Hundreds line up in the cold for help heating homes (Atlanta: school, contractors)

[AcidSnake]

Apparently you missed my follow-up post where I acknowledged exactly what you had just said.

Originally Posted by seain dublin

There is a big difference between someone losing a job whose has worked all their life and people who make welfare a way of life.

No problem with helping someone who is down on their luck, it is another story when people choose to have children they cannot afford and expect the govt. to support them.

[RoslynHolcomb]

As for the kids, they should become wards of the state. If a person cant take care of them financially, they shouldnt be rewarded by receiving more funds for every kid they have. Disgusting.

Honestly, I wish to God in heaven people would stop saying this. As things stand now we don't have facilities and resources for the kids in foster care NOW. And those kids have been physically abused. Where are we going to put these kids if we start removing them because their parents are financially irresponsible? Further, there have been numerous studies that kids are better off in the homes with their parents, with support as needed, as opposed to being in even the best foster homes. Bottom line is, people in this country don't give a darn about kids, it's about punishing the kids for the "crime" of having irresponsible parents. How do I know we don't care about children? Work in social services for more than a minute and it's readily apparent. Back when I was still in the field the board payment for a child in foster care was less than $200 a month. Yeah, do the math, that works out to roughly $7 a day. It cost me more than that to board my cat! My kid consumes that much daily in milk alone!

Irresponsible people are going to be irresponsible. So let's at least be real and honest about our motivations here. We're not prepared to do what's necessary to provide support to these children, so it's frankly ridiculous to talk about removing them. And unless we're prepared to start letting children starve/freeze to death all this talk is mere navel gazing and benefits no one.

[flyonpa]

When I stopped doing foster few years ago GA foster rate was $15day + clothing$'s + day/after school care$'s + activity$'s + SantaStocking Fund + Transportation $'s + Child is covered under $0 cost medical/dental/RX. I did foster thru a private agency and they added $15/day to the state amount.

[RoslynHolcomb]

Originally Posted by flyonpa

When I stopped doing foster few years ago GA foster rate was $15day + clothing$'s + day/after school care$'s + activity$'s + SantaStocking Fund + Transportation $'s + Child is covered under $0 cost medical/dental/RX. I did foster thru a private agency and they added $15/day to the state amount.

Wait a minute, the agency added $15 dollars to the $15 you received from the stat, or are you saying you received $15 total a day? Is it still a struggle to find doctors/dentists that accept Medicaid? That was always an issue in Alabama.

[arjay57]

Originally Posted by GrowOldGetWise

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this, if any taxpayer money needs to be spent to reverse this trend of govt reliance, it is better schools for the ones in poverty. If you poured billions into the school systems like they pour billions into other useless crap, we could start to reverse this trend, it would take an entire generation or so, but it's worth it, it would benefit everyone in the long run.

Well, let's not forget that we ARE pouring billions into education. In the city of Atlanta alone, APS has spent over $1 billion on facilities in the past decade. Most of that went to schools in economically challenged areas.

In addition, city residents spend another $600 million a year on APS salaries and operations. That doesn't include additional subsidies such as federal free breakfast and lunch programs, state funds and lottery funds, which provide another $200 million a year to APS. It also doesn't include the substantial gifts from private charities such as the Gates, Blank and Ford Foundations, and the backing of many local businesses and organizations. Not to mention the enormous contribution of parents and other individuals.

And this is just APS alone, which is one of the smaller school systems in the metro area. Cobb and DeKalb are nearly twice as large, and Gwinnett is three times bigger.

So it would be a mistake to suggest that Atlanta doesn't make an enormous contribution to education. We spend far more per student than any system in the state, although we're now at risk of losing accreditation.

Think of the system we'd have if we spent even 10% that much on transit during the past 10 years!

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by MisterNY

While I agree with everything you say, it would be hard to determine who is doing what, and who is defrauding the government. To have a task force doing that, you'd have to spend more money, and we know people are tired of gov't spending. So it wont happen. The logic is, it would cost less to have them on the system for longer than to hire thousands of employees to do the investigating. Not going to happen.

I also believe that people are so misguided about gov't spending. People are up in arms about people getting assistance, while there are Billions being spent on useless wars, senseless government contracts, and Medicare fraud. Some people are just misguided and clueless. What is spent on entitlement programs is way less than what is spent on wars, and all the other nonsense associated with them.

I agree in practicality it might be tough to know who is honest and in need of a short term helping hand, versus who is just gaming the system. Point taken, but I think in general we need to go back to where this country was 50 to 100 years ago, where you had to work hard or potentially starve. There was no easy way out. Then, you couldn't just pop out illegitimate kids and let the taxpayers support you for years on end. Am I just cruel, heartless, and "greedy" as I'm sure some of you think? I don't think so, especially since I voluntarily give a bunch to charity (a whole bunch). The question is how much should the gov't involuntarily take from taxpayers to redistribute to others, and under what circumstances?

As for "meaningless wars" etc....I won't get into that polictical debate with you, but I will say that defending the country from external enemies is the first and most important function of the federal gov't. We don't have a choice as to whether we should or shouldn't do it. Without security from external threats, all the other talk is just that....meaningless talk.

I agree that we need to stop all kinds of fraud, whether Medicaid or Medicare, overbilling by defense contractors, etc. We have to drain the swamp in DC and cut spending....period....including the DOD. It has to be in areas where efficiencies can be achieved, and I believe many such places exist. It's always strange that spending increases wildly when times are good, but when we talk about going back to where things were before the huge increases, there are always dire predictions and lots of hand wringing.

[GrowOldGetWise]

Originally Posted by arjay57

Well, let's not forget that we ARE pouring billions into education. In the city of Atlanta alone, APS has spent over $1 billion on facilities in the past decade. Most of that went to schools in economically challenged areas.

In addition, city residents spend another $600 million a year on APS salaries and operations. That doesn't include additional subsidies such as federal free breakfast and lunch programs, state funds and lottery funds, which provide another $200 million a year to APS. It also doesn't include the substantial gifts from private charities such as the Gates, Blank and Ford Foundations, and the backing of many local businesses and organizations. Not to mention the enormous contribution of parents and other individuals.

And this is just APS alone, which is one of the smaller school systems in the metro area. Cobb and DeKalb are nearly twice as large, and Gwinnett is three times bigger.

So it would be a mistake to suggest that Atlanta doesn't make an enormous contribution to education. We spend far more per student than any system in the state, although we're now at risk of losing accreditation.

Think of the system we'd have if we spent even 10% that much on transit during the past 10 years!

Let me say, after I read this, it reminded me of a politician giving a weak response to a huge social problem... "Oh we are spending so much already". If it matters, GA is below the national average for spending on education, but we need more then just money, we need a complete system overhaul and a more profound importance placed on education by the government. We literally lost $9 billion dollars in Iraq in one quick fail swoop, completely stolen and unaccounted for... Where are our priorities? It's not here. Wars become "profit making bonanzas" for the politicians and contractors, and weak attempts at reform such as the No Child Left Behind act, become more "profit making bonanzas", and the money literally dissapears! A complete fraud. This won't ever change till we start to hold the policy makers responsible and we keep them under a highly scrutinized watchful eye, because they are REALLY good at throwing money away. We shouldn't go backwards 50-100 years we should really be focusing on reforming the system for the future 50-100 years. Both republicans and democrats have fooled us for so long on what is important for us, that we've forgotten what really is important, the people, the citizens of this country.

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by arjay57

If you Google Isata Kamara in Mayretta you get these MySpace pages:

MySpace - sexyblack Icey - 35 - Female - Marietta, Georgia - myspace.com/2iceey4u

Isata K 's Photos | Myspace


Still, you worry about the kids.

Supreme Ownage.

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by Tangomonster

It says she graduated with a nursing degree (although later it says "I do what i do because that's what i do') and claims to earn $60,000 to $75,000...that's more than I ever made and I've not had to ask for assistance providing for my basic needs.

Interesting how her page is posted with status designer brands like Chanel and Vuitton.

Scary how illiterate she is for having an associate degree (but I think that's increasingly common these days, for all college degrees).

She is just "putting on" "doing to much"...."ghetto fabolous" many of the Wefare-Foodstamp types that are black live this lifestyle, never realizing with the proper sacrifice, they can live the Buckhead-Lenox Square lifestyle with ease, Sacrificing meaning, living under your means, trying to get better jobs or promotions & investing in a ***** or vibrator/keeping her legs closed. Forget education...thats too tricky for these types. I think the major problem is these women spend so much time trying to live The Life, they end up struggling For Life!

[FlyiMetro]

Originally Posted by AcidSnake

Regardless of the situation with the hoodrat chick with kids out of wedlock, there is still a need for government assistance. I should know. I was on government assistance for a while as a young 'un.

I know that the LaQuitas & the LaFondas of the world are easy mark for those who would rather that NO minorities, let alone regular Americans get public assistance. To that I say shame on them.

Are you guys invincible? Are you guys immortal? NO and NO. You guys may be comfortable in your well-off jobs now, but it's only a matter of time before the forces of neo-liberalism & global free markets come knocking at your doors and your precious jobs will be outsourced & off-shored to some third-world country.

So quick to talk about privatizing & denying benefits to people... What utter spitefulness. It will be poetic justice when the Captain Ahmed Patels are contracted to start flying your Boeing 777s for Less than $20,000 yearly and the Tran Doan Nyugens are contracted to be your doctors for less than $14,000.

Say good bye to that precious middle class, folks. You will be the first generation who so short-sightedly, bigotedly, and ignorantly voted it away.

I can't wait for that day to come. Then we will see how hardy & independent you guys are. We will see if you are willing to strike it out on your own like big strong frontiers-men without that bad ol' big government holding your hands.

You will deserve whatever gifts of globalism & corporatism that comes your way, you haters of public assistance. Believe it!

Interesting & Strong.