Marcia has me fired up(again) with her
food donation post. If you're truly starving, food is food.
Living in a developed nation, I feel that Americans have become both expectant and lazy. They expect, and take for granted, a wide variety of things including welfare. I think living in a developed country it is easy to take for granted things like clean water, safe food, and easily accessible health care in addition to various rights and privileges. However, I strongly feel that many people here take advantage of government assistance, in all it's forms.
I was recently told, from a welfare recipient, that I would
*EASILY* get
*ATLEAST* $700 a month in food stamps in addition to WIC,
*CASH ASSISTANCE*, and free government health care for my children if I walk into an social services office and say my husband and I have separated. We wouldn't have to actually divorce or physically separate, just file a little paper- that can stay on file FOREVER- saying we're on a break. For reals friends. This is a serious problem. It's a problem that has become a way of life for many people.
***Disclaimer: This is rant. I know that there are people who need and appropriately use government assistance. This is directed at those who don't. The growing majority that work the system to their benefit. The life time welfare recipients who collect their dinero without an ounce of effort or desire to change.***
Working in a grocery store I see it every day. EVERY DAY! People come in with their independence cards(what a name!) and their WIC checks. They're dressed in nice clothes, they drive cars, they live with family and have multiple incomes. They don't truly NEED this assistance, they choose to live above their means and supplement their income with government assistance. Whether this means they work under the table or live with people and have unreported income, they're taking advantage of the system. Whatever happen to relying on friends and family? Buying used? Clipping coupons and cutting back?
It infuriates, and I mean truly makes me livid, to see people purchase what I consider luxuries with their government assistance. I feed a family of four for under $100 a week. Apparently the average I would get on government assistance is almost $1000. I shop sales, and have coupons. I keep a pantry and stock up. I can't always afford to buy filet and crab for dinner, I wait to sales on meat and freeze. Yet I see people come in and buy fresh seafood, soda, and jack-o-lanterns with their independence cards. Do you plan on eating the jack-o-lantern? I find it amazing when they (welfare recipients) complain about not being able to buy things they want. Apparently using their own money to support themselves and buy things isn't an option. I'm sorry you can't buy prepared foods, but feel free to use your FREE MONEY to buy food and cook it yourself. I apologize the state only allows you to buy 1% milk, it's free so shut up and drink it. Please don't buy it because it's free and just leave it in front of the store. That's just wasteful, and there are plenty of people who don't qualify and would desperately love some free milk.
Further more, cash assistance is a joke. This is money given to people to use as they please. The intent is to help with expenses outside of food, like bills, housing, and child related expenses. However I don't think lottery tickets and cigarettes fall into the necessities category. These tools are designed to help people when they are down and out, not be used an a main source of support. You can't have three kids and work a part time job. It's your job as a parent to support your family. No child asks to be born, just as no child should suffer. However the system is irrevocably broken, and I'm not sure if it's the government or the general population to blame. Is the government doing it's job to serve the people or are they doing a disservice to them in catering too much? If you don't learn personal responsibility at home, who will teach you?
I fully support a revamping of the system. Perhaps making birth control mandatory so people don't have babies for more money and rethink the use of their resources! They could make a standard pay out, regardless of family size. There seems to be a missing element of responsibility in our society. People expect the government to take care of them, and the government caters to the people. Yet the government can't afford to do so. I enjoy clean, running water and utilities. I like paved streets. The public school system could use some sprucing up but it serves it's purpose. I don't think the government needs to support my family, that's my responsibility. We chose to have children. We waited till we were settled in our home and jobs. If for some reason we were to fall on hard times, I would turn to my family and friends. Others would turn to their churches and neighborhoods. The government would be a last resort, a walk of shame and admittance of failure for me. Am I alone in thinking this way? People do fall on hard times, the economy is bumpy now, people are laid off. There is unemployment, and I feel it is there to help carry you through while you actively look for employment.
I feel that there is a loss of responsibility in our culture. Both fiscal and personal. I would love to have more children, but for us that would be a major financial undertaking. We'd need a bigger house, car, and another round of IVF. That's a financial leap I can't comfortable make as a family of four. I have a savings account, which almost seems to be a foreign concept to people. People live from paycheck to paycheck and complain they can't get ahead. There are predictions that the middle class will vanish and there will only be "rich" and "poor" and I wonder way people can't make better decisions? What's wrong with teaching financial literacy in school? When did people stop teaching basic life skills to their kids?
It sounds horrible, but would it be so horrible to let people truly struggle a little? Perhaps if people understood true need, they would appreciate what they have and learn to work to better themselves. I believe it is better to teach a man to fish. I also feel that instead of making such a production out of issues like tax laws and wealth distribution, people should start at home to make a difference. The occupy movement is a nice idea, sure everyone would like some more money. But maybe people should work to teach the next generation how to live sensibly while learning to do so themselves. If we all do this while refusing to pay exaggerated prices, things might just start to change. If not, the next generation will still benefit from the restoration of values.
I hope to teach my children the values of hard-work and perseverance. I want them to understand the value of things and money. I want them to be handy and resourceful, to be able to rely on themselves. When my girls leave me, I want them to be confident in handling money and budgeting, to know how to plan ahead, to be able to can, cook, and sew. I would love for them to understand basic, and even advance home repair. I want them to be able to embrace life and make the best of what they have. Most of all, I want them to be confident entering the world alone and unafraid to tackle something new. They should be self sufficient, and proud! That will let me know I've succeeded in raising productive and self reliant children.
Please tell me I'm not alone.
