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What kind of successful happy person gets all worked up over poor people and link cards?
-Someone who thinks everyone who gets welfare is scamming the system.
-Someone who thinks that their tax dollars should not help those in need because they really aren't in need, they're just lazy and don't want to work.
-Someone who thinks the poor are people who don't want to work, not realizing most poor people have jobs or have lost them.
-Someone who has utter disdain for poor people.
-Someone who doesn't understand what it means to be on hard times because they think everyone has the same opportunities as they do.
No one should be questioning people getting welfare, given the economic climate we've had to endure the last five years. Many middle-class people have become poor as a result.
My mom use to care for one of her sisters who is disabled. My aunt received SSI and food stamps. She is completely disabled, cannot walk without a cane (my aunt is only 33) and does not have the motor skills to work a job. She is a lifelong epileptic who has been rendered disabled by constant seizures and medications. One day my mom got my aunt's EBT card and went to the grocery store to buy food for her. There was a problem with the card and so the line was held up.
A guy standing behind my mom was annoyed that she was using food stamps and it was holding up the line. so in anger he starts making comments to her about being on welfare then finally says to her, "Here, I'll pay for it! It's my tax dollars anyway!" My mom looked at him and told him that for his information she's not on welfare, and that she getting groceries for her disabled sister who can work or shop for herself, and that he needed to mind his business.
Some people just have a great disdain for the food stamp program, especially when they see minorities using them that it didn't even occur to this guy that the EBT card was for a person who is disabled and can't ever work a job. People don't think that deep into it.
What people really mean when they make comments about welfare is that they don't want their tax dollars to go to help poor minorities because they assume that all poor minorities who get assistance are lazy and don't want to work.
@Atlanta:
"A person sitting behind a desk is no more intelligent than a person who works with their hands or on their feet all day. Just as any person could work at McDonald's, any person can get a college degree if they have the opportunity and dedicate to study. Anyone can study, do homework and pass exams if they put their mind to it. As humans we all have the same capabilities. It all boils down to resources and opportunity as to who gets to become more educated and skilled and who doesn't."
I've worked in a restaurant so I do know what it's like. It's not easy, I agree. But, it's not something that requires special skills or higher education training.
But your statements above are kind of silly. "any" person cannot get a college degree. Simply put, a lot of people just aren't willing to work hard enough to make the commitments to meet all the requirements. They'd rather do other things with their time. That's the reason more people have GED's than BS's and more have BS's than PhDs.
As for being able to do anything you put your mind to, I believe that to be true also. Problem is, not enough people are willing to put their mind to it.
As for not being able to 'afford' things. Maybe some, not all, people need to reprioritize what is a 'nice' to have compared to a 'need' to have.
If you can't afford rent, maybe you need a cheaper place.
If you can't afford food, maybe you're not shopping at the right grocery or you're buying items that are too expensive.
If you can't afford your car, maybe you need a cheaper car.
People don't 'need' cable, newer clothes, new iPhones, a nice car, etc. If someone can't afford rent or food, they probably should reconsider some of those necessities.
@Atlanta:
"A person sitting behind a desk is no more intelligent than a person who works with their hands or on their feet all day. Just as any person could work at McDonald's, any person can get a college degree if they have the opportunity and dedicate to study. Anyone can study, do homework and pass exams if they put their mind to it. As humans we all have the same capabilities. It all boils down to resources and opportunity as to who gets to become more educated and skilled and who doesn't."
I've worked in a restaurant so I do know what it's like. It's not easy, I agree. But, it's not something that requires special skills or higher education training.
.
Again, so that means working there people shouldn't make enough to pay rent? No one is not saying a high wage, but a living wage.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lenniel
But your statements above are kind of silly. "any" person cannot get a college degree. Simply put, a lot of people just aren't willing to work hard enough to make the commitments to meet all the requirements. They'd rather do other things with their time. That's the reason more people have GED's than BS's and more have BS's than PhDs.
As for being able to do anything you put your mind to, I believe that to be true also. Problem is, not enough people are willing to put their mind to it.
This is your opinion and not a fact that applies to everyone who works but can't afford to live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lenniel
As for not being able to 'afford' things. Maybe some, not all, people need to reprioritize what is a 'nice' to have compared to a 'need' to have.
If you can't afford rent, maybe you need a cheaper place.
If you can't afford food, maybe you're not shopping at the right grocery or you're buying items that are too expensive.
If you can't afford your car, maybe you need a cheaper car.
People don't 'need' cable, newer clothes, new iPhones, a nice car, etc. If someone can't afford rent or food, they probably should reconsider some of those necessities.
At the federal minimum wage, even if someone worked 40 hours a week, that's still not enough money to pay rent anywhere. The basic rule of thumb is that your rent should be no more than 30% of one's income. Before taxes, 30% of minimum wage is $376.00. Where can anyone rent a place for $376.00 even in the worst of neighborhoods?
Also you make the false assumption that poor people have screwed up priorities. When I worked the restaurant job, I didn't have any thing fancy. No car note, never owned an iPhone. Didn't have cable then I still don't have cable now. In my opinion cable is a waste of money. I do a budget every month and I try hard to stay within and I save money. And guess what? Even as frugal and budget conscious as I am, I still couldn't afford to pay rent on that restaurant salary. And I made more than minimum wage (not much more but still more).
Do you really think someone making minimum wage can go into a car dealership and qualify for a nice car when it came time to finance? Where can anyone making minimum wage get an apartment for $376 a month? Also keep in mind that most minimum/low wage jobs don't allow employees to work 40 hours. So not only do places like Wal-Mart or McDonald's pay low wages, they also don't allow employees to work enough hours to bring in any decent amount of income. This whole retail/fast food industry was designed in such a way to make the highest profits and to accomplish that by paying the lowest amount in wages they can get away with.
If the people who own these companies think so little of their workers that they want to pay them so little when they can clearly afford to pay them more, why don't the owners just do all the work themselves?That way they can just get pure profit and not have to pay anyone.
Last edited by Atlanta_BD; 08-16-2013 at 11:13 AM..
"Yes, they do. It's been no secret that most of America knows nothing about poverty causes, some think it's a condition that is the result of laziness, most think it's about fraud because they've been misinformed about the myth of the "great life" on welfare."
People think that welfare recipients are getting large checks and living a fancy life full of nice trappings on welfare or minimum wage.
Man, this sure seems like a horrible horrible problem that would be fixed overnight if wages were higher.. The problem is that many people don't earn enough to indepently roam free as an American, right?
I agree that it's no way to live. So why not start paying living wages already!! I will gladly take that raise so I'm not a "slacker" anymore. You're preaching to the choir, lady. This is no way to live!!!
if you have the will and desire to work, but you haven't found a good job yet, you are NOT a slacker.
i am ambivalent about the wages going higher. On one hand, minimum wage is paid based on the level of work a person does, ie.. it does not take much training to work in Macdonalds (oh yes you do have skills, but these skills are what anyone without education could do, compared to like a computer programmer, who needs teachable skills taught to them). So you are basically paying for basic skills that are cheap, also there is plenty of available people who could work for it, so the companies have no incentive to pay more for replaceable employees.
therefore, if one finds him/herself in that situation, they should realize this and decide to work hard to earn skills to enable him/herself to make a better wage. So that is your incentive to strive to work hard for what you want - not just let it get handed down without effort.
now, on the other hand, the companies who are making billions of dollars could decide to increase wages. however, being a capitalist country where you are basically entitlted to earn as much as you want/work for it, and you also have the choice of what to pay as wages. This is not a charity, the company owes you what you both agree on when you agree to become its employee.
now if a company making lots of money chooses to raise wages, they could either raise the price of the product sold and the consumer/customer bears the burden of your higher wages, or the company could take a loss and take those higher wages from its profits.
so there is the dilemma.
I think perhaps somewhere in the middle might be the best solution.
all you and I can do is if we want to make more money,we have to work hard and earn it, even starting at the bottom and working our way up, and if we see something else, we have to do whatever it takes to earn that job. nothing is guaranteed. we can only do what we can do.
by the way, here's what i think could help peopel who are looking for a job -
Are you looking for a job as if that is your job? You might have to spend 4 days a week - 3 hours a day looking for a job. I hear that nowadays people are expected to mail in resumes. however, cant peopel looking for a job go to the company in person? wouldn't that make a better impression? At least you would be diffferent than just nameless resumes in the hands of the employer.
Are you doing all you can, or are you spending time goofing off on facebook, texting, etc.
Also, are you willing to do whatever to get job skills, even volunteering so that you can present some skills to the employer and at leaast they would say you have been busy while searching for a job.
to those that dont have enough money for things - are you in debt? Was the debt for necessary things, or did you rack up debt because you had to have toys like I-phones, computers, clothes, shopping, eating out a lot, etc.
to those that can - are you living modestly, like having an affordable home, even if its renting. Having a house mortgage may not be ideal for everyone. You may be able to buy a $150,000 home, but then there comes expenses like air conditioner breaking down, water pipes freezing and having to replace it, etc.
if you want to better yourself and want to work, have you tried things that you may not have thought you'd like to do, i.e. can you be a plumber's apprentice and learn valuable skills which will earn you big bucks later. Can you take classes? even at night while working full time? its challenging and takes a lot of energy, but it may be you have to step it up and invest in your sweat while working hard to get where you want.
Can you take a job like street sweeper, garbage man, etc. something that is not necessarily a pretty job, but it will put beans in the pot for you.
Can you work for Walmart as a cashier while working your way up to management level one day?
Nobody wants to talk soup kitchen? Come in, get your free meal? Fraud eliminated?
Not everyone abuses the system, but PLENTY of people do, and it's my money, stolen from me, supposedly for good causes and when it's abused I have a right to be upset and want changes.
Nobody wants to talk soup kitchen? Come in, get your free meal? Fraud eliminated?
Not everyone abuses the system, but PLENTY of people do, and it's my money, stolen from me, supposedly for good causes and when it's abused I have a right to be upset and want changes.
Hey Rightwingy McTeaBag: Nobody is stealing anything from you. Pay your taxes like a grownup, contribute to the greater good, and hope that you continue to be fortunate enough to not need public assistance in your lifetime.
Nobody wants to talk soup kitchen? Come in, get your free meal? Fraud eliminated?
Not everyone abuses the system, but PLENTY of people do, and it's my money, stolen from me, supposedly for good causes and when it's abused I have a right to be upset and want changes.
So what you are saying is that most people who get it actually are abusing the system and a family who needs food stamps to supplement their income to feed their children should have to eat at soup kitchens between going to work and taking care of their families three meals a day so you can feel better than fraud isn't being committed?
So a mother that has to leave her house at 5 or 6 AM to catch a bus and drop her kids off at day care or school so that she can be on time for work has to also squeeze in time to eat at a soup kitchen on the way, then eat at a soup kitchen for lunch then get off work, get on the bus to pick up her children, then go to a soup kitchen for dinner, then stay up all night to help her kids with homework? Makes no sense.
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