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who said I have a problem with it? I don't believe that the federal government is a charity organization. I also believe that a huge percentage of people abuse the system. a HUGE percentage. I believe that these government programs actually hurt people. if I had an opposition to assistance for the poor, I would not give money to the duke children's hospital or habitat for humanity.
Agreed. These programs act like a crutch and soon the recipients become dependant upon them much like if you put a cast on a limb for too long. Soon it will become so atrophied that it can't support itself. And as someone else already said. Anything administrated by the FED is bound to fail. After all its what the fed does best is waste and fail.
I'm not defending anything. Indeed, I ask myself, and have asked in this very thread, what are the viable solutions? In opposition to the current system, I've seen a lot of screaming and foot stomping, but I've read no ideas.
A viable option would be workfare. Say 20 hours per week to get said welfare payment.
Location: I currently exist only in a state of mind. one too complex for geographic location.
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certain programs don't bother me. a month or so of unemployment is cool. you can obviously hold a job, and you pay into the system. it's the something for nothing programs that totally suck. I still can't understand the philosophy that certain liberals have about "evil corporations." the federal government is the largest, greediest, and most corrupt corporation in the entire world. lots of misdirected anger out there.
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Originally Posted by tinman01
Agreed. These programs act like a crutch and soon the recipients become dependant upon them much like if you put a cast on a limb for too long. Soon it will become so atrophied that it can't support itself. And as someone else already said. Anything administrated by the FED is bound to fail. After all its what the fed does best is waste and fail.
But thats the point where many of us take issue with such waste. Because it is in fact part of the total spending. One can hardly seperate the 2 issues.
Again, I agree that the government could be run more efficiently. That's not my point. Which programs do we cut? The far left makes an argument for cutting military spending. The far right argues the opposite.
A program such as this is petty cash to the economy as a whole. And it helps people that need the help. That some buck the system is commonplace throughout all sectors of society, and can't be stopped.
Pointing to this financially harmless and socially helpful program is pointless while ignoring the actual wasteful spending government engages in. I see the argument as either naive, hypocritical or hateful.
I heard something about this. the grocery store I shop at has a lot of people on food stamps shopping there. you would be shocked at some of the luxury items they have. I enjoy glaring at them.
This has been addressed by other threads, but sometimes those luxury items are cheaper than the basics.
I recall once, many years ago, I was unemployed with a small child and was eligible for food stamps for two months until I got a new job. I went shopping and found the fresh seafood was cheaper per serving than canned tuna or ground beef. I bought 10 lbs of shrimp and a bunch of perch and redfish. The shrimp was 2.99 per lb and the fish was 0.99 and 1.69...don't remember which was which any more. At the time tuna was 1.19 a can and ground beef was 1.79 per lb.
The lady in line behind me was buying chuck steak for $3.99/lb and was complaining loudly that the food stamp people got to eat better than she did. How unfair it was that poor people ate better than people who worked hard for their meals.
I let her complain for a while and then pretended that I had not heard her and had just noticed that she had not seen the sale on seafood. I pointed out the fantastic deals the store had and how much cheaper it was to feed my kids fish when they much preferred the higher priced hamburgers.
She looked embarrassed for a moment, then she left the line and hurried over to the fish counter.
Some people abuse welfare programs, I agree with that totally, but not all luxury items are frivolous. Sometimes they are luxuries, but in a time of stress even poor people have the right to do something to make their lives a little less crappy, as long as it is not over the top or abusive. I would have a big problem with someone using their food stamp benefits to buy party supplies and no food, or to use their financial assistance check to upgrade their phone to the latest whiz-bang version just released, or to buy new gold teeth instead of paying their rent or utilities. But if they have all their bills paid and want to treat themselves to a little something special every once in a while, I don't begrudge them that at all.
As to this topic, I don't know the specifics of the program or anything. I think it is a good idea if the program is sending out a very basic phone with a lifeline style plan as part of the state's program, but I object to an expensive, styling phone with texting and lots of minutes or other bells and whistles. I think a welfare phone program should be provided communication, not a lifestyle.
Bush no longer writes the budgets, but he wrote all of them from FY2002 through FY2009. In any case, the FCC first created the LifeLine program in 1984, but there were major expansions of it following the communications debacles of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
Oddly enough, I was tought that budgets were written in a different branch of government, not the White House who wrote guidelines. What school did you go to?
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Originally Posted by saganista
You're apparently unaware of the fact that most homeless people do have an established mailing address...one that USPS will deliver to.
Oddly enough you seem to be unaware of the other requirements that homeless individuals would not qualify for a phone.
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Originally Posted by saganista
Yes, donating old cellphones generates a tax deduction. More welfare for rich people who don't need it. As for logistics, I don't see any private program that has produced penetration that would come anywhere close to what TracFone is accomplishing with minimal federal support. When you want it done right, get the government involved.
yeah, people have been donating cell phones to get their $4 tax break. Oddly enough, most people that have donated phones did so because they wanted to help someoen else out or for environmental reasons, not wanting them to go to a landfill for example. Please give it a break
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Originally Posted by saganista
Perhaps at least food stamp recipients would be able to charge their free phones in all those upscale SUV's that they seem to own. Actually, even an old clunker would do. And electrical access is made freely available to the general public in restrooms at airports, bus and train stations, and many other locations. Then there are all those shelters, clinics, soup kitchens and the like that exist to provide direct support to the homeless community. I don't really think you're putting very much imagination into this problem.
Yeah, homeless people sitting around bus stations waiting for their cell phones to get charged so they can get their latest call for a job offer.. Again, give it a break
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Originally Posted by saganista
Marginal costs are tiny period, and per the earlier, multi-tiered price structures are commonplace. Microsoft for instance regularly makes major league business software available to small business at pennies on the dollar compared to what they charge established corporations. That's capitalism. I though you liked that stuff.
Thats a private CHOICE and offers absolutely NOTHING to the topic..
certain programs don't bother me. a month or so of unemployment is cool. you can obviously hold a job, and you pay into the system. it's the something for nothing programs that totally suck. I still can't understand the philosophy that certain liberals have about "evil corporations." the federal government is the largest, greediest, and most corrupt corporation in the entire world. lots of misdirected anger out there.
Agreed. Unemployment comp is more like an insurance policy that workers pay in to.
I am not against helping anyone who needs help. Most of us have been there and know how bad it feels. I know that I do.
Where I get a bit burred is when its assumed that just because someone thinks a program is abused, wrong, or poorly executed then they are cold blooded or hard hearted.
Right now it is class warfare . Anyone who is successful is evil and owes it all to those who are not. No most folks who are successful are because they made the right decisions. Those who are not either made bad decisions at some point in their lives or fell victim to a failing economy.
Joe CEO isn't the cause of our problems today.
Our elected reps from both parties are the cause of our crisis today.
Location: I currently exist only in a state of mind. one too complex for geographic location.
4,196 posts, read 5,845,681 times
Reputation: 670
people are strange tinman. I get sick of some on this forum telling me that the south is nothing but racists. I have taken on that issue. I actually lived in PA for 4 years. I think we agree on several issues.
Quote:
Originally Posted by tinman01
Agreed. Unemployment comp is more like an insurance policy that workers pay in to.
I am not against helping anyone who needs help. Most of us have been there and know how bad it feels. I know that I do.
Where I get a bit burred is when its assumed that just because someone thinks a program is abused, wrong, or poorly executed then they are cold blooded or hard hearted.
Right now it is class warfare . Anyone who is successful is evil and owes it all to those who are not. No most folks who are successful are because they made the right decisions. Those who are not either made bad decisions at some point in their lives or fell victim to a failing economy.
Joe CEO isn't the cause of our problems today.
Our elected reps from both parties are the cause of our crisis today.
people are strange tinman. I get sick of some on this forum telling me that the south is nothing but racists. I have taken on that issue. I actually lived in PA for 4 years. I think we agree on several issues.
Oh so true. I lived in the south for a few years myself. Not to mention that I served with folks from all over the country.
Yes you have racists. They live in all 50 states. But I doubt that any institution is more racist than our Fed Gov.
This forum is filled with Partisan thinkers. My party or the highway. Only my party is right. No actually both parties are pretty much out of control.
Agreed. Unemployment comp is more like an insurance policy that workers pay in to.
I am not against helping anyone who needs help. Most of us have been there and know how bad it feels. I know that I do.
Where I get a bit burred is when its assumed that just because someone thinks a program is abused, wrong, or poorly executed then they are cold blooded or hard hearted.
I don't assume that, but I do sense it in some of the "arguments" I read. I know of no one who supports abusers of the system - any system. However, screaming "welfare bums" is no different than the left screaming "capitalist pigs." Welfare cheats are no more reason to abandon certain programs than Enron and Madoff are reasons to abondon capitalism. Each of us pay, for everything, it all doesn't go to the government.
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Right now it is class warfare .
It's always class warfare.
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Anyone who is successful is evil and owes it all to those who are not.
I don't know anyone who thinks this way, but yeah, there are some extremists out there. The extreme right claims every worker who joins a union is evil. Extremists suck.
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No most folks who are successful are because they made the right decisions. Those who are not either made bad decisions at some point in their lives or fell victim to a failing economy.
Joe CEO isn't the cause of our problems today.
Our elected reps from both parties are the cause of our crisis today.
My grandmother used to say, "If a policeman pulled you over, you had to be doing something wrong." Her assumption was incorrect as well.
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