How ironic

I find it ironic that you need a hand out to buy milk but you still can spend cash on smoking - sorry maybe its a different take on life!

people who have nothing - no house, no insurance, struggling to "get by" and tell me so, kids are wearing ratty clothes with holes in them, etc - but have the best cell phone, a nicer purse than most women have, tons of expensive jewelry, nice manicure, etc. why not get the essentials first?

Because in today's world, people don't have the right priorities. Its sad when people who are on welfare get paid more then someone who works, and yet they always complain its not enough.

Assuming your in the US, how much money does welfare give out over there? I have heard this a few times on the boards, and being from Canada, welfare here would not even be near minimum wage, in Ontario, its around $500 a month I think, so I do not understand why your benefit payments are more money than working.....

people who have nothing - no house, no insurance, struggling to "get by" and tell me so, kids are wearing ratty clothes with holes in them, etc - but have the best cell phone, a nicer purse than most women have, tons of expensive jewelry, nice manicure, etc. why not get the essentials first?

Because in today's world, people don't have the right priorities. Its sad when people who are on welfare get paid more then someone who works, and yet they always complain its not enough.

Assuming your in the US, how much money does welfare give out over there? I have heard this a few times on the boards, and being from Canada, welfare here would not even be near minimum wage, in Ontario, its around $500 a month I think, so I do not understand why your benefit payments are more money than working.....

It depends on the state. But "welfare" here is more than a check. It's a variety of benefits, from health care to child care to housing, food, cash assistance and many other things. You can even get a free cell phone now. Not a house phone for emergencies, but a cell phone. I even get offers in the mail telling me I might qualify for it and I definitely don't need that. I'd like it free, though. :-)

There are people in this country who make a living avoiding work and "working the system." Some of these people don't actually need assistance, but they fake documents and commit fraud just to get it.This, of course, is not EVERYONE on assistance. Many truly need it.

What gets me is that people whine and cry about cutting the entitlements, but if they weeded out the fraud the government would have a surplus for those who genuinely need it.

Also, the cell phone program. They get those cell phones from charity drops you see at grocery stores or get them from the websites that buy old cell phones. And the plans are restricted. It's not like they say hey, here is a free iPhone with unlimited everything.

people who have nothing - no house, no insurance, struggling to "get by" and tell me so, kids are wearing ratty clothes with holes in them, etc - but have the best cell phone, a nicer purse than most women have, tons of expensive jewelry, nice manicure, etc. why not get the essentials first?

Because in today's world, people don't have the right priorities. Its sad when people who are on welfare get paid more then someone who works, and yet they always complain its not enough.

Assuming your in the US, how much money does welfare give out over there? I have heard this a few times on the boards, and being from Canada, welfare here would not even be near minimum wage, in Ontario, its around $500 a month I think, so I do not understand why your benefit payments are more money than working.....

It depends on the state. But "welfare" here is more than a check. It's a variety of benefits, from health care to child care to housing, food, cash assistance and many other things. You can even get a free cell phone now. Not a house phone for emergencies, but a cell phone. I even get offers in the mail telling me I might qualify for it and I definitely don't need that. I'd like it free, though. :-)

There are people in this country who make a living avoiding work and "working the system." Some of these people don't actually need assistance, but they fake documents and commit fraud just to get it.This, of course, is not EVERYONE on assistance. Many truly need it.

What gets me is that people whine and cry about cutting the entitlements, but if they weeded out the fraud the government would have a surplus for those who genuinely need it.

Um, interesting....I wonder why one would need child care if they do not work.......I could see health care and housing help though....things are just so different over here, I have seen other things that about your food stamp programs and such too, we do not have any of that over here to my knowledge.....not that I have ever seen anyway, and I work retail......

MissTattoo, work in a grocery store in a poor neighborhood sometime and you'll see what really goes on. Two years as a cashier and I was cashing welfare checks for people wearing brand new designer clothes and talking on cell phones back when cell phones were not the norm and most working people couldn't afford them.

It was a very small town. What was going on -- and it was rampant -- was that male drug dealers were making tons of cash selling drugs and the women they were knocking up were going on welfare. So the men were supporting the women with the drug-dealing income and the women were also getting money, housing, all of that from the state. They were definitely living better than many who were actually working.

And as I said in my previous post, this is not everyone on assistance. Some people are in a very different situation. But to say that kind of thing is a myth is burying your head in the sand. I don't "know someone who knows someone who saw something." I witnessed it.

MissTattoo, work in a grocery store in a poor neighborhood sometime and you'll see what really goes on. Two years as a cashier and I was cashing welfare checks for people wearing brand new designer clothes and talking on cell phones back when cell phones were not the norm and most working people couldn't afford them.

It was a very small town. What was going on -- and it was rampant -- was that male drug dealers were making tons of cash selling drugs and the women they were knocking up were going on welfare. So the men were supporting the women with the drug-dealing income and the women were also getting money, housing, all of that from the state. They were definitely living better than many who were actually working.

And as I said in my previous post, this is not everyone on assistance. Some people are in a very different situation. But to say that kind of thing is a myth is burying your head in the sand. I don't "know someone who knows someone who saw something." I witnessed it.

Your entire post sounds like an email chain. You do know there are stores out there that sell designer stuff for less. Ross, A.J. Wright, Marshalls, T.J. Max, thrift stores (I found a real Vera Bradley tote bag for $5 at the Salvation Army) etc. And nowadays, cell phones have replaced landline phones for the most part. Are you saying that people don't deserve to have the luxury of having a phone in case something happens? Car breaks down on the dark highway or you have a job where you don't have a direct line to your desk and there is an emergency, or you need to call the police quickly?

You can't get child care assistance if you are not working. They verify employment and will call your employer randomly to see if you are working.

And if you don't have a job, they will only pay for a few hours of care if you are going on interviews or handing in applications.

Not in Florida. I work for the agency that oversees the subsidized child care. Children of families on TANF have priority over working families for child care assistance. I can quote the stature for you if you'd like. It's sitting on my desk right now.

Did you not read where I said every state is different?

You can't get child care assistance if you are not working. They verify employment and will call your employer randomly to see if you are working.

And if you don't have a job, they will only pay for a few hours of care if you are going on interviews or handing in applications.

Not in Florida. I work for the agency that oversees the subsidized child care. Children of families on TANF have priority over working families for child care assistance. I can quote the stature for you if you'd like. It's sitting on my desk right now.

Did you not read where I said every state is different?

Where? And it's a FEDERAL LAW.

It's federal law to choose people on assistance first? In WV and I'm sure PA, they process everything in the order that it's received. We didn't have a these people are already on food stamps so they get priority over this family who isn't piles.

You do know there are stores out there that sell designer stuff for less. Ross, A.J. Wright, Marshalls, T.J. Max, thrift stores (I found a real Vera Bradley tote bag for $5 at the Salvation Army) etc. And nowadays, cell phones have replaced landline phones for the most part. Are you saying that people don't deserve to have the luxury of having a phone in case something happens? Car breaks down on the dark highway or you have a job where you don't have a direct line to your desk and there is an emergency, or you need to call the police quickly?

I have to agree with this entire post. I doubt the majority of people on welfare wearing designer clothes got them at Nordstrom's.

Regarding smoking; it's an addiction. Maybe the lady wearing a t-shirt fighting cancer entered the race to help people with cancer. I've seen many runners smoke. I know many doctors and nurses who also smoke. I try not to judge smokers, although I cannot deny thinking those who smoke while pregnant put themselves before their children.