How We Vote

Tomorrow/Today/Last Week… (aka. Whenever you happen upon this entry) everyone with in my state should go out and vote in the U.S. primaries.

Everyone but me.

Before I get virtually egged as a bad member of this society, let me explain: I am not a member of either of the major two parties.  Since I am not a member of a party, my state will not allow me to vote for who shall represent them in the larger election.  Actually I think the whole process of voting, and delegates and whatnot within the parties of the two party process makes me glad that I am not part of a system that feels more like a complicated sport than a representation of the people’s will.

By the time I registered to vote (lo those many 12 years ago) I had already been alienated by the system and I registered as a socialist. Since then I have gotten a lot of flack about my political alliance.  In my day to day I make a lot of concessions to work within the system.  How I register politically, and self identify should be a refuge, a space to only compromise as much as my heart will allow.  I do not feel left out, I do not feel as though there is some great party or process I am missing out on, and I do vote dutifully on the big election day.

I never assumed that the Democrat Party was the perfect fit for me, no more than the idea of registering as a Republican was more than a laughable joke.  But the Democratic Party seems to think that I am the right fit for them, and a default ‘back up date’ since there is not a ‘viable’ radical party.  The one thing I learned most in high school was to not settle, and go with the safe date.  I’d rather stay home for tomorrow’s big dance and save my dance card, and keep my head clear for the election, and more importantly – the day to day civil action I do- ahead.

Yet one more case of rental gross-ness

Renter descrimination is real.  It is all too often based in racism, classism, sexism, and homophobia.  Renters are at the whim of the landlord, and it all is often swept under the rug.  But some biases are on the books:

It’s against the law for landlords to discriminate based on the color of a person’s skin. But can they reject you because of what’s on your skin? Some San Antonio apartment complexes are refusing to rent to people with tattoos and body piercings. Gilbert Carrillo thinks tattoos are an artform. He’s been to tattoo conventions and one of his tattoos was featured in a magazine. “Ever since I was 18, to now, 25, bit by bit, covering up here, covering up there.”

I don’t mean to suggest that not allowing an individual with a full sleeve tattoo (that was bought and paid for) is on par with racism – far from it.  I just found the article proved a lot of theories I had.  When interviewing for my apartment I covered up all my tattoos (as did my partner) but apparently by the linked complex my earrings would have kept me from being able to rent from their ‘fine establishment.’

I can hear the ‘common sense’ answers now of : but you take those piercings out for interviews, you cover your tattoos when you want to leave a good impression.  This is true, but how far does this policy go?  If a person covers up when interviewing for the rental, is a great tenant for a year but is spotted sporting their sleeve at the pool does this mean their lease can’t be renewed?

If America is the home base for individuality what the hell is the problem with at tattoo? 

The Costs of Moving

So we are moving from a 1 bedroom apartment in the ‘bubs (way out and under served by mass transit) with a dishwasher but no w/d to a studio apartment in the less far out ‘burbs (across from a metro station/bus hub) with a free w/d down the hall and no dishwasher, and the tiniest kitchen known to human kind. There is less square footage, but the space is nicer, closer to jobs, and a transitional home while we work on the house my mother owns to make it live-able.

To move into this space we had to secure a safety deposit of 1 month of rent + 200 for the pet deposit. Then there is a condo-move in fee, and an elevator deposit you get back on the same day. The smaller moving incidentals: truck rental, box buying (if you can’t score boxes for free – so far we have purchased 10), beer + pizza to bribe friends to help you load up the truck, etc. are starting to pile up. We are trashing our couches (both being well loved/used hand-me downs) for an loveseat futon, and finally buying a bed frame for our mattress that has sat on our floor for 8 years. We are hoping to use the space under our bed as extra storage.

Because we are renting from private individuals I understand their need for a larger deposit, and am ok even with the condo fees. But having to move on a week day (again – condo association) means that I have to take yet another day off of work.

Now all of this has so far been doable because of a combination of family help, and office jobs where taking a day off is at least conceivable. When I first moved into the apartment I live now I had my first office job (a data entry job) where I made a fraction of my pay and taking a day off was about as easy as growing a horn on your head. So the idea of not relying on an apartment complex (now mostly owned by even larger ‘property management companies’) is another economic luxury like my veganism and boycotting of Walmart.

Introduction

Starting a blog about the struggles surrounding money, education, and the convergence of capitalist forces is a bit like sitting in Starbucks complaining about the decline of the rain forest. Clearly, I do not have it ‘that bad.’ And those who don’t have it ‘that bad’ are told to ‘hush up’ not to give the more oppressed space (as we should all gladly do) but to rather trumpet the joys of working harder as gleeful cogs in the machine that is grinding us down.

So I sit here at a messy desk, in an apartment I am slowly packing up because our lease at our apartment was declined renewal. In the 8 years I have lived here with my partner we have paid our rent on time, been a help to neighbors, never had the cops called, and generally been good tenets. So why are we getting the boot? Well because the rent control measures in our suburb has kept the complex (woefully under rented out due to high crime, and horrible management) from raising our rent more than $3 a year. So because we’ve stuck around and the building can’t keep other folks in we are being told to leave so that the property can be remodeled. In this ‘burb remodeling is hot-glued crown molding and wood laminate.

Being forced into a move made me re-examine the housing market and the States application of capitalism in general. My partner and I can’t afford to buy – despite our two decent office jobs with ok pay. We can’t afford to rent most apartments and still put ourselves through night college, pay down credit cards, and sock money away into savings for dental appointments, brake jobs, and vet visits. Finding non-predatory rental property, a place that allows cats, money for deposits, and all that other crap needed to line up a move was soul crushing. How do others do this every couple of years?

I don’t think this blog will always be about me, about renting, or even night classes or the ‘housing market’.   All sorts of folks are scrambling/hustling/working it in different ways to move one rung above ‘trapped eternally in debt’ and all our voices deserve to be heard.