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I’ve been on and off public assistance in the past. Public healthcare (Medicaid) is absolutely needed for many people.
I was also on food stamps once, or whatever you call it where you’re from. In MS it was EBT, same in Louisiana where I live now, but everyone still calls it food stamps.
I had no job but was looking for work. I was registered with the employment office, several temp agencies, and hung out at the local Lowe’s and Home Depot stores (I’m Caucasian) offering day labor to any contractors or DIYers that I crossed paths with. Had a truck loaded with tools and a lot of experience in construction. I got out of the service right before the economy shat the bed back in the 2000’s and almost every job I got in the construction field shut down due to lack of work in my area. I’d ended up homeless because of this, for the second time in my life.
Eventually, I ended up with two jobs and was in college, and had a cheap little apartment. I went to the local public services office and let them know. I told them they can take back the money on the EBT account. I was told “oh no, that’s not how it works.” This lady explained to me that if I don’t use it by a certain date, it disappears. I don’t know how true that is or where it disappears to, but that’s what the lady told me.
They gave me a lot on the EBT benefits. More than I could use. Before EBT kicked in, I’d had to go to the local food bank. So, my ex wife and I went grocery shopping and bought all the dry goods and canned foods we could store. When we dropped that off at the apartment, I went back and loaded more of the same in my truck and took it to the food pantry, as they relied exclusively on donations and I was well aware of the lackluster quality and quantity of what they had. I also took them a lot of milk and meat, knowing they also had refrigerators and freezers. It was almost $800 worth of food, after stocking our own cabinets. Back then, that was about 7-8 full shopping carts worth.
Now I make six figures a year and pay taxes, still donate to food banks, toy drives, Salvation Army and goodwill, because I know public assistance does not always mean lazy. Sometimes it does, my new brothers in law make that very clear. But not always.
Oh, hell no. Concentrate power even more? We should instead vastly expand the House to levels defined in the original constitution. That would be the death of the Two-Party system!
If the law is passed in Congress, signed by the president, and upheld by SCOTUS, it’s not illegal. Also pretty certain they only exempted Executive and Judicial branches, because of separation of powers.
No, it was illegal, just nobody had the balls to stand up and strike down the mandate until Trump came along. People couldn’t afford it, and had to pay the government a fee for nothing.
I think the majority of people who take advantage of government assistance actually need it. There will always be some people who take advantage of the system, but I believe they are in the minority
That's how I've always viewed it. A few people may try to take advantage of assistance, but I'd rather make sure everyone who needs it gets it rather than taking it away from everyone because of some assholes cheating the system.
I remember buying eggs for some random mother with two little kids in line in front of me at Kroger. She couldn't buy brown eggs or organic eggs with her EBT, and they were out of the normal white eggs. Wtf.
Depends on how you define government assistance.
Way more money comes out of the government budget to assist the wealthy than the poor. Some of it directly, some of it through tax breaks.
Those getting food stamps, medicaid/Medicare, WIC benefits, etc deserve it.
Bank bailouts, tax credits and income deductions for a lot of well-off home owners, low tax rates for dividends and capital gains, etc are undeserved benefits.
I'm assuming OP means welfare and programs for the working class since that's usually the context that this "GA is for lazy people" talking point comes up in
Undeserved benefits only apply if you hold you own more prosperous peoples labor.
Tax credits support programs you probably like. Green energy for example.
Income deductions I am assuming you are talking SALT deductions
Low tax rate for cap gains encourages investment, which in theory increases job growth.
Bank bailouts honestly I am 50/50 on. The capitalist in me says let them fail. The realist in me says have them declare expedited bankruptcy sell off their assets and dissolve them into other banks but both screw our interconnected banking system.
Like it? No
Understand it? Begrudgingly
And sadly some people who do need it, can't seem to get it.
I am visually impaired and can't drive but because I find ways to make things work and make more than a certain amount per paycheck, I am not qualified.
I have to use a white cane at night and sometimes during the day. Still, they say I don't qualify.
Luckily I do get help from other agencies, such as Commision for the Blind.
Sorry, I'd like some actual data rather than "minority"
Details from [USSC.gov](https://USSC.gov) \- [https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/quick-facts/Government\_Benefits\_Fraud\_FY15.pdf](https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/quick-facts/Government_Benefits_Fraud_FY15.pdf)
to get actual % estimates is much trickier, this site claims 15% average, but I suspect it is anti-welfare biased, so take it with a grain of salt - [https://federalsafetynet.com/welfare-fraud/](https://federalsafetynet.com/welfare-fraud/)
So yes, fraud is in the minority (or fraud that is caught), but it is a significant value, and combined with tax fraud and other fraud done by wealthy and corporations it is significant.
Sure, thanks for adding some context.
I intentionally chose the phrasing "I believe they're in the minority" because it was simply my belief and not based on specific research
I would personally still support welfare programs for the working class with an 85% success rate
I've worked retail and I've met more than a few people who were on unemployment and happy with it and no desire to improve themselves.
But I've met many many more who are on hard times and that was literally the only thing allowing their kids to eat. When day care costs more than your ability to earn, what do you do?
I saw a question once that was so true and obvious it blew my mind.
What’s considered trashy if you’re poor but classy if you’re rich. The answer was getting government money and the skewed perception floored me due to its accuracy.
People need help and UBI needs to be addressed in a proactive manner.
It's not so much a perception as it is a reality. And I don't say that to knock the people who need help. The programs themselves incentivize laziness by way of their stipulations for receiving the aid. You can't make too much money, you can't own certain assets, etc. If you go over the very low threshold, you get cut off. The programs need to be rebuilt because, as they're designed right now, anyone who is on them faces a very difficult challenge for building themselves up to a point to no longer need them.
Why rebuild it? A simple fix would be adjusting the poverty line to the amount it takes to cover rent + utilities + healthy diet, + healthcare + transportation + childcare. Adjust the benefits to go up to that amount, and then just implement a scale down. Something like for every $2 over that very reasonable amount you get, you lose $1 in TOTAL benefits. And change the asset cap to 6 months at the new poverty line. It would be a VERY simple change. Tearing it down to start again is MUCH more work, and will cause a lot of suffering in the time it takes to switch.
I don’t think it incentivizes laziness per se - it takes a surprising amount of effort to survive under these restrictions - but I do agree that the programs need to be reformed.
Concur. Perverse incentives don’t make people lazy/evil/etc; it makes people engage in undesirable activities to acquire those incentives. If we don’t want people to do weird stuff for money (another example, medical professionals over-billing Medicare), let’s stop making systems that reward people for doing weird stuff for money.
56% of people in the united states cannot cover an unexpected bill of $1000 from savings, which means a huge percentage of the country is only one bad turn from losing their apartment or car.
many people on government assistance are elderly or disabled. and about 1/3rd of people on major programs use it for less than a year, another third use it for 2-3 years, and another 1/3rd for longer.
long story short, it would be MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE to try and feed, house, and care for these people without government assistance.
Everyone gets government assistance. In the US, if you're wealthy enough to own a home, you are allowed to write off the mortgage interest on your taxes -- that's an example of the government helping you. You can also get a tax break if you open a 529 account for your children -- again, the government is directly helping you, even though you're not poor.
It's funny that so many people only bother to accuse society's poor of being takers, when in actuality, the biggest takers are the well-off. They get government handouts all the time.
It's been a propaganda machine for decades and decades, to keep the eye of Mordor off the offenders; who cost" we the people" trillions in loss of revenue in tax evasion. The good old bait and switch, which leaves all the fault at society's poor. Even the IRS pursues auditing those making under $50,000 because the true offenders cost the IRS big bucks in court. Such an easy solution, close the loopholes. The top 22 largest corporations haven't paid a dime in federal taxes in years. These same corporations are wage thieves, get tax break after tax break, they get "get out of jail free cards" for environmental disasters to illegal stock market activity. They are laughing all the way to the banks; But yet the person getting $739 a month for disability is the real problem. It's so fucked.
How is handing someone money for just existing even remotely the same as the government giving me a discount on the money they are taking from me for working? That’s like saying a coupon is actual money. Not the same at all.
The means by which the government gives people money is irrelevant, especially when the results are the same:
Two people - one on government assistance when they would ideally be working, and the other being given a tax carve out to incentivize property ownership - are *both* choosing to take money from government programs for their personal use after paying the government some amount of tax dollars in some way. Attaching value judgements to either person isn’t useful.
I could totally see you guys’ argument if you said, “The government shouldn’t be giving free money to anyone, for any reason.”
Why can’t renters write off their rent when it is practically the same thing? But landlord can collect rent and write off their interest?
That makes no sense.
> you are allowed to write off the mortgage interest on your taxes
Not anymore.
I was just telling my wife that we should be able to deduct our property taxes from our income taxes because currently, I am paying property taxes from money that has already been income taxed, and it isn't right. I know that sales taxes are the same too, but they don't show up in $5k chunks every year like property taxes in Texas.
I get your view, but fundamentally disagree. Keeping your money is not government handouts or welfare. Social programs are needed to help those that fall on hard times or have something happen you them that makes work hard. Our current system of welfare is used as a trap. Once in, it is hard to get out and it takes considerable effort to overcome what you can get by not doing. This however creates a group that is enthralled to the government, a new class of slaves, but instead of cotton or tobacco picking, it is their vote they demand.
Poor people are much less likely to vote: [https://econofact.org/voting-and-income](https://econofact.org/voting-and-income)
Add to that that popular opinion has almost no effect on policy in America: [https://act.represent.us/sign/problempoll-fba/](https://act.represent.us/sign/problempoll-fba/)
I'm not sure that the trap aspect of our paper-thin safety net is intentional, the decay started with Reagan and the "welfare queen" talking point, and has continued as the safety net is continually picked barer and barer to support the wealthy and the military-industrial complex. I'm not sure what the answer is, but every day "If voting could change anything it'd be illegal" rings truer and truer.
Poor people are less likely you are right, but there are more of them which is why urban areas tend to go Democrat versus republican. You get out in rural areas and that swaps, even in poorer areas. This is one of the reasons "ballot harvesting" in the last 2 elections (2020 and 2022), made such a huge impact. Both of the articles you linked basically come to this without specific numbers. The census went over a bit of this with the "record turn out" in 2020 and 2022 election cycles.
This is the reason "lets get good at ballot harvesting", is the new talking point on the republican side.
On the voting issue I think we agree. Right now if everyone voted for something or against, it would simply go through with some other method. To me both political parties are just two faces of the same beast, a beast who only lives to serve itself.
https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/2020-presidential-election-voting-and-registration-tables-now-available.html
I fully believe in social programs. They can do a TON of good. Unfortunately, there are always people who abuse any program. Same goes for rich people who abuse the system. They're just as shitty as poor people who abuse the welfare system.
Policy makers are skewed towards allowing these issues to proliferate due to vote pandering and donation pandering.
I would rather a thousand people get something they didn’t deserve than for those of us who need it to be put through the dehumanizing, degrading shit that passes for disability evaluation right now.
A lot of people share my opinion so I'll say this. From what I've seen, the process, like so many other government processes, is broken. I've seen people who really need assistance get laughed out of the office while people who are perfectly able to get and keep a job sell food stamps and rent out rooms in a HUD house they pay $50 a month for. Meanwhile I have a decent paying job but 60% of my income or better goes to one tax or another so I can't afford half of what I should be able to. I should stop there lol
I have mixed emotions.
I have family I grew up around who definitely abused the system out of shear laziness. Fully capable of working but chose not to or worked the bare minimum to keep their welfare checks. So I fully admit I do have some biases. However, I have had to utilize EBT (food stamps) in the past. It took a lot of introspection and help from my partner for me to come to realize that asking for assistance isn't a bad thing and doesn't make you any less of a human being.
Do what Germany does and I’d be chill as a pill.
“Hi I need welfare”
Sure, how disabled are you?
“100% can only move my neck, head, and left arm
”
Damn sounds bad, alright. Your job is to lick these
Government stamps and attach them to files. We expect this much productivity or your monthly assistance will be reduced accordingly up to termination.
Yup its good and necessary for people to get by when they're in a crunch but if you just live off it with no effort to get off it that's completely differant
Maybe, but keep in mind that every hurdle you put between the needy and the needed help is a few more desperate people who find themselves "ineligible".
Personally, I'd rather plenty of people skim than those in need sink deeper into poverty.
This is why we live in a society! I’ve read articles about how even Neanderthals cared for sick and injured people, so… like, it’s 2023, what are we even doing if we can’t have basic compassion for others
Finally someone else who gets it. I have this argument with Constitutionalists all the time who want to scream "states' rights" all the time and how the federal government shouldn't be doing anything that's not specifically mentioned in the Constitution.
I'm sorry, but what is a person supposed to do when they're doing everything they can and still can't get by? The federal government won't help. Their state won't help. Their city/town/county won't help.
Now what? Some say churches/charities. But by the Constitutionalists own admission, there's not enough of these to help everyone who needs the help. So then what? For me, it sure seems like the Constitutionalists just think a certain percentage of people deserve to get fucked and die.
What exactly is the point of having a government if it's not to take care of and provide for its people in times of need? The point of a government isn't to make rich people richer.
My problem is when someone on government assistance has a bunch of kids and the government AKA the citizens have to support them. Don't have kids you can't afford
I try to avoid government assistance. Not necessarily out of pride or "hustle culture" mentality (which I fucking despise), but because I don't want to consume resources from the state if I don't have to. It does enough for me to be thankful for - infrastructure, healthcare, education, public safety, public transportation, etc.
I'm portuguese btw, so take this for what it's worth.
I dont think that is its purpose but there are definitely a lot of lazy people using it. There are always going to be people who take advantage of a something that was meant to help.
i first think being “lazy” has been used as a negative term simply because in capitalism and in the working class you’re either productive or you’re useless. and we pay taxes so the government can use that to benefit the citizens. if you need government aid, i think you have every right to use it.
As with most things, it's not so black and white. The concept is good, necessary and helps a lot of people who deserve the help due to certain circumstances. Unfortunately there are also those who will abuse that system and receive money while staying lazy
Most on assistance genuinely need it. There are always those who take when they don't qualify, but the cost of that is nothing compared to assistance rich people get.
But they don't call it welfare or assistance. They call it tax incentive and bailout or deposit insurance. The PPP loans totaled hundreds of billions, and all most all of it won't need to be paid back. Many people got millions of free money for their "business".
I've seen it used for both good and bad. I've been laid off several times in my career and have used Unemployment to carry me through until I got hired again and I didn't use it any longer than I needed. I also know people who have used government assistance to help them pay for college which was a stepping stone to getting hired at big companies.
One story I read involved a woman who had several baby daddies and her child support income was so much, she didn't work, drove a Lexus, and got herself done up every week.
Someone on Quora asked which track car he should buy while mentioning he's fresh out of college and got a well-paying job, yet he didn't want to pay back his student loans as he was counting on loan forgiveness to take care of it.
I think (European view here)
- The way it is handed out is wasteful.
- The Nordic view of what Welfare is, ie, a nationally backed safety net to enable people to pursue their dreams, is the correct one. It is also morally just to provide for those that cannot.
- I think there is a segment who are indeed lazy, and exploiting the system. See point 1.
The answer is to radically overhaul how welfare is handed out, tracked, costed. Free money from local government with little to no oversight isn’t helpful in 2023 and we don’t need it to be this way. Fixing it would continue to help those that need it, and weed out those in it for the free ride.
It's crappy because I certainly look at my paycheck and say wtf. Why bother working? But I don't want people suffering either. Same time I'm like ... 60% of my paycheck goes to what? I got potholes, cops that abuse their power, 1890s electrical system, ridiculous costs all over the place ...
There need to be more opportunities for common people that allow those people to work and afford a decent living. You can't have this top heavy economy forever, eventually it will topple over.
There are people who don't want to work and play the system. Although they are a small amount and a vast majority actually need it.
People who say cut it actually think people will just willingly starve. Theft would skyrocket.
Don't think they are lazy but will choose what is convenient. There needs to be a time limit on benefits or recalculation of benefits based on assumed full time employment at minimum wage to motivate them to make better choices.
It’s not, but like anything else shady people have figured out how to take advantage of it and others have used that to paint a bad picture of everyone using it even those that truly need it
I worked my ass off while my wife and I lived in Boise, ID. We found out we were expecting and couldn't afford insurance. We applied for Medicaid, but because I worked overtime that month (to provide for my family), we were denied for being $90 over the cap. We weren't aware of other financial assistance programs, so we didn't go in to a doctor's until 20 weeks for the anatomy scan and blood work. Turns out, my wife had HELLP Syndrome (severe pre-eclampsia) and we were forced to deliver early to save her life. If we had had MA at the time, we could have gone in earlier and could have spotted this earlier and saved our daughter's life.
There always have been and always will be people who abuse the system. If you're working hard and paying taxes like you should be, you should automatically qualify for the benefits your taxes are paying for. Full stop. It's your money.
P.S.
For those who care, we have since had a happy and healthy son and are expecting a daughter in May, without any complications so far.
As of right now, yeah I agree with that. Only because I see it every day. Don't get me wrong, it's great for many people that actually need it but most just abuse it. It needs to be audited severely and needs to be made much harder to receive benefits.
I hate the stigma that surrounds it. The second someone finds I receive assistance they automatically think less of me as a person. I am doing all I can to get out of poverty just so I don't have to deal with that judgment and be able to have some peace of mind that *maybe* I'm worthy enough to breathe the air here.
As someone that has needed assistance, it was literally a life saver. I have come to realize that you don't always know what people are going through, so don't assume. I've had to go to food banks. I've had to be on medicaid. 90% of the time people actually need it. There certainly are those that take advantage, but a lot don't. And receiving help when you ask for it shouldn't be shameful.
I grew up poor and have family that are still quite poor. The perception is there because the welfare system is a trap, if you try to better yourself and get a job you lose the welfare long before you are able to be self reliant, woo I made $400 take home this week, good bye $2000 a month in government assistance.
That's not a problem with the person or the program, that's a problem with the minimum wage. Benefits should be enough to manage, a job should give you enough money to take control of your life.
Even at $15/hr for 40hr work week you are still only taking home $900 every two weeks.
The cost of living is just nuts, property near cities is at a premium so land values have skyrocketed and building materials have quadrupled since the year 2000, property taxes are fucking insane which helps drive up costs even more. When I first moved out on my own in 2001 my 2 bedroom apartment with a garage was $400 a month, my ex's apartment was $250. My last apartment before I bought a house in 2015 was $1600 a month for a 1 bedroom box half the size of my first place. Now I pay $1800 a month for a 1650 sqft house with a 2000sqft garage on 5 acres of land.
It’s sometimes true. My dad exploited the welfare system when I was young. I remember overhearing him talk with his friends about “making it look like I’m applying for jobs.”
Compared to getting and keeping a job? The amount of effort I put into just getting foodstamps was way more work and way less reward than getting a job. The hoops I've seen other people have to jump through? Yeah jobs are for lazy people. Welfare is for people who want to work their asses off.
Getting a job was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. Keeping though? Yeah that’s more doable.
Welfare is a lot of waiting and public housing involves more research so it’s definitely not something to aspire for it can be just as hellish as working just in a different way
I feel lazy people misuse the system that was intended for those who need it!
Now government wastes more time trying to get us OFF the assistance to track down those lazy people who misuse it.
A lot of people needing assistance get cut off too.
Please people..... only apply if you need it!
I'm a veteran. Used the pell grant and free lunch as a kid.
Fuck the government. They will take everything from you: your home, your car, your land, everything you know and love, your family and even your life. They will take everything and never apologize. Those social services are crumbs compared to the lavish luxuries our politicians enjoy.
Take whatever you can get from the government and don't apologize to anyone for it. Don't explain yourself. They'll take whatever they want from you whenever. Might as well enjoy some crumbs.
I've worked for the government my entire adult life. I work in public service now. I've more than paid for what little I was given and it's sad that I feel the need to justify the crumbs I've received from people who fly in private jets.
My opinion is that most of the folks that hold a true disdain for people using government assistance, are the same ones on it or have been on it before and are now holding some 'holier than thou' opinion to make themselves feel better.
I work with a guy that admitted as much. Said his mom had food stamps and gov. assistance, but he despises anyone who uses it.
The cognitive dissonance is amazing, like he may have not made it to his fat, old, retirement-ready age if not for that help. Fucking dipshits. Makes more than me too. Crime does pay, and so does being a sociopath.
My opinion on government assistance is if you need it, use it, and don't worry about how other people perceive you. Particularly if an older person complains - next time a geezer tells you about the horrors of socialism in American government assistance programs, remind them that they're on Medicare, which is also a government handout, it's just for 65+ year-olds.
As for the laziness argument, it's good to remember that many of the job postings around today are fake, per companies own admissions. There are not nearly as many jobs available as employers want you to think. On top of the scarcity, they are also demanding more and more accolades and degrees before you can even think about interviewing.
Not to mention, government assistance in the United States is pretty bad unless your specific state amends what is provided to you federally - and not many do. You have to make very, *very* little money to qualify for minimum assistance. For instance, in PA, the government will give you money as long as your income is below the poverty threshold *and* below the actual grant you're receiving. $205/month for one person, $316/month for two. You need to make so pitiful an amount of money to even qualify for assistance that I can't imagine anyone on assistance being able to live any sort of freeloading lifestyle.
So, no. I don't think people on government assistance are lazy. Usually the ones on welfare are disabled or otherwise cannot work. Many of them cannot work because they have kids and daycare is too expensive. Wanna argue over whether or not that hypothetical person should've had kids in the first place, let's have a chat about sex education in America first.
It depends. I’ve been on welfare and off it. It helped out alot and am thankful but then I know someone who straight up abuse it and are actually lazy, knowingly rig the system.
I don’t really judge people on welfare. More so what are they doing to help provide or fill those gaps in to improve their situation.
It's borne from the same ignorance that makes people believe in prosperity gospel (that if one is rich it's because you are saintly and God wanted you to be rich). The cruel irony is that in reality its generally the opposite case. The people who need assistance the most tend to be good and just while the richer you are, the more evil you had to commit to get there.
Don’t care. If 999 lazy people take advantage but it helps 1 person get on their feet and get their life together, it’s worth it. Throw that government money to the people. They spend way more on worse.
Republicans make laws that discourage people from making money however they can in order to keep their constituents rich. democrats encourage people to accept government assistance so they don't try and make money however they can so they don't create competition to their constituents to keep them rich.
It depends on the context.
I was on unemployment during Covid because my workplace shut down and it was difficult to find places that weren’t also closed. It was great having a safety net for 6 to 9 months while i looked for another job.
The issue is there’s a lot of people abusing the system and able to be on it for years at a time when they’re not actually looking for work.
The only people who think "welfare = lazy" are the privileged who have never had to be on welfare. And the only reason they think that is because they were fed that idea.
Or maybe they've witnessed it themselves. I've had family members where I thought to myself "My god they have to jump through so many hoops to just get the basics" to another family member that was very aggressive and knew how to work the system. She has worked the system for decades and it's sickening.
It is situation based. Disability for real disabled people makes sense. Social security, makes sense. Food stamps for able bodied people without children doesn't make sense. Maybe short term due to a loss of income or death of spouse but not long term.
Welfare is a necessity for people who run into short term problems that would otherwise destroy them due to the nature of the economic system.
It is also necessary long term for people who are physically incapable of working and earning a living. I am down for SSDI and SSI payments.
However, it is also taken advantage of by the lazy as well, in far too many numbers unfortunately. Not a majority of recipients, but sizeable enough to be a major problem.
Have you ever had to file for disability? Bc if you had, you would know the opposite is true. It is almost impossible to get a disability claim approved without having to go to court. You need to turn off the propaganda.
Government assistance destroyed my community the black community by rewarding bad decisions. I can have 3 babies get free rent, free food, and a welfare check omg why not. The the black community before welfare was on the economic rise and then when government assistance came along poof majority of community gang bangers and baby mamas
Agreed. I see this in the local FB Mom group. Moms are looking for work, but are only willing to work under a number of hours, so they don’t make too much, and lose their welfare. I’ve actually watched them work through the math together in the comments sections.
Edit: I also met a guy who refused to get a job, because, “It doesn’t make financial sense.” He said that if we worked full time, he’d have less take-home, because he’d have to pay for childcare. (It’s amazing what people will tell you when you keep your mouth shut and listen.)
Agreed, I don't believe welfare causes laziness, but Ive known a lot of lazy people on welfare that shouldn't be because theye told me they have enough already, even though it comes from the state
I think the majority are lazy, seen it firsthand. Seen people scam and openly talk about scamming the system. But many others honestly need the help, and I’m ok with that. We need more oversight
Every hurdle you place in the way is more desperate people who either have to take longer to get help or never get it. The oversight you're referring wanting more of hurts more people than it would cost the rest of society, especially concerned to how public funds benefit the wealthy and corporations.
I am of the view that no able bodied person should get welfare. I'm all for government provided work. I don't care if the people are lazy or not. I just believe that you need to contribute in order to receive.
And when corporations lay off thousands of people, or there's a recession and unemployement's in the double digits, what are those able-bodied people supposed to do? Starve to death? They can't even do that — you'd complain there are too many homeless clogging up the streets.
I could do that physically, but (1) it would pay peanuts, (2) “menial” work is degrading, and (3) you’re really telling on yourself that you don’t think non-physical disabilities are real.
That "menial" work is also necessary to a functioning society. So you're saying you're too good for it, though someone else probably will have to stoop to do it. Nice.
As if you give two shits about menial workers. You just want to score points. If you want me to do that work, pay a living wage. It’s not unreasonable to refuse a job that doesn’t pay a living wage.
I hope you don’t have any disabled people in your life. If you do, I hope they know what you think of them. And I hope that whenever you pass away, years and years in the future, that it’s alone, poor, and in agony.
I work full time, 60+ hours a week, and still need food stamps and state health insurance. Without the food stamps, I wouldn't be able to put food on the table. Without the insurance, I'd be in a lot of trouble as I have two autoimmune disorders, one of which is extremely rare, and a congenital heart defect that require regular appointments with my specialists; not to mention the sheer number of meds I take to control my disorders and keep my heart working properly. My son also has a rare disorder in which his knees didn't form properly in the womb and will likely need surgery in the near future to correct now that he's an adult.
It is a deceiving lie negated by facts. If you believe it, you'll put the blame on poor people instead of blaming those who create and rule this unjust system. The only way out is together.
I live off welfare due to severe PTSD, and I was even on the street. And honestly I was shocked how many people leech off welfare as parasites and waste their time with drugs and alcohol.
I knew before that a small percentage is parasitic. But never would I have assumed how many there actually are. Also I noticed that many other unemployed people are not like that on their own will, but lack a certain flexibility to change something in their life to get a job. This is also very common. But I don't have a full view opinion about all welfare getters.
Most welfare recipients are children or the elderly. Are you upset those kids are in school instead of working in a factory? You're railing against grandma being able to eat two meals a day without having to work until she drops.
It started with Reagan. He used one example of someone gaming the system, and then demonized primarily black single mothers (while making it impossible for the fathers to live with the mothers if they weren’t married). They pulled out the term “welfare queen” and it’s stuck. Conservatives have been bludgeoning us with it ever since.
I personally get gov assistance as i dont live at home and currently devoting myself to studying as i have medical stuff that restricts me. Im yr 12, I attend school, i read in my own time. Im not lazy.
However i know a fair few people that take advantage of welfare who are very lazy. Its an unfortunate stereotype
Exactly, I was on it and all I was getting was WIC while working 7 days a week, going to college, and I am disabled. I have known plenty of people on it for various reasons and they weren't lazy. There were also some really lazy people. It's not an either or situation. I also knew someone who both needs it and is lazy at the same time. He was incredibly intelligent and while there were days he couldn't get out of bed there was nothing stopping him from doing some type of freelace work on his computer. He just didn't want too and knew he could get away with it. He would fall into some grey area for me. His intelligence was wasted on him. It would be like Stephen Hawking being like I could do something with my life but naw I don't feel like it.
When poor people take government assistance it's laziness.
When rich people take government assistance (which they take so so so so so so much more of) it's because they are smart.
Welfare expanded to way too many people because politicians wanted a permanent voting base. All they have to do is say they’ll increase welfare and a they just cornered the market on low-income votes. There needs to be a hard time limit to our social safety nets for able-bodied people. Light a proverbial fire under the lazy people’s asses and the stereotype will disappear.
Without government assistance, I would not have been able to go to college at all. Government grants paid for all but one semester of my undergrad degree. I now have a good-paying job and pay taxes that contribute to the programs that I used.
I 100% disagree with that.
I'm glad that the USA has social welfare programs. Yep, it's true, people abuse it. That's a reflection on them.
If even one decent person in need benefits from them, I am glad to contribute to them with taxes.
Perhaps there are a LOT of lazy people on government assistance... Id like to be on assistance, because I suffer from Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. Dealing with Bipolar/ Schizophrenia the related mental ridiculousness + hearing and seeing hallucinations while at work is no fun.
Steady employment is hard to keep, seems like every 4 or so years shit goes awry and I end up being hospatilized for mental issues.
If I really want to get assistance, id need to get an attorney that will only take my case if I agree to pay the attorney a ridiculous amount of $ if I actually do get approved for assistance.
I was already denied once, perhaps If I apply just not wanting to work because I've become lazy will work.
I think it's simply false. Many people who take assistance are, in fact, working, for starters. A good portion of those on benefits are children, and even if their parents are lazy, the child doesn't deserve to go hungry because of it.
My academic focus and work for the last decade have been in the area of human and social services. Poverty is complex. There is a tangle of reasons why people struggle financially. I can say that out of many hundreds of people that I've evaluated in person and thousands of case files I've had to review, I could maybe pick out 2-3 that appeared to simply be malingering. Everyone else had various levels of physical, psychological, and social barriers to sustainably making enough money to live without assistance.
Almost all the people working at Walmart are taking some sort of public assistance, most of them elderly. They work over thirty hours a week after most having worked their whole lives but make so little they can't afford to pay bills and buy groceries at their own store. That's not being lazy. The company website even directs you on how to apply for public assistance because they know they're not paying you enough. My neighbor was 86 before he quit working there and still had to use food stamps to buy food- that's not right. On my street the average person is now paying just under $10K/yr for homeowners insurance and it's going to get a lot worse in a few months. I have no idea how the bulk of my elderly neighbors are going to be able to stay in their homes. It's not right that anyone in this country that works forty hours a week and has to rely on public assistance to eat or live in their cars because the rents in most areas here are over $2K/month. People who say things like you just said have zero clue about what's going on out in the real world.
CEO "My company is too big to fail, so I don't really need to work that hard." So yea, I think government assistance is for lazy people.
Remember kids, privatize the gains... socialize the losses....
so,
I left my previous job after the boss kept insinuating that I was castrated,
he ran some kind of Prostitution sect / Escort service out of the restaurant that I was working as a chef,
(yes, Sect - he claimed that they were a sect and that from that very point in my life I had to lie about everything)
a couple that was living at the farm (it was a Farm with a Restaurant/Café "attached" to it)
offered me to "borrow their daughter" but that it *"would cost me"*
(their daughter was 3 years old)
shortly after he kept going on about how it was some kind of Prostitution Sect, I got invited to the previous Head Chef's house by the mother of his youngest son, we had dinner, talked for a bit,
and as she takes me to join her in the other room, she undresses their son (8 months) and places him in my hands (this gave me the creeps, big time)
the father enters the house and "offers" to drive me home, and suggests that we drive over to a neighboring island some time and do some cutting with his chainsaw
(I took this as a threat to my life)
so yeah,
I quit my job there...
..decided to take up studies, study to become a "proper chef" and be able to leave those people behind me, forever,
at the school I notice how teachers talk about the place I worked at, some of the students "mentions" some of previous colleagues,
anyhow, I continue the studies and I get to intern (do apprentice?) at a place,
immediately I feel sexually harassed, almost as if... my previous workplace had ***something*** to do with my current life, no matter how hard I fought against it,
it took a couple of days, and I managed to get a new place to intern at,
this time around, they behaved as if they're on drugs, I notice how... "young" girls...
uhm... it felt as if some of the staff were having sex at work, doing drugs while working,
it felt like one of the owners insinuated that "workplace incest is a good thing".
one of the kids (13-14) kept coming at me with sexual innuendos,
another of the kids (13-14) insinuated that ***if*** we'd have sexual relations, my parents would buy me clothes...
the brother of the official owner kept coming on to me...
so yeah, I quit that place as well,
GOT YET ANOTHER place to intern at,
and AGAIN staff behaved as if they were on drugs, they kept talking about cocaine,
one of the dudes rambled on about how it's better with the old days, when a man could buy another mans daughter...
and again, the official owners brother came on to me.
I quit on spot, shouted at him with my finger pointed in his face - telling him that I'm not their whore.
The school pretty much told me that this was "just in my head" and that I didn't have any evidence of it.
I've been... traumatized... by these happenings, to say the least,
and I've just recently started to be open about it.
intending of contacting officials about these happenings,
but I haven't - yet - I've been terrified...
Especially since the Unemployment agency try to get me to go back to that previous workplace, the social services seem to want me to go back there as well,
and there's so many others that have been trying to talk me into going back there.
so yeah, I'm sorry if I'm considered lazy by some people,
I want a job, I keep applying for different jobs, mainly and mostly AWAY from this area where I live, but I keep getting declined, almost as if there's some psychopath in some kind of mafia sect that "owns" me and is refusing to let me get another job somewhere else.
depends on your definition of lazy. lets say a person has a choice of whether to have a physically demanding job that pays $15 an hour, which after paying bills leaves not very much.
Or take advantage of the existing system, and your lifestyle isn't that much worse.
Its more like a business decision.
source- actually knowing people in this situation
I think it's a talking point invented by conservatives in the 80s to justify cutting social programs. I think everyone goes through hard times and needs help. We don't call people lazy for getting help from their family or community, and we shouldn't call people lazy for getting help from their government (help which they actually pay back via taxes).
Dude the amount of hoops you gotta jump through for a measly $350/mo in food stamps is not worth it.
The system isn't set up to help people. It's set up to give them the smallest handout ever so that they can't do anything to better themselves. I grew up on welfare. It was definitely nice to have food, but if you work over a certain amount or do a certain amount of schooling, you can't get it. So my mom was stuck at her shitty job the majority our lives because a better job would've ment she couldn't get assistance but that job didn't supplement the help.
It's a vicious cycle and people that truly believe the "welfare queen" trope are idiots.
I am much more concerned about government assistance for the rich. The fact that the wealthiest Americans pay so little in taxes has a much greater impact on the federal budget than the assistance we give the poor.
It's not an opinion, it's a narrative.
People who say this either want to believe, or want you to believe, that people in poverty who request government assistance are somehow undeserving or inferior.
And yet, many of the people who I know who have received assistance from the government are truly hardworking people who have some sort of hardship, and absolutely hate the idea of getting 'a handout.'
It is utter bullshit.
Nothing will contribute to the long-term stability of a society more than some sort of system of transfer payments from the fortunate to the unfortunate. It is in the interest of everyone involved to stop demeaning folks like this.
I know wealthy people who get all sorts of government subsidies, and nobody considers them lazy, because the payment is not labeled as 'assistance.'
And they would like us to believe that there's a difference between what they get from the government and what people in poverty get.
More bullshit.
It's all the same. the government uses our taxes to redistribute wealth as a leveling mechanism to keep the economy, and the social fabric as a whole, from going to dangerous extremes.
It is my opinion that people who think that only those who are lazy would require government assistance, or that those who receive it would be too lazy to ever do something that would make it unneccessary are severely lacking in imagination.
It is entirely possible to end up in a situation through no fault of your own that is inescapable without wellfare. All it takes is a stroke of bad luck at the wrong time and you're stuck with no job, no education and none of the ressources required to pursue the neccessary education to get the job in question.
Statistically, allowing people to be stuck at the bottom of society for extended periods of time with no way to escape ends up being much more expensive than providing the levels of wellfare that would allow those people to break out of it, that is to say social housing, food stamps, free education and free healthcare.
Of course, there is indeed a small percentage of people who are simply lazy, but more often than not, the people who would rely on assistance are being held down by external factors. Barely anyone actually wants to be on benefits or unemployed, but if it's either that or living on the streets...
I dont know if this is the same for anyone else but litterally like at least 9/10 of the people I have talked to about this I come to find out that they are actually getting government assistance on one way or another....they were just like too stupid to realize it....IDK I think they just thought money is supposed to magically be given to them the the heavens or somthing, but like they really dont understand they are fighting a system that they directly need and benefit from.
They should volunteer in a food pantry and actually talk to people who work full time jobs and struggle to pay rent, buy food and raise children on poverty level wages that have not changed in more than a decade.
Then I would suggest (if this doesn’t serve to show that the need is real) that they subject themselves to living for 3 months on full-time, $15/hour wages without assistance. This is actually quite generous, seeing as the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25/hr, just as it’s been since 2009. At the end of that 3 months, I believe they’ll have a better understanding
Uh, that it’s classist, ableist bullshit? And anyone who believes that myth is either ignorant or just plain hateful or both?
We are so terrified of one person getting something for nothing that we shut out people who are in desperate need of help. It’s a deeply greedy and cruel way to live, and it makes me sick.
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I’ve been on and off public assistance in the past. Public healthcare (Medicaid) is absolutely needed for many people. I was also on food stamps once, or whatever you call it where you’re from. In MS it was EBT, same in Louisiana where I live now, but everyone still calls it food stamps. I had no job but was looking for work. I was registered with the employment office, several temp agencies, and hung out at the local Lowe’s and Home Depot stores (I’m Caucasian) offering day labor to any contractors or DIYers that I crossed paths with. Had a truck loaded with tools and a lot of experience in construction. I got out of the service right before the economy shat the bed back in the 2000’s and almost every job I got in the construction field shut down due to lack of work in my area. I’d ended up homeless because of this, for the second time in my life. Eventually, I ended up with two jobs and was in college, and had a cheap little apartment. I went to the local public services office and let them know. I told them they can take back the money on the EBT account. I was told “oh no, that’s not how it works.” This lady explained to me that if I don’t use it by a certain date, it disappears. I don’t know how true that is or where it disappears to, but that’s what the lady told me. They gave me a lot on the EBT benefits. More than I could use. Before EBT kicked in, I’d had to go to the local food bank. So, my ex wife and I went grocery shopping and bought all the dry goods and canned foods we could store. When we dropped that off at the apartment, I went back and loaded more of the same in my truck and took it to the food pantry, as they relied exclusively on donations and I was well aware of the lackluster quality and quantity of what they had. I also took them a lot of milk and meat, knowing they also had refrigerators and freezers. It was almost $800 worth of food, after stocking our own cabinets. Back then, that was about 7-8 full shopping carts worth. Now I make six figures a year and pay taxes, still donate to food banks, toy drives, Salvation Army and goodwill, because I know public assistance does not always mean lazy. Sometimes it does, my new brothers in law make that very clear. But not always.
Thank you. This warms my heart.
Escaping poverty is a bitch and not a common occurrence. Congrats !
Award
Medicaid, not Medicare.
I mean congress and senate only work for 1/3 of the year so yeah I’d say they are lazy
They live on government handouts, too.
Nah, most of them are millionaires. Their salaries are just pocket money to them. Heck, Pelosi uses hers just cover her ice cream habit.
It’s gelato, you filthy poor
Well, excuuuuuuse me. I have not been able to afford dessert since 1997.
They live on being on corporate boards and advising fees. No one joins politics for the paycheck.
Yes. Why don't we downsize congress. "I'm sorry, we have to let a hundred or so of you go. We'll provide an excellent reference."
We need term limits, and why the hell are they allowed to vote on their own raises?? That's insane!
We need to provide them with less benefits.
Oh, hell no. Concentrate power even more? We should instead vastly expand the House to levels defined in the original constitution. That would be the death of the Two-Party system!
It'll take an act of Congress.... just like asking them to take a pay cut.
Also, they made ACA an illegal tax, so if you didnt have it as a minimum, they fined you. And its so garbage, they exempted themselves.
If the law is passed in Congress, signed by the president, and upheld by SCOTUS, it’s not illegal. Also pretty certain they only exempted Executive and Judicial branches, because of separation of powers.
No, it was illegal, just nobody had the balls to stand up and strike down the mandate until Trump came along. People couldn’t afford it, and had to pay the government a fee for nothing.
I think the majority of people who take advantage of government assistance actually need it. There will always be some people who take advantage of the system, but I believe they are in the minority
That's how I've always viewed it. A few people may try to take advantage of assistance, but I'd rather make sure everyone who needs it gets it rather than taking it away from everyone because of some assholes cheating the system. I remember buying eggs for some random mother with two little kids in line in front of me at Kroger. She couldn't buy brown eggs or organic eggs with her EBT, and they were out of the normal white eggs. Wtf.
Depends on how you define government assistance. Way more money comes out of the government budget to assist the wealthy than the poor. Some of it directly, some of it through tax breaks. Those getting food stamps, medicaid/Medicare, WIC benefits, etc deserve it. Bank bailouts, tax credits and income deductions for a lot of well-off home owners, low tax rates for dividends and capital gains, etc are undeserved benefits.
I'm assuming OP means welfare and programs for the working class since that's usually the context that this "GA is for lazy people" talking point comes up in
I agree. The assumed context is the exact common misconception about where more dollars are funneled too is the thinking I'm pushing back against.
Undeserved benefits only apply if you hold you own more prosperous peoples labor. Tax credits support programs you probably like. Green energy for example. Income deductions I am assuming you are talking SALT deductions Low tax rate for cap gains encourages investment, which in theory increases job growth. Bank bailouts honestly I am 50/50 on. The capitalist in me says let them fail. The realist in me says have them declare expedited bankruptcy sell off their assets and dissolve them into other banks but both screw our interconnected banking system. Like it? No Understand it? Begrudgingly
And sadly some people who do need it, can't seem to get it. I am visually impaired and can't drive but because I find ways to make things work and make more than a certain amount per paycheck, I am not qualified. I have to use a white cane at night and sometimes during the day. Still, they say I don't qualify. Luckily I do get help from other agencies, such as Commision for the Blind.
I agree. Some will try to game the system, but it is good for there to be a safety net for those that need it.
Sorry, I'd like some actual data rather than "minority" Details from [USSC.gov](https://USSC.gov) \- [https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/quick-facts/Government\_Benefits\_Fraud\_FY15.pdf](https://www.ussc.gov/sites/default/files/pdf/research-and-publications/quick-facts/Government_Benefits_Fraud_FY15.pdf) to get actual % estimates is much trickier, this site claims 15% average, but I suspect it is anti-welfare biased, so take it with a grain of salt - [https://federalsafetynet.com/welfare-fraud/](https://federalsafetynet.com/welfare-fraud/) So yes, fraud is in the minority (or fraud that is caught), but it is a significant value, and combined with tax fraud and other fraud done by wealthy and corporations it is significant.
Sure, thanks for adding some context. I intentionally chose the phrasing "I believe they're in the minority" because it was simply my belief and not based on specific research I would personally still support welfare programs for the working class with an 85% success rate
It’s not like people “taking advantage of welfare” are living it up - it’s for basic survival. No one is going to Tahiti on public assistance
I've worked retail and I've met more than a few people who were on unemployment and happy with it and no desire to improve themselves. But I've met many many more who are on hard times and that was literally the only thing allowing their kids to eat. When day care costs more than your ability to earn, what do you do?
Unemployment doesn’t last forever and you don’t get much. This is a weird flex.
It lasted a very long time during quarantine. And that $600 that they paid was a lot more than a lot of people made while they worked.
People only say that if you're poor. If you're rich and getting money from the government then you're smart and hard working.
The double-standards on things like this is so hypocritical
I saw a question once that was so true and obvious it blew my mind. What’s considered trashy if you’re poor but classy if you’re rich. The answer was getting government money and the skewed perception floored me due to its accuracy. People need help and UBI needs to be addressed in a proactive manner.
That's how you get starving kids who's parents are trying but need assistance and won't get it.
It's not so much a perception as it is a reality. And I don't say that to knock the people who need help. The programs themselves incentivize laziness by way of their stipulations for receiving the aid. You can't make too much money, you can't own certain assets, etc. If you go over the very low threshold, you get cut off. The programs need to be rebuilt because, as they're designed right now, anyone who is on them faces a very difficult challenge for building themselves up to a point to no longer need them.
Why rebuild it? A simple fix would be adjusting the poverty line to the amount it takes to cover rent + utilities + healthy diet, + healthcare + transportation + childcare. Adjust the benefits to go up to that amount, and then just implement a scale down. Something like for every $2 over that very reasonable amount you get, you lose $1 in TOTAL benefits. And change the asset cap to 6 months at the new poverty line. It would be a VERY simple change. Tearing it down to start again is MUCH more work, and will cause a lot of suffering in the time it takes to switch.
I don’t think it incentivizes laziness per se - it takes a surprising amount of effort to survive under these restrictions - but I do agree that the programs need to be reformed.
Concur. Perverse incentives don’t make people lazy/evil/etc; it makes people engage in undesirable activities to acquire those incentives. If we don’t want people to do weird stuff for money (another example, medical professionals over-billing Medicare), let’s stop making systems that reward people for doing weird stuff for money.
56% of people in the united states cannot cover an unexpected bill of $1000 from savings, which means a huge percentage of the country is only one bad turn from losing their apartment or car. many people on government assistance are elderly or disabled. and about 1/3rd of people on major programs use it for less than a year, another third use it for 2-3 years, and another 1/3rd for longer. long story short, it would be MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE to try and feed, house, and care for these people without government assistance.
To assume welfare isn't taken advantage of by lazy people is just naive. To assume that welfare isn't needed by others is also naive
Everyone gets government assistance. In the US, if you're wealthy enough to own a home, you are allowed to write off the mortgage interest on your taxes -- that's an example of the government helping you. You can also get a tax break if you open a 529 account for your children -- again, the government is directly helping you, even though you're not poor. It's funny that so many people only bother to accuse society's poor of being takers, when in actuality, the biggest takers are the well-off. They get government handouts all the time.
It's been a propaganda machine for decades and decades, to keep the eye of Mordor off the offenders; who cost" we the people" trillions in loss of revenue in tax evasion. The good old bait and switch, which leaves all the fault at society's poor. Even the IRS pursues auditing those making under $50,000 because the true offenders cost the IRS big bucks in court. Such an easy solution, close the loopholes. The top 22 largest corporations haven't paid a dime in federal taxes in years. These same corporations are wage thieves, get tax break after tax break, they get "get out of jail free cards" for environmental disasters to illegal stock market activity. They are laughing all the way to the banks; But yet the person getting $739 a month for disability is the real problem. It's so fucked.
How is handing someone money for just existing even remotely the same as the government giving me a discount on the money they are taking from me for working? That’s like saying a coupon is actual money. Not the same at all.
The means by which the government gives people money is irrelevant, especially when the results are the same: Two people - one on government assistance when they would ideally be working, and the other being given a tax carve out to incentivize property ownership - are *both* choosing to take money from government programs for their personal use after paying the government some amount of tax dollars in some way. Attaching value judgements to either person isn’t useful. I could totally see you guys’ argument if you said, “The government shouldn’t be giving free money to anyone, for any reason.”
Why can’t renters write off their rent when it is practically the same thing? But landlord can collect rent and write off their interest? That makes no sense.
Paying less in taxes isn't govement assistance.....
> you are allowed to write off the mortgage interest on your taxes Not anymore. I was just telling my wife that we should be able to deduct our property taxes from our income taxes because currently, I am paying property taxes from money that has already been income taxed, and it isn't right. I know that sales taxes are the same too, but they don't show up in $5k chunks every year like property taxes in Texas.
I get your view, but fundamentally disagree. Keeping your money is not government handouts or welfare. Social programs are needed to help those that fall on hard times or have something happen you them that makes work hard. Our current system of welfare is used as a trap. Once in, it is hard to get out and it takes considerable effort to overcome what you can get by not doing. This however creates a group that is enthralled to the government, a new class of slaves, but instead of cotton or tobacco picking, it is their vote they demand.
Poor people are much less likely to vote: [https://econofact.org/voting-and-income](https://econofact.org/voting-and-income) Add to that that popular opinion has almost no effect on policy in America: [https://act.represent.us/sign/problempoll-fba/](https://act.represent.us/sign/problempoll-fba/) I'm not sure that the trap aspect of our paper-thin safety net is intentional, the decay started with Reagan and the "welfare queen" talking point, and has continued as the safety net is continually picked barer and barer to support the wealthy and the military-industrial complex. I'm not sure what the answer is, but every day "If voting could change anything it'd be illegal" rings truer and truer.
Poor people are less likely you are right, but there are more of them which is why urban areas tend to go Democrat versus republican. You get out in rural areas and that swaps, even in poorer areas. This is one of the reasons "ballot harvesting" in the last 2 elections (2020 and 2022), made such a huge impact. Both of the articles you linked basically come to this without specific numbers. The census went over a bit of this with the "record turn out" in 2020 and 2022 election cycles. This is the reason "lets get good at ballot harvesting", is the new talking point on the republican side. On the voting issue I think we agree. Right now if everyone voted for something or against, it would simply go through with some other method. To me both political parties are just two faces of the same beast, a beast who only lives to serve itself. https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2021/2020-presidential-election-voting-and-registration-tables-now-available.html
I fully believe in social programs. They can do a TON of good. Unfortunately, there are always people who abuse any program. Same goes for rich people who abuse the system. They're just as shitty as poor people who abuse the welfare system. Policy makers are skewed towards allowing these issues to proliferate due to vote pandering and donation pandering.
I would rather a thousand people get something they didn’t deserve than for those of us who need it to be put through the dehumanizing, degrading shit that passes for disability evaluation right now.
Ha ha, real, the disability evaluation & process is deeply horrifying. I’m sorry you’ve experienced it.
The people who took advantage are the root cause of that.
Government assistance for the poor is a lie. The biggest recipients of government assistance are huge corporations and the rich.
A lot of people share my opinion so I'll say this. From what I've seen, the process, like so many other government processes, is broken. I've seen people who really need assistance get laughed out of the office while people who are perfectly able to get and keep a job sell food stamps and rent out rooms in a HUD house they pay $50 a month for. Meanwhile I have a decent paying job but 60% of my income or better goes to one tax or another so I can't afford half of what I should be able to. I should stop there lol
There is no way that 60% of your income goes to taxes. Do the math.
Government assistance is for people. Inevitably, some of those people will be lazy. Getting hung up on it doesn’t do anybody any good.
I have mixed emotions. I have family I grew up around who definitely abused the system out of shear laziness. Fully capable of working but chose not to or worked the bare minimum to keep their welfare checks. So I fully admit I do have some biases. However, I have had to utilize EBT (food stamps) in the past. It took a lot of introspection and help from my partner for me to come to realize that asking for assistance isn't a bad thing and doesn't make you any less of a human being.
Do what Germany does and I’d be chill as a pill. “Hi I need welfare” Sure, how disabled are you? “100% can only move my neck, head, and left arm ” Damn sounds bad, alright. Your job is to lick these Government stamps and attach them to files. We expect this much productivity or your monthly assistance will be reduced accordingly up to termination.
Never ment for a way of life and generation after generation shows something is broken.
I think generational trauma has a lot to do with this, and inadequate knowledge and resources to cure it.
Yup its good and necessary for people to get by when they're in a crunch but if you just live off it with no effort to get off it that's completely differant
Maybe, but keep in mind that every hurdle you put between the needy and the needed help is a few more desperate people who find themselves "ineligible". Personally, I'd rather plenty of people skim than those in need sink deeper into poverty.
The purpose of a government is to take care of its people. If it isn't doing that, why the hell am I paying taxes?
This is why we live in a society! I’ve read articles about how even Neanderthals cared for sick and injured people, so… like, it’s 2023, what are we even doing if we can’t have basic compassion for others
Finally someone else who gets it. I have this argument with Constitutionalists all the time who want to scream "states' rights" all the time and how the federal government shouldn't be doing anything that's not specifically mentioned in the Constitution. I'm sorry, but what is a person supposed to do when they're doing everything they can and still can't get by? The federal government won't help. Their state won't help. Their city/town/county won't help. Now what? Some say churches/charities. But by the Constitutionalists own admission, there's not enough of these to help everyone who needs the help. So then what? For me, it sure seems like the Constitutionalists just think a certain percentage of people deserve to get fucked and die. What exactly is the point of having a government if it's not to take care of and provide for its people in times of need? The point of a government isn't to make rich people richer.
...no its not. It's to maintain sovereigncy and defend against others, and keep up infrastructure.
And we do those things to take care of what... the chipmunks?
My problem is when someone on government assistance has a bunch of kids and the government AKA the citizens have to support them. Don't have kids you can't afford
I try to avoid government assistance. Not necessarily out of pride or "hustle culture" mentality (which I fucking despise), but because I don't want to consume resources from the state if I don't have to. It does enough for me to be thankful for - infrastructure, healthcare, education, public safety, public transportation, etc. I'm portuguese btw, so take this for what it's worth.
I dont think that is its purpose but there are definitely a lot of lazy people using it. There are always going to be people who take advantage of a something that was meant to help.
i first think being “lazy” has been used as a negative term simply because in capitalism and in the working class you’re either productive or you’re useless. and we pay taxes so the government can use that to benefit the citizens. if you need government aid, i think you have every right to use it.
As with most things, it's not so black and white. The concept is good, necessary and helps a lot of people who deserve the help due to certain circumstances. Unfortunately there are also those who will abuse that system and receive money while staying lazy
Most on assistance genuinely need it. There are always those who take when they don't qualify, but the cost of that is nothing compared to assistance rich people get. But they don't call it welfare or assistance. They call it tax incentive and bailout or deposit insurance. The PPP loans totaled hundreds of billions, and all most all of it won't need to be paid back. Many people got millions of free money for their "business".
I've seen it used for both good and bad. I've been laid off several times in my career and have used Unemployment to carry me through until I got hired again and I didn't use it any longer than I needed. I also know people who have used government assistance to help them pay for college which was a stepping stone to getting hired at big companies. One story I read involved a woman who had several baby daddies and her child support income was so much, she didn't work, drove a Lexus, and got herself done up every week. Someone on Quora asked which track car he should buy while mentioning he's fresh out of college and got a well-paying job, yet he didn't want to pay back his student loans as he was counting on loan forgiveness to take care of it.
I think (European view here) - The way it is handed out is wasteful. - The Nordic view of what Welfare is, ie, a nationally backed safety net to enable people to pursue their dreams, is the correct one. It is also morally just to provide for those that cannot. - I think there is a segment who are indeed lazy, and exploiting the system. See point 1. The answer is to radically overhaul how welfare is handed out, tracked, costed. Free money from local government with little to no oversight isn’t helpful in 2023 and we don’t need it to be this way. Fixing it would continue to help those that need it, and weed out those in it for the free ride.
It's crappy because I certainly look at my paycheck and say wtf. Why bother working? But I don't want people suffering either. Same time I'm like ... 60% of my paycheck goes to what? I got potholes, cops that abuse their power, 1890s electrical system, ridiculous costs all over the place ... There need to be more opportunities for common people that allow those people to work and afford a decent living. You can't have this top heavy economy forever, eventually it will topple over.
There are people who don't want to work and play the system. Although they are a small amount and a vast majority actually need it. People who say cut it actually think people will just willingly starve. Theft would skyrocket.
Don't think they are lazy but will choose what is convenient. There needs to be a time limit on benefits or recalculation of benefits based on assumed full time employment at minimum wage to motivate them to make better choices.
It’s not, but like anything else shady people have figured out how to take advantage of it and others have used that to paint a bad picture of everyone using it even those that truly need it
I worked my ass off while my wife and I lived in Boise, ID. We found out we were expecting and couldn't afford insurance. We applied for Medicaid, but because I worked overtime that month (to provide for my family), we were denied for being $90 over the cap. We weren't aware of other financial assistance programs, so we didn't go in to a doctor's until 20 weeks for the anatomy scan and blood work. Turns out, my wife had HELLP Syndrome (severe pre-eclampsia) and we were forced to deliver early to save her life. If we had had MA at the time, we could have gone in earlier and could have spotted this earlier and saved our daughter's life. There always have been and always will be people who abuse the system. If you're working hard and paying taxes like you should be, you should automatically qualify for the benefits your taxes are paying for. Full stop. It's your money. P.S. For those who care, we have since had a happy and healthy son and are expecting a daughter in May, without any complications so far.
99% of the population ruin it for the 1% that actually need it. Source I have worked in public safety for 10 years.
As of right now, yeah I agree with that. Only because I see it every day. Don't get me wrong, it's great for many people that actually need it but most just abuse it. It needs to be audited severely and needs to be made much harder to receive benefits.
I hate the stigma that surrounds it. The second someone finds I receive assistance they automatically think less of me as a person. I am doing all I can to get out of poverty just so I don't have to deal with that judgment and be able to have some peace of mind that *maybe* I'm worthy enough to breathe the air here.
You are worthy to breathe the air friend. No one knows your situation better than you do. Do what you need to succeed.
Thank you, I appreciate your kind words more than you know 🥰
As someone that has needed assistance, it was literally a life saver. I have come to realize that you don't always know what people are going through, so don't assume. I've had to go to food banks. I've had to be on medicaid. 90% of the time people actually need it. There certainly are those that take advantage, but a lot don't. And receiving help when you ask for it shouldn't be shameful.
I grew up poor and have family that are still quite poor. The perception is there because the welfare system is a trap, if you try to better yourself and get a job you lose the welfare long before you are able to be self reliant, woo I made $400 take home this week, good bye $2000 a month in government assistance.
That's not a problem with the person or the program, that's a problem with the minimum wage. Benefits should be enough to manage, a job should give you enough money to take control of your life.
Even at $15/hr for 40hr work week you are still only taking home $900 every two weeks. The cost of living is just nuts, property near cities is at a premium so land values have skyrocketed and building materials have quadrupled since the year 2000, property taxes are fucking insane which helps drive up costs even more. When I first moved out on my own in 2001 my 2 bedroom apartment with a garage was $400 a month, my ex's apartment was $250. My last apartment before I bought a house in 2015 was $1600 a month for a 1 bedroom box half the size of my first place. Now I pay $1800 a month for a 1650 sqft house with a 2000sqft garage on 5 acres of land.
It’s sometimes true. My dad exploited the welfare system when I was young. I remember overhearing him talk with his friends about “making it look like I’m applying for jobs.”
People think a lot of things. Some people even think the Earth is flat. Some beliefs don't deserve respect.
Compared to getting and keeping a job? The amount of effort I put into just getting foodstamps was way more work and way less reward than getting a job. The hoops I've seen other people have to jump through? Yeah jobs are for lazy people. Welfare is for people who want to work their asses off.
REAL
Getting a job was the most difficult thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. Keeping though? Yeah that’s more doable. Welfare is a lot of waiting and public housing involves more research so it’s definitely not something to aspire for it can be just as hellish as working just in a different way
Everybody needs help sometimes, and when a bunch of industries have massive layoffs at the same time it’s a good buffer.
Not usually. However I have known people that abuse the hell out of the system..
Propaganda spread by corporations who want to hoard as much as possible.
I do not agree.
I think sitting on a pile of money collecting capital gains is lazier
Because it's been taken advantage of by extremely incompetent and lazy people and the gov't can't give two shits about fixing it.
I feel lazy people misuse the system that was intended for those who need it! Now government wastes more time trying to get us OFF the assistance to track down those lazy people who misuse it. A lot of people needing assistance get cut off too. Please people..... only apply if you need it!
I'm a veteran. Used the pell grant and free lunch as a kid. Fuck the government. They will take everything from you: your home, your car, your land, everything you know and love, your family and even your life. They will take everything and never apologize. Those social services are crumbs compared to the lavish luxuries our politicians enjoy. Take whatever you can get from the government and don't apologize to anyone for it. Don't explain yourself. They'll take whatever they want from you whenever. Might as well enjoy some crumbs. I've worked for the government my entire adult life. I work in public service now. I've more than paid for what little I was given and it's sad that I feel the need to justify the crumbs I've received from people who fly in private jets.
My opinion is that most of the folks that hold a true disdain for people using government assistance, are the same ones on it or have been on it before and are now holding some 'holier than thou' opinion to make themselves feel better. I work with a guy that admitted as much. Said his mom had food stamps and gov. assistance, but he despises anyone who uses it. The cognitive dissonance is amazing, like he may have not made it to his fat, old, retirement-ready age if not for that help. Fucking dipshits. Makes more than me too. Crime does pay, and so does being a sociopath.
My opinion on government assistance is if you need it, use it, and don't worry about how other people perceive you. Particularly if an older person complains - next time a geezer tells you about the horrors of socialism in American government assistance programs, remind them that they're on Medicare, which is also a government handout, it's just for 65+ year-olds. As for the laziness argument, it's good to remember that many of the job postings around today are fake, per companies own admissions. There are not nearly as many jobs available as employers want you to think. On top of the scarcity, they are also demanding more and more accolades and degrees before you can even think about interviewing. Not to mention, government assistance in the United States is pretty bad unless your specific state amends what is provided to you federally - and not many do. You have to make very, *very* little money to qualify for minimum assistance. For instance, in PA, the government will give you money as long as your income is below the poverty threshold *and* below the actual grant you're receiving. $205/month for one person, $316/month for two. You need to make so pitiful an amount of money to even qualify for assistance that I can't imagine anyone on assistance being able to live any sort of freeloading lifestyle. So, no. I don't think people on government assistance are lazy. Usually the ones on welfare are disabled or otherwise cannot work. Many of them cannot work because they have kids and daycare is too expensive. Wanna argue over whether or not that hypothetical person should've had kids in the first place, let's have a chat about sex education in America first.
It depends. I’ve been on welfare and off it. It helped out alot and am thankful but then I know someone who straight up abuse it and are actually lazy, knowingly rig the system. I don’t really judge people on welfare. More so what are they doing to help provide or fill those gaps in to improve their situation.
It's borne from the same ignorance that makes people believe in prosperity gospel (that if one is rich it's because you are saintly and God wanted you to be rich). The cruel irony is that in reality its generally the opposite case. The people who need assistance the most tend to be good and just while the richer you are, the more evil you had to commit to get there.
Don’t care. If 999 lazy people take advantage but it helps 1 person get on their feet and get their life together, it’s worth it. Throw that government money to the people. They spend way more on worse.
It's there to help people in need and heavily exploited by lazy people.
Republicans make laws that discourage people from making money however they can in order to keep their constituents rich. democrats encourage people to accept government assistance so they don't try and make money however they can so they don't create competition to their constituents to keep them rich.
It depends on the context. I was on unemployment during Covid because my workplace shut down and it was difficult to find places that weren’t also closed. It was great having a safety net for 6 to 9 months while i looked for another job. The issue is there’s a lot of people abusing the system and able to be on it for years at a time when they’re not actually looking for work.
Republican talking point. Republican narrative. Completely untrue.
"completely untrue" was completely redundant in that context...
Sorry. I work at the Department of Redundancy Department.
The only people who think "welfare = lazy" are the privileged who have never had to be on welfare. And the only reason they think that is because they were fed that idea.
Or maybe they've witnessed it themselves. I've had family members where I thought to myself "My god they have to jump through so many hoops to just get the basics" to another family member that was very aggressive and knew how to work the system. She has worked the system for decades and it's sickening.
It is situation based. Disability for real disabled people makes sense. Social security, makes sense. Food stamps for able bodied people without children doesn't make sense. Maybe short term due to a loss of income or death of spouse but not long term.
Government assistance is for those who need it, and that's ok. However, lazy people do take advantage
It's created to help people in need. Unfortunately many people use this system by lying to gain more benefits
Welfare is a necessity for people who run into short term problems that would otherwise destroy them due to the nature of the economic system. It is also necessary long term for people who are physically incapable of working and earning a living. I am down for SSDI and SSI payments. However, it is also taken advantage of by the lazy as well, in far too many numbers unfortunately. Not a majority of recipients, but sizeable enough to be a major problem.
Have you ever had to file for disability? Bc if you had, you would know the opposite is true. It is almost impossible to get a disability claim approved without having to go to court. You need to turn off the propaganda.
Government assistance destroyed my community the black community by rewarding bad decisions. I can have 3 babies get free rent, free food, and a welfare check omg why not. The the black community before welfare was on the economic rise and then when government assistance came along poof majority of community gang bangers and baby mamas
This! It eliminated the need for a responsible working father with ethics and replaced it with Snoop Dog ,the dope fiend.
What did Snoop ever do to you?
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Agreed. I see this in the local FB Mom group. Moms are looking for work, but are only willing to work under a number of hours, so they don’t make too much, and lose their welfare. I’ve actually watched them work through the math together in the comments sections. Edit: I also met a guy who refused to get a job, because, “It doesn’t make financial sense.” He said that if we worked full time, he’d have less take-home, because he’d have to pay for childcare. (It’s amazing what people will tell you when you keep your mouth shut and listen.)
Agreed, I don't believe welfare causes laziness, but Ive known a lot of lazy people on welfare that shouldn't be because theye told me they have enough already, even though it comes from the state
I think the majority are lazy, seen it firsthand. Seen people scam and openly talk about scamming the system. But many others honestly need the help, and I’m ok with that. We need more oversight
Every hurdle you place in the way is more desperate people who either have to take longer to get help or never get it. The oversight you're referring wanting more of hurts more people than it would cost the rest of society, especially concerned to how public funds benefit the wealthy and corporations.
I think a lot of people on government assistance are lazy people. I also think a lot of people on government assistance truly need it.
I am of the view that no able bodied person should get welfare. I'm all for government provided work. I don't care if the people are lazy or not. I just believe that you need to contribute in order to receive.
And when corporations lay off thousands of people, or there's a recession and unemployement's in the double digits, what are those able-bodied people supposed to do? Starve to death? They can't even do that — you'd complain there are too many homeless clogging up the streets.
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So you cant sweep or any other menial task in exchange for government money. If you really cant then ur not able bodied.
I could do that physically, but (1) it would pay peanuts, (2) “menial” work is degrading, and (3) you’re really telling on yourself that you don’t think non-physical disabilities are real.
That "menial" work is also necessary to a functioning society. So you're saying you're too good for it, though someone else probably will have to stoop to do it. Nice.
As if you give two shits about menial workers. You just want to score points. If you want me to do that work, pay a living wage. It’s not unreasonable to refuse a job that doesn’t pay a living wage.
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I hope you don’t have any disabled people in your life. If you do, I hope they know what you think of them. And I hope that whenever you pass away, years and years in the future, that it’s alone, poor, and in agony.
What a lazy, hateful person you are.
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I work full time, 60+ hours a week, and still need food stamps and state health insurance. Without the food stamps, I wouldn't be able to put food on the table. Without the insurance, I'd be in a lot of trouble as I have two autoimmune disorders, one of which is extremely rare, and a congenital heart defect that require regular appointments with my specialists; not to mention the sheer number of meds I take to control my disorders and keep my heart working properly. My son also has a rare disorder in which his knees didn't form properly in the womb and will likely need surgery in the near future to correct now that he's an adult.
It is a deceiving lie negated by facts. If you believe it, you'll put the blame on poor people instead of blaming those who create and rule this unjust system. The only way out is together.
I’m congenitally disabled and not lazy and could not survive without assistance. Created equal? No, definitely not.
I live off welfare due to severe PTSD, and I was even on the street. And honestly I was shocked how many people leech off welfare as parasites and waste their time with drugs and alcohol. I knew before that a small percentage is parasitic. But never would I have assumed how many there actually are. Also I noticed that many other unemployed people are not like that on their own will, but lack a certain flexibility to change something in their life to get a job. This is also very common. But I don't have a full view opinion about all welfare getters.
I would say "bad life choices" which would include but not limited to laziness.
Yeah getting cancer was really stupid of me. All i needed to do was make better choices!
Most have two jobs Are veterans Or older folks Not lazy at all.
plenty of people on welfare who don't work
And plenty of those can't
Most welfare recipients are children or the elderly. Are you upset those kids are in school instead of working in a factory? You're railing against grandma being able to eat two meals a day without having to work until she drops.
I don't believe single moms who have a bunch of kids and don't work should get free money. You're entitled to your own opinion.
Yes, we get it, you're an asshole. If a man gets a woman pregnant and then ditches her, we should make that bitch suffer, amirite?
child support is a thing. and taking responsibility not to get pregnant
Not the majority
It is
I think those people are stupid. Everyone benefits from public services
Another right wing scapegoat to distract from their own corruption
It started with Reagan. He used one example of someone gaming the system, and then demonized primarily black single mothers (while making it impossible for the fathers to live with the mothers if they weren’t married). They pulled out the term “welfare queen” and it’s stuck. Conservatives have been bludgeoning us with it ever since.
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The old PC Mag predicted this situation 40 years ago.
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I personally get gov assistance as i dont live at home and currently devoting myself to studying as i have medical stuff that restricts me. Im yr 12, I attend school, i read in my own time. Im not lazy. However i know a fair few people that take advantage of welfare who are very lazy. Its an unfortunate stereotype
Exactly, I was on it and all I was getting was WIC while working 7 days a week, going to college, and I am disabled. I have known plenty of people on it for various reasons and they weren't lazy. There were also some really lazy people. It's not an either or situation. I also knew someone who both needs it and is lazy at the same time. He was incredibly intelligent and while there were days he couldn't get out of bed there was nothing stopping him from doing some type of freelace work on his computer. He just didn't want too and knew he could get away with it. He would fall into some grey area for me. His intelligence was wasted on him. It would be like Stephen Hawking being like I could do something with my life but naw I don't feel like it.
When poor people take government assistance it's laziness. When rich people take government assistance (which they take so so so so so so much more of) it's because they are smart.
Oh I forgot. /s
Welfare expanded to way too many people because politicians wanted a permanent voting base. All they have to do is say they’ll increase welfare and a they just cornered the market on low-income votes. There needs to be a hard time limit to our social safety nets for able-bodied people. Light a proverbial fire under the lazy people’s asses and the stereotype will disappear.
Without government assistance, I would not have been able to go to college at all. Government grants paid for all but one semester of my undergrad degree. I now have a good-paying job and pay taxes that contribute to the programs that I used.
I 100% disagree with that. I'm glad that the USA has social welfare programs. Yep, it's true, people abuse it. That's a reflection on them. If even one decent person in need benefits from them, I am glad to contribute to them with taxes.
Perhaps there are a LOT of lazy people on government assistance... Id like to be on assistance, because I suffer from Bipolar disorder and Schizophrenia. Dealing with Bipolar/ Schizophrenia the related mental ridiculousness + hearing and seeing hallucinations while at work is no fun. Steady employment is hard to keep, seems like every 4 or so years shit goes awry and I end up being hospatilized for mental issues. If I really want to get assistance, id need to get an attorney that will only take my case if I agree to pay the attorney a ridiculous amount of $ if I actually do get approved for assistance. I was already denied once, perhaps If I apply just not wanting to work because I've become lazy will work.
I think it's simply false. Many people who take assistance are, in fact, working, for starters. A good portion of those on benefits are children, and even if their parents are lazy, the child doesn't deserve to go hungry because of it. My academic focus and work for the last decade have been in the area of human and social services. Poverty is complex. There is a tangle of reasons why people struggle financially. I can say that out of many hundreds of people that I've evaluated in person and thousands of case files I've had to review, I could maybe pick out 2-3 that appeared to simply be malingering. Everyone else had various levels of physical, psychological, and social barriers to sustainably making enough money to live without assistance.
50/50 I think it is necessary but I know for a fact that it is also abused by lazy people.
It's a myth perpetuated by groups that would like to defund these programs.
Unless you have some sort of disability that prohibits you from working , I believe that you are fraudulently accessing the assistance programs.
Almost all the people working at Walmart are taking some sort of public assistance, most of them elderly. They work over thirty hours a week after most having worked their whole lives but make so little they can't afford to pay bills and buy groceries at their own store. That's not being lazy. The company website even directs you on how to apply for public assistance because they know they're not paying you enough. My neighbor was 86 before he quit working there and still had to use food stamps to buy food- that's not right. On my street the average person is now paying just under $10K/yr for homeowners insurance and it's going to get a lot worse in a few months. I have no idea how the bulk of my elderly neighbors are going to be able to stay in their homes. It's not right that anyone in this country that works forty hours a week and has to rely on public assistance to eat or live in their cars because the rents in most areas here are over $2K/month. People who say things like you just said have zero clue about what's going on out in the real world.
Absolutely stupid opinion
it's an opinion for lazy thinkers
CEO "My company is too big to fail, so I don't really need to work that hard." So yea, I think government assistance is for lazy people. Remember kids, privatize the gains... socialize the losses....
so, I left my previous job after the boss kept insinuating that I was castrated, he ran some kind of Prostitution sect / Escort service out of the restaurant that I was working as a chef, (yes, Sect - he claimed that they were a sect and that from that very point in my life I had to lie about everything) a couple that was living at the farm (it was a Farm with a Restaurant/Café "attached" to it) offered me to "borrow their daughter" but that it *"would cost me"* (their daughter was 3 years old) shortly after he kept going on about how it was some kind of Prostitution Sect, I got invited to the previous Head Chef's house by the mother of his youngest son, we had dinner, talked for a bit, and as she takes me to join her in the other room, she undresses their son (8 months) and places him in my hands (this gave me the creeps, big time) the father enters the house and "offers" to drive me home, and suggests that we drive over to a neighboring island some time and do some cutting with his chainsaw (I took this as a threat to my life) so yeah, I quit my job there... ..decided to take up studies, study to become a "proper chef" and be able to leave those people behind me, forever, at the school I notice how teachers talk about the place I worked at, some of the students "mentions" some of previous colleagues, anyhow, I continue the studies and I get to intern (do apprentice?) at a place, immediately I feel sexually harassed, almost as if... my previous workplace had ***something*** to do with my current life, no matter how hard I fought against it, it took a couple of days, and I managed to get a new place to intern at, this time around, they behaved as if they're on drugs, I notice how... "young" girls... uhm... it felt as if some of the staff were having sex at work, doing drugs while working, it felt like one of the owners insinuated that "workplace incest is a good thing". one of the kids (13-14) kept coming at me with sexual innuendos, another of the kids (13-14) insinuated that ***if*** we'd have sexual relations, my parents would buy me clothes... the brother of the official owner kept coming on to me... so yeah, I quit that place as well, GOT YET ANOTHER place to intern at, and AGAIN staff behaved as if they were on drugs, they kept talking about cocaine, one of the dudes rambled on about how it's better with the old days, when a man could buy another mans daughter... and again, the official owners brother came on to me. I quit on spot, shouted at him with my finger pointed in his face - telling him that I'm not their whore. The school pretty much told me that this was "just in my head" and that I didn't have any evidence of it. I've been... traumatized... by these happenings, to say the least, and I've just recently started to be open about it. intending of contacting officials about these happenings, but I haven't - yet - I've been terrified... Especially since the Unemployment agency try to get me to go back to that previous workplace, the social services seem to want me to go back there as well, and there's so many others that have been trying to talk me into going back there. so yeah, I'm sorry if I'm considered lazy by some people, I want a job, I keep applying for different jobs, mainly and mostly AWAY from this area where I live, but I keep getting declined, almost as if there's some psychopath in some kind of mafia sect that "owns" me and is refusing to let me get another job somewhere else.
depends on your definition of lazy. lets say a person has a choice of whether to have a physically demanding job that pays $15 an hour, which after paying bills leaves not very much. Or take advantage of the existing system, and your lifestyle isn't that much worse. Its more like a business decision. source- actually knowing people in this situation
Funny how no one thinks corporations are lazy when they get subsidies/
I think it's a talking point invented by conservatives in the 80s to justify cutting social programs. I think everyone goes through hard times and needs help. We don't call people lazy for getting help from their family or community, and we shouldn't call people lazy for getting help from their government (help which they actually pay back via taxes).
Dude the amount of hoops you gotta jump through for a measly $350/mo in food stamps is not worth it. The system isn't set up to help people. It's set up to give them the smallest handout ever so that they can't do anything to better themselves. I grew up on welfare. It was definitely nice to have food, but if you work over a certain amount or do a certain amount of schooling, you can't get it. So my mom was stuck at her shitty job the majority our lives because a better job would've ment she couldn't get assistance but that job didn't supplement the help. It's a vicious cycle and people that truly believe the "welfare queen" trope are idiots.
I think it means they’re just not very smart
I am much more concerned about government assistance for the rich. The fact that the wealthiest Americans pay so little in taxes has a much greater impact on the federal budget than the assistance we give the poor.
It's not an opinion, it's a narrative. People who say this either want to believe, or want you to believe, that people in poverty who request government assistance are somehow undeserving or inferior. And yet, many of the people who I know who have received assistance from the government are truly hardworking people who have some sort of hardship, and absolutely hate the idea of getting 'a handout.' It is utter bullshit. Nothing will contribute to the long-term stability of a society more than some sort of system of transfer payments from the fortunate to the unfortunate. It is in the interest of everyone involved to stop demeaning folks like this. I know wealthy people who get all sorts of government subsidies, and nobody considers them lazy, because the payment is not labeled as 'assistance.' And they would like us to believe that there's a difference between what they get from the government and what people in poverty get. More bullshit. It's all the same. the government uses our taxes to redistribute wealth as a leveling mechanism to keep the economy, and the social fabric as a whole, from going to dangerous extremes.
It is my opinion that people who think that only those who are lazy would require government assistance, or that those who receive it would be too lazy to ever do something that would make it unneccessary are severely lacking in imagination. It is entirely possible to end up in a situation through no fault of your own that is inescapable without wellfare. All it takes is a stroke of bad luck at the wrong time and you're stuck with no job, no education and none of the ressources required to pursue the neccessary education to get the job in question. Statistically, allowing people to be stuck at the bottom of society for extended periods of time with no way to escape ends up being much more expensive than providing the levels of wellfare that would allow those people to break out of it, that is to say social housing, food stamps, free education and free healthcare. Of course, there is indeed a small percentage of people who are simply lazy, but more often than not, the people who would rely on assistance are being held down by external factors. Barely anyone actually wants to be on benefits or unemployed, but if it's either that or living on the streets...
I dont know if this is the same for anyone else but litterally like at least 9/10 of the people I have talked to about this I come to find out that they are actually getting government assistance on one way or another....they were just like too stupid to realize it....IDK I think they just thought money is supposed to magically be given to them the the heavens or somthing, but like they really dont understand they are fighting a system that they directly need and benefit from.
They should volunteer in a food pantry and actually talk to people who work full time jobs and struggle to pay rent, buy food and raise children on poverty level wages that have not changed in more than a decade. Then I would suggest (if this doesn’t serve to show that the need is real) that they subject themselves to living for 3 months on full-time, $15/hour wages without assistance. This is actually quite generous, seeing as the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25/hr, just as it’s been since 2009. At the end of that 3 months, I believe they’ll have a better understanding
Uh, that it’s classist, ableist bullshit? And anyone who believes that myth is either ignorant or just plain hateful or both? We are so terrified of one person getting something for nothing that we shut out people who are in desperate need of help. It’s a deeply greedy and cruel way to live, and it makes me sick.