Comments on: The Dying Middle Class http://www.daddyfiles.com/2010/02/22/the-dying-middle-class/ Much More Than Just Another Dad Blog. But Still Pretty Much a Dad Blog. Tue, 07 Feb 2012 21:59:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: JEE http://www.daddyfiles.com/2010/02/22/the-dying-middle-class/comment-page-1/#comment-19952 JEE Thu, 25 Feb 2010 18:32:37 +0000 http://www.daddyfiles.com/?p=2137#comment-19952 There is a major breakdown within the banking system. We're doing tons of modification paperwork only to have the bank process it like they're stuck in a tar pit. The regulations, delays and bureaucracy is enough to make even the most tenacious homeowner say screw it and walk away. When people are operating on that level of stress it doesn't take much to push them over the edge. We've had to have training on how to diffuse irate clients. I've seen some nasty arguments in the front office while people are waiting to go in for their appointments. Even though I want to slap some people, they're the ones I go out of my way to be helpful too. They already had a negative opinion of us, or agencies like us, so it does me no good to enforce that. It's a shitty situation and I can only hope that the current issues shed light on the difficulties we've always had in the system. There is a major breakdown within the banking system. We’re doing tons of modification paperwork only to have the bank process it like they’re stuck in a tar pit. The regulations, delays and bureaucracy is enough to make even the most tenacious homeowner say screw it and walk away. When people are operating on that level of stress it doesn’t take much to push them over the edge.

We’ve had to have training on how to diffuse irate clients. I’ve seen some nasty arguments in the front office while people are waiting to go in for their appointments. Even though I want to slap some people, they’re the ones I go out of my way to be helpful too. They already had a negative opinion of us, or agencies like us, so it does me no good to enforce that.

It’s a shitty situation and I can only hope that the current issues shed light on the difficulties we’ve always had in the system.

]]> By: Jack http://www.daddyfiles.com/2010/02/22/the-dying-middle-class/comment-page-1/#comment-19906 Jack Wed, 24 Feb 2010 22:34:32 +0000 http://www.daddyfiles.com/?p=2137#comment-19906 I know a lot of similar stories. People who approached the bank to try and come up with a plan so that they would stay current with their mortgage. And every last one of them told that there was nothing that could or would happen unless they missed a few payments. Something isn't right here. The system is broken and we're getting dragged ass over elbow towards a cliff. And my friends who are behind on their mortgages are being told that a load modification takes 45-60 days.So they can't pay their current bill and there is no hope of immediate relief. Not everyone who is out there trying to get help was irresponsible. Something is wrong. I know a lot of similar stories. People who approached the bank to try and come up with a plan so that they would stay current with their mortgage. And every last one of them told that there was nothing that could or would happen unless they missed a few payments.

Something isn’t right here. The system is broken and we’re getting dragged ass over elbow towards a cliff.

And my friends who are behind on their mortgages are being told that a load modification takes 45-60 days.So they can’t pay their current bill and there is no hope of immediate relief.

Not everyone who is out there trying to get help was irresponsible. Something is wrong.

]]> By: Jennifer http://www.daddyfiles.com/2010/02/22/the-dying-middle-class/comment-page-1/#comment-19862 Jennifer Tue, 23 Feb 2010 21:48:19 +0000 http://www.daddyfiles.com/?p=2137#comment-19862 This post is so sad, but Aaron, my family and I are right there with you. I decided to go back to school at the absolute worst time. So we went from a 2 full time paycheck household to a 1 full time income with a cut in hours and my part time check, that basically pays for my daughter to go to school. The only help we could get was from our local banks that held our car loans. We have our Mortgage through your best friend and mine, Bank of Hell, I mean America. We fell behind a payment or 2 and they SENT MY CHECKS back to me. Yes, they denied taking money from me because it wasn't the amount they said I needed to pay. (It wasn't like we had crazy credit card debt or anything else, the economy just tanked as I tried to better my career with a program I couldn't drop and just pick up in the same place later down the line) And they REFUSED to help us, we never got the "fall 2 payments behind and we can help" Funny how they get billions in tax payer dollars and can't help us out... So many people are in this boat and it sucks. Sadly, it doesn't look like its getting better anytime soon.. Hang in there, we certainly are trying to! This post is so sad, but Aaron, my family and I are right there with you. I decided to go back to school at the absolute worst time. So we went from a 2 full time paycheck household to a 1 full time income with a cut in hours and my part time check, that basically pays for my daughter to go to school. The only help we could get was from our local banks that held our car loans. We have our Mortgage through your best friend and mine, Bank of Hell, I mean America. We fell behind a payment or 2 and they SENT MY CHECKS back to me. Yes, they denied taking money from me because it wasn’t the amount they said I needed to pay. (It wasn’t like we had crazy credit card debt or anything else, the economy just tanked as I tried to better my career with a program I couldn’t drop and just pick up in the same place later down the line) And they REFUSED to help us, we never got the “fall 2 payments behind and we can help” Funny how they get billions in tax payer dollars and can’t help us out… So many people are in this boat and it sucks. Sadly, it doesn’t look like its getting better anytime soon.. Hang in there, we certainly are trying to!

]]> By: Daddy Files http://www.daddyfiles.com/2010/02/22/the-dying-middle-class/comment-page-1/#comment-19856 Daddy Files Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:41:01 +0000 http://www.daddyfiles.com/?p=2137#comment-19856 JEE: Good point, but living on this particular peninsula is a little misleading. Because if you go by the median income of Barnstable County, I've personally never been middle class. I'm right at the poverty line. But your overall point is a good one. The programs that give people assistance are worthwhile ones. Sure a few people take advantage, but that's no reason to do away with them completely. And I don't blame you for wanting to slap the people who make those comments in your office. Personally I'd just be happy that someone was willing to help me and shut my damn mouth already. JEE: Good point, but living on this particular peninsula is a little misleading. Because if you go by the median income of Barnstable County, I’ve personally never been middle class. I’m right at the poverty line.

But your overall point is a good one. The programs that give people assistance are worthwhile ones. Sure a few people take advantage, but that’s no reason to do away with them completely. And I don’t blame you for wanting to slap the people who make those comments in your office. Personally I’d just be happy that someone was willing to help me and shut my damn mouth already.

]]> By: JEE http://www.daddyfiles.com/2010/02/22/the-dying-middle-class/comment-page-1/#comment-19855 JEE Tue, 23 Feb 2010 19:33:06 +0000 http://www.daddyfiles.com/?p=2137#comment-19855 Sounds a lot like the Stack Manifesto I read last week. I have sympathy for what people in your income bracket are suddenly dealing with. Though, it's tempered by knowledge of a reality that existed long before the "middle class" got clued in. These issues have existed for a long time. They just didn't effect people outside of the "poverty" guidelines. The middle-class, by and large, has helped create the policies and regulations that are now their own roadblocks. All these years that people in my industry have been screaming about how effed up the system is, how it doesn't do anything to help people progress, how it provides no incentives for people to better themselves, how people are penalized for self-sufficient, NOW the middle class is having to deal with the fall-out from not paying attention to what we've been saying. Our economic class system is shite. I explained it to my kids by comparing it to a conical island with the wealthiest at the top, the poorest at the bottom, and it's slowly sinking. When it was just 'the poor' sinking, it was their own fault and it was up to them to pull themselves up and out of the water. Social programs take on the role of a leaky raft, grudgingly paid for by the middle class. Well, now the water is lapping up higher and suddenly no one can talk of anything but how jammed up the system is. If I had a dollar for every sanctimonious son of a bitch that has sat in my office and said, "I never thought I'D be here", I could fucking retire. I had hope too. I hoped that the silver lining in this economic cloud would be a better understanding of how to fix these problems, maybe some dialogue on real solutions, or better yet, prevention of these issues. Instead most people just want to blame it on recent economic activity and ignore the systemic problems. Hey, in the long run, none of our problems matter as much as the defense budget does. Come to terms with it, it won't be changing any time soon. Sounds a lot like the Stack Manifesto I read last week.

I have sympathy for what people in your income bracket are suddenly dealing with. Though, it’s tempered by knowledge of a reality that existed long before the “middle class” got clued in. These issues have existed for a long time. They just didn’t effect people outside of the “poverty” guidelines. The middle-class, by and large, has helped create the policies and regulations that are now their own roadblocks. All these years that people in my industry have been screaming about how effed up the system is, how it doesn’t do anything to help people progress, how it provides no incentives for people to better themselves, how people are penalized for self-sufficient, NOW the middle class is having to deal with the fall-out from not paying attention to what we’ve been saying.

Our economic class system is shite. I explained it to my kids by comparing it to a conical island with the wealthiest at the top, the poorest at the bottom, and it’s slowly sinking. When it was just ‘the poor’ sinking, it was their own fault and it was up to them to pull themselves up and out of the water. Social programs take on the role of a leaky raft, grudgingly paid for by the middle class. Well, now the water is lapping up higher and suddenly no one can talk of anything but how jammed up the system is.

If I had a dollar for every sanctimonious son of a bitch that has sat in my office and said, “I never thought I’D be here”, I could fucking retire. I had hope too. I hoped that the silver lining in this economic cloud would be a better understanding of how to fix these problems, maybe some dialogue on real solutions, or better yet, prevention of these issues. Instead most people just want to blame it on recent economic activity and ignore the systemic problems.

Hey, in the long run, none of our problems matter as much as the defense budget does. Come to terms with it, it won’t be changing any time soon.

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