I want to start out by saying by no means am I looking for a hand out or a free ride. I just want a fair shake. With that said, hello. My name is Jeremy P. Lincicum and I am from Edwardsville Illinois. I will do my best to keep this short and to the point. 2007 has started out pretty rocky at best.
I’d like to start with a brief background of myself. I am 31, live in a 3 bedroom house with 3 other guys, work midnights at a hotel making $7.75 an hour and I am lucky to pull in 12k a year.
First, I left college about 9 years ago with no degree and a few loans. This alone could fill pages to explain. So I will give you the readers digest version. I started College at SIUE in Jan. of 1995. It took a fight just to get in, so I know I had to prove myself. I did well, and pulled out a 3.30 GPA, not to bad for me. I began making a mark for myself both in campus life with the housing department and with the theatre departments. Then in Aug. 15th 1996 the bottom dropped and my mother had attempted to committed suicide for the 2nd time in a year. She lived for a week in the hospital then died on Aug. 21st of a blood clot. This started my downward spiral of just not showing up to class until finally in May of 1998 I had flunked out of college and had no where to really go. I hopped from restaurant job to job for years, never really making a good living but getting by. Then in Jan. 15th of 2001 I got a wake up call when mixed with the wrong crowd I got jumped by six thugs/gang-bangers and had the left side of my face rearranged. Since I had no health insurance the hospital took me in and spit me out within a few hours. I barely even remember being at the hospital, or going home that night. Then in 2006 the state of Illinois decides to start garnishing 15% from my current paycheck for unpaid college loan. I adjusted and realized it was time for me to pay up.
Second, at the time my paycheck was being garnished I was preparing myself for the 55% increase in my power bill, thanks to the 20 year freeze of rates. This for the most part has taking its toll on my lack of life style and my checkbook. This alone was bad enough.
Finally, today Feb. 21st I got a phone call from the US department of education telling me if I do not make arrangement to pay back my $10000 loan debt they will start garnishing my paycheck 15%. Understanding that I could really not afford to lose yet another 15% of my disappearing paychecks and realizing that the DOE could care less that the State of Illinois is already garnishing money. So the DOE settled for $100 a month.
To many a $100 does not sound like much, but I am already losing about $160 to the State of Illinois. Now add the increase in my power bill, car insurance I have to have to drive to work, increasing gas prices, the general cost of living on the rise and my hourly wage stuck on $7.75 an hour. When is enough an enough? Many times in my life I have not followed through. Well, this is my challenge for me and you. Today is when I draw the line. As of Feb 21st 2007 I will no longer eat any food. I am on a hunger strike. I know that I am not the only poor person who is pushed further into debt by a Government that does not know the meaning of living within its means and continues driving this country further in debt. When the US’s bill collectors start wanting its money back, who is going to be force to pay? I am sure it will be no one in power today. If you want money from me, why don’t you try balancing the US budget and then hit me up. The do as I say, not as I do Government has to end. And when this does change, I will enjoy myself a meal fit for a poor man. Can you say Mac and Cheese?
