Food Stamp question

[Colleen27]

I said Graduate school! Big difference to get into grad school they have already earned a bachelors. They can get a job.

If they can find a job, and if that job offers any actual opportunity, and if they aren't earning so little that they still qualify for food stamps... College is quickly becoming what a high school diploma was for older generations, a good baseline without much clear marketability.

"The median starting salary for students graduating from four-year colleges in 2009 and 2010 was $27,000, down from $30,000 for those who entered the work force in 2006 to 2008, according to a study released on Wednesday by the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers University. That is a decline of 10 percent, even before taking inflation into account.

Of course, these are the lucky ones — the graduates who found a job. Among the members of the class of 2010, just 56 percent had held at least one job by this spring, when the survey was conducted. That compares with 90 percent of graduates from the classes of 2006 and 2007. (Some have gone for further education or opted out of the labor force, while many are still pounding the pavement.)

Even these figures understate the damage done to these workers’ careers. Many have taken jobs that do not make use of their skills; about only half of recent college graduates said that their first job required a college degree."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/business/economy/19grads.html

 

[Hannathy]

If they can find a job, and if that job offers any actual opportunity, and if they aren't earning so little that they still qualify for food stamps... College is quickly becoming what a high school diploma was for older generations, a good baseline without much clear marketability.



http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/business/economy/19grads.html

No they need to be majoring in things that they can get a job in. There are plenty of jobs out there for the right majors. right out with a BS. You just can't be a liberal arts major and expect to walk out and get a job.

It isn't my fault and I shouldn't have to pay for them not investigating whether they could get a job with their woman's study major before they spent 4 yrs getting it.

I still feel if you are in grad school you should not get food stamps.

 

[Twitter]

Not passing any judgment just telling something we experienced.
Two weeks ago we were in Selma Alabama. We wanted to eat dinner and we just stopped at a restaurant. The owner was outside washing his car and he came up to us.
He looked at our numberplate and asked if we were tourist. Ehm yes we were.
Than he told us not to bother. 99% Of the restaurants including his own only opened on "pay day". He told us 80% of the Selma population lived on the taxpayers pocket.
That was the day the people living on public money received there check and were spending it on either a restaurant or gambling.

The only restaurant that was open was called the "Steak Pit"but after going inside order a steak we left whiteout eating.
The dirt and hostility against us were overwhelming.
We renamed the restaurant to "The Snake Pit". Even Tripadvisor refused to take this restaurant into their list.

 

[Twitter]

Another strange thing we saw was that in some casino's run by native Americans there were signs outside stating:"come in and get Dollars for any social security you receive. WIC moms also welcome".

 

[leahjade]

I don't think grad students should get food stamps or other "welfare"

I agree that food stamps are meant to help someone get on their feet - not become a college professor or a doctor and make a six figure income. Will you be giving the money back now? Take out a loan like most people and pay it back when you have a job. I would never even have dreamed that it was possible to have the government support you while you go to grad school - word gets out and soon no one will be working to support all those on the government dole!

Also, I am encouraged to hear so many people talk so badly about receiving any kind of welfare, that must mean you don't plan on collecting any SSI Retirement - awesome

Sorry that's not the same thing - you have to WORK before earning social security benefits and as we saw on that youtube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2kGPdxkofo), some of those folks have been collecting benefits for a decade without every holding a job.

 

[NotUrsula]

If someone pays into Social Security during their working lifetime then they should get Social Security. Its not an option to give or not, its mandatory..... If someone doesnt work and collects welfare,food stamps, entitlement programs then they should be up the creek without a paddle not getting any retirement benefits.

We are in NOT in an entitlement society (eventhough some people would like to think so.)..... You want something, work for it. Work is like the new four letter word. Not saying everyone on welfare is a moocher. It should be used as a stepping stone.... The government hands out cell phones, medical insurance, and food. Im sure I am leaving out a bit. In all actualility they are not free. Whether someone pays 2% or 30% they are paying. When its time for the working people to collect their Social Security (that they paid into) its going to be gone. Someone has got to pay for all the FREE stuff!!! Sorry but I dont want to pay for someone elses cell phone and/or insurance. I can barely afford my own.

But the thing is, the money dispersed by welfare and SNAP has nothing to do with the money collected to be used for SS Retirement (OASI); they are entirely different funding structures. If you want to get mad about the shortage of money available for OASI, then get mad at all those lazy kids born with severe disabilities and those good for nothing folks who have limited the number of children that they have. (That paragraph was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, if that wasn't totally clear.)

The structure of Social Security retirement insurance was set up at a time when it was thought that the population would always continue to grow exponentially. The people who designed it were working without a window into our future of reliable birth control and medical advances that would allow people in general to live longer, and severely disabled children to live into adulthood. (My DH's grandfather paid into the SSR program for twenty years, starting from the very first time they were collected. Then he retired and collected benefits for 46 years. Nice payoff, really.) The structure of the program depends on new generations being large enough to pay for the retirement of the generations that precede them, but when the birth rate drops (as it has, primary among the higher US earners), then the balance is out of whack, but in the early 1930's, the idea of large numbers of sexually active people successfully CHOOSING to limit the number of children they had was as unbelievable as the idea of humans walking on the moon.

The primary big change that weakened OASI retirement funding was the creation of the Disability Insurance fund in 1956, and the further extension of the benefits of that fund not just to disabled workers, but to Americans who had been disabled before they reached adulthood. Paying benefits to the disabled and not just to retirees has diluted the source funding. The ugly question, of course, is why should all those disabled as children get to collect, if they never paid into the fund? The usual answer is that giving them a helping hand even though they failed to work for their fair share is just basic human decency.

 

[luvsJack]

No they need to be majoring in things that they can get a job in. There are plenty of jobs out there for the right majors. right out with a BS. You just can't be a liberal arts major and expect to walk out and get a job.

It isn't my fault and I shouldn't have to pay for them not investigating whether they could get a job with their woman's study major before they spent 4 yrs getting it.

I still feel if you are in grad school you should not get food stamps.

Not every person with a BS and no high paying job is a liberal arts major. Sure there are some that get a degree in very odd things that do not get them a job, but as with any other statement made its not the same for everyone.

The pp that used food stamps in grad school has already said that she went to NO income while in school. It wasn't a choice she made, it was something she had to do to finish her education. And the same is true for many students.

Why is it that you think its so bad to use fs to get through grad school but its ok for a lower degree? You do realize that many students get through grad school faster than students do to get an AAS?

 

[Hannathy]

It wasn't a choice she made, it was something she had to do to finish her education.

Yes it was a choice she made. No one forced her to go to grad school. It is always a choice.

she could have worked and saved to be able to pay for herself while she went to school.

Grad school is a luxury, yes some careers demand it but if you can't pay for it maybe you don't choose that career. Again a choice you make voluntarily. An associates in a trade or a BS is pretty much needed to support oneself so that is why I can back giving some support to people doing that.

 

[leahjade]

If you want to get mad about the shortage of money available for OASI, then get mad at all those lazy kids born with severe disabilities

You are naive if you think everyone collecting disability from the government has a severe impairment. I repeat that everyone should have to work in a entitlement office for a few weeks before they get on their high horse. There are thousands of people collecting for being overweight, for anxiety, for headaches etc. - all it takes is a doctor willing to play the game. And don't keep saying "report them" - I worked in the system - they all do it legal fashion but that doesn't make it morally right. The system is beyond broken - what once started as a good noble program has been *******ized and snowballed out of control. We can not continue to have a government where more money is given out in entitlements than what is taken in by taxes, and when less and less of our citizens pay into the system, we get one step closer to socialism and the problems plaguing countries like Greece.

 

[NotUrsula]

You are naive if you think everyone collecting disability from the government has a severe impairment. I repeat that everyone should have to work in a entitlement office for a few weeks before they get on their high horse. There are thousands of people collecting for being overweight, for anxiety, for headaches etc. - all it takes is a doctor willing to play the game. And don't keep saying "report them" - I worked in the system - they all do it legal fashion but that doesn't make it morally right. The system is beyond broken - what once started as a good noble program has been *******ized and snowballed out of control. We can not continue to have a government where more money is given out in entitlements than what is taken in by taxes, and when less and less of our citizens pay into the system, we get one step closer to socialism and the problems plaguing countries like Greece.

But are those people children? My DH works in the system with adults who are seeking disability after working, and yes, there is a lot of that there, but it is my understanding that the standard for receiving childhood disability is MUCH more strict. Last year OASDI paid out 7.8B to 879K disabled kids in the US.

 

[luvsJack]

Yes it was a choice she made. No one forced her to go to grad school. It is always a choice.

she could have worked and saved to be able to pay for herself while she went to school.

Grad school is a luxury, yes some careers demand it but if you can't pay for it maybe you don't choose that career. Again a choice you make voluntarily. An associates in a trade or a BS is pretty much needed to support oneself so that is why I can back giving some support to people doing that.

She already stated that the job she had with her Bachelor's was a low paying job--not food stamp low but low. Sounds to me like it didn't leave any money to "save" for school.

If a BA or BS is not giving someone the income they need, they go to grad school to increase their income. If a high school education is not giving someone the income they need, they get a degree to increase the income. There just isn't a whole lot of difference.

I don't know the pp's situation, but I have a co-worker in grad school because she suddenly became a single mom and not making enough money to support her two kids. If she didn't work somewhere that would help with the tuition and/or if she was in something besides Nursing Education she would probably have to make the same choice the pp made. Grad school isn't a luxury for her, its a necessity so that she can support her kids.

 

[tasha99]

Depends on what program you're going through, whether working while attending school is possible or not.

My husband is a semester away from his MBA and has worked full-time and taken care of our daughter (and me with this pregnancy) the whole time. But that's because the program was set up in a way that he was able to... and he's spent 6 years to do a simple master's program because that's all the time & money we could afford.

I have a master's in education and like a PP said, at certain parts, it not only wasn't possible, but it wasn't ALLOWED that I work.

The impression I get from the PP in question that went to grad school and couldn't work, it appears as if her degree is in the medical field and the nursing students I know work an absolutely ridiculous number of clinical hours... there's just no way they can work on top of clinicals and school.

It was speech language pathology. The first year I took classes and worked in the university clinic and local schools. The second year, I did a stint at a nursing home, and then did my student teaching. I had to write an evidence based project at night (sort of like a thesis, but also based on a real client or patient I was seeing). I look back now and am so glad I had no idea what I was getting into. I used to cry almost every night from the stress, and my kids almost mutinied asking to live with their dad (who they hadn't seen in over a decade). I thought it was a ridiculously hard two years, but it's done now and the actual job is wonderful.

My husband and I both worked full-time with high stress jobs while going to grad school with 3 kids - we never even thought of quitting our jobs and going on public assistance, wow what you learn on the disboards!

There could be a lot of reasons you were able to do that. Maybe your program didn't take as many hours, maybe you were able to tag team child care, or maybe they were actually similar, but you are smarter than I am and were able to get the work done faster.

She already stated that the job she had with her Bachelor's was a low paying job--not food stamp low but low. Sounds to me like it didn't leave any money to "save" for school.

If a BA or BS is not giving someone the income they need, they go to grad school to increase their income. If a high school education is not giving someone the income they need, they get a degree to increase the income. There just isn't a whole lot of difference.

I don't know the pp's situation, but I have a co-worker in grad school because she suddenly became a single mom and not making enough money to support her two kids. If she didn't work somewhere that would help with the tuition and/or if she was in something besides Nursing Education she would probably have to make the same choice the pp made. Grad school isn't a luxury for her, its a necessity so that she can support her kids.

I had a BA in English, which it turned out qualified me to work for a call center or later, as a legal assistant. The call center paid a bit over minimum wage. The legal assistant job was better, but I took it thinking it would become full time and never did. The attorney I worked for was awesome--not many people would let a secretary come in at night like he did for the year I did my postbac work (you can't jump into a speech therapy program with an English degree).

I get that some people will never agree with getting food stamps in school, but that's okay. I don't have to justify doing it, since it was all legal and within the rules. I had a dorky analogy about all this, but after typing out a couple of paragraphs, I decided to spare everyone. It involved a moose, some duct tape and my car. I'm happy to say that I don't have a lot of figurative duct tape in my life anymore, although up in Alaska, I do have a lot more literal duct tape than I ever have before.

 

[nunzia]

You are naive if you think everyone collecting disability from the government has a severe impairment. I repeat that everyone should have to work in a entitlement office for a few weeks before they get on their high horse. There are thousands of people collecting for being overweight, for anxiety, for headaches etc. - all it takes is a doctor willing to play the game. And don't keep saying "report them" - I worked in the system - they all do it legal fashion but that doesn't make it morally right. The system is beyond broken - what once started as a good noble program has been *******ized and snowballed out of control. We can not continue to have a government where more money is given out in entitlements than what is taken in by taxes, and when less and less of our citizens pay into the system, we get one step closer to socialism and the problems plaguing countries like Greece.

 

[plummer925]

Can we PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let this thread die!? It serves no purpose anymore and everyone is bickering.

 

[Twitter]

Can we PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let this thread die!? It serves no purpose anymore and everyone is bickering.

Why? Because the tax payers are tired of funding laziness you want this topic to die?

 

[plummer925]

Why? Because the tax payers are tired of funding laziness you want this topic to die?

Not at all - I just want the topic to die because people are not being respectful to one another and it serves no purpose any longer - if you, or anyone, wish to do something about anything, then please contact your congressperson - DIS is not a place that any change can be made!

You apparently have a firm stance on the topic and it appears that you think that my stance is opposite than yours...I've said nothing about MY opinion on the topic, other than to give some examples for people to consider. I have been utmost respectful in my postings and the reason I asked for the topic to end is because others have not been (kind of like I feel like this response to me was not on the "nice" side either).

 

[bookmama]

Not at all - I just want the topic to die because people are not being respectful to one another and it serves no purpose any longer - if you, or anyone, wish to do something about anything, then please contact your congressperson - DIS is not a place that any change can be made!

You apparently have a firm stance on the topic and it appears that you think that my stance is opposite than yours...I've said nothing about MY opinion on the topic, other than to give some examples for people to consider. I have been utmost respectful in my postings and the reason I asked for the topic to end is because others have not been (kind of like I feel like this response to me was not on the "nice" side either).

Please let it die. This is not the place for any of this. People need to stop stirring the pot and go on.

 

[crashbb]

Can we PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let this thread die!? It serves no purpose anymore and everyone is bickering.

If you want a thread to end, report it to mods. Otherwise, as a non-mod, you do not have the ability to dictate how or what other people post.

 

[dclfun]

But are those people children? My DH works in the system with adults who are seeking disability after working, and yes, there is a lot of that there, but it is my understanding that the standard for receiving childhood disability is MUCH more strict. Last year OASDI paid out 7.8B to 879K disabled kids in the US.

The standard for receiving childhood disability is MUCH more lenient. When I worked in the school system as an OT there were parents who coached their children to do poorly on exams and to act up in school. They could then qualify for SSI for behavioral issues or for failure to keep up with their grade level. An adult who worked has a much harder time proving disability as it has to be an inability to have any substantial gainful employment.

There are also adults who were disabled as children who realized that they should NEVER work because they would lose their benefits. Benefits as generous as up to 50K a year for a caregiver, free medical equipment and healthcare for life with no costs to them, free college education ( but don't work afterward!), qualifying for housing assistance and food stamps. I know one of them and am appalled. I worked for four years to save for an accessible van, even with the help of VR to pay for the adaptive equipment. This woman has THREE such vans yet gets free rent and all of the above that I mentioned. She has a college degree but works only one day a week to qualify for VR services along with everything else. It's a shame. She's in her 60's now and those of us who work have supported her her entire life and will continue to do so.

 

[Hannathy]

Can we PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE let this thread die!? It serves no purpose anymore and everyone is bickering.

If you are tired of it , then I have a suggestion , Quit coming to it!!

Don't open it, but don't tell other people what they have to do.