Artzy13

Never said he was dirt poor, just that he was a hard working blue collar working class guy. He does come from a very poor community, and he does not make nearly as much as comparable cops in nearby communities do. His city is literally one square mile, and the majority population is Latino.

I just read in today's update what Morty said about Derrick: that there are no poor people in Newport RI. Morty's right - there aren't, but Derrick doesn't come from Newport - his home is at least 45 minutes to an hour away. Derrick comes from the smallest, most densely populated city in the U.S. called Central Falls, RI. It is the poorest city in the state, just newly recovering from bankruptcy. It is also one of the most dangerous cities with a very high crime rate. There is a high immigrant population, and poverty is the norm. So, while Derrick is a cop in that city, he is a member of the lowest paid police department in the state. Last year during the bankruptcy he and the rest of his department had to take unpaid leave in order for the city to make ends meet. They couldn't even afford to keep up wth the school system so the state had to take it over. The City is all tenement houses - which for folks who aren't familiar with that term - are all 3 and 4 family houses built very close together (maybe 8 to 10 feet apart), and most of them were built before World War II. He lives in an apartment in one of those houses and he rents - doesn't own. When he says that he could use the $$ he is telling the truth. This is probably the best chance he will ever have in his life to get ahead. Now I do not know Derrick - have never met him, and I don't know anyone who knows him - so I don't want anyone to think I am sticking up for a friend or relative - I just wanted to set the record straight. Derrick really is relatively poor, does not come from money, does not live in a wealthy community, and lives from paycheck to paycheck much like most of the blue collar working class people in the country. Say what you want about his game - like him or don't - just please don't think he is more than he is, which is a hard working good guy trying to make a difference for his family. Thanks for letting me vent. Peace out