Have you ever been punched in the face over and over and over again?

[Tree-Hugger]

That's exactly what it's like being poor. It's getting a swift kick to the balls, or the gut, or a punch in the face - or all three - several times a day on a daily basis. For the poor, it's a constant stream of bad news. For a group that is constantly portrayed as "takers" they have high demands placed on their own wallets each day.

I've written here a bit about my family's struggles. They just keep getting worse. And I see it happening to struggling friends and acquaintances all around me. There's a constant theme in our lives. Among the steady stream of motivational Facebook memes about "Staying strong" and "thinking positive" is a cold harsh reality - just when you think you can't take anymore, you get hit again. Maybe I'm too young to remember - I'm only 35 - but I simply do not remember a time when it was this bad for so many. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this would be my life. I never thought I'd be raising children in poverty, rationing my food, eating leftover Halloween candy for breakfast, say no to a child who is hungry, begging for charity, and all of the other things that poor people do in their oh-so-glamorous (by teabagger, GOP, Christian Right standards).

Just today, we got a notice that our rent will be increasing from $1,078 per month to $1,122 per month. That is base rent and does not include any utilities or services. Will my husband get a raise at any of his three jobs? No. Will he get more hours? Nope. In fact, his hours were just cut at two of the jobs (the third has always been a low hour job). He asks, begs if I'm honest, for more hours and his bosses...oh, how they cry that they just can't give more hours because, you know, the economy is so bad and their company only took in a few billion last year and their CEO might have to lay off at least one chef. I am still unemployed and it doesn't look good for me at this point. Even so, I still haven't even made it to the waiting list for child care subsidy for my kids. Already today, my husband mentioned to a manager that our rent is increasing and he needs all the hours he can get. Advice? Just move somewhere cheaper. Because moving is free. Breaking a lease is free. Poor people obviously have amazing credit and can get great apartments for super cheap. Because super cheap housing exists. Right? Of course not....but this is the fantasy land of the affluent. People just don't get it. They lack perspective. My husband earns less than $8.00 at two jobs, less than $10.00 an hour at the other. Yet utility costs go up, gas prices increase, rent goes up, food costs go up, our food stamps got cut, car repair costs go up. Everything increases so companies make a profit while us little people just wait for the shit to roll to the bottom of the hill. Is it ever going to stop?

I'm told everyday to just pray, stay graceful, or put positive thoughts out to the Universe and welcome abundance in my life. Fuck that shit. As much as I do believe somewhat, fuck it. None of that is keep gas in the car and food on the table. And we're the bad guys. Being poor means we're vilified. It means I obviously don't work hard enough. My husband is obviously a loser because he lacks skills. We're moochers. My SNAP card means everyone else has the right to inspect my food choices and comment on them as they go on the conveyer belt at the grocery store. My son should have to work off his free crappy lunch at school. People assume we're in this place because we made poor choices. We.Did.Not. My husband lost a somewhat good job. It wasn't perfect, but he was making a bit more than he is now and we were doing fine. And we had a savings! A savings. He lost that job, we lived off our emergency fund. And that was it. Once money is gone, it's gone. We have no credit card debt. We don't have cable. We don't buy tech shit. No video game systems or iAnything. Our debt is student loans (which have actually been paid in full if you go by amount, but the interest rate makes sure you pay until you die) and medical debt. I'm still paying for a miscarriage I had in 2010. A dead baby and debt. We're here because of the lack of decent wages for people who work hard. Three jobs. In what world is it even moral for a man to work three jobs and not be able to support his family. Three mother fucking jobs, we still need government assistance, and we still can't make it. That's not okay! And politicians and corporations want us to have LESS. It's insane. And religious leaders tell us we need to be more godly or some shit and throw a prosperity bible our way. It's bullshit. It's a miracle that I'm even here. It really is.

I continue to rant about this to bring an everyday voice to this struggles. I know folks on DU understand this. Too many of us here understand this life. Too many of my friends understand it. We have to work hard to elect people who will raise the minimum raise. We have to work hard to topple the power that corporations have over this country. It's 2014 and it's a big year for elections. I have a gut-wrenching fear what another 2010-style teabaggy win would do to people like me. I don't want to see it happen.