Those lazy poor people

[alphatarget1]

black hole.

RACIST!!! j/k

 

[BoberFett]

You do need some luck in life...We call that opportunity. Its what you do with opportunity when it presents itself to you. Only you can change your life boberfett.

Why would I want to change my life? That'd be a step down.

 

[BoberFett]

Sorry, 2/10

While everyone is entitled to his own opinion, we're not entitled to our own facts. Moreover, some opinions -- e.g., those based on facts and reason -- are more valid than others, e.g., those based on disinformation and partisan mythology. I'm sure pieces like that help the loons feel more smugly satisfied in their delusions, however.

And with this response, it applies more to you than ever.

 

[heyheybooboo]

Absolutely. There is certainly abuse, and those who abuse the system should be dealt with harshly. I don't know that I'd go so far as to cut them off entirely. I'd be more inclined to continue giving them three squares a day ... in a cell.

My main issue is the suggestion that most poor people are abusing the system, a myth that the right embraced during the Reagan administration. I think it's not only dishonest, but it's been used to deflect attention from the biggest welfare abusers of all, many of whom wear $5,000 suits and own several multimillion dollar mansions. If you want to know who's really sucking away the prosperity of the middle class, don't look to the slums. They're merely scapegoats.

Yes, as through this world I've wandered
I've seen lots of funny men;
Some will rob you with a six-gun,
And some with a fountain pen.

Woody Guthrie, Pretty Boy Floyd



The more things change, the more they remain the same.






--

 

[piasabird]

I grow vegetables in my back yard. Dare I suggest they do the same? A few seeds can go a long ways. More people need to learn how to get by and stretch money. Maybe they should move someplace with more jobs, or a cooler climate.

 

[JSt0rm]

I grow vegetables in my back yard. Dare I suggest they do the same? A few seeds can go a long ways. More people need to learn how to get by and stretch money. Maybe they should move someplace with more jobs, or a cooler climate.

probably where they live the soil would be bad. Poor areas are put next to industry. At the very least they should have their soil tested (everyone should).

 

[Apple Of Sodom]

So I just got done watching the Dateline special. I wanted to point something out. Please keep in mind that I've traveled to several 3rd world countries. Poor, for me, is when you don't have shoes, social services, government help, and your house is made out of pallets leaning against a banana tree. Poor is not even having electricity, let alone worrying about how to pay the bill.

1) A lot of the people in this put themselves into a terrible position. One girl, 21 years old, is living out of her car with her three children, ages 1, 2 and 3. When they asked her if she has heard of birth control she said yes, but that she gets caught up in the moment and accidents happen. Bullshit. This is just poor choice making. Another lady quit her decent job to help her ailing father (even as her husband was unemployed) and couldn't find work again. This was a poor personal choice.

2) The household with 14 family members - In the background you could see several TVs, including an LCD TV. They were on wasting electricity even though no one was around to watch them. Couldn't tell if they were getting cable TV or if it was antenna. You could also see 2 liter soda bottles. The mom was smoking on screen. The kids were playing some sort of video game in the background. To me this isn't fucking poor. I've seen places where they sleep on dirt, and this lady complains because her 3 kids share a bed.

3) One man can't find work. He speaks of how terrible it is on his sons while it shows them playing video games. His kids are collecting aluminum soda cans from their own house. How can they afford Code Red Mountain Dew if they are so poor?

4) The lady that ran the food pantry was poor. In one shot it showed a 2 liter bottle of soda next to two boxes of delivery/take-out pizza she left on the counter as she did the dishes up. Her house was a complete fucking mess. She obviously has no personal pride, or at least not enough to clean her own fucking house.

5) In the food pantry they were giving out a lot of processed foods, such as wheat thins and chips. I think it would be better for them to give out rice, beans, lean meats, pasta and vegetables instead of shit food with no real nutritional value. Why do they have boxes of Crispix (name brand) cereal to give out? They should be buying that shit in bulk from a no-name supplier. I know some things are donations, but they could ask those who donate to send healthier food items.

6) One family was living out of a camper. The lady had a job and the man didn't. He wore nice clothes and a nick gold necklace. They had two vehicles parked outside the camper, although they did say one was used for storage.

7) These people TRASHED their places. Some of the places could've been OK...there was no structural damage or holes in the sheetrock or apparent infestations. There were tons of dirty clothes, garbage, cardboard boxes and food items laying around the floors. Just because you're poor and not living in ideal situations doesn't mean you cannot pick up after yourself.

8) Almost everyone was overweight or obese.

The only thing I got from the documentary is this: the poor in this country have it pretty good. They may worry that their kids only grow up with one 36" LCD TV, PlayStation 2, and 2nd generation smartphones; they may worry that there won't be enough wheat thins, Pepsi and hamburger helper to stuff their bellies; they may worry that they have to share beds with each other; but at least they have these things to worry about.

The lady smoking the cigarette pissed me off the most. Fuck her.

 

[Craig234]

Nope. Had to be 20 years and 17mpg average.

Really? Here are the rules from the official web site:

Are there special requirements for my trade-in vehicle?

YES. Your trade-in vehicle must:

* have been manufactured less than 25 years before the date you trade it in and, in the case of a category 3 vehicle, must also have been manufactured not later than model year 2001
* have a "new" combined city/highway fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon or less
* be in drivable condition
* be continuously insured and registered to the same owner for the full year preceding the trade-in

 

[Zebo]

What's your plan for solving the multi-generational welfare cycle that seems to afflict so many families?

Workfair. Nothing should be free unless you're a child or elderly which presents obvious working problems. And obvious disability like blind - no more bad backs and bipolar. Places with high concentration of public dependency should be cleanest in town. Why pay our people to sit at home and Chinese to build our iPhones? Fuck That. I'd have an iPhone factory right in the middle of Detroit.

 

[Wheezer]

14 people in the same house and it looks like such a shit hole?

Teach those rug rats how to use a dishtowel and a fucking broom.

 

[alkemyst]

14 people in the same house and it looks like such a shit hole?

Teach those rug rats how to use a dishtowel and a fucking broom.

QFT...anyone notice how all these rentals are allowing multiple families to move in? You have anywhere from 5-10 dudes 16 years old or more and no one can cut the lawn except when code enforcement finally posts a 2nd warning.

There are toys strewn all over the property yet everyone's cars are custom painted and equiped and always detailed.

Meanwhile no one leave the home all day or night save 2-3 hours at a time.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

should have thought about that before you had kids and lived in a shitty area of the country.

and if you worked all your life to feed your family and you died hungry you are doing it wrong.

We should send these Americans to haiti for a few months and so they know how well they have it and what its really like to be hungry.3


whaaaaaambulence.......look how poor i am with my electricity running water and kitchen appliances.....screw haiti take a stroll through an inner city ghetto.

As long as America sucks less than Haiti you're happy. You have low expectations for your country. No wonder it's turning to shit.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Well it seems from all of the anecdotal evidence i've heard that there is widespread abuse.

The plural of 'anecdote' is 'anecdotes', not 'data'.

 

[Moonbeam]

Actually, the poor are the poor of spirit for they shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. The poor of spirit have no idea what being poor of spirit means.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Workfair. Nothing should be free unless you're a child or elderly which presents obvious working problems. And obvious disability like blind - no more bad backs and bipolar. Places with high concentration of public dependency should be cleanest in town. Why pay our people to sit at home and Chinese to build our iPhones? Fuck That. I'd have an iPhone factory right in the middle of Detroit.

:thumbsup:

I agree 100%.

 

[Siddhartha]

What a Reagan era welfare queen circle jerk.

There are plenty of people with degrees who had jobs up who lost it all. Too bad the Free Trade religion doesn't let you go back in time, not have kids, and learn Chinese instead of studying Engineering or Business.

I was thinking the same thing. Mr Reagan legitamize the vilifying the poor. Anyone else find it interesting how quickly race certain forum members brought race into the discussion?

 

[irwincur]

Honestly, not to be an asshole, but if you are going to be on public assistance, you should work for it. Sure, there should be a grace period, a year or so, but at a certain point you should have to at least provide some type of service. Be this volunteer work at a non profit or cleaning up the highway, something that consitutes work and may help society. This should be the case as well for people on unemployment after a certain period of time. Yes, normally, we don't see people on for more than 26 weeks, but those at +50 should really have to do something for the money. This may reduce the issues seen with people waiting until the very end to look for work.

In addition to this, people on welfare in particular (no so sure about unemployment as it is more temporary) should undergo drug screening, no questions. I am amazed that everytime this comes up the poverty pimps act like it is the worst possible idea in the history of the nation. There is a huge problem with drug and alchohol abuse in the government assistance group of people. Either get man up, admit to use and get treatment or get out of the program. I would even think that it would be fair to substitute ongoing treatment for any work requirement in the program.

But of course, the unions and poverty pimps that form a large portion of a certain political party would never allow this. Hell, it would hurt votes, and worse, it would require people to be responsible for their own decisions/actions. Remember, a lot of people in shitty situations put themselves there. I have seen it first hand, a lot of adults make really poor decisions and see no negative side effects as they feel that they are owed support and second chances.

 

[Craig234]

Honestly, not to be an asshole, but if you are going to be on public assistance, you should work for it. Sure, there should be a grace period, a year or so, but at a certain point you should have to at least provide some type of service. Be this volunteer work at a non profit or cleaning up the highway, something that consitutes work and may help society. This should be the case as well for people on unemployment after a certain period of time. Yes, normally, we don't see people on for more than 26 weeks, but those at +50 should really have to do something for the money. This may reduce the issues seen with people waiting until the very end to look for work.

In addition to this, people on welfare in particular (no so sure about unemployment as it is more temporary) should undergo drug screening, no questions. I am amazed that everytime this comes up the poverty pimps act like it is the worst possible idea in the history of the nation. There is a huge problem with drug and alchohol abuse in the government assistance group of people. Either get man up, admit to use and get treatment or get out of the program. I would even think that it would be fair to substitute ongoing treatment for any work requirement in the program.

But of course, the unions and poverty pimps that form a large portion of a certain political party would never allow this. Hell, it would hurt votes, and worse, it would require people to be responsible for their own decisions/actions. Remember, a lot of people in shitty situations put themselves there. I have seen it first hand, a lot of adults make really poor decisions and see no negative side effects as they feel that they are owed support and second chances.

You know, it's interesting. You find the idea - whether it has much basis in the real world or not - of people who get public money and don't work offensive to your sense of fairness.

But bring up another issue - the rigging of the system to let some people unfairly get wealthier off of others so that they can afford to do nothing off the money they got that way - and your unfairness alarm sits quiet. No problem for them to do that. That's a sort of blind side of the right - a filter which only allows government-colored programs in.

There's no sense of 'unfairness' if the government isn't the cause at all. In the old world where everyone was a servant or soldier for the elite - no problem. In a system where almost everyone is in poverty working for the basic shack and food the system is rigged to allow, as during the gilded age, when things like labor organization are outlawed to keep the wages at poverty - no problem, that's ok because it's the private wealthy screwing the rest of society, not the government paying a tiny amount to the poor.

I'm not arguing against your opinion of the anti-poverty programs at the moment, but pointing out the bias you and others like you have. A dollar spent on the poor is obscene theft from you; the rich cutting their own taxes and shifting the burden onto you yet further is a good idea, and if you oppose it ou are punishing them for being wealthy.

 

[JS80]

Honestly, not to be an asshole, but if you are going to be on public assistance, you should work for it. Sure, there should be a grace period, a year or so, but at a certain point you should have to at least provide some type of service. Be this volunteer work at a non profit or cleaning up the highway, something that consitutes work and may help society. This should be the case as well for people on unemployment after a certain period of time. Yes, normally, we don't see people on for more than 26 weeks, but those at +50 should really have to do something for the money. This may reduce the issues seen with people waiting until the very end to look for work.

In addition to this, people on welfare in particular (no so sure about unemployment as it is more temporary) should undergo drug screening, no questions. I am amazed that everytime this comes up the poverty pimps act like it is the worst possible idea in the history of the nation. There is a huge problem with drug and alchohol abuse in the government assistance group of people. Either get man up, admit to use and get treatment or get out of the program. I would even think that it would be fair to substitute ongoing treatment for any work requirement in the program.

But of course, the unions and poverty pimps that form a large portion of a certain political party would never allow this. Hell, it would hurt votes, and worse, it would require people to be responsible for their own decisions/actions. Remember, a lot of people in shitty situations put themselves there. I have seen it first hand, a lot of adults make really poor decisions and see no negative side effects as they feel that they are owed support and second chances.

Why work for it when in a democracy 51% can vote to legally steal from the 49%?

 

[Bowfinger]

Why work for it when in a democracy 51% can vote to legally steal from the 49%?

Except what we really have is a majority distracted by the 51%/49% talking point while the .05% is bribing ... err, exercising their free speech rights with large checks ... enough of the 536 to steal from all of us. (536, of course, being the number of Senators, Representatives, and POTUS). By all means, continue to rage on against the poor picking change from your pockets while your bank and job are being raided by the ultra-wealthy.

 

[bfdd]

probably where they live the soil would be bad. Poor areas are put next to industry. At the very least they should have their soil tested (everyone should).

for 300 dollars they can have a setup to grow all the veggies they want in doors and that's just the initial investment. it would cost pennies on the dollar to continue to grow their own veggies.

 

[Zebo]

for 300 dollars they can have a setup to grow all the veggies they want in doors and that's just the initial investment. it would cost pennies on the dollar to continue to grow their own veggies.

I'm interested. Do you have links? What do you do when grid goes down? As in no electricity?

 

[Zebo]

Why work for it when in a democracy 51% can vote to legally steal from the 49%?

The real stealing is done by top .01%. They got 2 trillion this year. Welfare moms/dads and children get ~150 billion. Go to Bank for a few Million after running drilling businesses into the ground like Bush, let me know if the body guards stop laughing before or after they throw you out. Try and get billion dollar no-bid contracts like the politically connected. Or just a government contract in general..

It's more like - Why work when you can have 49% dumbasses like JS80 do it, tax him to feed the rabble to point he gets angry and cuts our taxes.

 

[soulcougher73]

I, and I think most Americans, don't necessarily have a problem helping out those in need who are doing everything they can to help themselves. It is the welfare moms and the lazy who leach the system that I cannot stand and would rather starve to death than give a dollar to. I was a landlord for several years, and believe me, I've had my fare share of deadbeats who made more on welfare than working.

What I said about making your own choices holds true... but I would be much more inclined to help someone who (at the time) made good choices and is now down on his/her luck. I had a renter who had an asshole husband. She was married for years and had two kids by him before she was able to leave. I'm sure when she married him he wasn't an asshole and even though her decision to marry him, in hindsight, was bad, at the time it wasn't.

So she divorces him and moves on with her two kids and he is nowhere around. She lives modestly, drives a very old car, shops bargains, is going to school and has a full-time job. She has no free time and is eeking by, trying to get out of the rut. She neve asks for anything, isn't getting pregnant again, and doesn't buy Doritos and Pepsi. She has one TV, a 19", that looks like she found at the dump in the reuse area.

Contrast this with another renter I had. She worked at a gas station, had 4 kids by 3 different fathers. She spends all of her money on her hair, nails and alcohol. Her house (government assisted) is completely trashed all the time and she doesn't give a fuck. She has random men coming over all hours of the day. She cannot come up with her $100 portion of $1200 rent ($1100 subsidized by taxpayers) though she can get a hair color and celebrate by going to the bars (I ran into her one night at a bar when she owed me money. Uncomfortable.)

I would happily help those who help themselves and just need a hand for a short while. These are people who would otherwise be productive citizens had the factory not closed, or the economy not tanked, or their husband didn't die...people who tried very hard to make good choices that didn't lead them to where they wanted to be.

I think welfare shouldn't be given to the bottom rungs of our society and instead given to those just above them who are trying, who are bettering themselves, who did try to do the right thing. The corollary to this is that those who refuse to work, who pop out kids left and right, who waste money on drugs and alcohol, who won't go to school or work two jobs will get nothing. Nothing at all. They ALL have the ability to do something. I see these "homeless" people with signs, and they stand in front of McDonalds that has a banner saying "Now Hiring."

Help those who deserve it and who can take the help and do something with it.

Very nicely stated.

 

[jackofalltrades]

I feel like most people who think they are poor because they cannot have everything Given to them because they are not willing to work for what they want. I have watched on my Job people loosing their jobs because they didn't want to do a different job than what they were hired for, I'm not talking janitor work when you are an engineer I'm talking about running this machine instead of that machine because the need arises. I'm talking about lying on their paperwork so they could sit outside and smoke then getting mad they get fired for stealing from the company! In this economy people should be glad they are working not complaining about not being able to buy the new xbox 360 or Lcd tv because they are too lazy to work for it. The people living off someone else they are not homeless they are enabled to be lazy. there is a difference home less is just that living on the streets and not being able to break the cycle because of circumstances, these people need help not the ones who would rather live in filth and draw a goverment check for being lazy.

I have seen people stuck homeless they are willing to get out of it and do better, not someone laying up in goverment assisted housing and not working because their rent would increase. Don't get me wrong not everyone in Goverment housing is lazy some people need the help, Once even I did I stayed in the goverments housing for 3 months and it was all I needed to get everthing rolling again. I do not get any help now and haven't for 12 years but if everyone who is able would do the same the burden would be much less on the whole country.

My 2 cents worth I am done now.