 - 15:48 ET by Mica the MagnificentI put 'middle class' in quotes for a reason.
1) I do not believe they are 'middle-class.'
2) I believe they are letting themselves be misrepresented for a political agenda.
3) I believe they are 'losers.'
For someone so compassionate, you show a lot of hate for conservatives.
Compassion? or false
April 28, 2008 - 15:49 ET by BurgherCompassion? or false indignation? where are you on this matter?
Fact is most consertatives would take care of thier own situation and would have been embarressed to air their dirty laundry in public. I wonder how many conservatives gave foodstuff to the foodbank where these two folks are 'shopping'?
Note to Curator:
April 28, 2008 - 16:52 ET by Scout FinchNormally I overlook misspelled words in postings because the fingers have a tendency to move at a different rate of speed than the brain.
However, if you're going to go after the "big" words like surreptitiously, try to spell them at least halfway correctly. You won't look as much like a pompous bloviator.
Pablo and Ada Melecio, a
April 28, 2008 - 15:46 ET by motherbeltPablo and Ada Melecio, a couple who recently
lost their jobs and have elected to use a food bank to make ends meet.
The key word is "elected" to use a food bank.
They could have asked for help from their grown children; isn't that what family is for? Oh, I forgot...the "kids" have their own lives, shouldn't have to worry about their parents. That's the government's job.
The two main reason for the
April 28, 2008 - 15:50 ET by mattmThe two main reason for the current situation:
1) Environmentalists, and the chicken politicians who cater to them, have handcuffed our energy industry with restrictions on drilling, refining and with biofuel mandates,
2) the average consumer is a dunce, borrowing more than they can afford to so they can live above their level of income.
"Anyone who "thinks green" and complains about the economy is an hypocrite." - Publius
"The recession, coupled
April 28, 2008 - 15:58 ET by ckc1227"The recession, coupled with the rising food prices, are making things exceedingly difficult.So, for you to characterize this as a story soley about food prices, I feel, is somewhat misleading."
Like your use of the word recession?
"Secondly, for you to say this couple does not accurately represent the
food price hikes on normal middle class working families is not
accurate. They ARE middle class, working America."
Really? 2 unemployed, non-working individuals are considered working America, lol? Interesting.
Not enough information.....
April 28, 2008 - 16:14 ET by ScrapironNot enough information to determine 'why' two working adults can't survive a job loss. Could be their elitest life styles, they're liberal drug use (all democrats aren't druggies but all druggie's are democrats) or plain stupidity. The only clear information (remember the rich family, big home, business building and three vehicles wanting on SCHIP and the $190K per year liberals on SCHIP in Jersey drug out by the democrats for a pity party?) is they are liberals who think the government is responsible for their situation and should ride to the rescue, or the media has pulled another sham on the weak minded democrats. Democrats react to media lies like a pack of wild dogs react to a new bone, they devour it.
Old, Retired and glad of it.
fake but accurate
April 28, 2008 - 16:46 ET by wizardjrplease scrapiron, don't tell me this could possibly be a scam 'news' item? Oh no...! How could this be? </sarc>
Puty
April 28, 2008 - 16:27 ET by misterbillI call nutwringers like this story--"Pity Pieces".
Except, it is so incomplete, it does little for me. The questions raised by others here illustrate how poorly this piece was thought out.
PS___ One of the new liberals may accuse me of being a racist --but--- doesn't Pablo Hablo????
Come to think of it, I am
April 28, 2008 - 19:49 ET by Mark FinkelsteinCome to think of it, I am kind of hungry. Think I'll have an apple.