What should be done when people on welfare spend money on vacations?

[cardaway]

A person with DVC who cannot feed their family needs to sell the DVC and pay off the debt the DVC got them and use the payment for the DVC loan and DVC upkeep to feed the family.

Exactly, but I'm sure some would say they should be able to keep the DVC membership, and continue to pay the yearly dues and taxes, and still get assistance to pay for things they chose not to in favor of paying dues and taxes.

 

[MushyMushy]

Exactly, but I'm sure some would say they should be able to keep the DVC membership, and continue to pay the yearly dues and taxes, and still get assistance to pay for things they chose not to in favor of paying dues and taxes.

Not me.

But I think it's wrong to paint everyone on assistance with the same broad brush.

 

[cardaway]

I'm curious. Do the people who think that some stronger audits of assistance programs are too "big brother" feel the same way about IRS auditors or the the requirements for corporate finace auditing? Why should be people who work hard for a living have to deal with audits to make sure they are playing by the rules and paying every tax dollar that "big brother" requires?

 

[MushyMushy]

Yep. I'd love to see the IRS completely dismantled.

 

[Fitswimmer]

You know what...I don't care whether you are filthy rich or dirt poor.

If you're beating the system and doing something illegal, I want you to stop and be punished.

Here's what I want from everyone...I want you to work for what you have, like I do. I don't want you to expect a handout because you think working at McDonald's is "beneath you". I don't want you to screw the little guy & do something dishonest to make a zillion more dollars for yourself. And if you do, I want you punished.

As far as I am concerned, no healthy, able-bodied in this country is entitled to any more or less than what they are willing to work for.

I do not think welfare should be someone's life-long paycheck. I think it should be used to assist healthy, able-bodied people thorugh periods of difficulty while they get back on their feet financially. And the periods of difficulty should not last 30 years.

I also think that the tax laws need to be corrected so Warren Buffett isn't paying a smaller percentage of his income in taxes than I am. Exxon is making the biggest profits of any corportation in history, it's time for the government to stop "assisting" them and others like them. I'm all for the family farmer getting assistance, but Archer Daniels Midland is not a family farmer. There should be stricter guidelines on who can claim a religious exemption from taxes, the Duggars should NOT be living tax free. I want to see some proven charitable activities, show me how you are benefitting your community to such an extent that it offsets your tax burden.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Very funny.

FWIW, I think SSDI is far too available these days, too. We define "disability" too broadly.

SSI seems pretty easy to get IMO, SSDI is tough... People get turned down ocver and over again..Sick people with things like cancer and AIDS often die before they get the SSDI approval.. My ex ha been trying to get SSDI for 4 years.. He has had doctor after doctor telling them he needs it... He has AIDS, has had pnuemonia from it, now has a bad heart , has a low tecll count, has had 3 or 4 other medical issues related to HIV and they still turn him down

I was told I had 18 months to live and SSDI turned me down the first time.

 

[nut4disney]

I'm curious. Do the people who think that some stronger audits of assistance programs are too "big brother" feel the same way about IRS auditors or the the requirements for corporate finace auditing? Why should be people who work hard for a living have to deal with audits to make sure they are playing by the rules and paying every tax dollar that "big brother" requires?

In my personal opinion corporations should never have been granted legal personhood in the first place. Everyone talks about the "rights" of corporations, while citizens civil liberties are disappearing before my eyes.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Look for the thead where the person applied for food stamps gets SSI, wants to know how much they can earn and still get their SSI AND owns DVC with 5 trips this year.

That was sarcasm in my point...I do understand why that ticks people off.

 

[mickeyfan2]

That was sarcasm in my point...I do understand why that ticks people off.

Sorry I missed the sarcasm. My bad.

 

[Crankyshank]

Oh Cardaway - you should know by now. It's the DIS. We can sit in judgement upon teachers, fat people on airplanes and using ecv, skinny people for eating a salad, etc.. but how dare we pass any judgement on anyone taking multiple disney trips while on the dole, or anything to do with people on welfare!

Back on topic though. I do not begrudge a struggling family a vacation. A little luxury can do anyone a whole lot of good - be it the $40 I just spent at B&N that I couldn't really afford this week, a massage, a cupcake, or a vacation. I don't think needing assistance should mean you become a coal bin tramp or anything.
However, I do take issue with someone on welfare with foodstamps owning DVC and taking multiple lengthy trips to WDW each year. And I don't think that makes me a bad person. In fact I think it makes me a damn good person because I care about those people who are denied welfare benefits for whatever reason that would use that money as a hand up and not the obvious handout frauders are using it for.

 

[cardaway]

But I think it's wrong to paint everyone on assistance with the same broad brush.

I don't see anybody saying there are not honest people out there spending the money they get on essentials. This thread is nto about them.

 

[DisneyPhD]

For the most part, I've also found a lot of great things on the budget board. Personally I HAVE sometimes seen things I don't agree with, but yeah, most of it is just people honestly trying to save money. I see budgeting and saving money as a good thing, no matter how much money you may have.

Well said.

 

[JoyG]

I don't see anybody saying there are not honest people out there spending the money they get on essentials. This thread is nto about them.

Is it dishonest for people on welfare to take a vacation? I don't know the rules of the system that's why I ask.

I don't think it's unethical for someone receiving assistance to take the occasional vacation. I don't see anything wrong with that. I think it's good for them and their kids to get out there and see something outside the city limits.

I think it would be unethical for them to own DVC and go to WDW several times a year. However, as I pointed out earlier, people on welfare that do that are rare.

 

[nut4disney]

However, as I pointed out earlier, people on welfare that do that are rare.

Agreed. But you have to realize the sentiment operating here.

It's more of a "Bu...bu...I read it on a recreational message board, so it must be true...I don't need statistics, data or GAO reports! The data doesn't exist." instead of a serious debate on the percentage of benefit recipients who engage in fraud.

 

[cardaway]

I do not begrudge a struggling family a vacation. A little luxury can do anyone a whole lot of good - be it the $40 I just spent at B&N that I couldn't really afford this week, a massage, a cupcake, or a vacation. I don't think needing assistance should mean you become a coal bin tramp or anything.

I too don't think anybody has any problem with the spending in that range. It's the amount that it takes to go to/stay at/and eat at WDW that makes me feel differently. I will continue to feel differently as long as my trips to WDW are limited because I give away money in the form of taxes to pay for the vacations of others.

 

[darlak]

Agreed. But you have to realize the sentiment operating here.

It's more of a "Bu...bu...I read it on a recreational message board, so it must be true...I don't need statistics, data or GAO reports! The data doesn't exist." instead of a serious debate on the percentage of benefit recipients who engage in fraud.

I realize that I'm coming late to this party, but I didn't see in the OP's original post where she asked about the percentage of people cheating the system this way. I thought the debate topic was whether it was right or wrong for those people to cheat the system, regarless of the actual percentage of people who may do so.

 

[cardaway]

Is it dishonest for people on welfare to take a vacation? I don't know the rules of the system that's why I ask.

Currently the rules around this topic are limited or don't exist. That's the problem.

 

[cardaway]

It's more of a "Bu...bu...I read it on a recreational message board, so it must be true...I don't need statistics, data or GAO reports! The data doesn't exist." instead of a serious debate on the percentage of benefit recipients who engage in fraud.

As long as you cop that attitude there will be no debate. Same goes for pretending there has been a study or poll done on how many people engage in fraud.

 

[Crankyshank]

I too don't think anybody has any problem with the spending in that range. It's the amount that it takes to go to/stay at/and eat at WDW that makes me feel differently. I will continue to feel differently as long as my trips to WDW are limited because I give away money in the form of taxes to pay for the vacations of others.

Oh I know. I added that caveat because, as evidenced in this thread, people will leap to conclusions and think you (general you- not specific) believe everyone on any sort of assistance should be perpetually homebound.

I think the welfare system is in dire need of rehab.It doesn't matter how often it happens, even a handful out of a thousand with gross welfare fraud is enough to warrant a second look on where the money is going. Geez we had a drug cartel here in Providence with the people running it all driving Porsche SUVs and blinged to the max and all collecting welfare. Should it be ok for them to take a Disney vacation too?

Seriously I think welfare works for many. I know people on all sides of the coin including family members. But I am not naive to think welfare fraud is a rare occurrence and I can't help but want to rehab the system not only from a taxpayer pov who would love to take a Disney vacation more often than once every 3-5 yrs, but also as a friend to people that genuinely need the assistance but were turned down.

 

[JoyG]

I realize that I'm coming late to this party, but I didn't see in the OP's original post where she asked about the percentage of people cheating the system this way. I thought the debate topic was whether it was right or wrong for those people to cheat the system, regarless of the actual percentage of people who may do so.

OP's a he.