What can be done to help the middle class

amother

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 4:37 pm

Post after post of families earning 200-300k and simply not making it.

Something must be done.

What? can be done?

amother

Dustypink

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 4:45 pm

Get rid of income tax. It’s what kills everyone. Bring down food prices. Those are the major issues we are dealing with.

amother

Lemonlime

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 4:47 pm

Theoretically?

Reinstate the Kehillah tax system so the tuition burden is spread evenly across every family and individual, not only for certain people in certain years.

Make nonprofit grocery stores for middle class to use, or make a different model available to existing grocery stores where subsidies provide the profit for the store.

Make one-time Gemachs for people to get out of credit card debt. An interest-free loan to cover all existing debt, repaid over 1-5 years, that can only be used once in a lifetime (unless there are extenuating circumstances).

Down payment assistance for frum families.

amother

Cerise

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 4:47 pm

flowerpower wrote:

Less taxes to start with

Free insurance

You realize these are mutually exclusive

amother

Violet

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 4:54 pm

amother Lemonlime wrote:

Theoretically?

Reinstate the Kehillah tax system so the tuition burden is spread evenly across every family and individual, not only for certain people in certain years.

Next to impossible because there are very few groups that function as kehilas to begin with.

If such a policy were instated on a local level the result would be that those who don't have school age children won't live there

amother

Lemonlime

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 4:56 pm

If we were going the "let the government solve it" route I'd say

- Make Medicaid available to all (with copays for those over certain income levels)

- Make ALL tuition tax-deductible

- Give a child subsidy, like in many other countries

- Have all benefits taper off much more gradually, no cliff

But in-community efforts are much more likely to be successful than trying to change the government.

amother

Lemonlime

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 4:57 pm

amother Violet wrote:

It would have to be a national effort, and the funds allocated per capita. I.e. the whole country IS the Kehillah. There are already many other national organizations in the frum world.

It would be very hard to arrange and enforce, but it would help many families tremendously.

amother

Teal

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 4:59 pm

In the Jewish world the thing that makes most sense is everyone trying to lower their living standards in terms of gashmius and also figuring out tuition- vouchers from government, or getting massive donations for a general fund to be used for all schools or all applicants who qualify (including middle class)

Maybe everyone has to contribute like in the olden days- from when single to when an elter Bubby… 2% of maaser automatically goes to this tuition fund let’s say.

amother

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 5:04 pm

amother Lemonlime wrote:

thats what I meant.

amother

Kiwi

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 5:06 pm

I think I’m the frum communities tuition is what really hurts people. So we need to figure that out.

Insurance needs to be figured out

And then the food prices

amother

Lemonlime

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 5:08 pm

amother Teal wrote:

That's the Kehillah tax system.

I'd say 5% of income, I.e. half of maaser. It would also mean that many other organizations would not be as stretched, so a donation to this fund would mean that families might not need Tomchei Shabbos or other tzedakah funds.

amother

Rainbow

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 5:09 pm

amother Teal wrote:

For me, that’s it. Everyone wants to live like princes.

amother

Lemonlime

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 5:10 pm

amother Kiwi wrote:

I think I’m the frum communities tuition is what really hurts people. So we need to figure that out.

Insurance needs to be figured out

And then the food prices

There is the health share model but many don't like it.

amother

Kiwi

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 5:16 pm

Here’s the thing I get excellent insurance but can barely afford the deductible and copays. It’s $35 to take my kids to the dr if they are sick and sometimes it’s multiply visits. I would much rather be on Medicaid and be more limited to my network of doctors…

amother

Tanzanite

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 5:49 pm

amother Rainbow wrote:

For me, that’s it. Everyone wants to live like princes.

I agree. I've seen several posters here express pain (and I'm not mocking it, I understand they truly are upset) that they only have one roast to serve on YT and will have to have just chicken for the rest of the meals. (Which honestly is my menu, and no, I don't feel deprived.) It makes me wonder at the gap between realistic vs unrealistic standards and a middle class income etc
At this point, when people say they are middle class but can't afford food it makes me wonder...do they truly not have basic staples like potatoes, in season produce, tuna, eggs, milk, chicken at least on shabbos? Or is it that they can't have a Fleishig meal several times a week, plus salmon and meat every shabbos....?

amother

DarkCyan

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 5:55 pm

amother OP wrote:

Post after post of families earning 200-300k and simply not making it.

Something must be done.

What? can be done?

200? So the 150s are doomed.

amother

Sage

Thu, Sep 14 2023, 6:00 pm

It's basically tution the secular families earning less are living really well on the same income. In the 100s

I think it's tution and then the mortgage bc we want to be in the frum neighborhood not outskirts walking distance to shul.