Poverty & work ethics.

In My Humble Opinion
1

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=64584

This thread prompted me to tell a little story.

I’m a painting contractor. Several years ago, I had the contract to paint several apartment complexes, all government subsidized (AFDC, SSI & such.) At the time, I was looking for someone to do some house cleaning for me. Since there were so many single moms & unemployed folks where I was working, I thought it would be a nice thing to offer a chance to make some money “under the table” for someone. I wrote a sign in English & Spanish & put it in the mail room of the closest complex (about two miles) to my house.

Essentially it said: Light housecleaning wanted. $20/hr, CASH paid. Weekly, flexible hours, on bus line.

There were 320 units in this apartment building. Most days, the entire place was filled with non-working people hanging out, watching TV, drinking, minding their kids. The sign was on the bulletin board for three weeks. Both my cell & home numbers were on there. I got not one call. Not one. I realise there may have been those that were suspicious of a trap, undocumented, or whatever.

I will withhold my opinion & ask the teeming millions. Why didn’t I get a single call? Do you think all the other signs up there for Herbalife, Food Bank info, Lose Weight Now, Make Up To $5,000 a Month etc signs also got ignored?

2

didn’t you post this same story back when it happened? I could have sworn that I’d read the exact same tale about some one posting an under the table job for cleaning in a low economy area and being upset that no one called.

For myself, I’ve always told people to NOT take under the table cash only jobs, since they’re illegal (generally speaking you’re not claiming them as an employee, paying unemployment insurance or worker’s comp on them, right?), and there’s a whole host of things that can go wrong.

3

Heck, this might be the place to drop a quote from
Mike Todd

I’ve been broke, but I’ve never been poor.
Poor is a state of mind. Broke is temporary.

4

deja vu all over again.