The Q at Parkside

(for those for whom the Parkside Q is their hometrain)

News and Nonsense from the Brooklyn neighborhood of Lefferts and environs, or more specifically a neighborhood once known as Melrose Park. Sometimes called Lefferts Gardens. Or Prospect-Lefferts Gardens. Or PLG. Or North Flatbush. Or Caledonia (west of Ocean). Or West Pigtown. Across From Park Slope. Under Crown Heights. Near Drummer's Grove. The Side of the Park With the McDonalds. Jackie Robinson Town. Home of Lefferts Manor. West Wingate. Near Kings County Hospital. Or if you're coming from the airport in taxi, maybe just Flatbush is best.

Wednesday, July 9, 2014

If You Know Someone On a Fixed Income, Please Read...

If you're young, you may be in complete denial about your "golden years," and that's to be expected. You probably also think you'll always be able to play basketball and/or drink heavily without hangovers. But what MAY happen to some of you, however, is that one day you will be one of the tens of millions of Americans surviving on a "fixed income." That is to say, no one will hire you anymore, not even The Hungry Ghost, and you'll need to get by on a combination of pensions (ha! like they have those anymore for non-government workers), 401K (ha! just count the number of your peers who have one of those worth more than a few sushi dinners) and Social Security (ha! or rather, thank the effing Lord for FDR, who's wonderful memorial is worth the trip to Roosevelt Island). Maybe you're "fortunate" enough to get disability payments. Maybe you're collecting bottles and cans and bringing them to the Pioneer on Parkside. Regardless, the last thing you can afford is a hefty rent increase. But wait! There's help...

The below flyer may appear to have been designed on an Apple II, but I assure you the information is au courant. Many people who qualify have no idea this program even exists. So if you see an elderly person on the street and you engage them in a conversation, consider telling them about the City's Scrie and Drie programs, and if they don't know about them, consider offering to help them do an application. If you're uncomfortable with that, you could print this out and place it in your building. Just a suggestion. 


2 comments:

no_slappz said...

Clarkson, it's just a guess, but I'll bet when you're into your retirement years, you'll sell your house at its highly appreciated price and move to a less expensive part of the country.

Or, if your 401-k/IRA/retirement account has been dutifully funded and sensibly managed, you might have the option of staying put. But if not you, then your heirs will sell the house for full market value, and life will go on in NY City as it always has.

Bob Marvin said...

I can't speak for Tim, but I retired [early]13 years ago, have a house that has enormously appreciated in value since I bought it, and would NEVER ever consider moving to the hinterlands, err "a less expensive part of the country." As far as I'm concerned that'd be a fate worse than death, after which, I hope, there'll be generations of Marvins after me, until my house is eventually engulfed by the rising seas in a couple of centuries/