CNN

To what extent is the face of homelessness in California, at least So. California Latino? Is the lack of an Immigration Policy the past 20 years a factor?

She has professional highlights on her hair.. $80 at the least. She has fake finger nails, $30 – $40 to start, and $20 every 2 weeks to fill. She wants us to feel sorry for her, for being homeless. What I see is someone who does not use money to house herself and child, but on glitter for herself. Shame on her. Shame on the reporter for not asking about this.

This is the shame of our society...that we have forgotten how to ask for help. And there are so many needing it. I came all too close to being one of those - foreclosure on my modest little house with a VA loan came perilously close TWICE for me. However, we have to stop vilifying those who ask for help.

I wonder if Ms. Martinez was getting the snide comments about welfare moms I see posted all the time. There are as many stories of decent, hard-working people losing their homes as there are those who sought to buy more house than they could afford - but we don't hear about them. No, it is easier to just pigeonhole everyone who is homeless as a loser who deserves to be on the street. No wonder she didn't seek help!

Back in January, conservative commentator George Will pointed out that McDonald's quarterly profits were up. His point was that people were adjusting to the loss of income and jobs by cutting back on spending as if that was a good thing.

I suppose, we should take solace in the fact that families like the Martinez are adjusting nicely to the economic realities.

And in the mean time, our politicians are living high off the hog. Why even Nancy Pelosi was able to quietly sneak out of the country for some much needed R&R and to avoid the press.