Wednesday, April 8th, 2009The whole truth. "You cannot legislate the poor into freedom by legislating the rich out of freedom. What one person receives without working for, another person must work for without receiving. The government cannot give to anybody anything the government does not first take from somebody else. When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend is about the end of any nation. You cannot multiply the wealth by dividing it."
-Dr. Adrian Rogers
Should I thank everyone now for the government assistance we got in my younger childhood years when my single mom worked three jobs and still needed help? Or is it better to say sorry to those that got money "taken away" so my mom could pay rent?
My biggest issue with the current state of affairs regarding our country's assistance programs is not enough regulation. There needs to be tougher rules surrounding receiving assistance and how to keep it and for how long...I personally believe that anyone over the age of 18 should have four years to "get their act together," so to speak--it's enough time to secure a job (or two) or finish a college degree. I also believe that if you cannot provide for children and ask the state to help care for them e.g., my in-home daycare prices need to be lowered to accommodate for your subsidy, then you do not deserve to keep said children until you're prepared to provide for them fully. I also believe that if you do not have a high-school diploma or equivalent (G.E.D.), you should not be able to receive assistance. Period.
Yes, I know this would never "fly," but it's how I feel.
"I believe slavery is a much maligned institution; if we had slavery today, we would not have this welfare mess.”
-Dr. Adrian Rogers
I am going to play off of Angi's idea regarding the "4 years to get their act together after they turn 18"...and will state that I believe1-2 years of mandatory military service should be required.
This will instill not only discipline in the young adults but it will also give them a sense of purpose and pride in accomplishment. But again, it will never happen.
So, what is the real solution to the problem?
Humzoo has been so peaceful and relaxing lately.
"A good discussion/argument every 20 days or so on Humzoo is healthy"
---Thomas Jefferson
Angi, I agree that there needs to be more regulation to stop the bleeding and help those that fall through the cracks.
What if my mom didn't work those three jobs to support us? What if she got into drugs and alcohol or got so depressed about being a single mom and having that much responsibility that she just feel apart and lived on government assistance alone? If this were the case, and according to the statement posted in this blog, then on my 18th birthday I would be put on the streets with no help for food, a roof over my head or training to get A job. I would suffer for the decisions and choices my mom made raising me... and that would have been all I knew at that time. But apparently that doesn't matter... I would suffer although it really wasn't my fault.
It's a vicious cycle and we need to fix the system. But where do we start? Money has to come from somewhere to fix it rather than put a band aid on it. It's so easy to turn the other cheek when you've never been there or you don't see it on a regular basis... and I don't mean the homeless man you see walking down the street. I mean *knowing* the people that have struggled and need help and knowing the reasons they got in that place to begin with rather than lump them all into the "take from the rich and not work to earn" category. The same people that complain the most, to me, are the same people that vote no to create more regulations and support funding for programs to get to the root of the problem.
And Carrie, my sister was part of "the system" for quite some time and had to rely on the programs more than once...she doesn't learn. Will she be back there again? Probably. Why? SHE DOESN'T LEARN. My mother has also been helping/supporting her over the past twenty years and has finally figured out that no matter how much money she provides to "get her back on her feet," it'll never work. She. Doesn't. Learn. And God bless your poor mother...I'm sure it wasn't easy to do what she did, but it was what was necessary to raise her children at the time. And you obviously didn't reach age 18 only to "hit the streets" to "suffer the decisions" because you learned and knew better. Unlike my sister, who was pretty spoiled prior to age 18 and didn't learn crap.
And Meg, I like that terminology: A hand up.
I am not against welfare at all. I think we should support those who are down on their luck. But where do you draw the line?
We already provide a free education for people. I think we are too complacent as a society in general and expect the govt or others to take care of us.
I had a family experience where my older sister was a stay at home mom for 20 years and did not get her college degree. She had 3 kids and her husband ran out on her.
My sister was depressed for about 6 months and relied upon my parents to buy her groceries and pay her bills. It was sad...on both sides. 1. She was my sister and going through a hard time and 2. She felt sad for herself and was just sitting around the house.
However at the end of the 6 months she got her act together. She got 4 part time jobs including a paper route..(and she was 40 years old at the time). She went back to school, got her degree and now is an art teacher at a grade school in springfield, she still has her paper route, and teaches art at some hobby type of stores in town.
Her demeanor is much better and she has a sense of pride about her.
My point is that welfare and public assistance is intended for short term use until someone can pick themselves back up. Once they start using it as a crutch is when it becomes useless and a drain on the achievers.
Meg, I know you have used your assistance as a hand up, not a hand out. You are a great mom. It doesn't always work out that way. While I agree that we can't let these people just live off the government, my concern (and disdain) is about the complaints but no willingness to resolve. How can these people make it... especially these 2nd and 3rd generation people? My mom made it... bless her heart, but she also had an education and taught us values along the way. A lot of these people caught in this trap have parents that are/were on welfare that never got an education themselves... all they know is the quickest way to a dollar and everything else that is illegal or morally wrong in our society. To some people, it's called survival. I see it everyday. I'm not talking about just the consumers I work for, but their families, too. They have ROUGH lives and never knew it any other way. How do they get out of the cycle and start making a difference? They need help. They need assistance getting a job. They need assistance getting to a job. They need assistance to wear appropriate clothes to a job. They need assistance with childcare so they go to their job everyday. They need education and birth control assistance so they don't have 8 kids to find childcare for to get to the job everyday.
By no means do I defend anyone who chooses to stay home and not make a positive life for themselves but I know first hand it's a lot more complex than that.
I know the so called "free" education in this country is not that anymore. I think we have all talked about this on another blog here. I pay taxes in my school district and that is where my children attend school. But the teachers are paid horribly, they are not adequately provided for in the classroom and, most of the time, take money out of their own pockets to provide for their classrooms. I know the supply list I get at the first part of the year is outragous and I always buy extra because I know there will always be 2-3 kids in the class that have nothing. But it is a sad state of affairs when the so-called "free" education actually ends up costing me close to $500 a year per child.