3 ms·

"Inflation" is one thing. Rent prices and cost of living in a city with jobs is a very different thing. >please ask them to report every incident to the FTC, t

"Inflation" is one thing. Rent prices and cost of living in a city with jobs is a very different thing. >please ask them to report every incident to the FTC, the Dept of Labor, and any other relevant state or federal regulator. No. If my friend doesn't even have time to make 3 stops around town to collect maximum allowed money orders for their landlord (who recently started requiring money orders for some reason) because they understandably don't have a bank account because they can't risk the fees, I would simply lose them as a friend if I made such an out-of-touch suggestion.

hi-v-rocknroll 2y ago
> No. If my friend doesn't even have time to make 3 stops around town to collect maximum allowed money orders for their landlord (who recently started requiring money orders for some reason) because they understandably don't have a bank account because they can't risk the fees, I would simply lose them as a friend if I made such an out-of-touch suggestion. I agree. This is like asking them to "eat cake" when they're broke and starving. Collective action at work, unionizing, or through pooling efforts through legal and regulatory channels are more scalable efforts overworked and underpaid (and often cheated) people must use because letting it slide allows it to continue.
toomuchtodo 2y ago
Do they have a USPS branch nearby? They are usually one of the cheapest places to get money orders, with a $1k limit per money order, $3k per day [1]. Walmart charges $1 for up to $1000 [2]. If you're in Florida, they are free at Amscot [3] (recommended only as a last resort, can be a pain). I will think on how to make this reporting as frictionless as possible for such cohorts. If authorities are not aware of these events, they cannot seek redress for the injured. The harm won't magically go away, even if these systems are broadly improved. Unions still have a grievance process, for example. If you're not looking for solutions and are only complaining/venting, that's fine too, just be upfront that you're not looking for a solution and I won't pollute the thread at attempting to help. I cannot speak to your friendship, but this is how I help my poor friends. [1] https://www.usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm https://www.usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm [2] https://www.walmart.com/cp/money-orders/5791922 https://www.walmart.com/cp/money-orders/5791922 [3] https://www.amscot.com/free-money-orders.aspx https://www.amscot.com/free-money-orders.aspx
- readyman 2y ago
  >I will think on how to make this reporting as frictionless as possible for such cohorts. You have to be joking. Unionizing and a strong workers movement is the only thing that has ever moved the needle. The only exception might arguably be state competition, but this is the US we're talking about so that would be irrelevant.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - toomuchtodo 2y ago
    I am not joking. Both can be true at the same time: providing a mechanism to make it as easy as possible to report violations, whether that be labor, consumer, financial, etc as well as unending effort to organize labor [1]. For example, someone bleeding out on the street doesn't want to hear about the policy efforts needed to deliver on universal healthcare. They need to be saved right now. Maybe we are talking past each other, or I am miscommunicating the nuance. My apologies regardless. Take care. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40386097 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40386097
    - readyman 2y ago
      These things aren't violations. They're perfectly legal for a reason.

hi-v-rocknroll 2y ago

> No. If my friend doesn't even have time to make 3 stops around town to collect maximum allowed money orders for their landlord (who recently started requiring money orders for some reason) because they understandably don't have a bank account because they can't risk the fees, I would simply lose them as a friend if I made such an out-of-touch suggestion. I agree. This is like asking them to "eat cake" when they're broke and starving. Collective action at work, unionizing, or through pooling efforts through legal and regulatory channels are more scalable efforts overworked and underpaid (and often cheated) people must use because letting it slide allows it to continue.

toomuchtodo 2y ago

Do they have a USPS branch nearby? They are usually one of the cheapest places to get money orders, with a $1k limit per money order, $3k per day [1]. Walmart charges $1 for up to $1000 [2]. If you're in Florida, they are free at Amscot [3] (recommended only as a last resort, can be a pain). I will think on how to make this reporting as frictionless as possible for such cohorts. If authorities are not aware of these events, they cannot seek redress for the injured. The harm won't magically go away, even if these systems are broadly improved. Unions still have a grievance process, for example. If you're not looking for solutions and are only complaining/venting, that's fine too, just be upfront that you're not looking for a solution and I won't pollute the thread at attempting to help. I cannot speak to your friendship, but this is how I help my poor friends. [1] https://www.usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm https://www.usps.com/shop/money-orders.htm [2] https://www.walmart.com/cp/money-orders/5791922 https://www.walmart.com/cp/money-orders/5791922 [3] https://www.amscot.com/free-money-orders.aspx https://www.amscot.com/free-money-orders.aspx

readyman 2y ago
>I will think on how to make this reporting as frictionless as possible for such cohorts. You have to be joking. Unionizing and a strong workers movement is the only thing that has ever moved the needle. The only exception might arguably be state competition, but this is the US we're talking about so that would be irrelevant.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- toomuchtodo 2y ago
  I am not joking. Both can be true at the same time: providing a mechanism to make it as easy as possible to report violations, whether that be labor, consumer, financial, etc as well as unending effort to organize labor [1]. For example, someone bleeding out on the street doesn't want to hear about the policy efforts needed to deliver on universal healthcare. They need to be saved right now. Maybe we are talking past each other, or I am miscommunicating the nuance. My apologies regardless. Take care. [1] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40386097 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40386097
  - readyman 2y ago
    These things aren't violations. They're perfectly legal for a reason.