Welfare almost never "makes people lazy"

[Mountain Man]

Back in 1989 I got full custody of my son. I was a single parent making 7 dollars an hour. I was eligible for a whole slew of welfare benefits, but I refused to take any.

I'm old enough to remember when people were actually ashamed to be on government assistance, and "Your momma's on welfare!" was a cutting schoolyard taunt. Now days, not only is there no shame but people feel entitled to government assistance and get bent out of shape when they don't get it.

[Catholicity]

I am a different story. I never finished college, but I finished high school. I've worked since I was 15, and hard work. I married young, had one daughter, and found myself in a hard situation, and for my daughter's sake accepted government assistance. I did go back to school and made some hard attempts to finish while working round the clock. My first marriage fell apart. And my health deteriorated as I have a severe neurological disorder, which I continued to work and go to school. Some on the job injuries affected the neurological issues, and probably school too, but I tried anyway. We had some help. Eventually I met someone else, and I made another decision to marry again, in a much better situation. because of previous injuries, an unexpected pregnancy we accepted food assistance, until it wasn't needed. I don't regret the decisions I made for my children, knowing I did the best I could for my kids, My husband is a hard worker and that is what got him into a decent career now, at least we can save for a house and money isn't a fear. We are of the mindset that assistance is for those who need it, and intended to be a stepping stone, and one should never be afraid to ask for help. at times its warranted and if you are critical of those who need it, or hateful then you need a heart check. I am not ashamed of accepting help to feed my daughters, and I'm very proud of who they are, and I am happy now that I can in turn help others who need it. May I never forget where I have been or how hard it has been, nor how hard I worked through the years, so that I take compassion on others in need and show them mercy.

[seer]

I'm old enough to remember when people were actually ashamed to be on government assistance, and "Your momma's on welfare!" was a cutting schoolyard taunt. Now days, not only is there no shame but people feel entitled to government assistance and get bent out of shape when they don't get it.

Right, my mother had 10 brother and sister that lived through the depression - so poor, that they actually wouldn't eat for days at a time. Yet they wouldn't even take the government cheese, never mind getting on the dole - which they did have back then. They all turned out to be excellent, productive human beings.

[seer]

I am a different story. I never finished college, but I finished high school. I've worked since I was 15, and hard work. I married young, had one daughter, and found myself in a hard situation, and for my daughter's sake accepted government assistance. I did go back to school and made some hard attempts to finish while working round the clock. My first marriage fell apart. And my health deteriorated as I have a severe neurological disorder, which I continued to work and go to school. Some on the job injuries affected the neurological issues, and probably school too, but I tried anyway. We had some help. Eventually I met someone else, and I made another decision to marry again, in a much better situation. because of previous injuries, an unexpected pregnancy we accepted food assistance, until it wasn't needed. I don't regret the decisions I made for my children, knowing I did the best I could for my kids, My husband is a hard worker and that is what got him into a decent career now, at least we can save for a house and money isn't a fear. We are of the mindset that assistance is for those who need it, and intended to be a stepping stone, and one should never be afraid to ask for help. at times its warranted and if you are critical of those who need it, or hateful then you need a heart check. I am not ashamed of accepting help to feed my daughters, and I'm very proud of who they are, and I am happy now that I can in turn help others who need it. May I never forget where I have been or how hard it has been, nor how hard I worked through the years, so that I take compassion on others in need and show them mercy.

See, that is what welfare should be used for. In my neighborhood, I know people who are in the third generation of receiving some form of government assistance. So many kids born out of wedlock, with no fathers in the home.

[Mountain Man]

I am a different story. I never finished college, but I finished high school. I've worked since I was 15, and hard work. I married young, had one daughter, and found myself in a hard situation, and for my daughter's sake accepted government assistance. I did go back to school and made some hard attempts to finish while working round the clock. My first marriage fell apart. And my health deteriorated as I have a severe neurological disorder, which I continued to work and go to school. Some on the job injuries affected the neurological issues, and probably school too, but I tried anyway. We had some help. Eventually I met someone else, and I made another decision to marry again, in a much better situation. because of previous injuries, an unexpected pregnancy we accepted food assistance, until it wasn't needed. I don't regret the decisions I made for my children, knowing I did the best I could for my kids, My husband is a hard worker and that is what got him into a decent career now, at least we can save for a house and money isn't a fear. We are of the mindset that assistance is for those who need it, and intended to be a stepping stone, and one should never be afraid to ask for help. at times its warranted and if you are critical of those who need it, or hateful then you need a heart check. I am not ashamed of accepting help to feed my daughters, and I'm very proud of who they are, and I am happy now that I can in turn help others who need it. May I never forget where I have been or how hard it has been, nor how hard I worked through the years, so that I take compassion on others in need and show them mercy.

I have no problem with people seeking help when they need it. I do have a problem with people who take advantage of it and milk it for everything it's worth, like my neighbor who spent two years on unemployment despite the fact that he could have easily found work if he wanted to. That's not speculation. He told us he wasn't going to look for a job until he absolutely had to, and he landed a job within a week after his unemployment expired.

[jordanriver]

Well then, I guess it depends on how you define "winners". Just because someone owns property doesn't mean they're filthy rich and exploitative.

I am talking in the context of resources, distribution of resources, and who gets to live and who doesn't get to live (who can afford the prescriptions they need and who cannot)

[jordanriver]

See, that is what welfare should be used for. In my neighborhood, I know people who are in the third generation of receiving some form of government assistance. So many kids born out of wedlock, with no fathers in the home.

that's what I was talking about earlier.
Its all about local. Its in your precinct and my precinct, and it drives me crazy that the ones who can work but will not, are eligible for medical that I have to pay for or do without.

But the policy makers, those who call the shots and are in control of the distribution of resources live on the other side of the track. It does not bother them that LABORERS (dirt and sweat and bruises laborers) cannot enjoy the same medical that lazybones have government access to.

The policy makers VS the laborers, as far as the policy makers are concerned, the welfare recipients are not players in the "management vs labor" contest, they don't give the welfare recipients a second thought. The welfare recipients aren't challenging them, only the laborers are likely to challenge them.

So the policy makers just more or less, 'pay off' the welfare recipients and get them out of the game.

[jordanriver]

But there's always folks like JordanRiver who will tell kids - you ain't never goin to amount to nuthin - just go on over to that welfare office....

THATS CRAP COW POKE

THATS CRAP CRAP CRAP


I hate people who do that becaujse that's what happened to me. not the welfare office suggestion but little too much stupid , dumbass , .


crap, I cant finish this

[Adam]

I have no problem with people seeking help when they need it. I do have a problem with people who take advantage of it and milk it for everything it's worth, like my neighbor who spent two years on unemployment despite the fact that he could have easily found work if he wanted to. That's not speculation. He told us he wasn't going to look for a job until he absolutely had to, and he landed a job within a week after his unemployment expired.

Very common. My wife did it twice (the first time before it was 99 weeks, just 52 weeks). She's now 70 and working full-time.
I do it myself. I work during tax season doing professional work (plus I'm a former CPA) at $12 an hour, a pittance (that my company may bill out a $10 an hour in early March and at over $100 from Jan. 25 - Feb 15 and from March 25 to April 15). But no one will hire a 73-year-old for anything else, so my unemployment makes my wage in effect $18. (Seasonal work does not qualify for unemployment, but I am available the rest of the year listing myself as an accountant, which I am.
But for $12 an hour I would not work for them, without the unemployment during the off-season. I would theoretically find somewhere to get more than $12 (but less than $18) for more than 3 months.
Theoretically my employer pays for my UI, and I pay for that in lower salary. But lots of tax preparers don't get the UI benefit (because they work full-time or have other work the rest of the year) and their salary is reduced same as mine, unfairly to them.

[Catholicity]

THATS CRAP COW POKE

THATS CRAP CRAP CRAP


I hate people who do that becaujse that's what happened to me. not the welfare office suggestion but little too much stupid , dumbass , .


crap, I cant finish this

holding a grudge against the world? take a break

[RumTumTugger]

But there's always folks like JordanRiver who will tell kids - you ain't never goin to amount to nuthin - just go on over to that welfare office....

and folks like Starlight who will tell the kids life owes you for putting you in such a poor situation you are under now obligation to better yourself and point them to the welfare office.

[Starlight]

In my neighborhood, I know people who are in the third generation of receiving some form of government assistance. So many kids born out of wedlock, with no fathers in the home.

In the world, some people are lazy, and some people are hard-workers. What I think people are far too quick to assume is:

1. That welfare changes people's psychology, and makes people lazy. There's very, very little, if any, evidence of this. eg see the OP.
2. That most people who get welfare are lazy. There's often a rush to judgment because you know of one undeserving person on welfare, so people start to be in favor of kicking everyone off welfare because of that one person, and so essentially seek to remove welfare to 99 deserving families like Catholicity's in order to stop that one undeserving person from getting the welfare.

Here's a little bit of a reminder, to keep things in general perspective, of who's ripping off the system and who isn't:

[Sparko]

In the world, some people are lazy, and some people are hard-workers. What I think people are far too quick to assume is:

1. That welfare changes people's psychology, and makes people lazy. There's very, very little, if any, evidence of this. eg see the OP.
2. That most people who get welfare are lazy. There's often a rush to judgment because you know of one undeserving person on welfare, so people start to be in favor of kicking everyone off welfare because of that one person, and so essentially seek to remove welfare to 99 deserving families like Catholicity's in order to stop that one undeserving person from getting the welfare.

Here's a little bit of a reminder, to keep things in general perspective, of who's ripping off the system and who isn't:

what we are saying is that is it human nature to think, "Hmm I can have close to the same standard of living without having to work, as I would if I did work. So why work?"

[Cow Poke]

I'm old enough to remember when people were actually ashamed to be on government assistance, and "Your momma's on welfare!" was a cutting schoolyard taunt. Now days, not only is there no shame but people feel entitled to government assistance and get bent out of shape when they don't get it.

But we have worked hard to take the "stigma" out of welfare - like issuing debit cards instead of food stamps.

[Starlight]

what we are saying is that is it human nature to think, "Hmm I can have close to the same standard of living without having to work, as I would if I did work. So why work?"

I see it as weird you think you'd have pretty much close to the "same standard of living"... just how badly do your jobs pay?!? And just how much do you think welfare is paying?!?

I see the correct standard of welfare as being to give people a minimalist life: Enough that survival is not an issue, and enough that they can rent a healthy home and get an education. But not a luxurious amount. Not enough to be having a month-long cruise holiday 3 times a year. Not enough to buy a large house.

For the vast majority of people, having welfare provide the minimum they need to survive, is not going to be enough for what they want out of life. They are going to want more, and they are going to try to get a good job in order to get it. Most people don't just want to survive, they want to thrive and to enjoy life. They want to be able to buy a nice house, they want to be able to afford an overseas holiday for their family, etc.

It's possible this is a case of your jobs not paying enough, and people living at a subsistence level even though they are working? Apparently you have a phrase in the US called "working poor"??? That's not really something I'm familiar with, and it would seem like your country needs to raise its minimum wage if that is happening.