Two Americas: 'Vanguard' Trailer

Mr. Starr is exactly the outcome of the conservative propaganda machine: WHILE he is on unemployment and food stamps, he lauds Gingrich for telling people it's wrong to collect unemployment and then damns the government for being "too big." It's like when Craig T. Nelson said something to the effect of, "I was on welfare and food stamps but did anyone (the government) help me?" Hello????

Mr. Starr says the government doesn't need to take care of anyone because OTHER people will. This, after he and his family called out to an unhelpful relative and then *tried* to sell their belongings so they would not lose their electricity. Mr. Starr finally went to a church who gave the Starrs $75 for bills, not nearly enough to cover what they owe. And STILL the man says the government needs to be smaller - that government who enables that family to, if nothing else, stay in their home and feed their kids. Let's see - starve kids or blame government for feeding them. I can't decide.

I don't get it. I just don't get allowing someone else to chew off your arm while you praise them for doing so.

To the Starr's, you seem like very nice people who have fallen on hard times. America is full of people just like you who were only a few paychecks away from losing the American Dream, never rich but comfortable with the sense that things were going to get better every year. Free trade, unregulated stock markets and unregulated banks took that away from everyone. Remember when Ross Perot said if NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) was passed there would be a giant sucking sound of jobs leaving the country? Well he was right and that was started under Clinton with a Republican congress. Republicans still proclaim deregulation and free markets will self correct and cure all problems but historically they never do. Trickle down economics has not worked and disparities only get bigger. Please stop watching the Fox News channel and get more information from MSNBC or Current. I grew up in the south and I know the mindset there but the facts don't support your political beliefs. Newt, Mitt and Rick are not going to make our country stronger, they will continue to weaken the middle class! If our country went back to the tax rates that Regan had for the rich we'd be in so much better shape- but Regancould never get elected in today's GOP. Best of luck to your family and please vote democrat- they at least try to give support to the poor and middle classes despite their failings.

The poor couple are clearly doing it wrong.
1: Sell the expensive Trucks, both of them... profit
2: Buy inexpensive small cars... save $$ on fuel/insurance
3: Cancel Cable TV.. It's bad for you anyway
4: Say goodbye to your pets. Pets are a luxury you can't afford, like big trucks
5: Quit smoking... He might be spending $100/mo on cigs. STOP THAT. Health Care is another thing you can't afford right now.
6: Stop voting against your interests.

When I starting watching the episode I was instantly hooked.. Vanguard is terrific and in the beginning of this episode I legitimately felt frustration and compassion for this struggling family but not for long. After witnessing their wasteful lifestyle considering their income, health and complete lack of understanding of the economic world I was appalled. I agree with him when he said, "We should not be providing unemployment and food stamps, if it wasn't there we would find other means of help."

First thought... Cut their benefits... NOW!

And yes, 'the poor guys' slant on politics is disturbing.

I love your doco's but I cannot sympathize with someone who can't feed his family or pay his bills while smoking a cigarette. And I am a smoker.

Floored.

That's the only way I can describe my feelings after watching this doc.

I knew and know people from both of these families economic status.

I thought I would not be surpised but in fact I was stunned at what I saw.

I'll try to be brief because despite the fact that all of the issues raised are complex.

I'm angry at both familes.

The Loyas:

The husbands "crime" is omission. He oversimplified his life to some Mexican immigrant bootstrap story. When you don't just simply "TAKE" an internship at a oil company. He knew someone and got an "in". Nothing to do with his level of intelligence or work ethic. People like him are usually unprincipled people willing to do just about anything to make money and I'm sure he's no exception.
When he said "thankfully Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait" he cemented himself as the image I will always see when gas prices go up on pure speculation. He also could barely explain what he does to his children or the filmmakers which if paid close attention was close to nothing. Money makes money and he was able to access that life through a personal connection and exploit the greed and violence of Middle eastern war.

His wife. Wow. Not there yet huh? I have one child and would love at least one more but times are tight. This woman has a live in nanny and I'd be willing to be she barely changed a diaper. Our child care cost 12k a year. We HAD to pay at least that much for our childs safety and pre school education.
Some providers we interviewed were outright scary. Calling Mrs. Loyas detached is gross understatement. She's legally blind. This family is soo overcompensated it's criminal.

Watching the two of them say goodnight via cell phone to their children who obviously miss them and are keeping track of broken promises to read them bedtime stories made me ill. More so than the damn weeping sheep. Wow.

The Starrs.

I'm specifically angry at Paul.

Paul I know you read this board and I'm not trying to be mean to you. However you're infected with "Joe The Plumber" disease. Joe really thought he was a "business" owner. He was not. In fact he was barely a paid intern and mired in debt and denial. Both of you simply don't see yourself in proper context. You're not rich. You never made "good" money you made better money than many people in Alabama. Yes. Like the others I am beyond disappointed to see you agree with Newt Gingrich ( a man who has made MILLIONS of dollars doing nothing close to work ), but I was amazed to hear about your 600 dollar electricity bill AFTER you managed to get your past due paid. Paul...cut back. You are living waaay beyond your means and your "everything will work out" mantra is disturbing. It's killing your wife and children. Newt Gingrich would gladly have your sons cleaning up after the Loyas little girls TODAY. That is how the people you vote for think.
You cannot live on hope or faith. That should be obvious to you now more than ever. More importantly. You're in a financial prison so to speak. And for decades you've been voting for the "guards" that brutalize "inmates" like you to run the yard. I happen to think people like you who have real work experience are valuable. The Republicans you cheered on the show don't care Paul. God help you and your family should any of you suffer expensive health problems. The final irony is that if you got a financial adviser to crunch your expenses they would tell you that your lifestyle while modest is anything but Conservative. Current should find a man similar to yourself in Canada to document. I think you will cry when you see what a difference "big government" can make on the quality of your life.

I wish you luck. When your son said he missed the house it broke my heart. He's about my sons age. What he's experiencing now is not fair or just. It's completely un-american. Remember that before you vote Republican again.

The unemployed guy, smoking, calling his mother to borrow money to pay for utilities and yet says that the RICH are paying the right amount of taxes. He is probably a Republican voter who help place the legislators that formulated the tax laws that enables the RICH and RICH Corporations to avoid paying their fair share of taxes, by sending their profits to TAX HAVENS. He is probably one of the kool ade drinkers that doesn't bother to educate himself about why the economy is such and there are no jobs. The jobs are being OUTSOURCED.
1 outsourced job = 1 unemployed American. 1 million outsourced jobs = 1 million unemployed Americans. Companies like WALMART imports products from CHINA. These imported products require manpower to produce like computer parts and accessories. Manufacturing, factories , etc that used to be in the US have been OUTSOURCED to CHINA because cost of living there is cheaper and the RICH corporations make more profit. This unemployed guy will be shocked if the Republicans don't sign the extension of the UNEMPLOYMENT benefit and his check stops coming. Hopefully he is not one of those not depending on the tax extension.

I don't think the comments are mean spirited, they are simply facts! He begs mom for part of her social security check and is one day from having his electricity disconnected. Yet, he has cable tv. Why are you paying the cable bill, if you're struggling to pay the electric bill?

I don't get it they can't afford the basics but they have two pick-ups worth probably $40,000? and get 15mpg?

The more I think about this show, the more disgusted I become with the right wing conservatives. I am active on several political boards, and the rhetoric from the conservatives there is to lump the Starrs in the category of "deadbeat". When a bleeding heart liberal posts that not all are deadbeats (the Starrs being an example), the usual reply is "get a job at Mickey D's".

When there is any discussion of a social safety net (Social Security being the biggest), their usual reply is "I would rather handle my own retirement". So I have to ask - how much in retirement savings do the Starr's have? They seem to be under 55...the magic age for SS in the Ryan plan...have they started a personally directed retirement plan for themselves, since if the conservatives have their way, social security as we know it will be GONE? IF they haven't, what plans do they have for retirement when the Social Security INSURANCE (it wasn't intended to fund retirements...it was intended to keep the elderly out of poverty) program is gone?

And I can't help but reflect on Pauls comment about "the government doesn't need to do this...someone else would". And what stands out to me is that the "someone else" he turned to was only able to offer assistance to the first 10 people in line. How many people showed up the day that Paul was there who got turned away? How many millions are unemployed?

Paul is/was behind the 8 ball because he lacks a college degree. He's not alone...there are a lot of Americans who lack a degree. The trouble is - jobs today don't pay someone without a degree enough to live on. If a job wasn't eliminated (as Paul's was), then wages have been slashed...sending people like Paul right out of the middle class. Meanwhile, the executive who made that very smart business decision is rewarded with a hefty bonus for cutting costs. That sickens me, but when I point that out the claim that I want to "redistribute the wealth" or am engaging in "class warfare". They are partially right...wealth IS being redistributed...much of the money that the company saved by eliminating Paul's job was redistributed to the executives, who were already living a comfortable life. They are declaring war on the middle class. It's a shame that the Starr's can't see that they were among the casualties of that war. I'd be willing to bet that they tend to blame Obama more than corporate greed for the events that befell them.

But...they still support republican policies. Liberals tend to think "there but for the grace of God go I". Conservatives tend to fall back on "tough luck".

I have to say that I lost all sympathy for the Starrs when the man revealed his AGREEMENT with the Republicans assault on the social safety net that LIBERALS fight for, and that allowed that family SOME RELEIF!

It was simply INFURIATING to see these poor, brainwashed, Faux News victims decry the system while simultaneously sucking on it's teat !!

No wonder this country is swirling around the rim of the toilet. 30 years of waiting to be trickled on, these idiots are DIRECTLY effected, and they STILL PARROT the talking points of the party trying to starve them into submission! 30 years of CON VOODOO and we went from the MOST to the LEAST upwardly mobile with the widest income gap of all industrialized nations... .with the middle class now the cheap labor serfs the Republicans set out to create. They love the Bible? Then try this... KNOW THEM BY THEIR FRUITS.

Well frankn...the right wing has convinced folks who own two truck with loans against them and a home in a modest neighborhood and earning a gross household income of under $100k per year that THEY are the top 1% in wage earners. The right wing has convinced these people that the folks like the Loyas need their tax cut because they are "job creators", although as amcbride has pointed out - he wasn't hiring anyone. Couldn't find anyone qualified enough. The great thing is...if he's looking for a young college graduate, a lot of his candidates might not be willing to work for what he is willing to pay...a lot of them are carrying $50k to $100k of student loan debt.

This being Christmas and all...perhaps they could run a sequel to this along the lines of "it's a wonderful life". Clarence could be the guy driving the electric truck turning off the power, and showing the Starrs what life could be like if the things the candidates they would vote for were in effect. Dark house...no TV...the heat of a Houston summer, repo'ed cars. Cold food (what little you could buy).

I really enjoyed this documentary! I love Vanguard and love how they portray both sides to every story honestly. I do agree with Orban. I would've been nice to see the costs that the Loyas faced for being that rich instead of showing everything to be perfect. However, with one of the statistics that was presented during this documentary "About 1% of children from low-income families have a chance of being the top 5% of American income earners". I applaud the Loyas for what they were able to achieve despite their unfortunate circumstances. What the problem is, is that only 1% of low-income earners have a CHANCE, NOT GUARANTEED of reaching that income bracket. What America needs to work on is social mobility. Improving education for those of lower and middle socioeconomic statuses (stati?) so they have an equal opportunity of those who come from the upper socioeconomic status.

Another point that hurt the Starrs, I guess Paul specifically, is that he didn't have a degree. Not an associate's or a bachelor's. That's what hurt him tremendously in my opinion. It made me mad though when Javier commented that he interviewed many guys for a position in his company, but none were worth anything. How much experience, degrees etc. does one need? These people are desperate. You can't give SOMEONE a job? Really? It broke my heart to see the Starrs struggling though. Though many Americans during spent more than they had, I have a feeling that the Starrs were not frivolous with their money. Also, it was shocking that the Starrs supported the very party that didn't act in the interest of the typical middle class, lower class American. "If the government wasn't providing me with assistance, someone else would". No Paul. No one else would. If this economic crisis has taught me and probably many other people anything, it's that money speaks. The rich want to stay rich and the poor, without government assistance, wouldn't survive.

KCFlyer
I agree with everything you've said. I feel the same way. It's some of the other comments concerning their lifestyle that I thought were a bit mean spirited. Clearly Mr. Starr supports policies that are not in his best interest. Sadly he is far from alone. Millions of poor, working, and middle class Americans have been fooled believing this small government, conservative nonsense. I don't understand it. The right-wing propaganda machine has one its job well I suppose.

Frankn....I had some sympathy for the Starrs...right up to the time when they were watching Newt...and AGREEING with him. If "somebody else would do it", why didn't they find that somebody else? He was begging his mom to take some money from her Social Security (another leftist waste of money according to the right) to make a partial electric payment. For someone who feels that "someone else would do it"...that "someone else" (the church) offered him 1/4 of what he needed ($75 instead of $250). THe man benefits from 3 government programs...unemployment...food stamps...and Social Security (without that, his mom couldn't have floated him the $175 loan). Yet he will vote for the party that ideally would get rid of ALL of those.

I'm shocked by some of the comments here. The smoking, the cars, the TV. Seriously people, get over yourselves. The starrs are't perfect and neither are any of you! That said I am shocked that the starrs are Republicans. It's sad really. People like the starrs are exactly why morons like Bush get elected. That's my problem with this familly. They need to wake up. Unemployment was created exactly for people like them who sometimes need it! Still I wish them the best of luck and I hope their experience causes them to rethink some of their out dated right wing ideas.

Important to note that the Loyas are both self-employed. They make their own jobs, don't wait for someone to hire them.

The Starrs could learn a valuable lesson here - they have skills and with a little self-promotion, they could do some work ... odd jobs, small construction, resume preparation, cooking and cleaning. There is always work available - you just have to be resourceful and utilize your skills.

When I got laid off years ago from a construction project that was completed, I started making cookie baskets for our sub-contractors. I noticed that the subs sent gift baskets to the developers as a token of appreciation for their work, so I contacted these people and offered to make home-made cookies for them to send. It was a big hit and I got to stay home all day and bake cookies. I made enough money to buy gifts for my children and pay the mortgage.

Great Vanguard Show !

I understood the perspective of both families. The Starrs are your typical Wal-Mart driven family... many "trophies" of the good life and then not enough saved to weather a downturn. I was disappointed to see Paul smoking.

The Loyas were surprising also. I loved the guy - his success was commendable. But Lucinda was strange... why on earth did she say that she didn't have enough, that she felt like she hadn't "made it?" How much do you need? Then I realized that she must have a deep emotional wound, and she is trying to fill it up with jewels and clothes and high society. Poor woman - get yourself to a shrink - you have enough, and it's very strange that you can't see it. I feel sorry for your daughters. I hope they learn to be satisfied with life and love.

This was one of the better Vanguard shows in that it took some very surprising turns that I did not expect. During the high point of the OWS movement, rather than reiterate the well-worn 1% / 99% disparities, Current highlighted the complexities of this argument without over-simplifying the income gap diatribes.

To be fair, I did want to see more negative exposure of the Loya's wealth, rather than glamorizing the cult of "Lifestyle of the Rich and Famous". Although the excessiveness of hiring someone to wipe the tears of the crying goat heads was amazing.

Just as the Starrs were clearly out of touch with how the GOP/tea party betrays their interests, there was little of the Loya family that suggested that they were out of touch with the financial burdens impacting families like the Starrs. In fact, I thought the show perpetuated the the myth of American opportunism.

At a time when we should be focusing on strategies for living within our means, Current presented a poignant story-- albeit, at the expense of the Starrs-- to introduce what should be the discussion of the year, and that is how to prepare for our economic collapse.

As a personal side note, I was born the same day that President Carter delivered his "Crisis in Confidence" speech, and am well aware of the current discourse of our economic downturn. It is unlikely that Obama is going to make the same mistake Carter made-- which was to bum the country out with a reality check.

Current has done us a great service, as have the Starrs, and I thank them for it (even if it was at their expense). Working class and middle-class Americans need to prepare for tougher times. It is okay to hang on to our hopes and dreams for a better tomorrow, but we need to be clear what the GOP/tea party agenda is, and it is corporate global governance.

The reason the we are so unsympathetic to the Starrs is that they are victims of this great deceit and we should not hold that against them.

The Starr's were honest about their debts. God Bless them. The Loya's showed off their oppulent lifestyle but never gave us an accounting breakdown. I can't help but see a little "Real Housewives of Houston", how many mortgages, leases, unpaid invoices for caterers, jewelers, florists, contractors etc are they and their other so called rich friends hiding.

I want to see a reporting on the top 1% wealthy and how on earth they've accomplished it. I want to see for myself that with all their tax deductions, they're each giving back a fair share and NOT earning on the backs of the middle and poorer classes.

Thank you CityZenMD! I miss them every day... but like my husband says, " Don't Focus On The Bug Guts!" We will get through this struggle.. Thanks to everyone out their who has shown us their hearts... Every blessing you pour out will come back to you 100 fold.. God Bless!

I am truly sorry for the loss of your grandparents. I am also sorry that your family is in such a desperate situation.

I just saw this today and I am surprised by the negative comments against the Starr family. Remember they were doing well before things went south and would of course have possessions that they could not afford to buy given their current situation. I saw little difference in the values of the two families. The show highlighted how this can happen to anyone. Too bad so many missed the point. Best of luck to both families.

I am Mrs. Starr.
I was born to a Mother and Father who loved me and my sibling but just weren't ready to be parents.. So I thank God every day for my Grandparents whom raised me, I would be nothing without them. They were my inspiration in life.
My Granny and PawPaw worked for The Houston Post Newspaper for 33 years. They ran the largest district in all of Houston, TX and worked their bodies to death to put a roof over our heads. We were not rich, not even middle class... we were poor. But we had each other and in love we were rich as a family. I learned how to count by going with them on the paper routes and helping them count out how many newspapers each store or rack had to have. When I got older, I helped to put the papers together, take them in the stores, bundle them( and they were very heavy bundles, 50-80lbs each), loaded the bundles as I got older. The papers had to be put out at night.. so I would go to school.. come home bout 4pm.. do homework, eat dinner, shower, sleep til 11pm and then get up to go put out newspapers with my Grandparents.. Most of you people have NO clue that a newspaper does NOT come put together.. So we would go pick up all the inserts at the newspaper plant, go to an empty parking lot and put them all together, Thousands of them.. then go put them out. We got home by 3am, I slept a few mor hours and got up and went to school and strted the process all over again. They made about $1800-$2000. a month doing this. Not a lot of money at all for a family of 4. We worked as a family to have what we had and we loved each other. They never had a brand new car or truck, or a brand new house.. Our home was 3/2 with a garage and about a 1/2 acre. And they made notes on it for years.
When I was 15 and old enougt to go out into the world to work, I did so. I went to school, worked a part time job and helped put out newspapers... I kid you not, I don't remember sleeping.. But we made it. I had an issue with my teeth when I was growing up, when I was young they had to pull most of them because they were like chalk and broke easy.. When I got older, they told me I had a severe calcium deficiencey and I would fight with my teeth for the rest of my life.. So need less to say, I was always needing dental work.. No insurance.. we as a family could not afford that.. So I saved MY money and I paid to have a tone of dental work done.. About $15,000. worth.. So when kids at school were buying cars to drive themselv to school in... I was paying for a new set of teeth.
When I turned 18, my Granny had a masive stroke, it cause severe damage to her left side, cause paralisis, and put her in a coma for almost 3 months. My poor PawPaw did not know what to do.. The Houston Post Newspaper that they had worked for so many years sold out to another newspaper, The Houston Chronicle.. the workers inside the building all got severence pay, retirement and had 401k's... We got NOTHING!. Nothing but the boot, a phone call one day saying we no longer had a job.. What to do. My PawPaw had no clue, Granny in the hospital, I was working to help them pay bills, make the house note and such. I had to grow up real fast, didn't have much of a childhood. I quit school and got my GED, found a good fulltime job and started caring for my PawPaw while Granny was in a coma.. Didn't think she was gonna pull through.
She did pull through it, woke up and we brought her home. I then proceeded to make sure she got rehab. Took her to countless Dr's appointments, had to teach her how to talk, walk, eat, dress herself, groom herself.. It was like having an adult infant. Life was Not easy. I loved her so much though that I wanted to help her, Look at all they had done for me!!! I was glad to help them. We lost my PawPaw in 2001 to Cancer in his kidney. This sent my Granny into a state of depression that I cannot even conceive. They were married 46yrs.
Somewhere in there I was married and divorced from my first husband who treated me like crap and I was smart enough to get out. I met Paul and we married in 2004. I could not have asked for a better man, he took on the whole package, me and Granny, knowing it would never be an easy road caring for her.
( I love my husband with all my heart and soul.. I am very upset with the names that some of you are calling he and I. It is very hurtful. You don't know us and do not have any right to call us those things.)
We chose to move to Alabama cause both my Granny and my Husband are from there. Granny no longer wanted to live where we were due to the fact that she stayed depressed from all the memories from her and my PawPaw's life together. Paul took a wonderful job out of state making between $65-$75,000 a year.. (The documentary was wrong on their stats.) We were doing ok. Found the home of our dreams.. I started a buisiness of my own with the B&B and we were all very happy. AGAIN, OUR TRUCKS ARE NOT NEW! THEY ARE USED, AND WE DO NOT QUALIFY FOR NEW LOANS DUE TO THE FORCLOSER ON OUR HOME IN ALABAMA! So when the economy went to crap... Paul got laid off from his wonderful job, we stayed afloat for as long as we could with our savings and tried to find another position for Paul.. but it was just not there.
The last few months we were there, we found out Granny was now battling Luekemia. So we used what savings we had left and moved back down here to Texas. Sold everything we could sell to get us into a home.. Paul went back to work for his Dad's company, which was struggling now too and that lasted til March of this year.. And after fighting Luekemia from 2009- March 0f 2011, going back and forth to Dr's, going to the labs for blood work 3 times a week, chemo treatments among countless other specialists.. I lost my Granny March 30th. I could not afford a funeral, her body was in cold storage for two weeks until I could pay enough to get her cremated, but I am still paying on the rest of the cremation services and the funeral home holds her remains until it is paid in full... SO I CAN'T EVEN SAY GOODBYE FULLY YET AND I AM STILL MORNING HER.. MY BEST FRIEND, MY GRANNY WHOM I LOVED MORE THAN LIFE ITSELF!!!
So here we are, Paul has taken a job out of state where he has to be away from us, his family, for 6-8 weeks at a time for $560. a week. We are fixing to do a volentary repo on his truck so we can keep mine cause it is almost paid off... And I have taken a seasonal job cause it is the only thing I have been able to find that hired me. AND NO IT'S NOT CAUSE WE ARE STUPID. NO WE ARE NOT DUMB REDNECKS! DON'T YOU REALIZE THAT DOCUMENTARY WAS EDITED! THERE IS ALOT MORE TO US THAT WHAT YOU CAN VIEW IN ONE HOUR!!!
God bless all of you who have reached out to us! We do give back to our community, we were only on unemployment and food stamp 6 months... Paul is trying to quit smoking and he is on medication from a Dr. to help him do so.
NOW THAT YOU KNOW US ALL A LITTLE BETTER... TALK SOME MORE NEGATIVITY... I DON'T CARE! I HAVE BEEN THROUGH HELL AND BACK AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN SAY THAT WILL HURT ME ANYMORE THAN I OR WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN HURT! Good Day!

Watching the Starr's coming out of their stupor that the world as they understood it has radically changed was uncomfortable. As someone who is still watching his 25 year old RCA, who has dropped his home phone line for a cell only, driven the same old truck for 11 years and has put twin daughters through college (from as guy who got his college degree through night classes taken over 10 years), I think the Starr's need to assess their lifestyle choices. Obviously, they have bought into the unbridled consumerism that has been preached to them.Two vehicles (and all the associated costs, like insurance, gas, repair) are not a "need." A pack of cigarettes in Texas is $6.07. You don't need every Iphone, Ipad, video gaming system, cell phone (the blue tooth device which the husband was constantly wearing was annoying and a symbol to me of how out of touch with their new reality they are.) While they are down, it could get a lot worse. And God forbid they have any kind of health emergency. They need to make some hard choices. I hope they catch a good break and soon.

While I don't begrudge the Loya families opulence, after all he is 2nd generation Mexican immigrant, his families story is exceptional. For every Loya CEO there are millions of immigrants living in austere conditions and for generations. While the hard work of the Loya's family cannot be discounted, much of their success has been due to good fortune.

As a child, my family went through tough time like the Starr's. Creditors calling, furniture repossessed, possessions sold, layoffs, strikes...hard times. In America, for the lower classes, economic booms and busts are cyclical.

I think the final panel (and I may not have this 100% correct as shown) in the presentation which stated that the poor and middle income percentage in the last 30 years has only gone up 18% while the income percentage for the wealthy has gone up 275%! This imbalance cannot be maintained unless the changes to the American dream as many of us understood it are irreparable and permanent.

*** The fact that Mr. Loya made his living by "ensuring that power and utilities flowed efficiently and effectively" while the Starr's were struggling to keep the lights on and water flowing was rather poignant. ***

I started watching this documentary totally predisposed to like the poor family and dislike the rich one, but I ended up in exactly the opposite spot.

Current would have driven the point home more effectively had they chosen a wealthy direct descendant of the Mayflower, instead of a first-generation Mexican American who through sheer determination and entrepreneurial spirit built his own company and is now a millionaire.

Conversely, they should have chosen a family living within their means, who through no fault of their own saw themselves in dire straits, instead of a couple of irresponsible morons. My sympathy for them went out the door when I saw the house (why aren’t they living in a two-bedroom apartment?), two seemingly new, full-size trucks, the flat screen tv, the cell phones, the dogs, the cigarettes, the soda…

Very revealing was the moment where the rich parents are talking with their daughter about her going to college. They speak about it as a fact. That girl will go to college not because her parents are millionaires, but because she will not be able to conceive a future without college. The poor parents did not have any sort of college discussion with their kids. The mom was instead in tears because she couldn’t buy a videogame for her son.

The kicker was when the poor father explains he’s a Republican. I wish the producers would have pushed him for specifics when he said that if government wasn’t providing for his unemployment and welfare benefits, “someone else would”. Who is that “someone” in his mind?

The unemployed guy's attitude and beliefs is an absolute disconnect from reality - especially when he says that people shouldn't get unemployment, while collecting unemployment - then he says, if the government won't help, somebody else would -- Really? Then you should be a man who stands behind his beliefs and not collected unemployment and see if you get any help.

Also, the wife when the husband asks, does the rich pay enough, she says, "yes" ... "they pay the same as us?" which shows her ignorance. BTW, the family is "poor and struggling", but they have 2 cars (1 is a huge truck that gets probably terrible gas mileage), can find ways to pay for his smoking habit, lives in a gated house, has several dogs? WTF?

why is this not available on itunes?

So the unemployed guy is collecting unemployment, behind on all his bills, has to ask his mom who is on SSI for money to keep his lights on yet he plans on voting against his own interest. He said the govt dosen't need to help people like him out, if the govt didn't help him out then somebody else would. WHAT, WHO IS GOING TO HELP THEM OUT CHARITY, CHURCHES. If the government wasn't there for his family he should be homeless and living in a shelter. He couldn't afford to pay his rent or bills but he could afford to buy cigarettes. I call it pure ignorance.

Its no surprise to me that there are two Americas... the "haves", and "have nots". I like the fact that they use Houston,TX, which I consider Texas to have a better economy than most of the country. Also the families are real about their lives, no pretense. I have no problem with hard work and obtaining wealth and fortune it is the dream of many, but you should pay your fair share for it. If you only wish to be comfortable, and be of average, and not be wanting of more than a home, car, and a way to care for your family; so be it, and you pay your share. If you hit a "bump in the road" to your "dream", or goal then the system should be there to assist till you can continue on your "journey"; however there are limits, plain and simple, and if you NEVER contributed? You deserve nothing, PERIOD.

We only had help from the government for a few months... we stand on our own now and always. We did not stay on it any longer than we just had to. Unlike some people who lie and cheat the system. And WE PAY OUR TAXES TOO! God Bless!

Mr. & Mrs. Starr,
I stand by what I wrote, and if it offended you, so be it. I grew up in a dilapidated home with no heat and no AC. My father is disabled, so my mother worked overtime all the time. We never had food stamps. We also didn't have a phone, cable tv, or a car. When you eliminate the luxuries, you can afford your food.
We all want to make our children happy, but please do so within your means and not at the expense of the tax payer.
I know a lot of people without work, so I am not unsympathetic to your plight. You have your health and you have each other. That makes you as rich as the Loya family.
I also know a lot of people down on their luck, but make it work somehow, without assistance from the government.
Good luck to you & God bless.

Let me begin to tell all of you that it is not easy, by any means to go through the things we have been through. And then to do this documentary for Vangaurd, which truly was an honor to be a part of, we allowed all of you to see into our lives fully. We weren't always in our best clothes, I did not do my make-up for the camera.. We were as real as everyone should be. And it's very easy for some of you to get on here and try to tear us down for the things that we do or have..

Gosh, aren't we all Americans, or do we only act civil to each other during days of national rememberence like 9/11.

Yes, we do have a nice big home... It is not new by any means new and part of it used to be a mobile home. Which I am ok telling you, I lived in a mobile home many years of my childhood and early adulthood. My family was blue collar all the way, we never had a whole lot and we worked our hands to the bone for everthing we got.
Our lease agreement is for a year and no we cannot get out of it.. and as you can surely see from some of the clips in the show, we are not in a great neighborhood.. at all. Thank goodness the property is fenced or I would not feel safe allowing my two children outside.

Yes, we have two trucks that are not new either.. an '04 and an '05.. that we started buying a couple of years ago when we could afford the notes quite well. And yeah, we are probably gonna loose one and possiblly both if things don't pick up work wise fast enough.

Yes, my husband, Paul, was getting unemployment for a few months until the new job he took. He did not want to have to be on unemployment.. He wanted a good job like he had. He never sat on his butt and did nothing. And thank God we were getting it too or we would have been homeless. Yes, we had to apply for food stamps.. Yes it was only $178. a month... and when there is not enough money to put with that... You try feeding a family of 4 with two boys that love to eat on that.. You can't!
And Yes... my husband and I know that we are over weight... thank you for noticing! But it is not from gobbling up all the food stamp groceries.. There are many days he and I both skip meals all day to make sure our boys don't have to.

Yes, I still have some nice items in my home.. Yeah I have a big screen in the livingroom, that I paid for years ago.. That I can't sell for no where near what I paid for it.. Yeah my boys have tv's in their rooms too... Don't yours. My kids like cartoons and video games just like any other child. We are blessed. I love them and will always give them everything that I can within my power.. wouldn't you.. of course you do!

And every light was on in the house only for filming and lighting purposes... No it didn't raise our light bill one bit, thank goodness. Our lights were high due to every day between Aug. -Sept. it was almost 100degrees or better.
AND the very few other nice things that I have left... after selling off many to survive.. are family airloomes and items that have been past down to me from my grandparents who, God rest their souls, are no longer with us.. I miss them everyday.

Walk a mile in our shoes before you judge, it is not your place to do so anyway. And we did not do this for a hand out or sympathy.. We did it to show that there are alot of familes just like us that are struggling.. so just say whatever you want.. But say it to us all, cause there are so many out there.. just like me and my family, we are not ignorant people, we have made some bad choices... I'm sure you are not without faults.

So before anyone else says anything else bad, mean, hurtful, disrespectful...Remember we are all Human and we are all Americans.
Thank You and God Bless!

It's a hard enough life, but that's life, unless you are willing to take it you cant have it. Nevertheless we the people need to start taking something back, or we are going to wind up with nothing.

LMAO!!!!
Let me tell you a story people... A story that holds true to this day.
Have you ever had the opportunity of driving on an interstate on a long road trip at night, in the south, in the summer time?
If so... Do you ever remember at times how the bugs would smack into your windshield making it harder to drive and how some of the "Bug Guts" would just keep pulling your eyes to them to the point that you would loose focus on the road?
Well... It's funny how life can sometimes work just like that... You've got to keep your eyes on where your going in life... Keep your eyes on the prize and don't focus on the "Bug Guts" life throws at you!!! Never give up people... We will Never give up on our Dreams, Goals and our Expectations that we have for where we want to be in life! That is why We Will Succeed!

What I'm saying is (if haven't been able to figure it out on your own)... Stop being "Bug Guts" towards people!...
Be a Positive, Uplifting Inspiration to people and life for you can and will be SO much more rewarding!!!

May God Richly Bless You All!
Paul G Starr, Sr.

I watched some of this today, it made me want to cry, I know how it feels to scrounge for just enough to keep up the status quo for a few more weeks, that was the life my husband and I were living less than a year ago. What some people don't realize is that when you're going thru those bad times, you have to believe it won't last much longer or you won't be able to face the future. It's easy to say "Move to a smaller place with cheaper rent, sell some of that nice stuff you had in your big house, and trade those trucks for one economical vehicle," but when you've worked hard to get where you are, you don't imagine that it's gone forever. You hang on, inch by inch, hoping that you won't have to start over, that in a few days or weeks, life will get back to "normal". Having said that, I, like others who have posted here, was saddened to hear the parents say that they agreed with the Republicans from the debate.

I agree w/ Simon: it was astonishing to see how these people's politically ideology is diametrically opposed to the lives they are leading. How these people continue to vote straight Republican was beyond me. Then I got to thinking: Mandy has a point. These folks haven't REALLY suffered yet. They haven't had to move in w/ a family member. They haven't had their trucks repo'ed. They still live miles outside the city limits of Houston & don't have to take public transportation. They haven't gotten DESPERATE enough to have their stomachs wake them out of their political ignorance. Just give it some time.....

The Starr family's ignorance absolutely blew my mind. When they were watching the debates the wife stated that the rich pay the same tax rate as the poor and "that's fair." I did sympathize with them until she made that statement and it was at that juncture that the old saying came to mind, "you can't fix stupid." If that is the extent of how "informed" they are on the current economic climate and disparities, then they deserve everything that happens to them. The only sad thing is the by-product of their stupidity, the effect it has on the innocent children.

I saw this last night. The Starr family (and I mean the parents) are living beyond their means, plain and simple. They had two expensive gas guzzling Ford trucks, cell phones, are renting a thousand dollar a month home and smoking cigarettes, yet have the nerve to collect public assistance and borrow from a parent on social security to pay their bills? Move to a smaller place with cheaper rent, sell some of that nice stuff you had in your big house, and trade those trucks for one economical vehicle. And as far as that crack Mr. Starr made about only getting $130 a month in food stamps, "Thanks, Texas." You are not welcome, sir. My tax dollars would be better spent on someone who actually needs it. I am so sick and tired of seeing people on welfare who have bigger houses and nicer vehicles than mine. It's like a slap in the face for living within my means. These people are ridiculous. I certainly hope they get their act together for their children sakes.

Very cool. Looking forward to it.