Quote:
Originally Posted by in_newengland
Biden wasn't wrong back then and what he said still applies today. He's a Democrat. I am a Democrat.
We have not fixed the welfare system. It just hands money out to people and there isn't enough oversight to prevent some drug dealer from living with the welfare mom and giving her money or buying her cars.
But the main thing is--Welfare is a meager existence but at least they have health insurance and a place to live. We need to fix it so that even if the mom gets a job, she still has health insurance (not probable at a part time job or a low paying entry level job) and she can keep her housing, such as it is. At the present time, if a person earns even a little bit too much, they are kicked out of housing. Either let her stay where she is or provide a stipend that she can put toward a market value apartment. That will ease people off welfare.
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I heard that same thing when I was talking to a neighbor who is on...or was on welfare. (Don't know if they are anymore.)
Anyway, what the neighbor said was that you can make up to a certain amount and get food stamps. But once you go $1 over, all of the food stamps are gone.
I looked it up just now - here in CA, the limit is $1311. A person can make up to $1311 and still get food stamps. If they make $1312, they lose all benefits.
So I started doing some calculations based off of my own rent - and I don't live in the large cities on the coast because who the hell can afford that nonsense? Besides, who would want to live in them with all the homeless everywhere? Anyway, so my rent is still somewhat reasonable.
I added rent, electric, transportation (I have a car but added up bus prices for a month which could vary depending on where the person is going - so went with basic), and food.
If the person makes anywhere from $1312 to 2200, they are going to have a very rough time of it. They would have to make about $2500 to be able to afford everything, have money for food for a month, and be able to save about $100 or $150 a month.
What would be the incentive to do that if with welfare, they know their rent is paid and their food is paid? There is no incentive to get off of it unless they were able to make at least $2500 or more per month - and that is with no job security while welfare, at least in CA, is definitely secure.
I've mentioned this in the past, but when I was helping my sister look for assistance when we were not sure if her husband was even going to live, I was informed by a person at the food stamp office that they've had people on them for 20 or more years!
So, they would have to make at least $2500, and they would have to believe that they could continue to make that or more. Otherwise, they have no motivation to get off it. That's what my neighbor was telling me.
They said, "It's like you get punished for trying to do better - it's better to just stay under the line and keep getting help instead of putting yourself out there to lose."
I don't have that mentality - I think it's better to try, but I think a lot of people do have that mentality.
Because we all have to pay for it anyway - then let's make it a less amount that we pay. They need to be taught how to do some jobs that will get them enough to live on their own, and maybe there should be an "interim" amount - not full food stamps, not full rent, but partial so that they won't think it's safer to stay on welfare - it would not "punish" (as the neighbor said) them for trying to get out of it but being stuck in that "in between" place, where they are "too rich" for welfare, but not "rich enough" to support themselves yet.
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