Scranton: The Rich are Getting Richer; the Poor are Getting Poorer (Luzerne: to buy, taxes)

[NYRangers 2008]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

No, I am saying the people should be paid an amount of money that will keep them off of welfare, food stamps and other gov't benefits. That person flipping your burger doesn't have health insurance (unless it's the manager of the restaurant). They don't qualify for gov't care unless they are pregnant or disabled.

Don't you think that employers should pay employees a salary that would allow said employees to have health insurance? Pay their rent? Etc?

Take my job. Now, I am lucky because I am paid fairly well. BUT I don't have health insurance and I can't afford it because of pre-existing conditions. My husband works just under full time and doesn't have health insurance either. We also both go to school full time.

Do you not see the issue here? It's either you throw up your hands and go on welfare to get all those benefits or you have to be lucky enough to get a job where your employer provides benefits.

There is NO other time for us to go out and get yet ANOTHER full time job to cover benefits.

I hate that some of you act like some of us dont' do all we can and still don't get ahead. Life is not black and white.

Don't assume that those of us without dont' work hard.

I totally agree with you on the first part. Get people off of welfare and food stamps and stop relying on the government so much. We need to stop outsourcing jobs to other countries and keep jobs here for Americans. I also agree that we should have high enough paying jobs for employees to pay for their own health insurance. I'm for smaller government and higher paying jobs.

[mathjak107]

corporate profits have been pretty weak even with out sourcing.. i hate to think what goods and services would cost us paying american wages.. in fact the only thing that kept us from going hyper inflation last year when commodities were soaring was the fact that cheaper labor sources were found and held down the price increases...

as we say there is no such thing as a free lunch... we probley couldnt afford to buy goods or services today made with american labor then we would complain about that

[NYRangers 2008]

Originally Posted by mathjak107

corporate profits have been pretty weak even with out sourcing.. i hate to think what goods and services would cost us paying american wages.. in fact the only thing that kept us from going hyper inflation last year when commodities were soaring was the fact that cheaper labor sources were found and held down the price increases...

as we say there is no such thing as a free lunch... we probley couldnt afford to buy goods or services today made with american labor then we would complain about that

I hear what you're saying, it seems there is always something to keep us down in some way.

[mathjak107]

one thing i learned along time ago is you cant artificially prop up anything very long. we are a global economy and each country becomes good or better then everyone else at doing something that gives all of us more value for our money.

its like i always drove foreign cars since 1978. why? because to me they gave me better value for my money. afterall as much as i hate to see anyone out of work lets face it its all about taking care of our own families and streching our own paychecks..

if the better value for my hard earned money is foreign so be it.

today is all about world class products, its all about getting the best for less for most of us and while certain jobs enable folks to make a ton of money, other professions are not...

certain skills are best farmed out and our costs kept lower, its all one big family ..

dont forget if those customer service reps in india arent earning money they cant spend it and if they cant spend it then their countries cant buy our bonds and stocks... we all benefit from every treasury bond bought by china as it keeps our own costs lower here.... as you see china sneezes and the us catches cold

[bloominscranton]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

No, I am saying the people should be paid an amount of money that will keep them off of welfare, food stamps and other gov't benefits. That person flipping your burger doesn't have health insurance (unless it's the manager of the restaurant). They don't qualify for gov't care unless they are pregnant or disabled.

Don't you think that employers should pay employees a salary that would allow said employees to have health insurance? Pay their rent? Etc?

Take my job. Now, I am lucky because I am paid fairly well. BUT I don't have health insurance and I can't afford it because of pre-existing conditions. My husband works just under full time and doesn't have health insurance either. We also both go to school full time.

Do you not see the issue here? It's either you throw up your hands and go on welfare to get all those benefits or you have to be lucky enough to get a job where your employer provides benefits.

There is NO other time for us to go out and get yet ANOTHER full time job to cover benefits.

I hate that some of you act like some of us dont' do all we can and still don't get ahead. Life is not black and white.

Don't assume that those of us without dont' work hard.

I do not know if you know how cash entitlements are established; a public assistance cash benefit CAN NOT BE GREATER, than what a f/t worker making min. wage can earn.

[Magritte25]

Originally Posted by loveinbloom

I do not know if you know how cash entitlements are established; a public assistance cash benefit CAN NOT BE GREATER, than what a f/t worker making min. wage can earn.

No, but the people on welfare qualify for Section 8 and utility payments - which are in proportion to their welfare income. So, percentage wise, they make out better. PLUS they receive food stamps. So money for food isn't counted out of their welfare benefit, kwim?

[blip]

Speaking of food stamps, not sure if it's a sign of the times...

I was in the busy, bizarre, and rather useless world of Turkey Hill the other night for the first time in about a year. (I don't get Turkey Hill, that's one utterly craptastic convenience store, yet it's always busy.) Had someone ask me to give them cash so they'd use their food stamps to procure my goods. Never had that happen in 20 yrs in NYC, mostly in 'hoods sketchier than any in Scranton.

If you're curious, I'm not one to assist a complete stranger in fraud. Completely confusing responses work well in these cases. (And, if you're curious, Turkey Hill did not have what I needed--club soda or seltzer for my cocktail. Craptastic!)

[Mr Yuk]

Originally Posted by blip

Speaking of food stamps, not sure if it's a sign of the times...

I was in the busy, bizarre, and rather useless world of Turkey Hill the other night for the first time in about a year. (I don't get Turkey Hill, that's one utterly craptastic convenience store, yet it's always busy.) Had someone ask me to give them cash so they'd use their food stamps to procure my goods. Never had that happen in 20 yrs in NYC, mostly in 'hoods sketchier than any in Scranton.

If you're curious, I'm not one to assist a complete stranger in fraud. Completely confusing responses work well in these cases. (And, if you're curious, Turkey Hill did not have what I needed--club soda or seltzer for my cocktail. Craptastic!)

Was it someone who basically wanted to spend their food stamps on cigarettes? It burns me up how many people on welfare are smokers....if they have enough money to pay for an expensive smoking habit, they shouldn't need our taxes to buy their food. At my kids' school, I see parents dropping off their kids and then standing on the sidewalk smoking...kids who I know get free lunch...it ticks me off that these people supposedly can't afford $1.35 for their kid to eat lunch, yet can afford $5+ for a pack of cigarettes every day.

I would guess you're talking about the Turkey Hill on Main Ave...that place is a dump....I go in there for Turkey Hill Iced Tea, that's about it. Although I can get Turkey Hill Iced Tea at any supermarket too. Shady clientele in there...although the Luzerne Street store is worse. I wish they'd implode Turkey Hill and put in a Wawa.

[bloominscranton]

Originally Posted by Magritte25

No, but the people on welfare qualify for Section 8 and utility payments - which are in proportion to their welfare income. So, percentage wise, they make out better. PLUS they receive food stamps. So money for food isn't counted out of their welfare benefit, kwim?

You are exactly correct...but what the heck is kwim?

[bloominscranton]

Originally Posted by go phillies

Was it someone who basically wanted to spend their food stamps on cigarettes? It burns me up how many people on welfare are smokers....if they have enough money to pay for an expensive smoking habit, they shouldn't need our taxes to buy their food. At my kids' school, I see parents dropping off their kids and then standing on the sidewalk smoking...kids who I know get free lunch...it ticks me off that these people supposedly can't afford $1.35 for their kid to eat lunch, yet can afford $5+ for a pack of cigarettes every day.

I would guess you're talking about the Turkey Hill on Main Ave...that place is a dump....I go in there for Turkey Hill Iced Tea, that's about it. Although I can get Turkey Hill Iced Tea at any supermarket too. Shady clientele in there...although the Luzerne Street store is worse. I wish they'd implode Turkey Hill and put in a Wawa.

I love WaWa...turkey hill...not so much!