Should welfare recipients be allowed to have luxury items?

[WHAMPOM]

Luxury items include things like:
cell phones
flat screen HDTVs
air conditioning
current generation game consoles
cars less than say 5 years old

...anything else you care to add.

WHAT!!! Not the real luxury of free health care?

cell phone-cheaper then a land line
flat screen TV-is there any tube type sold anywhere
air conditioning-sleeping naked in a screened porch in Summer heat has gone out of style
game console-rather have them be street gangs recruits?
5 year old car-cash for junkers has taken that out of surplus

Nice pair-odd-dee thread though.

 

[xj0hnx]

In the inner city, a library is a place for homeless and drug addicts to keep warm. Enjoy getting some high risk addict's HIV blood on you.

In rural areas, libraries are few and far between.

Libraries also cannot physically handle everybody on welfare or unemployment going to them to use their computers.

You guys know internet access costs $25 right?

Who is hanging out in the library doesn't effect your ability to use one, and the overwhelming ignorance of your first line there is comical. Everyone on welfare isn't going to be going to the library, if they are looking for jobs they are usually out looking for jobs. Most places I've seen that have online applications also have instore applications also.

 

[xj0hnx]

cell phone-cheaper then a land line No, it's not, you can get a landline for under $20
flat screen TV-is there any tube type sold anywhere Yes, they are ...Craigslsit and they usually go for less than $50
air conditioning-sleeping naked in a screened porch in Summer heat has gone out of style I live in South Texas and didn't have AC for many years, not too bad once you get used to it
game console-rather have them be street gangs recruits? or better yet, out looking for jobs, or doing school work instead of racking up rank on Call of Duty.
5 year old car-cash for junkers has taken that out of surplus That worthless program didn't even come close to getting rid of cheap used cars.

Nice pair-odd-dee thread though.

Fail parody thread is fail.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Um, no. Obviously not. Now, if they were receiving it because they were actually unable to work or something (which would be disability, correct?), then people should have a few things to keep them happy honestly, but if you're just leeching off the government like probably .09% of both recipients, fuck no.

Fixed your percentage to reflect truth in numbers. Now add those who qualify and don't apply which would double people receiving services.

 

[1prophet]

Age old story: poor woman puts out to attract/keep boyfriend who can buy her nice things. Would you make a law that makes it a crime to "contribute to the luxury of a poor person"? Would the TV be confiscated as the fruits of a criminal transaction? Could you be fined/imprisoned for giving to a poor person?

Ban air conditioning! Are you serious? Too many physical conditions and locations where air conditioning is a health requirement.

No computer or internet connection? Sure let's make sure people on the dole have limited access to training, job access, etc.. Handicap their kids in their schoolwork.

Yes, there are already limits on the value of the cars and other assets they can have.

Food stamp cards are not the same as credit cards and cannot be used to buy anything you want.

Luxury cars and SUVs in an overwhelmingly poor neighborhood are usually a sign of drug dealers. Perhaps the police might find it prudent to observe a place where large numbers of them appear in such circumstances to gather intel.

I am absolutely against people who make welfare a way of life, and the problem needs to be addressed. But stupid solutions will not fix it any more than stupid gun and drug laws have fixed their respective issues. And no, I don't know what the "smart" fixes are either. I have neither the time, the inclination, or the resources to study the problem to the degree necessary to find effective and viable solutions. There are people who do, and maybe we need to prod them into making some kind of progress.

And that is how most Americans think of their nations problems today, they recognize there is a problem, are quick to criticize another's solution, but when called to task either can't or won't make an attempt at a solution for one reason or another but expect someone else to come up with one.


A far cry from when this statement was made.

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country."
John F. Kennedy

 

[piasabird]

So you want to mandate poverty? Maybe their boyfriend bought them something??? Do you hate the Poor and the Rich? I dont consider air conditioning to be a luxury item. I think that is going too far.

 

[IBMer]

What public library does not have an internet?

All the ones getting defunded out of city budgets.

 

[werepossum]

An internet connection is not a necessity? Are you on crack? Have you tried looking for a job without internet access? This is 2011 not 1995

Around here an application which comes via email is going to be automatically discarded 95% of the time, exceptions being out of town people with skills we might need and possibly someone already employed. It does not speak well of the person's work ethic if they submit an email resume when they could come down in person.

On principle I do not think welfare recipients should have luxury items, but I am unable to come up with a level of government I can endorse which would remedy this, and as some have said luxury items often come legitimately from other people. Who hasn't given someone on some form of government welfare something that someone surely considers a luxury? So I'll say instead that government should intensely investigate welfare fraud rather than attempting to regulate or track welfare recipients' possessions.

 

[waggy]

I agree with the idea that the OP has but his implmentation is so far off its kinda funny.

There are to many ways for it to backfire and hurt honest people.

I do think payments should go to teh electric company, landlord etc. Food stamps are already that way now with the link card.

 

[xj0hnx]

So you want to mandate poverty? Maybe their boyfriend bought them something??? Do you hate the Poor and the Rich?

No one is saying that the poor shouldn't have nice things, just that if you need help from the government than you shouldn't be making payments on an Escalade, or 60" LED 3D TV with taxpayers money.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

No one is saying that the poor shouldn't have nice things, just that if you need help from the government than you shouldn't be making payments on an Escalade, or 60" LED 3D TV with taxpayers money.

What about people that make more back in taxes than they pay?

 

[xj0hnx]

What about people that make more back in taxes than they pay?

Change the tax code?

 

[Patranus]

I do think payments should go to teh electric company, landlord etc. Food stamps are already that way now with the link card.

How is a card tied to an individual/family.

If you want public assistance, the government should give you 3 bologna sandwiches per day.

 

[EagleKeeper]

What public library does not have an internet?

All the ones getting defunded out of city budgets.

Libraries facilities may be closed. Any open library will have internet.

If you have evidence otherwise, please link to the municipality that does not.

I doubt that you will find a community that people do not have access to some type library and/or government provided internet access.

This was one of the Federal mandates from the Clinton era (i believe)

 

[drebo]

I do think payments should go to teh electric company, landlord etc. Food stamps are already that way now with the link card.

EBT is a joke, at least in California.

You can take that card and buy all kinds of shit. Delivery pizza, etc. Heck, you can even take the card to an ATM and withdraw cash.

That's not right. WIC is a far better system, as they can only get certain items with the coupons.

Of course, even when food stamps were food stamps, people would game the system by buying meat and returning it the next day for cash refund.

 

[waggy]

EBT is a joke, at least in California.

You can take that card and buy all kinds of shit. Delivery pizza, etc. Heck, you can even take the card to an ATM and withdraw cash.

That's not right. WIC is a far better system, as they can only get certain items with the coupons.

Of course, even when food stamps were food stamps, people would game the system by buying meat and returning it the next day for cash refund.

lol i remember when food stamps were real stamps. I knew a guy that would buy them from people for $.10 -.50 on the dollar then use them.

Wic is a great system. it just buys milk,eggs, ceral and juice i believe.

There is no way to keep those that are willing to cheat from doing it. Many ways hurt honest people.

 

[Pneumothorax]

EBT is a joke, at least in California.

You can take that card and buy all kinds of shit. Delivery pizza, etc. Heck, you can even take the card to an ATM and withdraw cash.

That's not right. WIC is a far better system, as they can only get certain items with the coupons.

Of course, even when food stamps were food stamps, people would game the system by buying meat and returning it the next day for cash refund.

Yup, not to mention as recently as 6 months ago, you can use your EBT card at the local Indian Casino, Cruise Ships, and strip bars. How do you like subsidizing lap dances? We need to go back to plain old food stamps and coupons.

 

[Ronstang]

Except that you can get 720lcds cheaper than older tvs quite often now (if you can even FIND older tvs), and AC isn't a luxury it's a god damned requirement if it EVER gets above 70 where you live. Not just a pet peeve, but an honest point - too hot can cause serious health issues, it interrupts sleep, makes you moody...in general decreases your output which doesn't help when looking for work or trying to make an impression.

Carry on with the rest however.

How did the human race make it thousands and thousands of years without AC considering it is a 20th century invention. Me thinks you are a pussy. According to your assertion no one should have been able to survive the Southern US or anywhere more Southern on the globe a hundred years ago.

 

[GoPackGo]

How did the human race make it thousands and thousands of years without AC considering it is a 20th century invention. Me thinks you are a pussy. According to your assertion no one should have been able to survive the Southern US or anywhere more Southern on the globe a hundred years ago.

Many usually died.

 

[xj0hnx]

EBT is a joke, at least in California.

You can take that card and buy all kinds of shit. Delivery pizza, etc. Heck, you can even take the card to an ATM and withdraw cash.

That's not right. WIC is a far better system, as they can only get certain items with the coupons.

Of course, even when food stamps were food stamps, people would game the system by buying meat and returning it the next day for cash refund.

I don't think you can do that here with the Lonestar Card, but I remember being in Oakland and going into a Subway that had a sign saying they accepted food stamps, this was back when they were actually the tear out booklets.

 

[xj0hnx]

Many usually died.

Not because it hot outside. I've lived here many years without AC, it isn't the end of the world, or even close.

 

[trenchfoot]

From what I've gleaned from this thread, it seems like where it's all headed is that any person or family on the dole should check in to the nearest state/county prison, (or have facilities built for this purpose) and live there, where all their basic needs are provided, until they can get back on their feet. Free bus passes and sack lunches while out and about looking for jobs, or working at transitional jobs, getting training at adult educational centers, etc.

Too simple of a solution? Probably, but ultimately, it seems this is where this thread is headed, IMO.

 

[xj0hnx]

From what I've gleaned from this thread, it seems like where it's all headed is that any person or family on the dole should check in to the nearest state/county prison, (or have facilities built for this purpose) and live there, where all their basic needs are provided, until they can get back on their feet. Free bus passes and sack lunches while out and about looking for jobs, or working at transitional jobs, getting training at adult educational centers, etc.

Too simple of a solution? Probably, but ultimately, it seems this is where this thread is headed, IMO.

Wasn't something like that already suggested by some politician on the east coast?

 

[drebo]

From what I've gleaned from this thread, it seems like where it's all headed is that any person or family on the dole should check in to the nearest state/county prison, (or have facilities built for this purpose) and live there, where all their basic needs are provided, until they can get back on their feet. Free bus passes and sack lunches while out and about looking for jobs, or working at transitional jobs, getting training at adult educational centers, etc.

Too simple of a solution? Probably, but ultimately, it seems this is where this thread is headed, IMO.

I see nothing wrong with that style of social welfare.

 

[JSt0rm]

This thread is less stupid now.

http://www.thecovemovie.com/

Its unfortunate that dolphins are always smiling. Chances are that dolphin was a young female plucked from a pod and then the rest ended up slaughtered by being speared and left to bleed to death.