How does public assistance (welfare) work?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I work very hard to get by. I am a single parent who rarely gets child support so I am on my own most of the time. I am not wealthy or entitled. I work hard for what little I have. It bothers me that people who are given gov't help squander that help. The mom has already talked about where she would like to have her son's bday party. My son's party has only ever been at our house with a few family and friends. I cannot afford to rent out a location and have lots of people attend. But she can. With other people's money. Yes, it does bother me. I understand that plenty of people find themselves in need of assistance and one day, that could easily be me. But I sure as hell wouldn't waste this assistance of unnecessary stuff like presents for classmates and birthday parties. I worked a lot of overtime to pay for some XMAS gifts that my son wanted. Some of my hard work will go to providing her son with a bday party that my child will never have. This mom is obviously intelligent enough to find her way into a decent school system but there is no expectation that she will ever need to work. This bothers me. I donate some money to certain charities that I know go to help people help themselves. I was always taught that "God helps those who help themselves" so forgive my bitterness for not understanding how this system is going to expect anything of this family for the help they are currently receiving. Perhaps I should pray for understanding but I'm not feeling it now.

Since you are so judgmental, why don't we turn it on you. Assuming you're not a widow, you had a failed marriage. You say you worked hard, but you didn't work hard at keeping your marriage together. If you were ever married.

[Anonymous]

You can't blame me for my DH dying. Blame cancer for that.

[Anonymous]

The convenient widow excuse.

[Anonymous]

You said you rarely get child support. Please tell me, if you husband died from cancer, exactly who is paying (or rather, not paying, according to your words) the child support? You can hit grandparents up for child support now?

[Anonymous]

OP - maybe the mom is getting $$ from somewhere else - disabilities (like from the husband), maybe they inherited some money, alimony, a lawsuit/settlement, or something along those lines.

Are you sure she is on welfare? In addition to food stamps she is probably getting free food through WIC especially if she is pregnant again.

[Anonymous]

Hey, I saw a wealthy-appearing lady the other day at Whole Foods who was making a lot of frivolous purchases -- organic fruit when conventionally-grown produce is much cheaper; fancy, squishy cheeses from foreign countries (what, they can't support the Wisconsin cheese industry?); and a lot of expensive, grass-fed steak. I'm concerned that she is being wasteful in the way that she spends the money that the government (i.e., we, as taxpayers) give her through the mortgage interest tax deduction. I'm sickened by it, to tell you the truth. That money could be used to pay down the tremendously high national debt that my children and grandchildren will be saddled with, a national debt that has grown so big in part to support people like her in her buy-now, pay-later lifestyle. Is there some way we can her (and others like her) to spend her mortgage interest deduction cash more frugally -- or take that tax break away from her? TIA!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I work very hard to get by. I am a single parent who rarely gets child support so I am on my own most of the time. I am not wealthy or entitled. I work hard for what little I have. It bothers me that people who are given gov't help squander that help. The mom has already talked about where she would like to have her son's bday party. My son's party has only ever been at our house with a few family and friends. I cannot afford to rent out a location and have lots of people attend. But she can. With other people's money. Yes, it does bother me. I understand that plenty of people find themselves in need of assistance and one day, that could easily be me. But I sure as hell wouldn't waste this assistance of unnecessary stuff like presents for classmates and birthday parties. I worked a lot of overtime to pay for some XMAS gifts that my son wanted. Some of my hard work will go to providing her son with a bday party that my child will never have. This mom is obviously intelligent enough to find her way into a decent school system but there is no expectation that she will ever need to work. This bothers me. I donate some money to certain charities that I know go to help people help themselves. I was always taught that "God helps those who help themselves" so forgive my bitterness for not understanding how this system is going to expect anything of this family for the help they are currently receiving. Perhaps I should pray for understanding but I'm not feeling it now.

OP - how do you know so much about this woman? Next time she talks to you, be sure to tell her that you are her frenemy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can buy sushi because they have subsidized housing check out these luxary units http://www.thomasjeffersoninst.org/article.php?article_id=2229

PP here with the cousin on welfare and her multiple children. She now lives in her second, 6 bedroom $800,000 home, in one of the most sought after neighborhoods. (not in the DMV area)
Why second you ask? Because she got evicted from the first almost million dollar home she was so generously given to live in by the government. I am not kidding.

I'm calling bullshit on this. You are simply making it up or don't know what you are talking about. Being poor sucks, stop lying to try and make it harder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They can buy sushi because they have subsidized housing check out these luxary units http://www.thomasjeffersoninst.org/article.php?article_id=2229

PP here with the cousin on welfare and her multiple children. She now lives in her second, 6 bedroom $800,000 home, in one of the most sought after neighborhoods. (not in the DMV area)
Why second you ask? Because she got evicted from the first almost million dollar home she was so generously given to live in by the government. I am not kidding.

I'm calling bullshit on this. You are simply making it up or don't know what you are talking about. Being poor sucks, stop lying to try and make it harder.

This is a true story. It infuriates the entire family becuase all of us went to school and have a good education but could not affort to live in the neighborhood or house that she gets to live in. She is not appreciative and that is truly frustrating. If I were so poor and then was put up in a house like she is AGAIN for the second time I would thank my lucky starts daily. Feed my kids. Take the trash out and keep my house clean. She does none of it. She destroyed the first house and is on her way to destroying the second. State of Connecticut is very generous.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I work very hard to get by. I am a single parent who rarely gets child support so I am on my own most of the time. I am not wealthy or entitled. I work hard for what little I have. It bothers me that people who are given gov't help squander that help. The mom has already talked about where she would like to have her son's bday party. My son's party has only ever been at our house with a few family and friends. I cannot afford to rent out a location and have lots of people attend. But she can. With other people's money. Yes, it does bother me. I understand that plenty of people find themselves in need of assistance and one day, that could easily be me. But I sure as hell wouldn't waste this assistance of unnecessary stuff like presents for classmates and birthday parties. I worked a lot of overtime to pay for some XMAS gifts that my son wanted. Some of my hard work will go to providing her son with a bday party that my child will never have. This mom is obviously intelligent enough to find her way into a decent school system but there is no expectation that she will ever need to work. This bothers me. I donate some money to certain charities that I know go to help people help themselves. I was always taught that "God helps those who help themselves" so forgive my bitterness for not understanding how this system is going to expect anything of this family for the help they are currently receiving. Perhaps I should pray for understanding but I'm not feeling it now.

OP - how do you know so much about this woman? Next time she talks to you, be sure to tell her that you are her frenemy.

She doesn't have to know much. Just open your eyes and pay attention. You may notice how people abuse a system that's supposed to be temporary assistance in a time of need. The problem is it's abused and not temporary. What good are we actually doing when we enable welfare recipients like this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am the OP and I work very hard to get by. I am a single parent who rarely gets child support so I am on my own most of the time. I am not wealthy or entitled. I work hard for what little I have. It bothers me that people who are given gov't help squander that help. The mom has already talked about where she would like to have her son's bday party. My son's party has only ever been at our house with a few family and friends. I cannot afford to rent out a location and have lots of people attend. But she can. With other people's money. Yes, it does bother me. I understand that plenty of people find themselves in need of assistance and one day, that could easily be me. But I sure as hell wouldn't waste this assistance of unnecessary stuff like presents for classmates and birthday parties. I worked a lot of overtime to pay for some XMAS gifts that my son wanted. Some of my hard work will go to providing her son with a bday party that my child will never have. This mom is obviously intelligent enough to find her way into a decent school system but there is no expectation that she will ever need to work. This bothers me. I donate some money to certain charities that I know go to help people help themselves. I was always taught that "God helps those who help themselves" so forgive my bitterness for not understanding how this system is going to expect anything of this family for the help they are currently receiving. Perhaps I should pray for understanding but I'm not feeling it now.

Yes this is the original intent but the generational welfare recipients out number the ones in need, rlthe government shouldn't be the one giving the assistance it should be chruches or other charity organizations where oversight of money spent happens.

+1

[Anonymous]

It's true about people receiving public housing assistance living in luxurious houses. There was a Washington Post article about government-owned properties (seized due to back taxes) being given to folks with Section 8 vouchers, and lots of examples of welfare recipients shopping the 'burbs for their new digs, criticizing the lack of granite countertops and jacuzzi tubs and whatnot.

On the one hand, that really burns when I'm pounding the pavement looking for a new job before my unemployment runs out and desperately trying to hold on to the house I bought in better times. On the other hand, perhaps it's better for these gov't-owned houses that cannot be sold on the open market to be put to some good use (like housing the innocent children of sadly irresponsible parents like OP's cousin and keeping them out of shelters), instead of standing empty and deteriorating...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[


Also while the "welfare person" is out picking up these items perhaps she could also pick up a job application.

Could she pick up some experience and some references at the deli? Or maybe a contact with a hiring manager? If you're ever out of a job and down on your luck, don't count on buying one at the sandwich counter.

We all have to start somewhere, don't we? We've all had a first job, maybe one we really hated and the pay sucked but we did what we had to do. Do you realize immigrants come to this country from all over the world, without speaking a lick of english, find themselves in the middle of a completely different culture and are able to work through it all, openning thriving businesses, work two jobs and go to school? Nothing was handed to me and I started from the very bottom. I never believed it was someone else's job to take care of me, my bills, my kids and to feed us, give us housing, free cable, cell phone, free school lunch, free healthcare.........

It's the real world and it's tough. Pull up your big girl panties and stop whining and make something of yourselves, generational welfare recipients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:[


Also while the "welfare person" is out picking up these items perhaps she could also pick up a job application.

Could she pick up some experience and some references at the deli? Or maybe a contact with a hiring manager? If you're ever out of a job and down on your luck, don't count on buying one at the sandwich counter.

We all have to start somewhere, don't we? We've all had a first job, maybe one we really hated and the pay sucked but we did what we had to do. Do you realize immigrants come to this country from all over the world, without speaking a lick of english, find themselves in the middle of a completely different culture and are able to work through it all, openning thriving businesses, work two jobs and go to school? Nothing was handed to me and I started from the very bottom. I never believed it was someone else's job to take care of me, my bills, my kids and to feed us, give us housing, free cable, cell phone, free school lunch, free healthcare.........

It's the real world and it's tough. Pull up your big girl panties and stop whining and make something of yourselves, generational welfare recipients.

And perhaps you should pull up your big girl panties and stop whining about welfare recipients.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:\

We all have to start somewhere, don't we? We've all had a first job, maybe one we really hated and the pay sucked but we did what we had to do.

You may not want to admit it, but getting that first job is what makes you lucky. I have known that ever since I started work at fourteen. I earned almost nothing, but gained valuable experience and references. None of us has done it all by herself.