We Are the 99 Percent

31st October 2011

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I’m 26 years old, and one of the “lucky ones.”

I make a livable salary as a programmer, but earn approximately half as much as my similarly-qualified-and-experienced colleagues because I have no degree.

I’m 40 credits away from an undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at a major research university, and cannot afford to complete my studies.  Thankfully, I was able to find lucrative work before my parents lost their home to foreclosure in 2009.

My father, at age 64, is homeless, and owes ~$30,000 in medical bills.  He worked as a realtor, and lost everything with the collapse of the real estate market–but owes thousands in back taxes that he cannot ever hope to repay (nor even negotiate).

My mother is 57, has no 401k or retirement fund, lives paycheck-to-paycheck, and will never be able to retire.  Her insurance premiums skyrocketed after she had a cancerous polyp removed, and can barely afford coverage.

I supported my best friend and his girlfriend for over a year while they were out of work.

I’m surviving, but with outrageous rent, fuel, and subsistence expenses, I’m living paycheck-to-paycheck myself, even at wages that were enviable just a decade ago.  I do need treatment for dysthymic disorder, and though I have medical coverage, the copay would eat into my budget considerably.

I don’t want to be a billionaire; I just want to be able to afford to LIVE without having to worry.

I am the 99%.