I just got a document from the Intergraph defendants today asking the Court to require me to disclose details about assets and income, because they are wondering if I’m poor enough to qualify for my affidavit of poverty. 

I filed an affidavit of poverty with the Superior Court for my appeal concerning the Georgia Trade Secrets Act.  The defendant attached my affidavit of poverty that I submitted to the U.S. District Court, showing I only got partial relief from court fees.

The Court clerks pretty much rubbed it in my face how much an appeal will cost and said they won’t file my appeal until the judge approves my affidavit of poverty.

Well this should be easy enough to answer, but I’ll wait for the court for details.  At the time I filed my affidavit of poverty with the District Court, I was making $2500 a month working on a contract for one of the other defendants.  I was told if I filed a lawsuit against Robins Air Force Base, (or if I attempted to market my project to RAFB) I would lose that contract.  I lost the contract.  Details later.  

How much is considered poverty?  Let’s break this down.  I was making $2500 / mo and the District Court considered that poor enough to give me a substantial break in the fees.  Now I’m making about $225 per week, depending on hours.  I barely make more than minimum wage.

I went from $30K/year down to approximately $10,100/year.

I am in the process of borrowing money from my sister to make ends meet.  I owe the IRS nearly $20K as a direct result of losing my contract at the base.  I owe $56K in the foreclosure and note for the property I lost in Gray, Georgia; also as a direct result of the loss of my contract at the base.

The IRS bill increases monthly from interest.

I own a broken down 1988 Buick LaSabre that sits in my driveway.  I’m driving my mother’s Hillbilly Chicken Truck that doesn’t even have properly working headlights and doesn’t like to shift.  The clutch is also going bad.

Let’s see… I made $30 last week taking care of my neighbor’s dogs.  (I’m getting rich! Woo hoo!)

What does America define as poverty?  Let’s see.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2007; a single person is at the poverty threshold if they make less than $10,787.  That puts me under the limit.  That makes me worse than poor.  Considering I owe approximately $90K in debt and the IRS is racking up the bill by the month.

Oh yeah… get this…I offered to pay the IRS $100/month to help pay my debt and they refused that amount.  Did you get that people?  The IRS refused money!  Mark it up on the calendar.  Make it a national holiday! 

The IRS said $100 is not an acceptable payment amount, so I can’t even pay down that bill yet.

I survive on loans from my family, which have to be paid back.  The income I’m making right now from work barely pays my household bills.  Okay, okay…I confess…I do have a roof over my head other than my car now.  It’s true.  I no longer have to live in my car and park at the rest area on I-475 in Macon.  I have a real roof over my head, which is a trailer in a trailer park.  I rent.  Yeah!  I used to have 13 acres and a 4,000 sf home, complete with a pond, ducks and geese.  One of the defendants mocked me wondering how long I would be able to keep my home.  (Two years after the battle began…I hung on as long as I could but lost it in 2004).

I haven’t had to buy groceries for a couple of months because I can eat at work, so that does give me a little financial break. There isn’t enough income for groceries, though I am taking $32 dollars tonight to get some veggies and fruit, because I want the nutrition I’m not getting at work. 

How poor is poor enough to be qualified for an affidavit of poverty in America?

I’ll gladly show the Court whatever they need to know.

Nuff said.