Regina Bolling's Comments

Is money distributed in a fair way in the United States?
No, I believe that it is not. Because I believe that the majority of the money should go to the people that work the hardest. And it's ironic that it doesn't. The people who sit on their butts, the executive position gets paid a lot more than the working stiff that has to get up at five o’clock in the morning, just to commute...just to get to the job. And they're doing the majority of the work. And just because they're pushing a pencil [the executive positions], they should get more? I think it should be reversed.

In your household, how do you economize?
It's really extremely hard because there’s five of us in a two bedroom unit. So of course we're like on top of one another, and to make ends meet is very hard because I don't really have the opportunity to splurge. But if I do, it's something very menial like maybe some ice cream or maybe some McDonald's. Something like that...nothing extravagant.

I look for the sales. I normally look for places that are going out of business, that have like fifty, sevety-five percent off...and I capitalize on stuff like that.

If you had extra money, what's the most rewardsing use you would make of it? Say, $20,000 fell into your lap.
If $20,000 fell into my lap, I think I would first make sure that all my bills were secure because that means a lot to me. I hate unexpected bills. I really do. And I would probably look for a bigger apartment for me and my children because it is hard....I have three boys and onw girl. So it's like all the boys sleep together and my daughter sleeps with me. I just feel that she deserves to have her own [room], and she's been doing this for quite some time. Even though she likes to sleep with me, I believe she would like her own space....So that's what I would do.

What's the best thing you've ever done to obtain money?
In the Maple Park neighborhood, there's not much for our youth to do, except for to get into trouble. And I was one of the parents who really cared. I was like the Kool-Aid mom. And everybody was at my house. And I preferred them to be at my house, versus being in the streets. And I would march them to Ada Park, just to go swimming....You're only young once and you're an adult forever. I would load up a van and take them to the drive-in. Fifty thousand kids and a drive-in. “SShhh. Be quiet. Don't move!” you know and all that kind of stuff. And take them roller-skating. See, these are all things that they can look back on and say, “You know what? Somebody did really, really care about me”—'cause sometimes you really need that. And I feel that was the best thing, even though I got paid crumbs.

If you could do any kind of work to earn a nice living, what kind of work would that be?
Well, I would like to be a director of an “Off the Street” club. That has been a lifelong goal for me, for such a long, long time. I just don't quite know the avenues. That's always been a dream of mine.

In our society, do people choose a husband or a wife or a lifetime mate partly based on considerations of money, and if so, is that okay?
Well, basically...when a woman is looking for a mate, nine times out of ten she's looking for security and stability. That is always number one. Especially if she has children. As far as myself is concerned they have to have a sound mind too. Because I have young men, and I treat them like kings, and I can't just have anyone just spewing things into their minds.

But yes, we do. We look for a person that's stable. Already has his own house or apartment or whatever. A nice job. A nice vehicle. Myself, I like the men I date to be family oriented, because that's a big thing with me. I couldn't see myself with a man that didn't get along with his mother or there was always confusion in their family. That’s just not me.

Do you think people are taxed fairly in our society?
No....I don't understand the concept of the poor people having paid so much more taxes than the richer people. It seems like it's ridiculous! You would think that since they were in the higher bracket that they would tax them more because they could afford it. But it's the exact opposite. So no, I do not feel that we are taxed the right way.