Who are "those people"?

[Thrifty Ray]

Re: Who are "those people"?

"Those people" are NOT the folks who are in financial crisis and using the help that we thankfully have in place for such situations. They are not the disabled, the suddenly and/or unexpectedly unemployed, the people who for circumstances BEYOND THEIR CONTROL cannot make it without assistance....they do desire to make a better life eventually, when the situation is better. THEY ARE NOT 'THOSE PEOPLE".

"Those people" ARE the ones who do take advantage and suck the system for all they can. Ive known a few and those few definately fall under this umbrella. "Those people" work the system, file for benefits rather than seek work, keep having children KNOWING that they cant/dont support the ones they have, they know the angles and they work them....some are second generation system workers..."Get a job? Why, I can make it on public assistance"...

I think the confusion comes when it's assumed/implied "THOSE PEOPLE" is a generalization of everyone on public assistance and IMO, its definately NOT.

[disneysteve]

Re: Who are "those people"?

But did you know that the minute someone in subsidized housing has an income increase, the amount of their rent automatically increases? What incentive is there for people to work more, or encourage others in their households to work, if it puts them further behind?

This is a big problem. I'm often asked to fill out a disability form for a patient so that he/she can keep his medical coverage. It is always a tough situation. Sometimes the person has a legitimate medical problem but isn't truly disabled. But if I say they aren't disabled, they lose all their benefits, sometimes including their home. I have several patients who live in motels through public assistance. If their income rises to a certain point, they no longer qualify for the housing assistance. But if they need to spend that income on rent and utilties, they will have little if anything left to live on. It is definitely a deeply flawed system.

[tabbycat31]

Re: Who are "those people"?

disneysteve, a cellphone is not a luxury item if you do not have a landline. I chose to go cellphone only because I don't want to be charged for long distance, etc. I want one phone where I can always be reached at. In the younger generation, you will see this more and more. The only time I've used a landline in the past 5 years has been at work for business related calls. I don't miss it at all.

I think that with any system you will get people milking it. Look at the Earned Income Tax Credit, designed to provide more income for low income families. Yet there will be people buying plasma TVs with that money. At the Customers Suck forum (venting retail employees) there are repeated tales of people driving Hummers to cash their welfare check, then use it to buy steak and lobster, etc. I think at one point, a major league baseball player collected welfare.

However for every 1 person milking the system, there's 10 more who use it wisely. The same could be said about any system.

[LISA178]

Re: Who are "those people"?

Hello,

I am one of "Those People", I am on disability and live on $650 a month.

I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be in the situation I am in today.When I was growing up I thought college and a career where in my future,then things happen.

My parent were both sickly,my mother died when I was 10, leaving us with my father. My dad was a gamble of gigantic proportions,the dog races came first. I spent most of my childhood in the car waiting for him to come out of the races,usally broke. Broke ment no food,no clothes, you get the point.The scars of this stll haunt me today.

My dad died at the race track when I was 16,leaving us in debt and alone. The family that were constantly in our lives now where afraid they'd end up with 3 kids and basically deserted us.

I stayed in school and my sister went to work and my brother worked also.The jobs were minimum wage. We were all grieving and things happen and my brother left.

I stayed in school and my sister worked and the car died and needed to be fixed. So we took from Peter to pay Paul and Peter wasn't happy.So I quit school to find a job,unfortunately not in time to make Peter happy and things just went down hill.Stealing from Peter to give to Paul is jumping into a downward spiral that is hard to get out of.

My town is a factory town so I did factory work. Factories lay-off and I decide to go to hairdressing school. I finished school indebt from student loan and not the greatest of hairdressers. I get a job in a salon and realise this is not for me or the people I'm working on(LOL)so in their best interest I go back to the factories in debt.

My story is one of working,layoff and the factories leaving the area to go overseas taking the jobs with them.

I got sick with diabetes and the stress of being unemployed and running out of options took it's toll mentally. It's not a thrill being unable to find someone to hire you.
So I needed help for medications and doctors and I neede help for living.

I don't live a single day without regret and shame about the situation I'm in and sorry but it burns my @** to hear the phrase "If I can do it they can" .Until you walk a mile in someone elses shoes let us not pass judgement.
I'm glad life worked out for you and your choices were good ones,but not everyone gets to follow the same path.

I'm know alot of wrong decision that seemed right at the time put me where I am, but it wasn't all my doing.I can't control outside influences,none of us can.

I don't know,we're so hard on our own people but think nothing of sending aid to all these foriegn countries. I don't begrugde them aid,I just wish we had the same compassion for the homeless and hungry in the USA. Instead of the "if X can do it" theory.

Sorry for the rant,just tried to explain how you become one of "Those other people"

Lisa

[disneysteve]

Re: Who are "those people"?

disneysteve, a cellphone is not a luxury item if you do not have a landline.

It is if you are paying more for the cellphone.

Verizon's Flat Rate Service for unlimited local calling is $8.95/month. And I know you can get long distance service for 3 cents/minute from a variety of sources. I think you'd have a tough time finding cell phone service anywhere close to that. Cingular's cheapest individual plan is $39.99/month.

I wonder how many people who dropped their land lines in favor of a cell phone are actually saving any money.

[Ima saver]

Re: Who are "those people"?

Boy, Lisa, you sure have had it tough. I agree with disneysteve, I think it is more expensive to have a cell phone. I am always hearing tales of people losing their cell phone or leaving it out in the rain, etc. I have long distance thru a company called light year and my bill is usually about $3-4 a month and my dh calls his father long distance quite a bit.

[vsjhoc]

Re: Who are "those people"?

Sorry for the rant,just tried to explain how you become one of "Those other people"

Lisa

Thanks for sharing your story.

[boefixepa]

Re: Who are "those people"?

Lisa, don't feel bad, you ARE NOT one of 'those people!' You are the kind of person that the system was made to help. If you are doing the best you can, then by all means use the system, that is what it is there for. No one, especially those here, are going to fault you. It's not that we don't want the system, we are just frustrated by those that take advantage of the system, which we support, and live better than we do, or are not willing to make the sacrifices we do to live on less.

[disneysteve]

Re: Who are "those people"?

I agree with disneysteve, I think it is more expensive to have a cell phone. I am always hearing tales of people losing their cell phone or leaving it out in the rain, etc.

LOL! I lost my cell last month. I can say with all certainty that I have never lost my land line phone. I have never left it out in the rain. I have never dropped it as I got out of my car. I have never left it in my pocket when doing laundry. And I have not had to upgrade my land line phone equipment for many, many years. I have one phone at home that I bought for my college dorm room in 1982. Let's see how many of you still have your current cell phone in 24 years.

[Ima saver]

Re: Who are "those people"?

Disneysteve, I have the rotary phone that I bought in 1973 when I moved into a new house. It still works too!!

[PrincessPerky]

Re: Who are "those people"?

A phone period is a luxury..you will not die wihout it, and in the case of an emergency at home you are more likely to ask you rneighbor to call than use your own anyway! (in case of fire, get a neighbor to call don't stay in the house!)

Lisa, you are not 'those people', not all assistance are 'those people', if you read many of the posts they are saying that. If you are trying your best and the system is helping I am all for it, your dad might have been one of 'those people' but thats not your fault.

I bet one of the reasons we see most on assistance as 'those people' is that we don't ask people who are scrimping if they are on it, we don't ask the lady shopping at thrift stores, buying day old bread or working two jobs (how can you ask, she is too busy!) instead we see theone in line to cash her welfarecheck at the store with the case of ciggs blabbing on the phone about her hair roots comming in and her hair stylist took a vacation, and now the lady has to go to the latest concert with roots showing and her nails chipped.....the nice quiet lady one asile over, to busy planning meals/counting coupons/resting from one job on the way to the next escapes notice!

[tabbycat31]

Re: Who are "those people"?

I bet one of the reasons we see most on assistance as 'those people' is that we don't ask people who are scrimping if they are on it, we don't ask the lady shopping at thrift stores, buying day old bread or working two jobs (how can you ask, she is too busy!) instead we see theone in line to cash her welfarecheck at the store with the case of ciggs blabbing on the phone about her hair roots comming in and her hair stylist took a vacation, and now the lady has to go to the latest concert with roots showing and her nails chipped.....the nice quiet lady one asile over, to busy planning meals/counting coupons/resting from one job on the way to the next escapes notice!

you hit the nail on the head with the last paragraph. I think that classes in budgeting should be required for public assistance (okay I think that they should be required for high school graudation)

[shengmei]

Re: Who are "those people"?

I know of one person. She tried to kill me when I wouldn't let her live in my apartment for free.

My personal guts is that if they will cheat the system, they will cheat you. You should get away from those people ASAP.

[Ima saver]

Re: Who are "those people"?

I have a girlfriend who works at one of the housing projects. she is really discusted at how the tennents waste so much money, but live in almost free housing. (One lady pays a dollar a month)When you think of it, you can save a lot of money living free, no property tax, no home insurance, no upkeep and maintence!

[disneysteve]

Re: Who are "those people"?

I have a girlfriend who works at one of the housing projects. she is really discusted at how the tennents waste so much money, but live in almost free housing. (One lady pays a dollar a month)When you think of it, you can save a lot of money living free, no property tax, no home insurance, no upkeep and maintence!

I did a house call once here in town. The house was pretty run down on the outside. Inside, it wasn't terrible, but there was barely any furniture. Just mattresses on the floor in the bedrooms and a cheap table and chairs in the kitchen. But there was a new, very large flat screen tv in the living room along with a DVD player and stereo, all on a nice wall unit.

I think many people might not be milking the system but just have very twisted priorities and make poor choices about how to spend what little money they have. Like folks who would rather have a big tv and eat ramen noodles every day. Or one patient who insisted he couldn't afford the $15 to see the dermatologist to remove the skin cancer from his face but freely admitted to spending $35/week on lottery tickets.

Just as you can't tell how rich someone is by how they dress or what they drive, you also can't tell how poor someone is that way either.