Do you think something is wrong with the system when....

[Katie]

Okay..first a warning..this might be long!

A co-worker and her family are struggling to make ends meet. They both work but neither have good paying jobs. She buys most of the kids clothes at thrift shops and goes to many grocery stores to buy the sale items only. We have heard this "sad"story over and over. I have brought my daughters nice nice clothes in for her..and another co-worker has even given her money to help out from time to time.(however, she stopped that when we learned her husband smokes 2-3 pks a day...who can afford that!!)

Fast forward...my coworkers sons appears friday from Arizona with his girlfriend( who looks about 16 but states she is 19)(oh yea..and the son is still married to another girl..but not the one he brought with him!!). They hitchhiked from Arizona. They arrived with $4.45 and two backpacks. His driver's license is split in half and he brought his social security card. She does have proper ID. They wanted to stay with my coworker and her husband( the son's dad). They got here Saturday. Monday, they went to the public aid office and recieved the "link card"(food stamps here in ILLINOIS), were told all the shelters were full. So they are going to live on the enlcosed front porch of my friends house for 30 days.

Okay..here is my problem with this....two highly capable young adults show up with nothing..and want things handed to them! Why should the taxpayers of Illinois pay for their food.....(oh yea..he smokes"almost as much as his dad"..I asked how they got money for that...with NO answer). Why should they get room in shelter??? Both these ADULTS can work...even if it is McDonalds! The more she talked about it...the madder I got!

Oh yea..the kicker is their landlord said He had a house they could rent free if they cleaned it up and helped him with the yard work...sounds good right...NOPE...they won't stay there because it is in a BAD part of town! HELLO...BEGGERS CAN'T BE CHOSERS!

okay.I am done...ranting!

I suggested going to the US army and enlisting!! Food and a place to stay....but my coworker said NO..he isn't going to do that!! and my answer was WHY NOT?

 

[snoopy]

The biggest problem I see with the welfare system is not that it exists, but that it provides no incentive for people to go out and work.

I had a friend from high school who got herself pregnant by several different losers and had a bunch of kids with no support from these various men. She was a good person, just misguided, and I really think she wanted to go out and work, make something of herself. However, they cut off her welfare if she made a certain amount of money, so she wouldn't be able to go out and work and pay daycare. Last I heard from her, she was still on welfare some 10 years later.....

 

[C.Ann]

Originally posted by snoopy
The biggest problem I see with the welfare system is not that it exists, but that it provides no incentive for people to go out and work.

I had a friend from high school who got herself pregnant by several different losers and had a bunch of kids with no support from these various men. She was a good person, just misguided, and I really think she wanted to go out and work, make something of herself. However, they cut off her welfare if she made a certain amount of money, so she wouldn't be able to go out and work and pay daycare. Last I heard from her, she was still on welfare some 10 years later.....

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I have been saying this very thing for years.. If they REALLY wanted people to be able to get off welfare they would allow them to work and SUBSIDIZE the additional funds needed until they can move up to a better paying job.. Not pay them to sit home and do nothing.. Contrary to what lots of people think there are MANY welfare recipients that WANT to work but can't AFFORD to.. The solution is SO simple.. I don't understand why the government doesn't "get it"..

As for the particular case in question, sounds to me like a couple of young kids who have no interest whatsoever in even trying to make it without assistance..

 

[Cindy B]

Sad time...

I've seen many many single moms that don't want to accept any payment or assistance stating "I don't work, I don't eat"

That is a challenging situation. Unfortunately there are always loopholes or families that know how to "push the system".