Should welfare recipients be allowed to have luxury items?

[werepossum]

I always knew you loved JFK.

I see no reason welfare recipients shouldn't be "allowed" to have "luxury" items.

Man, I hadn't realized that JFK presided fifty years ago! Doesn't seem possible. As far as JFK - he was good, but no Reagan!

You see no reason morally that people living on the public dole shouldn't have luxury items in principle, or just don't want a government that intrusive and powerful? Personally I think that morally, as a general rule, people on welfare should not have true luxury items. I also cannot see any good coming from a government powerful enough to inventory a welfare recipient's stuff and decide what is acceptable and what is not, but in HR's real life example it offends me to be paying to support someone driving a Hummer who just can't be bothered to work. More people need a sense of shame, fewer need a sense of entitlement.

It does not offend me that welfare recipients might enjoy air conditioning, cable TV, a flat screen television, or Internet access, even though I consider none of those to be necessities to which one is entitled by mere virtue of existence (except A/C in an apartment complex, that's a life saver in a hot climate.) It DOES offend me when the nicely dressed lady in front of me buys top cut steaks on her food stamp or welfare debit card, then loads it all into an automobile worth more than mine and my wife's put together. I have to mentally force myself to relax and just assume that he or she has honestly fallen on hard times.

Twice that I can remember, I've been behind people who were actually buying a flat screen television in literally the same cart as groceries bought on food stamp cards. On those occasions I satisfy myself with not actually wishing their leeching asses dead. (Hey, I can only be so tolerant without exploding!) Those occasions particularly stand out because we did not have a flat screen or large screen television at the time. I'm pretty good about not being envious of others' possessions - until I'm subsidizing them.

 

[piasabird]

Well in severe cases, a person could be charged with tax evasion or money laundering if their luxury items were excessive. A car could just be impounded and then someone will come looking for it. It is funny how that works. In missouri to get a license I use to have to get a property tax statement proving I paid my taxes in Pulaski County, MO. That would be Ft Leonard Wood, MO area.

There are so many aid agencies like churches and the red cross and over agencies where you can get money for prescriptions and food and rent, etc. If a person wants to work the system, someone on retirement can pay for their mortgage. My mom told me about some people down the street from her that were always getting handouts, but they always seemed to have enough beer to drink.

They just worked the system the way it is set up.

 

[Craig234]

Don't know if this was already addressed, but that doesn't work. At least here in NY some on welfare sell their 'food stamps' for $00.50 on a $1.00 so they can buy crack or smokes. Real nice use of my tax dollars.

You don't get rid of the least bad system because it isn't perfect. If you can improve it, great.

 

[werepossum]

Well in severe cases, a person could be charged with tax evasion or money laundering if their luxury items were excessive. A car could just be impounded and then someone will come looking for it. It is funny how that works. In missouri to get a license I use to have to get a property tax statement proving I paid my taxes in Pulaski County, MO. That would be Ft Leonard Wood, MO area.

There are so many aid agencies like churches and the red cross and over agencies where you can get money for prescriptions and food and rent, etc. If a person wants to work the system, someone on retirement can pay for their mortgage. My mom told me about some people down the street from her that were always getting handouts, but they always seemed to have enough beer to drink.

They just worked the system the way it is set up.

I doubt there are many beer-drinking welfare recipients who don't know a small store willing to sell beer for food stamp cards. Kind of a perfect little capitalist match, a willing buyer meets a willing seller with someone else providing the money.

 

[HomerJS]

It amazes me how it irritates some people that welfare recipients might have air conditioning when we gave billions to failed banks who in turn gave millions in bonuses.

 

[alkemyst]

My girlfriends sees this all the time, as she works as a pharmacy tech. Sometimes the pharmacist will say something about it to the person, but it won't change anything. Why pay the dollar copay when someone else can?

When I worked as a Pharmacy intern (I think I posted this story here in the past as well) there was quite a few like that. The Pharmacist said they can make a lot of money selling the items back to their home countries and even at the local flea markets.

I don't know why but weekly I'd load a full SUV's worth of Pediasure and other formulas. Lexus SUV's usually. The one lady was decked out in designer crap, the Pharmacist (a woman) said her bag and shoes alone were about $1000.

It's really messed up. She also had food stamps she would use when there for a ton more stuff.

She'd have to have 20+ babies to need the amount each week.

 

[alkemyst]

It amazes me how it irritates some people that welfare recipients might have air conditioning when we gave billions to failed banks who in turn gave millions in bonuses.

What makes you think they were ok with the bank bonuses? I am sure most don't agree with either.

Not to mention again, trying to justify one wrong based on another is ignorant.

 

[HomerJS]

What makes you think they were ok with the bank bonuses? I am sure most don't agree with either.

Not to mention again, trying to justify one wrong based on another is ignorant.

Not justifying, just pointing out the level of ire is much greater for handouts to the poor as opposed to the rich.

 

[nick1985]

It amazes me how it irritates some people that welfare recipients might have air conditioning when we gave billions to failed banks who in turn gave millions in bonuses.

It amazes me that some families bust their ass and still may not have flat screen TV's and other shit, yet some lazy fucks that suck down welfare checks do.

Also, I'd say that most of the people who are against luxuries for welfare recipients were against the bailouts.

 

[alkemyst]

Not justifying, just pointing out the level of ire is much greater for handouts to the poor as opposed to the rich.

What math are you using though? I don't think they are that different.

 

[alkemyst]

It amazes me that some families bust their ass and still may not have flat screen TV's and other shit, yet some lazy fucks that suck down welfare checks do.

Also, I'd say that most of the people who are against luxuries for welfare recipients were against the bailouts.

I still have a 32" CRT TV. My parents only recently upgraded from a 27" to a 55".

We are all pretty much in upper middle class income brackets, my parent's probably ding the lower upper.

 

[bfdd]

If AC is a necessity, then should EVERYONE have government paid for AC or just people on welfare? There are people who can't afford AC that don't qualify for welfare.

 

[LumbergTech]

I doubt there are many beer-drinking welfare recipients who don't know a small store willing to sell beer for food stamp cards. Kind of a perfect little capitalist match, a willing buyer meets a willing seller with someone else providing the money.

are you being serious?

 

[alkemyst]

are you being serious?

he definitely is. They busted over 20 kwikee marts here flat out buying food stamps and allowing direct purchase of beer/wine and cigarettes.

The exact exchange rate wasn't said, but it's rumored to be not better than $4 food stamp dollars to $1 real. Total rape of the system.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

I don't know why but weekly I'd load a full SUV's worth of Pediasure and other formulas.

It's used to cut drugs.

 

[alkemyst]

Well it wasn't all powdered they were getting, esp the Pediasure.

 

[DrPizza]

I don't agree with this. I think it should solely be based on the tax base. If you don't have it, you will have to double up with another school.

Thing is they not only want equal education, but equal facilities, equal classroom size, etc.

Despite all equality, schools in depressed areas do terribily worse than those in nice ones. So now the little people cry out let's bus them to those schools.

The kids still do terrible.

There is a lot to this and sadly it does come down to money. In poorer families, most kids do whatever the fuck they want. At dinner even if it's a group meal, the topic is not what the kids did, but anything but it.

Over summers, there is nothing for them.

In better income families, the parents have more time. Dinner revolves around "did you do your homework" and even better challenging them with self-knowledge.

Summer's still revolve around paying attention to the kids and throwing 'lessons' their way.

Every summer / break the poorer kids knowledge regresses, the richer kids stays at least even if not slightly better in some cases. By the end of 12 years the difference is dramatic.

There is a lot on this topic. I had a close friend that did a paper on this in college.

This is another case of no one wanting to touch the real issue.

I agree with a lot of what you said. However, I just quoted your post only for the hilarity:

Oh look, everyone, Alkemyst is an expert on this because (*gasp*) he knows someone who wrote a paper on it in college! LMFAO!

 

[alkemyst]

I agree with a lot of what you said. However, I just quoted your post only for the hilarity:

Oh look, everyone, Alkemyst is an expert on this because (*gasp*) he knows someone who wrote a paper on it in college! LMFAO!

I should clarify it was for their Ph.D. Much like you saying because you teach grade school you are really a math expert.

This is a similar write up: http://www.hks.harvard.edu/fs/cavery/counselor paper september 16 2009.pdf

http://www.app.com/article/20110106...vement-gap-remains-between-rich-poor-students