"Nickel and Dimed" and "Roger and Me"

By JOVON SUTTON 

“Nickel & Dimed (On Not Getting By In America)”

In the recession that we’re living in, minimum wage in jobs is just not going to cut it. Living in poverty is dangerous and life risking. When Barbara Ehrenreich went undercover to see how hard it is to live in these kinds of condition, she found out that it wasn’t easy. Her life took a major turn when she started working in a minimum wage environment. Even though she had it hard, many of people just like her found out that minimum wage pay can’t make survival methods in living life.

Comparing “Nickel & Dimed” to “Capitalism & A Love Story,” these working condition are the same. The type health insurance that, “Capitalism & Love Story” mention is, in Canada the cost of health insurance is zero. Meaning that they don’t have to pay nothing for health insurance. In the documentary it explains how some countries have it greater than America, far as the health plans. When visiting England, you should go to the doctor or get injured. The reason why is because it is known that when you go to the hospital in England and you’re treated once leaving, they will provide a taxi for you or some kind of transportation for you to get home from the hospital. Also a lot of people living in Michigan will sneak from there to Canada to get free health care, when they are sick.

Talking about Michigan, their was another documentary called “Roger & Me” that touch bases on minimum wage jobs and lay-offs. In Flint, Michigan the birth place of “GM” motors was the town star. Everyone who came to Flint came for one thing only, and that’s to work. These workers would come to work at the “GM” plant. This was the town trademark. Until a man named Roger Smith decide to close the plant down. 30,000 workers lost their jobs and roger didn’t even care about his employees. The reason why I say he didn’t care is, because when he closed the plant down he open one right up in Mexico.

When Roger done this a lot of Flint residents hated him. Even though Roger Smith did this madness, Ronald Regan came up with a plan to help the Flint residents. Having to live in poverty and survive on minimum wage pay is nothing to joke about. Especially if you have a family, that doesn’t even have a decent income to provide and help out, it’s going to be even harder. The things that children need to learn is, that education is the only option provided for kids to try and do something to help out. In the long-run education would pay for your rent, food and house. All you have to do is be willing to except the knowledge that is being taught.

  One choice that Barbara made, is to see how hard it is to live in the type of environment and poverty. From the feedback, the choice that she made was one that she will probably never make again. She lived in poverty for over three years and found out that it’s nothing to mess around with. Knowing what she knows now, she would rather get her normal income, than receive minimum wage.