Thread: Life can be tough.

Houston Family Living in Storage Unit Loses Custody of Kids | AOL Real Estate


"Charlomane and Prince Leonard were doing just fine before the recession hit. But for the past three years, they've been forced to live with their six children in a self-storage unit in northeast Houston -- a situation that they reluctantly accepted until Texas's Child Protective Services came in and took custody of their children this week."

There is an old saying. If life gives you lemons you make lemonade but how does that work with the current statuse of this contry? As i agree the children should be removed from that position I also think there were other alternatives. They could have gave them a low income place but the family could have moved in with family. There has to be a middle ground that we need to find and its currently escaping us. But this does give me yet another opportunity to say how full of shit the statement is that we are in recovery in this nation.

Originally Posted by QuickLightning

It's one thing if they were jobless and forced into this sort of living because of that. It's quite another when you have someone working full time deciding to just squat where he works to save money.

And... I'm the bad guy in this one.

If the father had a full time job, they could have rented a room in a motel or something fairly cheaply and had running water. Minimum wage with a full time job in Texas is what, at least $15,000/yr? Especially in Texas where property is dirt cheap, they should have been able to budget that $1250+ a month (nearly tax free due to the low bracket).

I'm going to have to agree with CPS on this one. Living in a storage unit with no running water, bathrooms etc. shows you are not making decisions well enough to properly care for your children.

Also, I doubt Texas is very far behind California and the recovery here seems pretty obvious. Within my company, we have done fairly extensive recruiting over the last few months. The Mrs. just found a great job working for a state sponsored company and we have friends who are all finding good jobs/career beginnings after only a few months of searching. The recovery is there in certain sectors. Just not all yet.

While your particular job industry might not be recovering yet, I would expect it to pick up in the near future. Just stay positive.

First of let me say i dont think it makes you a bad guy trying to see how it can be done. However he would have to rent more then 1 room for the amount of people in the family. I dont know the area but i do know here it would cost more then 150 a week on average but there are some that you could get for that. Is it a place i would want my family? Fuck no but you have to do what you have to do. I also have to think the cost of eating. Which for that many people isn't really cheap seeing as food prices are going up.

That being said i do however agree with you. I know if it was me i would find a way.

As to the recovery i have to disagree with you. A few places are improving but more then a few are getting worse. That doesn't equal a recovery in my book. My particular case is construction and let me tell you the only thing going is government buildings and health care buildings.

I have the benefit of living on a street with subcontractors from just about every field. We all talk to see whats going on and if Dave is dead then everyone else can exspect to be the same seeing as Dave is a mason. Myself being flooring means im final phase construction. Which means im a full year behind Dave when it starts to recover.

Now I have an added benefit of being a certified commercial installer with the capabilty to get into a building requiring any background check or clearance. Of which there really aren't that many of us that can do that because after all its still construction and most have a record and or other issues. I've been sent everywhere in the country. Yet here I am sitting at the house. So what does that tell you about the construction market nation wide?

Construction is probably the biggest employment grouping in the country and if your not building your not recovering. Thats the precise reason Obamas plan had construction in it. Unfortunately that little bit that was in there is not enough to supliment the industry much less force companies to hire people verses makes the ones you already have work 50 hr a week.

So it isn't about staying positive its about the reality of the situation.

Unfortunately you cant always count on having a job much less if the economy is going to take a record breaking dive.

How does someone that makes an honest living be prepared to be out of work for a year or 2?