Man Brings Kids To Beg On Street Corner

[proud2BlibKansan]

PHOENIX -- Two weeks ago, Robert Bosson lost his job as a truck driver; next week, he could lose his apartment.

To put food on the table, Bosson, 47, swallowed his pride and brought his two sons to a street corner in Phoenix to beg.

"I realize when people see you by yourself (they) think that you're just going to buy drugs or liquor," he said.

It's difficult bringing his children with him instead of sending them to school, Bosson said.

"It is very hard," he said. "I hate to see my kids suffer."

more , , , http://www.kpho.com/news/18032526/detail.html#-

[Skittles]

1. not good but it is a sign of the times

I blame bush more than I blame Mr. Bosson.

[OhioChick]

2. Sadly enough, I expect to see/hear more of this as the economy worsens. n/t

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. I know more and more people being laid off

It's really alarming.

[OhioChick]

4. Same here.

I worry about when my pink slip will come. Job loss here is catastrophic.

[shraby]

5. Wouldn't he get unemployment, or if not that,

he should qualify for welfare and food stamps.

[LisaL]

6. If he had just lost his job, then I think he should be getting unemployment.

Also, is that legal for him to take his kids out of school like that?

[EFerrari]

26. You're joking right?

[LisaL]

27. Well no. When my father lost his job, he got unemployment

for while. What would be the reason for someone not to get unemployment?

[raccoon]

34. In some states (SC & GA) they look at something called your "base period," which is the

18 months prior to when you lost your job. If you haven't worked or earned much in the base period, you're SOL. At least it was that way in the 90's.

[Marrah_G]

35. Because unless you are laid off or can prove you were fired unjustly...you don't get unemployment

[kath]

45. unemployment would NOT be enough to pay rent and utilities and feed 3 people.

Not even close. It helps, and is better than nothing, but it's not enough to live on. Plus you have to wait 2 weeks for it to kick in.

And missing a day or two of school isn't going to kill the kids' performance - living on the streets or in a shelter would be worse.

[LisaL]

46. I fail to see how you can possibly claim that.

Your benefits depend on your salary. Furthermore, whether you can pay the rent or not depends on how expensive your rent is. For you to claim that it would be impossible to live on it makes no sense, as you don't have any of this information.

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. My son was laid off recently

and he hadn't worked there long enough to get unemployment.

[Greyhound]

40. You don't live in AZ so let me help you with that. It is one of those states where the employers

routinely lie in order to have unemployment benefits denied and the state goes right along with it. They may have a Democratic Governor, but it is a far reich reactionary state. Remember that these are the people that have kept Joe Arpaio as their sheriff since 1992.

Also, even if he does get it, the maximum benefit is pitiful.

[ecstatic]

7. It makes me angry when parents bring their kids on begging missions

I'm less likely to donate in those cases because I feel it's child abuse and disingenuous.

[LisaL]

9. He took them out of school to beg. They are 8 and 12 years old.

[Fumesucker]

10. Well, when they are homeless then there will be an excuse to take the kids away..

Being too poor to afford a place to stay automatically means you're a bad and uncaring parent, right?

[LisaL]

11. So it's o'key for them to be begging on the street instead of going

to school?

[Fumesucker]

16. I said the kids should be taken away..

Isn't that enough for you?

[LisaL]

23. Actually you did not.

[Fumesucker]

29. What part of..

"Being too poor to afford a place to stay automatically means you're a bad and uncaring parent"

Do you fail to understand?

[ecstatic]

12. Didn't say that at all! Education is their only hope

so he should keep them in school every day, no matter what.

[Fumesucker]

18. What good is education when there are no jobs?

Lots of people out there with degrees and no jobs.

Take the kids away, lacking adequate financial resources is prima facie evidence of being an unfit parent.

[ecstatic]

20. Then maybe they can create their own jobs

like many people in this country do. But they need an education first.

[Fumesucker]

30. I've been in business for myself for many years now..

It's much harder than working for someone else.

[LisaL]

22. The kids are 8 and 12. Aren't you assuming a lot?

How do you know the state of the economy when they are ready to start working?

[Fumesucker]

31. What are we going to use to turn the economy around?

We make very little in the US any more, the opportunities are far fewer than when I was that age.

Or even when my child was that age.

[LisaL]

33. Yes, they are doomed. Why even try?

In fact, why should any child go to school? It's all hopeless. :eyes:

[bread_and_roses]

37. You are being sarcastic, right?

I was sure you were till I saw your next post - sorry if I am dense, but that makes it sound as if you are serious.

[NoSheep]

36. A horrible memory for a child to live with. This is sad...but wrong to take the children.

[JVS]

8. Let the kids go to school, take the family dog instead.

[KillCapitalism]

14. Haha, nice idea.

Just station the dog on the street corner & put a sign around it's neck that reads "Hungry, can't afford my kibbles & bits...please help!"

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

42. Years ago, I used to work across from Rockefeller Center in NYC and every day

there would be a man laying out on a blanket begging. Alongside of him was his bunny rabbit. This man did very well! I occassionaly saw him arrive and leave in a taxi. :)

[JVS]

51. Be careful.

I once suggested that dogs are used by props for begging and people flamed the bejeezus out of me. I was right though.

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

52. canine begging

I was in Stockholm in August of 2003 and there were quite a few street people begging. One was on a blanket, prostate on his face. A dog was next to him on a blanket in the exact position. It was a most bizzare scene.

[Lance_Boyle]

53. If the dude's prostate was on his face, he's got bigger problems

than money.

[Bozita]

15. The Sunday Evening newscast on either CBS or NBC reported this story.

[galileoreloaded]

17. Many comments here show a twisted pathology.

Food, shelter, and keeping your family together are more important than school in some circumstances. I hope if and when many of you lose your jobs, and for 30-40% of us, we will, we remember this story and this video and realize how wrong we were.

Hone your survival instincts folks, not your being judgmental instincts, because you will need them, I guarantee.

I will even go one step further, fucking ban me.

When you get drug out of your Prius by the hair, by a desperate man such as this, I hope you think to your self, "Why aren't the children who are beating me in school??"

You offended? I hope so. You can lie to me and everyone here, but you can't lie to yourself. That's yours, you own it. Have a good nights sleep!!!

[LisaL]

24. I got no problem if you are banned.

As to WTF does the Pirus has to do with any of it, I got no idea.

[Greyhound]

38. WTF happened to us? We were not always this completely mean spirited.

It is a bit ironic that the story told is from Phoenix as it is one of the worst places for this kind of attitude I've ever lived.

On a side note, I am wondering why you would pick a Prius to illustrate your point.

[YOY]

47. Oh we're the effete liberals here with our Prius and our latte and our snooty attitude, huh?

Interesting what preconceptions you bring to the table.

If anyone is getting their ass drug out of the car it's the asshole in the Hummer.

[mondo joe]

49. Hannity, is that you?

[EFerrari]

50. No kidding. n/t

[asteroid2003QQ47]

19. Evangelicals exploiting kids a far more appropriate snark target! n/t

[Waiting For Everyman]

21. We can thank Bernanke and Paulson for this...

who could've figured out that we should've stopped the foreclosure machine after more than a million of them, a year ago. That much, was intolerable. But they didn't seem to realize that.

There was no reason for this to go on this long, or get this bad. And Repubs voted down attempts by Congress to stop it all year, before it got to the general economy. I hope they experience themselves what they've done to this man and his family, and all the too many just like them.

[Hekate]

25. Which Third World nation was this in?

Oh. :blush: :cry:

Hekate

[proud2BlibKansan]

32. Phoenix

[Sultana]

28. "I hate to see my kids suffer."

:(


This is what we've become.

While driving home on Saturday, I spotted a homeless man on the corner of the street with sign. I was hoping to give him some cash but I didn't have my purse with me, I felt so ashamed that I couldn't help him. The drive home was so miserable after that. :(

It's freaking cold in this area, I hope he is ok and I hope Mr. Bosson finds work soon.


:cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

39. Sad to say, this is nothing new

I've seen kids begging on street corners on and off for something like 30 years.

[Celebration]

41. Uh, we just saw this

It was a weekend, a dark Sunday afternoon.....someone said they didn't have enough money to buy gas and get back home (far enough away that they needed twenty bucks), and offered to sell us drill bits from their truck for the twenty dollars. Kid was along. This was outside Whole Foods. Most grocery stores here have security outside but Whole Foods does not. We bit.....didn't take any drill bits, but gave him the twenty bucks. Most beggars here look drunk or mentally off, but this person seemed "normal." Hopefully this money was used for food or something. I felt really, really bad for the kid. Yes, it probably is helpful to have a kid along. I wanted that kid out of the parking lot and home.

[LisaL]

43. Well dah.

People feel more sympathetic toward children. This man would not be the first person to figure that one out.

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

44. Desperate people do desperate things. This is just too damned sad.

[YOY]

48. Sad and messed up on many levels.

Very messed up.