We’ve all heard it; the typical GOP ridicule of the poor. They’re “lazy,” they’re “unmotivated.” Paul Ryan famously said not long ago that there are “generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work.”
Paul Ryan, and many other conservatives, should meet James Robertson.
Robertson’s story appeared in Sunday’s Detroit Free Press. Robertson lives in Detroit, but he works in Rochester Hills. Because buses don’t cover the entire route, Robertson walks eight miles each day on his way to work, and another 13 miles daily on his return home. His daily journey starts at 8 a.m., and concludes at 4 a.m. the following morning, when he arrives home after completing his shift at Schain Mold and Engineering.
“I can’t imagine not working,” Robertson tells the Free Press.
Robertson has walked to work for more than ten years.
Robertson says that he has made this journey for more than a decade, after his car broke down. Why didn’t he replace the car? He says he hasn’t been able to save for one. Robertson makes $10.55 an hour, which is well above minimum wage, but is not enough for him to afford to buy a car, plus pay for the expenses of owning one.
In most metro areas, Robertson would not have to make this trek; he would have public transit to take him all the way to and from his destination. But, he says, over the past five years, bus service has been cut back. Rochester Hills offers no bus service because voters there elected not to pay for it.
A “Go Fund Me” campaign has shattered its original goal.
Robertson’s story has motivated a “Go Fund Me” campaign to buy a car for him. So far that campaign, started by a Wayne State University student, has raised almost $50,000.
Evan Leedy, who is studying computer science at Wayne State, says he was moved by Robertson’s story, and the comments online from people asking how they could help. Leedy originally set a goal of $5,000, and says that he is amazed at the outpouring of support. In addition to using the money to buy a car, Leedy wants to make sure that part of the proceeds are set aside for expenses such as insurance and maintenance.
Robertson has been offered cars by some people who read of his situation. A local car dealership has offered to give him a car. Honda North America has also offered him a car, because the car that Robertson never replaced was a Honda.
One thing that is consistently annoying about conservatives is that they often justify their world view with this simple phrase: “I know somebody who…” Those words are almost always followed by comments about how they know someone who cheats on welfare, or who collects disability but they believe is able to work, etc. But they never seem to know anyone like James Robertson. Maybe Republicans should meet him, or some of the other tens of thousands of working poor that they like to belittle and ridicule, without knowing a damned thing about them.
Click here to donate to the “Go Fund Me” campaign for James Robertson.
Here’s a video of Robertson’s incredible daily journey, via the Detroit Free Press:
Image via screen shot from the Detroit Free Press.
What a bullshit race baiting headline.. did anyone call James Robinson lazy?
I think you are assuming incorrectly. Nowhere in this article does it
say anything about race, the case is only made about people who are
considered ‘poor’. Read the first paragraph.
Furthermore, seeing as he makes $10.55/hr, I would assume that wage probably makes him ‘poor’. You can’t honestly say nobody ever makes the general assumption that poor people are poor simply because they’re lazy. I hear it multiple times a day.
I am going to guess that when he does get a car (due to the
kindness of the donations made on his behalf), that he will likely get a second
job; because he will have additional time he’ll save driving vs
walking……..this is so inspiring!!!
I am waiting for someone to point out this man will now get fat because the charitable people have taken away his incentive to stay slim..
Apparently the print in the rest of the piece wasn’t big enough for Johnny to see that. He also missed the fact that the man’s name is James ROBERTSON, not Robinson. Time for some reading glasses, Johnny. Sorry, I don’t think they make comprehension glasses.
maybe you should hang around with better people if you are hearing that multiple times a day.
It’s not his friends or co-workers calling him lazy. Maybe you should have read the article. The very FIRST sentence explains why they used the word lazy in the article. They used that word because every GOP politician you here these days calls the working poor lazy.
& here’s the sentence that explains it: “we’ve all heard it; the typical GOP ridicule of the poor. They’re “lazy,” they’re “unmotivated.” Paul Ryan famously said not long ago that there are “generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work.”
Really EVERY GOP politician.. I’ll give you all day to find me examples. If EVERY GOP politician is calling the working poor lazy you should have no problem. That’t like saying every democrat calls the wealthy evil greedy people..
Yeah. I didn’t think you’d come up with an example. Another uninformed moron, making up bullshit to divide our great country.
It’s hard to imagine that he couldn’t car-pool with a co-worker. Or catch a ride with a friend or family member.
It’s not hard for me to imagine. We are a two parent family with two children. No extended family live near us, and those who live hours away are not particularly close with us and would not care to provide any support or help. We live in a Southern state we did not grow up in, people think we’re weird, we have no co-workers or friends who would bother to assist either of us. I guess we’re just incredibly horrible, unlikable people (though I don’t really think that’s the case), but if we were found without transportation we would have to pay for a cab (no public transportation here) or walk. Contrary to popular belief, a lot of people are alone or almost alone in the world and self sufficiency or pride keeps them from asking for help.
Odd how these types of stories are recorded time and time again. But they are considered the exceptions rather than the rule. “Those people just don’t want to work” is usually what is said even when such realities are presented.
Painting the rich or the poor in stereo-types promotes prejudice.
A bicycle or an e-bike would be better vehicle for him.He can still be active, this will help keep him healthy, Also much cheaper to run. If he has to get a car, a Tesla S would be an excellent choice.
No one called him Lazy.. what a bunch of crap.
I certainly was not questioning the credibility of this guys situation.
Just because it’s hard for me to imagine, doesn’t imply that I was insinuating that it isn’t true true.