Down and Out in Long Beach
The Long Beach Press-Telegram is running a terrific series this week by reporters Greg Mellen and Kevin Butler that looks at the plight of people who work one or more jobs and still can't make ends meet. Part of what impresses me about "The Working Poor: Living on the Edge" is the diverse range of people introduced to us including single moms, the elderly, immigrants and people with disabilities. The series is full of fine writing such as this passage where Mellen describes the struggle of a single mom caring for an asthmatic child:
First comes the chugging roar that drowns out any attempt at conversation. Then the whirl of dust and debris that forces Danielle Roberts and her daughter, Antoninette Valdez, to turn their faces and cover their mouths and eyes. Finally, the acrid stench of diesel exhaust from the parade of trucks making their way to the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles.
Any of these can trigger the attack.
The Press-Telegram package also includes easy-to-follow graphics and powerful photo galleries by Stephen Carr.