Jon and Kate Plus 8 Official Thread - Part 6

[madge]

Jon was fired from his job before the six were born & could not get unemployment checks. I always assumed they were poor since they needed food donated to them. How did they pay the bills with both out of work?

I don't remember Kate saying he couldn't get unemployment checks. She just says in her speech that he was fired over the insurance deal and it was legal to do that in Pennsylvania.

I also don't remember them saying that they needed food donated to them. When they had prayer requests on the old site, that was never on there.

Kate is clear in the speech that things were tough, and that they didn't know what they'd do, but in the end, God provided. Jon did stand in line at the Salvation Army once. She does mention that.

With all that said, to answer your question .. it's widely rumored and speculated that Jon's father helped out a lot when he was still alive.

 

[madge]

The surgery and the cute hair didn't ruin her.

I didn't say it did. Someone else might or did, but not me.... LOL

I just said that episode, for me, was very telling .. more because of who Jon and Kate were as people and a couple. But also because we all saw Kate literally transformed in that hour.

 

[MAKmom]

I don't remember Kate saying he couldn't get unemployment checks. She just says in her speech that he was fired over the insurance deal and it was legal to do that in Pennsylvania.

I also don't remember them saying that they needed food donated to them. When they had prayer requests on the old site, that was never on there.

Kate is clear in the speech that things were tough, and that they didn't know what they'd do, but in the end, God provided. Jon did stand in line at the Salvation Army once. She does mention that.

With all that said, to answer your question .. it's widely rumored and speculated that Jon's father helped out a lot when he was still alive.

I read his employer fought the unemployment because he was doing side jobs on company time & the ruling went with the employer.

I thought I remember her saying things just appeared when she needed them. I remember her saying I needed paper towels & they appeared on her front step. This was a long time ago so I could be confusing the story

Here is the story I read about Jon. I'll post the link too it is like 6 pages.
http://www.phillymag.com/articles/jon_and_kate_gosselin/page4

None of this comes as a surprise to David Rothermel. Owner of a custom cabinetry business in Lancaster County, he was Jon’s boss (and a friend of Jon’s parents) during Kate’s second pregnancy. He’s the guy singled out during Jon and Kate’s speaking engagements as the man who “did not want to insure [Jon] … they let him go.” However, Rothermel says — and supporting documents prove — that Jon Gosselin was fired for other reasons. The state unemployment office ruled that Jon improperly did a side job on company time; furthermore, Rothermel claims that before the babies were even born, Jon was on the phone and the Internet soliciting freebies, boasting openly that he was never going to have to work again. Indeed, the Gosselin family website, Sixgosselins.com, was registered before the babies were born, and later featured a “Prayer List” of wants — a 15- passenger van, “a house that we fit into and can afford … it’s going to literally take a miracle” — along with a “Praise List” with the names of folks and companies and the supplies they’d donated. When the babies were six months old, family members, friends and neighbors got a letter containing the Gosselins’ account number with the electric company, in case anyone felt moved to pay the couple’s bill. (A TLC spokeswoman says the letter came from friends looking to help the Gosselins.)

 

[DreaGirl]

I thought it was a welfare/public assistant program that they were on.

She grew up in a trailor park. Her mother was only 17 when she was born & Kate was the second baby. I was always under the impression she was poor growing up.
Jon was fired from his job before the six were born & could not get unemployment checks. I always assumed they were poor since they needed food donated to them. How did they pay the bills with both out of work?

It is my understanding that Kate's parents owned/owns a trailor park and a camp ground. Not exactly "poor" IMO.

I know I read somewhere that Jon's Dad gave them a large sum of money upon his death and they told friends that that was "their" money and was not going to be used for the kids.

 

[TanyaLovesPooh]

I totally don't agree that the kids may be like the dogs, better away from their parents. Gosh people, we complain when they aren't with them, and then say they might be better off separated from their parents. Am I the only one who feel these kids are loved? Gosh, I'm glad none of you were involved in my life when my kids were young. Im sure I couldn't stand up to your scrutiny. My kids were well loved, but looking back, I'm sure I screwed up. My husband was in a rock band and I pawned my kids off on my mom several weekends and they loved it..how many flavors of ice cream can one grandma keep in the freezer?), so I could go to the gigs. Shame on me, wanting fun and leaving my responsibilites at home. My kids are all adults..heck they thought they had a fun, exciting life (not many kids show up at school on an old 1948 Harley).

We have no idea who they kids are with, if it's Beth's sister, or Jon's mom or the nanny. It takes time to settle out who has kids when, and we have no idea when either Paula's show was planned, or Jon's activities. These may have been in the hopper for months. I'm sure they will work on it and it will not take boarding school for the kids and parents settled in a routine.

You are not alone, I think the Gosselin kids are very loved by both Jon and Kate. Do they always make the best decisions? No. Are they often selfish? Yes. Love and adore the kids? Absolutely. There is no doubt in my mind they love those kids. For someone to suggest that they would be better off away from their parents is just ludicrous.

I just figured out what happened to Jon and Kate to change them from the caring couple to what they are now. When Kate had her tummy tuck and Jon had his hairplugs some evil tv producer from TLC implanted microchips so he could control their actions.

 

[kidshop]

You are not alone, I think the Gosselin kids are very loved by both Jon and Kate. Do they always make the best decisions? No. Are they often selfish? Yes. Love and adore the kids? Absolutely. There is no doubt in my mind they love those kids. For someone to suggest that they would be better off away from their parents is just ludicrous.

Kate, you are asking yourself questions and answering them again!

As their parents are today, I think the kids would be better off at boarding school instead of being filmed for profit.

 

[madge]

I thought I remember her saying things just appeared when she needed them. I remember her saying I needed paper towels & they appeared on her front step. This was a long time ago so I could be confusing the story

yes. that's how the story goes.

very different than asking for food, being on government assistance, or not being able to collect an unemployment check.

 

[TanyaLovesPooh]

Kate, you are asking yourself questions and answering them again!

 

[mousey]

I remember Jon saying in the Utah interview that neither of them had jobs and they were living off the people's donations and the Salvation Army. I also remember reading somewhere that they had a wish list which included their big van, diapers, gift cards, had the acct number to help pay their electric bill, etc......not including the "love offerings" from various churches.
Believe me, these two are sly!!!

 

[whitneyNC]

It is my understanding that Kate's parents owned/owns a trailor park and a camp ground. Not exactly "poor" IMO.

I know I read somewhere that Jon's Dad gave them a large sum of money upon his death and they told friends that that was "their" money and was not going to be used for the kids.

You are right. Her parents do own a campground. Her father is also a minister and has a master's degree in education. Kate and all of her siblings went to private school. She did not grow up poor. I have read her parents believe stongly in hard work, and their adult kids making it on their own. They provided the education/foundation, and then you are on your own.

I don't believe the Gosselin product happened by accident. Kate was reportedly obsessed with the attention the McCaugheys received when they were born. She shopped around to find a Dr. to administer the second round of fertility treatments (she had two year old twins), still in her 20s. Poor people do not do rounds of IUI in their 20s when they already have been blessed with twins using fertility treatments. She and Jon were only married a year when the twins were born, how could they have battled infertility?

 

[madge]

I remember Jon saying in the Utah interview that neither of them had jobs and they were living off the people's donations and the Salvation Army. I also remember reading somewhere that they had a wish list which included their big van, diapers, gift cards, had the acct number to help pay their electric bill, etc......not including the "love offerings" from various churches.
Believe me, these two are sly!!!

that (the bolded) was all on the old website. it used to be searched at www.archive.org, but it's now blocked.

 

[dispor]

You are right. Her parents do own a campground. Her father is also a minister and has a master's degree in education. Kate and all of her siblings went to private school. She did not grow up poor. I have read her parents believe stongly in hard work, and their adult kids making it on their own. They provided the education/foundation, and then you are on your own.

I don't believe the Gosselin product happened by accident. Kate was reportedly obsessed with the attention the McCaugheys received when they were born. She shopped around to find a Dr. to administer the second round of fertility treatments (she had two year old twins), still in her 20s. Poor people do not do rounds of IVF in their 20s when they already have been blessed with twins using fertility treatments. She and Jon were only married a year when the twins were born, how could they have battled infertility?

Neither did Jon and Kate.

 

[madge]

Neither did Jon and Kate.

Jon and Kate did IUI, not IVF.

which gets me to thinking .. I don't think I've ever heard Kate (or Jon) mention medical bills from the fertility treatments or from the sextuplets hospital stays. Not that it's any of my business, but the medical bills would have been another financial strain in the early years and since they've mentioned a lot of other facets of that part of their life .. it would make sense to mention that as well.

 

[MAKmom]

Jon and Kate did IUI, not IVF.

which gets me to thinking .. I don't think I've ever heard Kate (or Jon) mention medical bills from the fertility treatments or from the sextuplets hospital stays. Not that it's any of my business, but the medical bills would have been another financial strain in the early years and since they've mentioned a lot of other facets of that part of their life .. it would make sense to mention that as well.

I was wondering how they paid for the births. Did they have insurance or did medicade pay for that too?

 

[JennaTX]

IMO neither parent is up for parent of the year award.


But we have Kate: trying to make money for her family, not dating anyone, not perfect in anyway but I do think she is trying to do right for her family.

And Jon: How many girls has he been with since things broke? And he wants to quit the show (saying it is for his family) but has no job to support the family.

So if Jon gets his way, they are divorced, the show is over. And how is Jon supporting his family?

I would really like some response from people about how Jon is supporting his family, not what Kate has done wrong.

 

[barkley]

I was wondering how they paid for the births. Did they have insurance or did medicade pay for that too?

i remember reading that back when kate got pregnant with the sextuplets and had to go on bedrest her co-workers at the hospital were very generous in donating their leave accruals to her. if that's the case, and the hospital (she worked at) is like my former employer, their h/r might administer the leave in a way that keeps the person eligible to insurance and pays for all or most of the employee share of cost. my step neice worked for a hospital when she was pregnant and diagnosed with cancer, her co-workers did the same thing and it enabled her to retain her insurance for the entirety of her pregnancy.

the medicaid program they were on would have kind of 'piggybacked' on top of traditional insurance-providing special services (like the in home nurses).

 

[walden]

So if Jon gets his way, they are divorced, the show is over. And how is Jon supporting his family?

I would really like some response from people about how Jon is supporting his family, not what Kate has done wrong.

I'll give it a shot -- Jon was apparently paid for that gig in Las Vegas, and wants to be on that Divorced Dad show.

I'd hope that they saved and invested some of the millions they have been earning with the show and have a financial cushion for a while.

But seriously, if I were Jon's Mom I'd sit him down and make the following speech: "OK, son, we need to talk. You may have had a hard time but now you need to plan for the future. You need to quit the girls, quit the cocktails and get a purpose in life and a sensible job to support your children. Now!"

IMO, Jon should get his rear-end in gear and go back to school to brush up on his IT skills, and then get a job in that field even part time.

Let's see, what other talents does he have? He can change diapers and bath children, paint bedrooms, put up shelves and swingsets, assemble furniture, use a grill, make pizza, clear land for Crooked Houses (even if it isn't used), ride a motorcyle. . .

He could be a daycare worker, self-employed handyman, short order cook, work construction, be a bike courrier/messenger, what else?

Anyone else have ideas for jobs for Jon outside the show?

 

[madge]

I would really like some response from people about how Jon is supporting his family, not what Kate has done wrong.

he has done a couple of paid appearances, and allegedly is in talks to be on a TV show about divorced dads and in talks with the Ed Hardy guy for a clothing line. He's also still earning money from starring as Jon in Jon & Kate plus 8.

 

[mousey]

Someone said he was signing autograph's for $7 at FrightWorld in Buffalo, NY--I'm sure that brought in a few bucks. I'm sure the teenagers loved him!

 

[DMRick]

But seriously, if I were Jon's Mom I'd sit him down and make the following speech: "OK, son, we need to talk. You may have had a hard time but now you need to plan for the future. You need to quit the girls, quit the cocktails and get a purpose in life and a sensible job to support your children. Now!"

And an adult child (male at that) would listen to his mom..why???

IMO, Jon should get his rear-end in gear and go back to school to brush up on his IT skills, and then get a job in that field even part time.

I have read that Jon did not go to college, so maybe he could give that a try. But did he like his job in that field?

He could be a daycare worker

Maybe he could get a recommendation from Stephanie?

short order cook,

His words are that he only reheats food, he doesn't cook it, but we know he can do pizza on the grill, so maybe a wood fired pizza shop?

Anyone else have ideas for jobs for Jon outside the show?

Teach skiing and snowboarding?