Evil Abortion Laws
In the first segment, Don and Chuck discuss the current state of abortion laws in Texas. Did you know that the governor of Texas said that abortion was now outlawed in Texas? Yes, he said that. The intent of the laws is clearly contradictory to Roe v. Wade. The supreme court at the time of this recording had just refused to block the abortion ban. For those women who are pregnant now, the clock is already ticking on whether they can get the treatment they need. Tick. Tock.
Where's the Money
The federal government, now that the Democrats are in power, is trying to help people. But why is it so hard to get help to where help needs to be?
Let's assume that I have a thousand dollars to give to you to help you out with your house payment (I don't). But...I also suspect that you will use the money for something other than what I gave it to you for, or that you might be playing up your need and you don't really *need* the money. So, to figure that out, I put together a list of documents and procedures that will 'vet' you. One of those documents is a document that only your landlord (i.e. the person who you haven't been paying your rent because, you know, food) can provide. Add to that a booming rent market, where homes are still being rented as a premium.
Now you have a perverse incentive. The landlord would make more money if they evict you, because it's easier to raise the rent that way. So why would the landlord want to provide that last document? In many cases, they don't. Already bitter about the rent you haven't paid, and questioning whether there's uncertainty in their future, they just might be better off in the long run without you anyway. After all, it's not like anyone knows when the pandemic will be over and your service-industry job will be reliable again.
Living Wage
Some people aren't ever going to be software engineers, and that's okay. Some folks won't be chefs, and that's okay too. Does that mean that they should have to work multiple jobs to support their families? Don and Chuck don't think so, and we break down the jobs and walk through our thought processes. Two different perspectives, same conclusion: people need to be able to live on what they get paid.
