American Winter Page #4

like me are job creators,

and so, if you just make it

cozier and cozier

for businesses and rich people, somehow

everything will be good for everyone else.

And, of course,

that hasn't worked out.

If there was a shred

of truth to the idea that

the richer the rich got, the

better everyone else would be

and the more jobs we'd create, today

we would be drowning in jobs.

It's obviously not true,

and that's why

all of our policies are

so upside down.

When you give the biggest tax

breaks and the best exemptions

to rich people and to businesses

in the name of job creation,

all that happens is

that the rich get richer.

Thank you for calling 211.

How can I help you?

We're on a fixed income,

and I don't have any bed

for my daughter to sleep on.

My fianc got fired on Friday,

and we have to be out of

our apartment by this Friday.

I'm having some health issues

right now and I need to see someone.

I have

an energy notice for $375.

My daughter and I

don't know where to turn.

OK.

Where are we?

- Hi!

- Hi!

Hi, sweetheart.

If you could

sign in here, please.

And this is your first time?

- Yes, it is.

- OK.

I did not anticipate ever being

in this position, ever.

I told myself me and my husband

are hard-working people.

We would never have

to ask for help, ever.

We wouldn't because we would

feed our own children

our own selves and we would, you

know, work hard to make that money.

And when you can't find a job, you can't

find a job. There's nothing you can do.

So you rent a home?

- Rent an apartment.

- Apartment.

- I'm glad you got a home.

- Well, we're losing it,

so I'm moving in with

my mom, but... ha ha!

You are losing your home?

Mm-hmm.

Is there enough room

there for you?

It's a two-bedroom apartment

with my mom and my sister,

and I'm bringing in 4 of us,

so it will be 6 people living

in two bedrooms, so...

it's going to be tough.

It is going to be tough.

My husband got

a job interview on Monday,

and he came out feeling

like it went really well,

so I'm hoping

he finds out next week.

So I'm hoping that he

gets a job so when

we live with my mom,

we can pay off all our stuff

and try to move back

into somewhere else, so...

I really hope he gets that job.

Me, too.

Pam, what size diapers?

You needed a size 5 and then?

Uh, 3 and a 5.

3 and a 5. OK.

And then get you...

some shampoo.

Sometimes we have...

we're really short on things today.

That's OK. Actually, I just

really need some razors.

Razors.

OK, I can do that.

Say I'm talking to my

father back in Wyoming, all right?

He's a conservative guy,

all right? He's a banker.

He grew up independently.

Our family owned banks.

He feels people should be able to

take care of themselves, all right?

"You don't go to

the social service agency

to take care of your problems.

You take care of it yourself. "

I don't think

he understands the same

kinds of pressures that

a young family would feel now.

Millions of people

without health insurance,

without good education,

unsafe streets,

little opportunity

to build their way out

if you're struggling day to day.

I just got out of the place.

I've never been so, like, scared and

out of place out of my whole life.

I just wanted to bolt out of there. Like,

I did not feel comfortable at all.

I'm, like, shaking to death. Like,

people were talking about me, you know?

"Why is she here?

Her children are dressed nice,

and look at that big

wedding ring on her finger.

She's obviously married.

She's probably doing fine. "

And it just made me feel

so awful and stuff, and I just...

Oh, my God. I didn't feel good.

I don't feel good

about it at all.

The kids are screaming.

I got to go. I love you.

Bye.

I finally broke down

when... this was kind of a prideful thing,

but I'd never even

had food stamps until

a month and a half ago.

The food stamps were people...

it was for the needy.

I was looking at myself

as being,

you know, kind of like

a deadbeat

for having to resort

to... food stamps.

I was told by PGE

to call you folks.

Gonna have some problems making

electric payment and everything.

Well, my unemployment is

expired, and I was wondering

if you could give me

a holler, hopefully help me out.

Thank you. Bye.

I called

Oregon Housing Assistance,

and they said that they

were out of money.

They were stone broke,

and for that section-8 housing,

there was, like, an 8-month

waiting period on that.

Stay. Puppy. Look.

You know, you get

in this situation where

you're so broke, you know,

you have to start

selling things off just

to have a little gas money.

Talking to my dad.

He tries to keep my head up.

He'll help when he can.

This last month...

I had to call him up

and have him

pay the electric bill.

It's not easy.

You're a 50-year-old man and

you have to call your dad

to pay the electric bill?

You're funny

in that picture, OK?

Stay. OK?

You hold still.

OK! Good dog!

Around the eighties, I noticed

there was a change in how

we spoke about poor people.

We started talking about

welfare queens

who were taking advantage

of taxpayer money.

And suddenly, we started

not thinking about

the challenges

faced by our families,

but we started blaming

the victims of poverty.

Her little friend

boy is coming over.

He'll be here

in, like, 5 minutes.

Friend boy? Why? How?

What? Why are you

always surprise...

No, we've been discussing this

for 5 days now, right, Dakota?

- 5 days.

- Who's we?

Because his birthday's

tomorrow,

and I'm going with him and

his mom and his sister and...

Oh, so he wants to come over here and

make out with my little daughter

for his birthday present?

Dad. He's just my friend.

Would you rather have her do

it in our house or with...

"Do it"?! What do you mean, "do it"?

Have dinner inside our house.

Listen.

Dad's watching, all right?

- I love you.

- I love you, too.

When I grow up in the future,

I want to be able

to support my family.

I'm gonna have a good job and

I'm gonna help my mom and dad.

If they need money, I'm gonna

let them borrow the money.

Like, I'll even let them

live with me.

- Hey.

- Hi.

Mom, Michael's here.

- What's up?

- Hey.

- How are you?

- Good.

- Nervous?

- A little, yeah.

Ahem. Come here.

This is my dad.

Hey. How are you?

How you doing?

Good. You?

So you're my daughter's

boyfriend?

Um, no. Friends.

- Do you get good grades in school?

- Uh, yeah.

- He's home-schooled.

- I know.

Well, I used to go

to school, though.

Why are you

home-schooled now?

'Cause my mom... I used

to be home-schooled

when I was in,

like, first grade.

We were having problems with

money, so we had to go back,

but now we can start back up again or

something. That's what my mom told me.

You guys can go

sit down and visit.

OK.

He's so nervous.

It's funny. Ha ha!

- Zeus, get down.

- OK.

Zeus, come here.

Come here!

So it's already been two weeks

since you guys were here last, right?

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