welfare

[baxnbust]

i'm sure i am going to make a lot of people mad with this one, but can anybody please explain to me how the welfare system is working? why is it that I, a person who works 40 hours a week can't afford things that people on welfare can? Why is it that the government keeps giving money to people for having kids when they can't afford the ones they have? I say give money to single mothers to support one kid, but the second they get pregnant with another one then cut them off. We are never going to get out of this welfare mess if we teach those who are on it that sometimes it pays not to work, not to make money, to keep having kids. Enough already.

[Willow]

I thought that they already have it so you can't get assistance for any future children you may have. :confused:

[Tasha405]

I thought they have like a 5 yr lifetime limit law or something like that. Am I wrong?

[Willow]

I thought they have like a 5 yr lifetime limit law or something like that. Am I wrong?


That's how I understand it too.

[Tasha405]

Also some people may be on welfare because they have recently lost their jobs or something like that. Not all woman on welfare are baby machines who sit home and do nothing. I know some probably are but not all of them.

I know that when my DH lost his job we had to sign up for a few months until he found another job. We still had a car, our home and everything else. Yes we fell behind on everything but we still had them. lol So not everyone is using the system to take advantage of it. Some people really do need it.

[baxnbust]

They have a 5 year limit law on what is actually considered "welfare". But, you can go off it for a month and then get right back on it. As far as future children are concerned, you won't technically get anymore money for them, but you will get more food stamps, more free healthcare etc.... Before working at an animal hospital I was a caseworker in NYS. Some state laws are different than others. I guess why I originally started this vent was because in our state they give discounts for spaying and neutering your pet if you are on welfare. It bothers me to see a person come into the vets to fix their animal and only have to pay so much because they are on welfare, but I see them drive out of the parking lot in a SUV or a car that I can't afford. It's not fair and I am sick of it.

[baxnbust]

I absolutely agree that some people need it and I don't begrudge them that. I am not talking about those cases. I am talking about the ones that abuse it. If you have to go one it, fine. But, do what ever you have to, just get off of it if you really don't need it. Need a job, factories, McDonald's, grocery stores are always hiring. You may not make what you think you are worth but do something. If you are a young, healthy adult, than get out there and get a job.

[Willow]

They have a 5 year limit law on what is actually considered "welfare". But, you can go off it for a month and then get right back on it. As far as future children are concerned, you won't technically get anymore money for them, but you will get more food stamps, more free healthcare etc.... Before working at an animal hospital I was a caseworker in NYS. Some state laws are different than others. I guess why I originally started this vent was because in our state they give discounts for spaying and neutering your pet if you are on welfare. It bothers me to see a person come into the vets to fix their animal and only have to pay so much because they are on welfare, but I see them drive out of the parking lot in a SUV or a car that I can't afford. It's not fair and I am sick of it.


I'm not sure how they do it because allegedly the value of their car is supposed to be within certain guidelines. I just looked on a web site and for one child you get $388 a month for cash benefits. I'm not sure how someone would be able to afford and SUV on that amount of money.

[Willow]

I absolutely agree that some people need it and I don't begrudge them that. I am not talking about those cases. I am talking about the ones that abuse it. If you have to go one it, fine. But, do what ever you have to, just get off of it if you really don't need it. Need a job, factories, McDonald's, grocery stores are always hiring. You may not make what you think you are worth but do something. If you are a young, healthy adult, than get out there and get a job.


Sometimes it's just not that easy. I do agree that some people will keep taking until there is nothing left to take but not everyone is like that. Sometimes it's just not as easy as going out there and getting a job.

[tammy77]

Dont even get me started on welfare.I went there last month to see if they could help me pay my electric for ONE month because my husband had to have emergency oral surgery.The money we had for bills that month had to go to pay for his surgery.I sat in front of this lady bawling my eyes out because I didnt know what to do.I had to choose weither or not to keep my husband alive or pay bills.She made me feel that my husbands life wasnt worth anything.We dont make much as it is and she didnt even offer us food stamps or anything.Im tired of shelling out money for baby makers.I rather my tax dollars go to a family where both parents work and are having a hard time making ends meet.

[Tasha405]

I understand that some people do abuse the system but I just wanted to state that not all people did. It does make you mad that people go around driving this or that while they are on welfare but who knows, it may not even be theirs. It may belong to a friend or whatever. If they are on welfare and driving SUV's then I would love to know whow they are doing it.

Tammy we had that happen to us once too. They wouldn't help us when my DH was out on short term disability because the value of our truck was to high. You talkin about mad, boy I was steaming. There wasn't nothing I didn't say to that woman that day. I know it wasn't her fault but man she talked to me like I was a dog. I asked her if we were supposed to eat the tires off of it and everything. lol I'm sorry they done you that way and I do believe they need to make up a new law for families that are in situations like that.

[rlynn411]

Everyone would love my neighbor. Brace yourselves if you want to see the system abused. Neighbor is Bipolor so she qualified for SS, her DH works about 6 days a week makes approx. $35,000..... did I mention they don't pay local, state or federal taxes? Now according to her, since she qualified for SS she qualifies for food stamps..... rumor has it she has told welfare office DH left her and now also receives a welfare check. Her DH employers just "provides" the magic number info for them to qualify for all this. Just irritates me to no end. TO hear them talk their ENTITLED to it.

Now my sister is a single mom working 35-40 hrs a week at Home Depot, receives no child support and she doesn't qualify for anything except $10 on a food card, which she declined.... figured someone could use it more than her.

[MamaFairal]

I just looked on a web site and for one child you get $388 a month for cash benefits.

I need to move to your state....i'd be rich!!!....lol

Well here in Mo i am temp on cash asst(bad back)while they determine my disability....i have always worked but find it hard now to sit or stand for long or short periods of time after having two back surgeries that resulted in right leg nerve damage.
In the state of Missouri i recieve $234 a month cash and food stamps....that is my only income and yes i have exhausted my unemployment already!

You are alllowed 60 mos lifetime for cash asst. and although i have received asst in the past i still have 22 mos left to use....my DD is 17yo and even she has been job hunting and locally mickey D's and those places just arent hiring as she has applied everywhere..and i mean everywhere! I have always prided myself on working and helping others who needed it and have sometimes felt ashamed when i have to go on asst.....but now i really need it and i am so glad after all these years that i still have the 22mos left to draw on.

These women that keep having baby after baby thinking they will get more welfare it just isnt the case anymore and they are too ignorant to realize that...when their oldest child reaches age 5 and they are cut off their cash with 3 more little ones under the age of 5 it starts to sink in....lol

The $234 a mos i recieve keeps the light and gas on and we are able to buy toilet paper and shampoo and such if we're lucky.....we skrimp and we do it proudly :) Without foodstamps we'd starve to death.

Im not proud to say i am drawing off the welfare system but right now i have to......and im glad its there for me.

** Just wanted to edit to add when ex's settlement $$ comes sometime soon i will once again be "OFF'' assistance!!

[baxnbust]

The problem is taht welfare is a very corrupt system. Yes, there are guidelines for what people are supposed to have, and how much they are alloted for this and that. However, the welfare system is one of the easiest to fool. Try to understand where people like me come from. I don't get dental insurance through my job. I can't afford to pay for it myself. However, I make too much to receive public assistance. I am being punished for working. That's the way I see it. Why work when it's easier too sit on your butt and get the taxpayers to pay your way. I will never back down from this subject. It makes me mad as all hell.I know there are exceptions to the rule but unfortunately they are few and far between. As far as it not being that simple to go out and get a job, yes it is. Accept that it may be crappy work, it may not pay as much as welfare does, but it's honest and you aren't taking advantage of those of us who get up every morning and drag ourselves to work, like it or not. Just get up and do something.

[baxnbust]

I just want to clear up that I am not getting down on people who really need to money to live. There are a lot of amazing women out there doing what they need to. Just to get by. Nothing saddens me more that knowing the people who really deserve the money get shortchanged because the healthy, 22 year old man/woman who doesn't want to work is taking your share. Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining about welfare in general, I am complaining about welfare abuse. This country just makes it too GD easy.

[llbriteyes]

Oh I wish everything were so black and white.

Linda

[tommyjo]

I should, but cannot shut up here..and i do know some people need welfare, my daughter was on it for awhile when she was 18..but she now has a wonderful job that she has had for over 5 years, with wonderful benefits, so it can be done, But that is not my gripe, when we moved to WA in 1991, hubby and I had no jobs, no savings and 3 girls from 12 to 5 in age. He got a job, I got a job but we owed so many bills that the girls ate and we didnt for many days. If it hadnt been for the "tabs" that I could run at my job in a grocery/deli we wouldnt have eaten very well at all. We did not even attempt Food Stamps cause we knew we made too much, but paying off old bills took most of what we made. So the jist of this is, we live in a tourist town, small and very quiet in the winter..but in the summer there are tens of thousands that come here, so here i am, a clerk in this small town store that sells steaks at like 9.99 a pound and many people came in and bought 4 and 5 of them with food stamps and I as a working person couldnt afford one of them, my kids got hot dogs when i would have loved to give them steak(never mind that kids hate steak and love hot dogs) it was the principle
of the thing!! ok, sorry i overtook your thread. couldnt help myself, will go away now.

[justmehere]

I agree with some of what has been said here...and I also agree it isnt fair some ppl get the money/food stamps, yet others set back and do with-out.

My dd is a single mother.. with my grand-daughter..2 1/2 years old...I have never in my life seen such a rude, screwed-up welfare system in my life.. my dd works, she has always worked.. she is working 2 jobs.. but with rent being soo high.. and of course utilities... it is a joke for this girl to try and make it out here...now our welfare is the type..."oh if we feel like looking your case over this month, well ya might get help" :confused: All my dd has ever ask help for was food for her little girl.. and that is like pulling teeth to get it out of the welfare system here...yet me dd is paying tax $$ every week.. I think some of these welfare working give ppl the attitude it is coming out of their pockets.. well yeah it is.. but wouldnt ya rather go home from your job as a case worker knowing the ppl that do walk thru that door and actually have a job, and do use their money on rent and such, that you did help them...and feel good about yourself, knowing ya did a good days work for your pay???
I know if i had to do that job(case worker) I would be NUTS.. I could not look at a family, single mother, and say.."Nope no food stamps this month dear".. and go home and wonder if that child will get to eat today or tomorow?
I have to agree.. the welfare syatem is corrupt.. and I really wish our goverment would take the time and money to get it straight...I mean geez it is the tax payers money that make that system go around... I'll never understand :(

[mimi37]

It's not always that easy to just go out and get a job. My husband and I both have degrees. Several years ago, my husband was out of work. We had been out job hunting and stopped in a McDonald's for something to drink. They had a sign up that they were hiring, so my husband filled out an application. I was sitting right next to him when the manager came up to him and told him there was no way he would hire him because he had a degree. He told my husband he would be bored after a couple of weeks and leave. My husband told him he really needed the job because we had kids to feed. Again he was told no. This has happened more than one time to him and has also happened to me. Last year, I applied at a mini-mart and was told they wouldn't hire me because I had a degree and would be bored at the job. So you can't just walk into a McDonald's or somewhere and fill out an application and get hired.

[starduster31]

i know what you mean, i am disabled and get SSI, my husband has been injured twice in the last year, the last time really bad, ( he tore tendons in his ankle and leg when he fell off a ladder trying to fix a leak in the roof), and he is in agony all the time because we could not afford for him to get medical care because he had no insurance, and his foot healed wrong. i have tried to get food stamps only, just so we can eat something besides beans and potatos, but no luck. my hubby had a learning disability as a child and was called retarded back then, there was no such thing as a learning disability, you were just called stupid or retarded. he cant read or write, and they say he must take computer classes for me to get food stamps. HELLO, i told them he was illiterate, but they said it did not matter, he still had to go to the computer classes. he refused to go, he said it was humiliating enough not being able to read or write, but he refused to be made a fool of. you cant blame him at all, i would feel the same way.and while i was there, a foreign lady came in, with 6, YES, 6 small children, and she got AFDC and food stamps right then. she did not have to show ID, be interviewed, or anything. and the bad part was, my hubby knew her hubby, and her hubby works for a major food processor in our area and makes 12 dollars an hour. i was furious, but what can you do? ive called the state agency, my congreesman, everybody. they say i have to prove that she is cheating the system. i thought that was their job, not mine. but we get by as best we can, my teenage son is still in school, or he says he would go to work, but i told him his education is more important, sorry, did not mean to hijack your thread, but it burns my butt, too.

[erniemarie]

allright now y'all have hit a nerve with me, I am a single mother with 2 children-twin 6 month olds, and I currently receiving W-2 Funding, W-2 is the replacement preogram for AFDC, a mother automatically receives funding for the first 3 months after child is born, you get the same amount regardless of number of children, I had severe complications to my daughters' birth and am currently unable to work for medical reasons, I receaive funding for my daughters and myself to live off off to even suggest that I lay at home and collect money is ludicrous and offensive, I will be going back to work soon, but guess whatthere are no jobs, I am a highly educated intelligent woman that has been to college and I will be lucky if I can get a minumum wage job saying "Would you like fries with that?", once my extension on W-2 for medical reasons expires I am sol. I have to look for work while I have no income whatsoever and just have to pull money out of my ass to but diapers for my children. Once I do start working guess what I have to make sure I don't make too much money or I will lose WIC elegibility and I can't afford $25 a can for formula for 2 babies. I also have to make sure my income is low enough to stay on medicaid because I have a back problem as well as asthma and other problems andf if I get sick there is no one to take care of my daughters. Child support is a joke-I haven't seen their fathjer since I was 4 months pregnant and we broke up and he threw me out with no place to live and no money. He's never even seen his daughters much less done a damn thing to help them. So to you who are so high and mighty to look down upon us and judge us for receiving governemnt benefits, perhaps you should take a walk in our shoues and learn what true misery and poverty is like for a change because you don't have a damn clue.

[KrystallizedFlame]

Here's my two cents...warning its long....

I was on assistance for off and on for from 1994-1998 until I met my hubby. I went to college when my twins turned 2 because I knew I could not support 3 children on minimum wage. I am ver grateful for that. I have a good job now. Its parttime but it will go fulltime soon with benefits. The only thing I still qualify for now is Medi-Cal for my daughters and what is called Share of Cost Medi-Cal for me. My hubby gets insurance through his job. My share of cost is $1,600 a month. That means I have to have medical tests, etc. done to me exceeding $1,600 a month before I will get help.

I have recently obtained guardianship of my nephew and haven't gotten anything for him yet.

I had to have 3 teeth pulled because they were infected really bad. Each tooth cost $109. I also had to have some fillings done or those would need to be pulled out soon. Grand total over $1,000. But since it's lower than my share of cost, I had to pay out of my pocket. I was fortunate though and was able to pay $300 up front and pay the rest in payments until paid off.

But what really gets me is people like my sil who has been on assistance for years and doesn't care to work. She has been on since she was pregnant with my nephew who will be 22 in January. She still gets assistance for her one daughter, and ssi for the other who is bipolar. And get this, both daughters had a baby this year. The babies are 2 months apart. The mother's ages of these babies: 14 and 15. She gets foodstamps for all, Medi-Cal and she found out she will get paid for watching these babies while her daughters go back to school too.

She gets almost as much as me and my hubby make from our jobs just in assistance and she calls us toward the end of the month, almost every month asking for some money to borrow for food, which she never pays back.

I nipped that in the bud quick right after me and my hubby got married. I told her by phone that my hubby has his own family to take care of and we can't afford to support her too.

My theory is Assistance should be used only for people that truly need it. Not for people to live off the system and feel the government owes it to them.

I am grateful it was there for me when I needed it. And I knew it was only temporary.

[justme23]

The problem is taht welfare is a very corrupt system. Yes, there are guidelines for what people are supposed to have, and how much they are alloted for this and that. However, the welfare system is one of the easiest to fool. Try to understand where people like me come from. I don't get dental insurance through my job. I can't afford to pay for it myself. However, I make too much to receive public assistance. I am being punished for working. That's the way I see it. Why work when it's easier too sit on your butt and get the taxpayers to pay your way. I will never back down from this subject. It makes me mad as all hell.I know there are exceptions to the rule but unfortunately they are few and far between. As far as it not being that simple to go out and get a job, yes it is. Accept that it may be crappy work, it may not pay as much as welfare does, but it's honest and you aren't taking advantage of those of us who get up every morning and drag ourselves to work, like it or not. Just get up and do something.

Someone posted on this subject a year or so ago... and I really think you should look this stuff up on the web. I'm not going to do it again since I spent an entire day doing it the last time this was discussed and argued so much... but I will tell you this... at the time I did all that research, there were more married men on welfare in EVERY state, then anyone else in the country (this could have changed since then... but seriously, look up the statistics, you might be surprised by who is and isn't on welfare). Now, I realize there are bad apples and that's why we have the new limit laws. You say that the limit laws only restrict the cash benefits... but you would be wrong... where I live, when you are cut off, you are cut off... the only thing you can get beyond the limit laws is wic... and babies HAVE to have formula, so that baby shouldn't be punished because SOME moms are too lazy to work.

I've had to use welfare... I left my fathers house when I was 15, I was getting ss because my mother died, but it only payed rent and not much else... so I got food stamps (who knew you could qualify if you weren't 18) for about 6 months. I don't even have kids... when I was old enough, I worked when I wasn't in school. We don't need it now and we don't abuse it... but if we did need it, I would certainly use it.

I do know all about abuse of the system tho... my cousin, even while her and hubby were together... would use her fathers address and claim her hubby had left her and would get food stamps... she ran up her limit and realized she couldn't spend all her money on weed anymore... she straightened up and now has her own business... but it took her a long time to grow up.

[DivineMsDi]

I don't know much about that system but I just want to say it is hard to find a job when you have ANY kids. I only have one child. I don't work because my husband's hours are erratic..he could be told in a minute he has to work late even though his job is 7-3:30. I don't have anyone to babysit my child if I work. We CANNOT afford a second car, so I can't work while he is in school. I 'could' possibly work WHEN my husband gets home (again, no clue if it will be 4 or 5 pm). Very few people hire a person with a Master's Degree to stock shelves (I have heard, what is wrong with you???). There aren't a lot of night job options.

So, even with a lot of education, it is hard to get ahead!

I bless everyone who really needs welfare, and curse all those cheating the system.... :eek:

[DAVESBABYDOLL]

Here's my two cents...warning its long....

I was on assistance for off and on for from 1994-1998 until I met my hubby. I went to college when my twins turned 2 because I knew I could not support 3 children on minimum wage. I am ver grateful for that. I have a good job now. Its parttime but it will go fulltime soon with benefits. The only thing I still qualify for now is Medi-Cal for my daughters and what is called Share of Cost Medi-Cal for me. My hubby gets insurance through his job. My share of cost is $1,600 a month. That means I have to have medical tests, etc. done to me exceeding $1,600 a month before I will get help.

I have recently obtained guardianship of my nephew and haven't gotten anything for him yet.

I had to have 3 teeth pulled because they were infected really bad. Each tooth cost $109. I also had to have some fillings done or those would need to be pulled out soon. Grand total over $1,000. But since it's lower than my share of cost, I had to pay out of my pocket. I was fortunate though and was able to pay $300 up front and pay the rest in payments until paid off.

But what really gets me is people like my sil who has been on assistance for years and doesn't care to work. She has been on since she was pregnant with my nephew who will be 22 in January. She still gets assistance for her one daughter, and ssi for the other who is bipolar. And get this, both daughters had a baby this year. The babies are 2 months apart. The mother's ages of these babies: 14 and 15. She gets foodstamps for all, Medi-Cal and she found out she will get paid for watching these babies while her daughters go back to school too.

She gets almost as much as me and my hubby make from our jobs just in assistance and she calls us toward the end of the month, almost every month asking for some money to borrow for food, which she never pays back.

I nipped that in the bud quick right after me and my hubby got married. I told her by phone that my hubby has his own family to take care of and we can't afford to support her too.

My theory is Assistance should be used only for people that truly need it. Not for people to live off the system and feel the government owes it to them.

I am grateful it was there for me when I needed it. And I knew it was only temporary.

I read your post and knew you had to be in CA. I grew up there and there is a reason why it is called "The welfare state" I grew up with kids who came from families of generations of welfare mongers (abusers) their grandmothers,mothers,their siblings all collecting welfare.

Now here in Ohio,IF you qualify for cash aid,they will put you to work at the Goodwill,their offices,places like that.When I lost my job,I didn't qualify for even food stamps.Now my best friend goes in,lives WITH he parents,who by the way are not poor, bought her a car,buys diapers for her DD etc,and bam she gets medical (I have no medical insurance)and foodstamps ($216 for her and dd) Now how fair is that.With her food stamps,she buys things like "I need a birthday cake and food for the party" NOTHING is a necessity.Her parents go grocery shopping every Friday,so she is at NO risk of starving. *added note* she knows how I feel on this subject,and I have complained to Tom (thanks for the shoulder by the way)

[schsa]

Alot of what goes on in our welfare system does not make sense. Anyone in need of medical care should be checking for the free clinics that are available. If you cannot get welfare these clinics are available all across the US. Call your local county hospital and see if they can direct you. You don't have to qualify or be indigent for most. You just have to show up. And meds are available for free or minimal cost (under $5). These clinics fill in the gaps for people who cannot afford medical care but aren't eligible for welfare. There are also dental clinics available. They don't advertise with big signs but they are out there to help you.

Yes, there are people who are getting welfare who shouldn't be and they will get caught. And there are people who really could use it and don't get it for some off the wall reason that means nothing when you are in need. There are those people who don't understand that work is essential for survival and there are those who work two and three jobs and won't consider taking any sort of social services benefit because they don't want to. To them it is demeaning.

Yes, we need to reform welfare. But who do we add and who do we cut off? We have to be sure that pregnant women and their babies are taken care of. We need to provide medical care to those who are in need. But what determines who is eligible? This is a very difficult question. I would love to give to all who are in need but there are those who would take advantage of the system and then what do we do?

It is never going to be a fair system.

[mimi37]

Here's what really gets me: My husband works for a car dealership that is owned by a national car rental company. He said they have people come in all the time who get vouchers from welfare for a car. Now this is OK if they truly need the car to get back and forth to work. But most of them don't even work. My husband started making small talk with some of the people and would somehow work it into the conversation asking them what kind of work they do. He said the majority of them don't work. And these are not cheapo $1000 to $2000 cars these people are getting. One man got a car that cost $15,000. :eek: Oh I wish I could walk onto a used car lot with a piece of paper in my hand, hand it to the salesman and pick out any car I wanted for free. :rolleyes:

[moe265]

I have a friend that is currently reporting someone for welfare fraud. The lady she reported husband makes about $4,000 per month but she told them that he did not live with her. She also thinks that since her husband is not her oldest child's father that she does not have to report current husbands income for that child so he should be able to get all benefits. My friend started reporting her TWO MONTHS AGO!!!! and she is STILL getting medicaid benefits for her children. She calls them every so often to see why this lady still has benefits and they act like she is bothering them. It is unreal.

When I started my current job 3 years ago I made $6.75 per hour and I applied for CHIPS for my child, they automatically see if you qualify for Medicaid and they said that I made too much money! I am a single mom and at that time was getting no child support. My daughter is on CHIPS and I pay $15.00 per month for her. Don't get me wrong I am very grateful for the CHIPS but it irks me that people get away with stuff so easily. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR

[GR8_1]

Ok......I cannot sit out on this one, as much as I know I probably should.

First and foremost, has anyone seen the signs that say, "Babies were born to be breastfed."???? I mean, HELLO!!!! And guess what breast milk costs! NOTHING!!! I breastfed my DS for the entire first year of his life, as is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Granted we still had to buy diapers. But diapers are not where the expense is, trust me. You can buy the jumbo box (size 3, 112 diapers/box) for $15.77 at Wal-mart. Or, if you can use the cheapest ones, they are even cheaper than that.

DH and I are struggling like you would not believe. We have oh so many bills. Most of them have to do with the birth of my DS or the well-care for him since his birth. Now, we DO have health insurance thru hubby's work, but we pay $55/week for it, or $2,860/year, whichever way you want to look at it. THEN we STILL have to pay co-pays, deductibles, etc. And we have just recently learned that DS well-care was not 100% covered during the first year as we were originally told due to the fact that there is a $350/year annual limit on it, and during the first year of life, you have to go every three months. Each visit costs $95 plus the immunization shots. So, we went WAY, WAY over. And we were told that AFTER we racked up the tab.

Now, we make too much to qualify for any kind of assistance. But yet we are way behind on stuff because we have to carry our own medical insurance,etc. PLUS, I even fed him the CHEAPEST way I could his first year!

Ok, so how does this tie in to the topic at hand?? My point is that I have to help fund the welfare system IN ADDITION to trying to pay my own way. I WOULD LOVE to stay home full-time with my DS, but we can simply not afford to. Why is it fair that I have to help fund the welfare system and THOSE mothers get to stay home with their children, but yet I have to work to provide for my child AND theirs?!?!

Plus, I have just recently had to find a SECOND job in order to try to meet all our expenses. It just really sucks and is totally unfair.

Ok, sorry to have taken over. I will shut-up now!!

[JKATHERINE]

i'm sure i am going to make a lot of people mad with this one, but can anybody please explain to me how the welfare system is working? why is it that I, a person who works 40 hours a week can't afford things that people on welfare can? Why is it that the government keeps giving money to people for having kids when they can't afford the ones they have? I say give money to single mothers to support one kid, but the second they get pregnant with another one then cut them off. We are never going to get out of this welfare mess if we teach those who are on it that sometimes it pays not to work, not to make money, to keep having kids. Enough already.


TY TY TY for asking!!! I, myself, have wondered this sooo many times!!

[JKATHERINE]

The problem is taht welfare is a very corrupt system. Yes, there are guidelines for what people are supposed to have, and how much they are alloted for this and that. However, the welfare system is one of the easiest to fool. Try to understand where people like me come from. I don't get dental insurance through my job. I can't afford to pay for it myself. However, I make too much to receive public assistance. I am being punished for working. That's the way I see it. Why work when it's easier too sit on your butt and get the taxpayers to pay your way. I will never back down from this subject. It makes me mad as all hell.I know there are exceptions to the rule but unfortunately they are few and far between. As far as it not being that simple to go out and get a job, yes it is. Accept that it may be crappy work, it may not pay as much as welfare does, but it's honest and you aren't taking advantage of those of us who get up every morning and drag ourselves to work, like it or not. Just get up and do something.


TY. This is EXACTLY how I feel. :( Adam and I work soooo hard for our money. We each have two jobs and do what we can to pay bills each month and try to keep our credit decent. Yet there are people all over the place here on state assistance that have more than we do (and yes, Tasha was right, not ALL people on assistance are cheating the system). It is SO easy to fool the welfare system. Example, my mother's neighbors: Charlotte already had a few children and was on assistance. She was such a 'perfect' case, that the Housing Authority thought they'd help her out too with a beautiful new home (actually redone, but just like it was brand new) and a very very low mortgage with low interest. What she didnt' tell the state was that she had other assistance, from her long time boyfriend Keith. Charlotte and Keith put off getting married so that they could get the deal on the house...how nice! They stayed unmarried (but living together) for quite a while and finally decided to go thru with it. At this point the state had paid them enough money so that they could afford to build a deck onto their house (something my parents couldn't ever afford to do even with two full time incomes), buy 2 four-wheelers, two new (used) cars and motorized razor scooters for all three of the children. Please, tell me how this is fair? They manipulated the system. It's wrong and I wish there were some way to stop it.

I need a new car...darn, Adam and I should have put off getting married and just gotten knocked up instead so the state could pay us to have a kid....(obvious sarcasm here). Instead, we did it the 'right*' way, got married, bought a house, had a child...etc. Yet I'm still driving a potentially unsafe 14 year old 2 door car....makes you wonder...

Oh, and yep, I've mentioned it before, but the building I used to work at also housed the biweekly WIC office. I saw a lot of women go in there. Some looked as if they needed the help, then there were others...women driving Lexus SUV's and carrying designer handbags....how so, you ask? They were Navy girlfriends...the ones who purposely do not marry their Navy guys so that they can have their cake (bf's good money) and eat it too (state assistance).

I'm sick of it too. Leave the assistance for those who truely need it!

Stepping off the soap box now....lol

*"Right" meaning not cheating the system. I don't see anything wrong with doing things "out of order" as long as it's not intentionally done to screw the state and the rest of us taxpayers. :)

[justme23]

Ok......I cannot sit out on this one, as much as I know I probably should.

First and foremost, has anyone seen the signs that say, "Babies were born to be breastfed."???? I mean, HELLO!!!! And guess what breast milk costs! NOTHING!!! I breastfed my DS for the entire first year of his life, as is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Granted we still had to buy diapers. But diapers are not where the expense is, trust me. You can buy the jumbo box (size 3, 112 diapers/box) for $15.77 at Wal-mart. Or, if you can use the cheapest ones, they are even cheaper than that.




Have you considered the fact that a lot of women CAN NOT breast feed? I'm not speaking about the ones who just don't want to... just the ones who CAN NOT... Some for medical reasons and some because they are single parents and they have to go back to work as soon as possible... How great that you got to do it for a year, that's wonderful... but seriously, how dare you act as if all women should be just like you. There are so many reasons why a lot of women just can't do it... my cousin, for instance, wanted to breast feed for the first year... she's a nurse and when she delivered WAS working in an ER, she would have been able to pump at night for when she wasn't at home... but the ER fired her because she HAD to work days instead of nights... so now she is a nurse on an oncology ward... because of all the chemo and radiation from the treatments she gives to patients, she CAN NOT breast feed any longer. It wouldn't be healthy for her child! (and yes, I know they take steps to ensure that the staff doesn't get too much of this stuff, but she was told that it would still be a risk for her to continue to breastfeed)

Perhaps you weren't meaning to come across the way you did... but I do not get the mentality that exists now that anyone who doesn't breastfeed is a horrible mother (and I know you didn't say that... it was a general statement about ppl in general)... ppl should take the time to learn the circumstances of ALL situations before thinking such ways.

(On another angle... did anyone watch ER last week where the father of the blondes baby had some kind of rig goin on so he could simulate breastfeeding for their baby... I was shocked, but my hubby was like 'I'm so gonna do that!'... I think that was really cool, it's great that dads can now get in on the action if they choose to.)

[jedmatters]

I for one could not breast feed.
I tried. My children were allergic to my milk. I went through not just my milk, but 3 other formulas with my son, before we found one he could digest. And, in order for him to handle it, I had to add cereal to it.
My daughter, she was the same way, but we knew, once she reacted to my milk, what we needed to do. So, for their health and lives, breast feeding was impossible.

But that has nothing to do with the welfare system.

[freebielover]

I think that welfare can be a GREAT system, helping people in need. But there are people like my cousin for example, she is sucking welfare off of 2 states, she has a daughter that is "mentally slow" in school(nothing wrong with her, she is just a brat and spoiled rotten) so she gets free preschool and daycare WHENEVER my cousin needs it. Her second daughter has all kinds of problems because my cousin was on heavy drugs when she was pregnant and guess what? the state pays for EVERYTHING for that child also. My cousin can't work because she has two daughters and shes "so tired" (with all the free daycare and everything must be hard" and she was also GIVEN a FULL SCHOLARSHIP for ANY STATE SCHOOL for being on welfare. Now some people need it, and I think that people should be entitled to it. But to see her using welfare money for cocaine and the like it just eats me up. I am a college student, working full time, 50 hours a week to pay for school with a 4.0 average and she gets everything handed to her. They really need to do something about this so more deserving people get assistance they need.

[tammy77]

I wasnt going to post this because its a real touchy subject but I thought I would anyway.My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 2 and a half years.Before we moved we had really good insurance.Now that we have moved its hard trying to find a job that offers health insurance.Now we are kind of on hold because we can not afford fertility treatment right now.I wish medicaid would cover fertility treatment since they will give money to women just for having a baby.It really pisses me off that my tax dollars are paying for girls/women to have babies and to have insurance but I cant afford to have medical insurance for myself.Now does anyone thing that is fair???

[Azriel_LittleHawk]

hmm.. ok.. you suggested mcdolalds. ever try raising kids on that? hell you can't even afford an apt. it comes down to , "which do i choose, electric or water or food?" mind i am pretty lucky, and in school to GET OFF THE SYSTEM!!
i am VASTLy ashamed & angered at those who cheat on welfare.
welfare is a life saver when you need it.
the saddest part is that it's the kids who will suffer no matter what.
even working 40 hrs a week..i couldna afford to raise my kids..s'why i decided on becoming a nurse, decent income, and i will be(AM) good at it. oddly, seems that the children of the poor are being either trained as medical personell or sent to war, ie joining up with teh military to get OUT of poverty..scary if ya realy look at it closely. and now that i've gone far afeild...
please keep in mind, do not judge me unless you've lived my life for a year. or anyone else..remember the bit about "walking a mile in my shoes" yeah..that there.
well take care y'all! i have to go work on some quadratic equations..i friggin hate algebra!!
CIAO!!
Az

[suziebee20]

I don't know a whole lot on welfare, but I think money could be spent a lot better... there's people, like many of you, who need money as well as many students who need money for college. My boyfriend was rejected for financial aid, and I got a whopping $6,xxx some dollars for this fall and next spring. Heck, I'm not complaining since I can use that money, but so far for the fall season, classes, supplies, books, etc... It's only cost me about $800 since I'm going to a community college! Like I said, not complaining since I've got dental bills to cover, but really... does a community college student need $6,000 for school per year? At $26 a unit, 12 units is only $312 so it's $624 a year plus books and supplies. As much as I love having that extra money for personal expenses, I feel like they should really do something about that because there are way more people out there, like my boyfriend, who can't afford to go to school and got rejected for aid when a lot of people are getting enough for 4 or 5 people to go! Like I said... not exactly about welfare... My mom jokes that it would be cheaper for her to get aid if she qualified and go to college... education and getting paid to go, since she's on disability right now.

[baxnbust]

So, it seems as though everyone who has posted sees my point. Yes there are people who truly need welfare and deserve it. But, half the posts also listed someone they knew who was abusing the system. I grew up in a very poor city where almost half were on some kind of public assistance. My father used to tell me about how he would ride his bike to work every morning and see grown men in obviously healthy shape sitting on their porches not doing a damn thing. I say, if you are a healthy, young male who doesn't want to work, doesn't want to support his family by finding a job, then make them join the army. Maybe they'll learn something about giving back.

[baxnbust]

This is probably going to upset a lot of people, but when does a woman realize that 40 hours a week at McDonald's isn't going to pay her bills. Before her first child? After her first child? After her second child? There is a reason you shouldn't have children until your are sure you will be able to afford them. I'm not putting everybody in that boat because I know a lot of women get screwed by the father's of said children. "Fool me once, shame on you..Fool me twice, shame on me"

[freebielover]

My aunts boyfriend is on disability for get this, being an ALCOHOLIC. Now that is a severe problem for a lot of people, but they are not having him go to rehab, not even making him stop drinking, he just has to cash the check. $900 a month for drinking? I can live with that.

[DivineMsDi]

Everyone has a good point..

However, I would like to address a few things...1) why should woman HAVE to breast feed because it is "free." Some woman have no desire to do this. (I for one did not want to be a milk cow). I gave 9 months of my life to make sure my son was healthy and I took care of myself. I had no inclination to breast feed (no one in my family, mom, sister or I ever did).

Secondly, if we all waited until we could "afford" kids, most of us would not be here or have our kids. I do agree, however, you limit your family size, especially if you are on welfare or just in a limited income situation. It makes economic sense. Don't do "woopsie, I have no idea how it happened." There is good birth control that works (most of the time) out there. Woman can take charge of their breeding.

What about people who have GOOD jobs, kids, then lose their jobs? Should they send the kids to an orphanage?

It is too bad some abuse this system.

These are JMOs...not attacking anyone here.

[Freebeemom]

There is a family that attends our school that has 8 kids. One is on disability. NOT A DIME is ever spent on that child...it is all spent on their BRAND NEW CADDY...SUV! Unbelievable!

[schsa]

Ok, you get x amount of dollars from the state. If you spend it on a car payment how do you afford anything else? You can't buy a house, you can't have new carpet, you can't have paintings on your walls.

You can go to Good Will and pick up designer wear. Believe me I have seen more high end brand names at a local Good Will than anywhere else. One young girl had a Talbots chenille coat for which she was going to have to pay a whole $7. So dressing all depends on how you shop. I have a closet full of Ralph Lauren. I doubt if I have paid more than $15 for any one piece from e-Bay. So ignore the clothes.

Cars are different. But a used Sebring is practically worthless. After a few years a $26,000 car is worth less than $7,000 and we are not talking more than three years old. Plus you can go into used car lots and find all sorts of high end price cars, very old, for very cheap. SUV's don't hold their value unless it is a Honda or a Toyota.

Yes, again there are those who abuse the system. Heck, when I lived in England the lawyers wife down the street collected a form of welfare and her kids were in private school. She had no more use for that money than the woman who says she lives alone and her husband is in the home making money. It's too bad they don't have a hotline for welfare abuse like they do for child abuse. It would save you and me a great deal of money.

[MamaFairal]

My aunts boyfriend is on disability for get this, being an ALCOHOLIC.


My neighbor across the street gets it for being "Depressed"
She gets $678 a month for depression....

I cant worked due to my back and i get $234...
and its starting to depress me....lol

[erniemarie]

Ok......I cannot sit out on this one, as much as I know I probably should.

First and foremost, has anyone seen the signs that say, "Babies were born to be breastfed."???? I mean, HELLO!!!! And guess what breast milk costs! NOTHING!!! I breastfed my DS for the entire first year of his life, as is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Granted we still had to buy diapers. But diapers are not where the expense is, trust me. You can buy the jumbo box (size 3, 112 diapers/box) for $15.77 at Wal-mart. Or, if you can use the cheapest ones, they are even cheaper than that.

SORYY BUT FOR ME BREASTFEEDING WAS NOT AN OPTION FOR MEDICAL REASONS AND DUE TO HAVING REFLUX BOTH MY BABIES HAVE TO BE ON NUTRAMIGEN THAT COSTS $25 A CAN, AND AS FAR AS BREASTFEEDING IT IS A PERSONAL CHOICE THAT NO MOTHER SHOULD BE FORCED INTO TO SAVE MONEY

AS FAR AS DIAPERS YOU CAN GET THEM CHEAPER AT TOYS R US THAN AT WALMART AND I HAVE TO BUY BRAND NAME PAMPERS OR HUGGIES BECAUSE WHEN WE TRIED GENERIC CAITLYN BROKE IT IN A SEVERE RASH EVERYWHERE THE DIAPER TOUCHED HER AND LUVS ARE ABOUT AS USEFUL AS PAPER TOWELS FOR HOW MUCH THEY ABSORB, A ROLL OF BOUNTY ON THEIR BUT WOULD WORK BETTER

DH and I are struggling like you would not believe. We have oh so many bills. Most of them have to do with the birth of my DS or the well-care for him since his birth. Now, we DO have health insurance thru hubby's work, but we pay $55/week for it, or $2,860/year, whichever way you want to look at it. THEN we STILL have to pay co-pays, deductibles, etc. And we have just recently learned that DS well-care was not 100% covered during the first year as we were originally told due to the fact that there is a $350/year annual limit on it, and during the first year of life, you have to go every three months. Each visit costs $95 plus the immunization shots. So, we went WAY, WAY over. And we were told that AFTER we racked up the tab.

Now, we make too much to qualify for any kind of assistance. But yet we are way behind on stuff because we have to carry our own medical insurance,etc. PLUS, I even fed him the CHEAPEST way I could his first year!

Ok, so how does this tie in to the topic at hand?? My point is that I have to help fund the welfare system IN ADDITION to trying to pay my own way. I WOULD LOVE to stay home full-time with my DS, but we can simply not afford to. Why is it fair that I have to help fund the welfare system and THOSE mothers get to stay home with their children, but yet I have to work to provide for my child AND theirs?!?!

Plus, I have just recently had to find a SECOND job in order to try to meet all our expenses. It just really sucks and is totally unfair.

AT LEAST YOU HAVE A HUSBAND TO HELP WITH EXPENSES AND PROVIDE HEALTH INSURANCE EVEN IF YOU HAVE TO PAY SOMETHING IN, I HAVEN'T SEEN MY DAUGHTERS FATHER SINCE I WAS 4 MONTHS PREGNANT AND HE DOESN'T DO A DAMN THING TO SUPPORT THEM OR HEWLP WITH MEDICAL EXPENSE, RIGHT NOW I MAY HAVE TO COME UP $200 TO THEM RSV SHOTS BECAUSE MEDISAID WILL PROBABLY NOT PAY FOR THEM AND SINCE THEY WERE PREMMIES THEY NEED THEM

YES RIGHT NOW I AM STAYING HOME WITH MY CHILDREN, BUT I WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO DO SO FOR A FEW MORE MONTHS AND THEN I WILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK FULL TIME AND LIKELY WORK TWO JOBS JUST TO MAKE ENDS MEET BECAUSE I AM BOTH MOMMY AND DADDY TO MY DAUGHTERS

Ok, sorry to have taken over. I will shut-up now!!

***

[erniemarie]

This is probably going to upset a lot of people, but when does a woman realize that 40 hours a week at McDonald's isn't going to pay her bills. Before her first child? After her first child? After her second child? There is a reason you shouldn't have children until your are sure you will be able to afford them. I'm not putting everybody in that boat because I know a lot of women get screwed by the father's of said children. "Fool me once, shame on you..Fool me twice, shame on me"

EXCUSE ME BUT WE DO NOT GO OUT AND SAY GEE I CAN'T GET A HAIRCUT TODAY I THINK I'LL HAVE A BABY, MOST WOMEN ON WELFARE GET PREGNANT BY ACCIDENT, I WAS ON THE PILL WHEN I GOT PREGNANT WITH MY TWINS, I AM NOT BY ANY MEANS STUPID, I AM HIGHLY EDUCATED AND EVERY INTENTION OF WAITING UNTIL I FINISHED SCHOOL TO HAVE CHILDREN BUT YA KNOW WHAT **** HAPPENS ITS CALLED LIFE, AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A MOTHER HAS HELP FROM THE FATHER OR NOT SHE ENTITLED TO LIVE A DECENT LIFE, SHE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO DECISDE BETWEEN BUYING FOOD AND PAYING THE RENT, THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE LIVING IN HOMELESS SHELTERS ARE SINGLE MOTHER WITH CHILDREN THAT WORK INSTEAD OF BEING ON WELFARE BECAUSE THE ECONOMY IS SO POOR AND THE MINIMUM WAGE I9S SO LOW THAT CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY RENT AND BILLS ALONG WITH FEEDING THEIR CHILDREN, YOU WANT WELFARE REFORM WELL THAT IS WELFARE REFORM DOES-FORCES SINGLE WORKING MOTHERS OUT INTO THE STREETS

[tammy77]

Im sorry but I dont believe in "accidents","mistakes",or "surprises".Weither or not you use protection,everytime you have sex you still take that chance that you might get pregnant.If you dont want a baby or are not ready for one then DONT have sex.Its that simple.
About working at McDonalds and it not paying the bills.I rather my tax dollars go to the person working at McDonalds rather then to the person who is on welfare.Granted I know McDonalds doesnt pay well but I know they offer insurance.I have GREAT respect for people who work fast food to pay bills and take care of thier children.I worked fast food and I know its hard.

[menanamama]

Im sorry but I dont believe in "accidents","mistakes",or "surprises".Weither or not you use protection,everytime you have sex you still take that chance that you might get pregnant.If you dont want a baby or are not ready for one then DONT have sex.Its that simple.
About working at McDonalds and it not paying the bills.I rather my tax dollars go to the person working at McDonalds rather then to the person who is on welfare.Granted I know McDonalds doesnt pay well but I know they offer insurance.I have GREAT respect for people who work fast food to pay bills and take care of thier children.I worked fast food and I know its hard.their ins is like the stuff you see on tv...gets you a discount and that is all. max limit...1,000....2,000 if you have cancer. no joke. maybe it has changed in the last year but prolly not.

[menanamama]

EXCUSE ME BUT WE DO NOT GO OUT AND SAY GEE I CAN'T GET A HAIRCUT TODAY I THINK I'LL HAVE A BABY, MOST WOMEN ON WELFARE GET PREGNANT BY ACCIDENT, I WAS ON THE PILL WHEN I GOT PREGNANT WITH MY TWINS, I AM NOT BY ANY MEANS STUPID, I AM HIGHLY EDUCATED AND EVERY INTENTION OF WAITING UNTIL I FINISHED SCHOOL TO HAVE CHILDREN BUT YA KNOW WHAT **** HAPPENS ITS CALLED LIFE, AND REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A MOTHER HAS HELP FROM THE FATHER OR NOT SHE ENTITLED TO LIVE A DECENT LIFE, SHE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO DECISDE BETWEEN BUYING FOOD AND PAYING THE RENT, THE HIGHEST PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE LIVING IN HOMELESS SHELTERS ARE SINGLE MOTHER WITH CHILDREN THAT WORK INSTEAD OF BEING ON WELFARE BECAUSE THE ECONOMY IS SO POOR AND THE MINIMUM WAGE I9S SO LOW THAT CANNOT AFFORD TO PAY RENT AND BILLS ALONG WITH FEEDING THEIR CHILDREN, YOU WANT WELFARE REFORM WELL THAT IS WELFARE REFORM DOES-FORCES SINGLE WORKING MOTHERS OUT INTO THE STREETS
reform does not mean ending it! reform means making the recepient work in order to get services. round here there is great help. i am one of the ppl getting a car. i have to pay back one third of the cost and keep ins or i loose the car. i have to keep my job...i quit i loose the car. if for some reason i got fired or downsized i have to activly seek another job and still make the payment. i get food stamps (or will when i get my own place)...never use it on anything but food...never have and never will. you raise minimum wage...everthing goes up to adjust because manufacturers have to pay more. i get medicaid and so do my kids because i would have to pay $900 per month...NO JOKE...to get my own ins. if i see fraud i report it. i do a lot of volunteer stuff too. i figure if i get help...the least i can do is help in return.

[menanamama]

Have you considered the fact that a lot of women CAN NOT breast feed? I'm not speaking about the ones who just don't want to... just the ones who CAN NOT... Some for medical reasons and some because they are single parents and they have to go back to work as soon as possible... How great that you got to do it for a year, that's wonderful... but seriously, how dare you act as if all women should be just like you. There are so many reasons why a lot of women just can't do it... my cousin, for instance, wanted to breast feed for the first year... she's a nurse and when she delivered WAS working in an ER, she would have been able to pump at night for when she wasn't at home... but the ER fired her because she HAD to work days instead of nights... so now she is a nurse on an oncology ward... because of all the chemo and radiation from the treatments she gives to patients, she CAN NOT breast feed any longer. It wouldn't be healthy for her child! (and yes, I know they take steps to ensure that the staff doesn't get too much of this stuff, but she was told that it would still be a risk for her to continue to breastfeed)

Perhaps you weren't meaning to come across the way you did... but I do not get the mentality that exists now that anyone who doesn't breastfeed is a horrible mother (and I know you didn't say that... it was a general statement about ppl in general)... ppl should take the time to learn the circumstances of ALL situations before thinking such ways.

(On another angle... did anyone watch ER last week where the father of the blondes baby had some kind of rig goin on so he could simulate breastfeeding for their baby... I was shocked, but my hubby was like 'I'm so gonna do that!'... I think that was really cool, it's great that dads can now get in on the action if they choose to.)
this is all too true....I CAN NOT BREAST FEED...i hate getting flack for it! my health is poor due to lack of nutrition, medications, and gi disorders. i would be unsafe to bf for my kids. ppl need to be a little more tolerant of this. a person with inverted nipples can not breast feed either...no all ppl can.

[Freebeemom]

How did a post about WELFARE turn into the age old topic of BREASTFEEDING?? Unbelievable!

You all need to stick to the topic...

[Freebeemom]

My neighbor across the street gets it for being "Depressed"
She gets $678 a month for depression....

I cant worked due to my back and i get $234...
and its starting to depress me....lol


This is excellent! EXCELLENT!

[Tasha405]

I wasnt going to post this because its a real touchy subject but I thought I would anyway.My husband and I have been trying to get pregnant for 2 and a half years.Before we moved we had really good insurance.Now that we have moved its hard trying to find a job that offers health insurance.Now we are kind of on hold because we can not afford fertility treatment right now.I wish medicaid would cover fertility treatment since they will give money to women just for having a baby.It really pisses me off that my tax dollars are paying for girls/women to have babies and to have insurance but I cant afford to have medical insurance for myself.Now does anyone thing that is fair???
Would you rather that woman & child be without medical insurance? I was one of those women when my husband lost his job. We found out we were pregnant the following week. Yes I got medical insurance from the state but myself and my husband had both paid taxes for years so I think I deserved to be on it just like anyone else. Would you rather me have no way to go see a doctor or get any type of prenatal care for my child because your mad that you pay taxes to help supply the welfare system? We all pay taxes and more than likely everyone at one point in there life will probably need to get on welfare. You never know what will happen and when it does, what else can you do? No my husband didn't get medical coverage and I only got it for the time I was pregnant and 8 weeks after that so that I could have my 6 weeks check up and I was very thankful for it.

It is very sad that some people do take advantage of the system but I thought they were putting women and men to work for their assistance now? We didn't draw any cash benefits but we were told that if we had to after DH's unemployment ran out we (one of us) would have to either work or go to school for that assistance. So if they are abusing it, it shouldn't be for much longer. They are really starting to buckle down on this in a lot of areas.

[Willow]

How did a post about WELFARE turn into the age old topic of BREASTFEEDING?? Unbelievable!

You all need to stick to the topic...


I think someone mentioned that some people get Wic to pay for formula when they should try to breast feed instead. Breast feeding just isn't an option for some people.

[Tasha405]

How did a post about WELFARE turn into the age old topic of BREASTFEEDING?? Unbelievable!

You all need to stick to the topic...
Everyone is sticking to the topic. Someone posted that ALL women should breastfeed and that would help keep people off of welfare or whatever. I myself think thats the stupidest thing I've ever heard but thats just my opinion. Not ALL women can breastfeed for many different reason.

[Tasha405]

I think someone mentioned that some people get Wic to pay for formula when they should try to breast feed instead. Breast feeding just isn't an option for some people.
Yeah, what she said. :D lol

[Tasha405]

Im sorry but I dont believe in "accidents","mistakes",or "surprises".Weither or not you use protection,everytime you have sex you still take that chance that you might get pregnant.If you dont want a baby or are not ready for one then DONT have sex.Its that simple.

So you think that people who are married and on welfare should never have sex until they are off of the system because there is a chance they might get pregnant even if they use protection?

[MamaFairal]

This is excellent! EXCELLENT!

Isnt it???


I am also one of those that get food stamps and i am so gratefull for them.
I know people that get them just to sell them and i am so irked when i see it happen...
I cant imagine selling my food stamps because by the end of that month when food is running low...they come begging for food cuz they have no fs's...well duh ya should have fed the kids and not sold them :)


You know i was married to my girls father for 10 yrs and chit happens and marriages end and fathers dont pay their ordered support and, working, daycare(when you have little ones).............its all called LIFE!!
I just pray nothing ever happens to this OP and that she never needs the "STATES" help :( cuz then she can have our shoes.....lol

* Ernie~ how are those precious babies doing :D We need new pics posted!

[GR8_1]

Whoa people!! I was the OP who first mentioned something about breastfeeding. I DID NOT say that ALL women should breastfeed!!! I did, however, say that I breastfed to save money. And I do feel that many women do not even TRY to breastfeed due to the fact that they get free formula. I have felt attacked on this site before by the "select few" or the "veterans", and this is a terrific example of it. I do believe that breastfeeding is the best thing for a baby. That is ONE of the reasons why I did it. The other reason was that we COULD NOT afford to buy formula. I did not realize that there were so many reasons out there for not being able to breastfeed. I apologize for that bit of ignorance. I was always told that anyone who really wanted to, could. Please accept my apologies for not being completely informed. However, do not take what I said out of proportion and treat me like I am stupid. That is what I have felt like many of you have done!

Also, I feel like I was personally attacked because I have a husband. Please people! Yes, I am married to the most wonderful man on the planet. But this does not mean that we are not in a financial crisis. I am now working two jobs to TRY to make ends meet, and they are STILL not meeting!!

I guess this is what I mean about this site. As long as you go along with the majority and don't speak against what "certain people" think or feel, you are ok. But the minute you say anything otherwise, you get personally attacked. And that is what I feel has happened here.

Sorry, folks, but I NEVER said that ALL women should breastfeed! Go back to my OP and you will see that I DID NOT say that. However, I know firsthand how much work goes into it and that it is not easy. I just feel like way too many women who get the free formula handout go that route instead of TRYING to breastfeed, which by the way, is STILL free!!

So go on and attack me if you will because I know you will, but if you look back, you will see that what I said was taken way out of proportion. I did apologize on the part of it where I was uninformed before and because of that ignorant. But I WILL NOT apologize for what I said otherwise!! An apology from those of you who took my words and threw them out of proportion and attacked me would be nice. However, I know how this site works. It will never happen!

[joaimee]

I have been on both sides of this issue. At 23, I was a single mom trying to finish college and care for my baby after his "Dad" walked out. I spent a year on assistance until I graduated and was able to make ends meet by working two jobs, one as a hostess, the other as a server. The assistance was indeed a life saver, however, when I landed my jobs, I called and told my caseworker I wouldn't need it any longer.
In the past few years, I have worked in Adult Literacy, where I helped teach adults to read and as a GED instructor. I have seen people abuse the system, one woman was terrified to learn to read because she was afraid that they's take her check and make her get a job. I had several GED students who were quite angry that they had to work off the hours for their check studying for their GED, although it benefited them. I have also seen people who really could have used the assistance not be able to get it or just not want to live off assistance. One man had been in a vehicle accident and severely injured his back, sitting for any length of time caused him severe pain. Yet, he was in that classroom every day until he couldn't stay any longer trying to catch up with his studies to get his GED. He could have drawn disability, he said he would rather work. I can't tell you what an effect such a courageous person had on me.
I would agree that the welfare system needs revamped. However, I also believe that there is a matter of attitude. There are people on the system, and not all of them by any means, who don't want to work or even attempt to improve themselves. Growing up in West Virginia, I saw families who had lived on welfare for generations. (You always knew when they got their check, that's when they brought the beer home.) This gives such a bad name to people who use welfare for the way it was intended, as a hand up, not a hand out. Anyone who tries to improve their own lives, while still trying to be a good parent and raise their children right have my utmost respect. It's their opposite number that drive me insane.

[llbriteyes]

My neighbor across the street gets it for being "Depressed"
She gets $678 a month for depression....

I cant worked due to my back and i get $234...
and its starting to depress me....lol

Let me make this perfectly clear.... disability is NOT welfare. We pay into the system the entire time we work. I am on disability for being bipolar. I simply cannot work. My body is in reasonable good shape, making someone think I might be able to work. My mind is something completely different. Would you hire someone who calls into work depressed all the time? Would you hire someone whose mind doesn't work right? No. You wouldn't. And neither would anyone else. Believe me, I could make 10 times what I'm making now on disability. It isn't a *choice* I could afford to make. If I were able to work, trust me, I would.

Linda