I Grew Up Poor
i grew up poor.
my friend grew up poorer.
recently there was an election in the housing estate i m living in regarding refurbishment of all the lifts, total 30 nos. in the residential buildings of the estate. the proposal was passed without much information of the options given. a lift company without much prestige was chosen.
proposals of a lot of such elections are supported with proxy votes obtained by the apartment owner committee from elderly residents without knowing anything about what they have voted. the number of these proxy votes are even more than the number people who are present to vote at the election venue. the majority of people are indifferent.
such committees in my city are required to set up by law for owners to manage the common issues and places together, but turn out to be overpowering and become means for the committee members to take advantages of other residents by awarding tender to maintenance works of exorbitant prices, getting commission in the dark, etc.
i asked for advice in a whatapp group with more than 10 friends there, for another problematic election tomorrow. a friend replied, the building he was living in took 7 months to replace the lifts, so troublesome.
i said to him, 'but you are living in social housing. at least you don't need to pay, the government pays it for you.'
he said, 'o yea no need to pay, perhaps because it s too old'
another friend clarified, 'social housing maintenance work is paid by the government'
i clarified further, ' the government owns the flat (you don't get to pay because you don't own the flat, not because the lifts are too old).'
in my city, flats are investment tools of the rich and it s hard for people to own a flat now unless your parents bought one dacades or half a century ago or more. renting is just as expensive. so it s very common for people aged 30 or more or maybe even 40-50 later to live at their parents homes. social benefits are rare. if you get a social housing flat now it is better than winning a lottery. my friend and his parents and his brother were among the poorest people and got allocated a social housing flat more than 30 years ago and have been living there forever since.
his answer to my question was so illogical that i couldn't help wondering, how could a fully grown mature adult, far from elderly age and thus with no signs of degeneration of the brain, be so ignorant at all?
at first i pitied his situation, there was too little exposure he got, too safe to stay in the benefit net. but then i think about some classmates i had who used to live in social housing when they were young and now they are doctors.
it is ignorance by choice, not by circumstances. education is important, he dropped out of school at 13 or 14. disputes are good, they make you think, keeping you sane.
my friend grew up poorer.
recently there was an election in the housing estate i m living in regarding refurbishment of all the lifts, total 30 nos. in the residential buildings of the estate. the proposal was passed without much information of the options given. a lift company without much prestige was chosen.
proposals of a lot of such elections are supported with proxy votes obtained by the apartment owner committee from elderly residents without knowing anything about what they have voted. the number of these proxy votes are even more than the number people who are present to vote at the election venue. the majority of people are indifferent.
such committees in my city are required to set up by law for owners to manage the common issues and places together, but turn out to be overpowering and become means for the committee members to take advantages of other residents by awarding tender to maintenance works of exorbitant prices, getting commission in the dark, etc.
i asked for advice in a whatapp group with more than 10 friends there, for another problematic election tomorrow. a friend replied, the building he was living in took 7 months to replace the lifts, so troublesome.
i said to him, 'but you are living in social housing. at least you don't need to pay, the government pays it for you.'
he said, 'o yea no need to pay, perhaps because it s too old'
another friend clarified, 'social housing maintenance work is paid by the government'
i clarified further, ' the government owns the flat (you don't get to pay because you don't own the flat, not because the lifts are too old).'
in my city, flats are investment tools of the rich and it s hard for people to own a flat now unless your parents bought one dacades or half a century ago or more. renting is just as expensive. so it s very common for people aged 30 or more or maybe even 40-50 later to live at their parents homes. social benefits are rare. if you get a social housing flat now it is better than winning a lottery. my friend and his parents and his brother were among the poorest people and got allocated a social housing flat more than 30 years ago and have been living there forever since.
his answer to my question was so illogical that i couldn't help wondering, how could a fully grown mature adult, far from elderly age and thus with no signs of degeneration of the brain, be so ignorant at all?
at first i pitied his situation, there was too little exposure he got, too safe to stay in the benefit net. but then i think about some classmates i had who used to live in social housing when they were young and now they are doctors.
it is ignorance by choice, not by circumstances. education is important, he dropped out of school at 13 or 14. disputes are good, they make you think, keeping you sane.
