Good Afternoon my good friends of M2, if you in the Philadelphia area we had a week of rain and clouds, it feel good to see the sun today you feel me. Okay shots out to my favorite "opinion minions' "Ms.Harmony' Luv your mind & Post and many more! Okay, lets start this by saying when you think of public assistance or state welfare, what's the first thing comes to mind? " A great needed help to some right? aaannntt wrong! when public assistance was created it was supposed to be for no low income to no income white folks especially if your husband off to the war, I think either ww1 or ww2, and folks that was victims of the" Great Depression". Then it made a drastic turn to minority poor or low income communities. As A Black German In the U.S. I watched some of my fellow minorities abused the public assistance programs. Let me Simplify it, okay what im about to say is nothing but the truth so let it fly if its not you. Black people now you all know in the hood a lot of families are on public assistance for various reasons. the ones who think food stamps & cash assistance are free and pass the thinking on to the next generations are wrong. it makes our community look like moochers and lazy. Nothing in America is free. what's free to you will cost you later. My Opinion Makers, how do you feel about state of public assistance, do you think it helpful or hurtful....you make the call? Spill it, I really want to know how you feel about this okay ! til we meet again.

this is complex,, because I think many view welfare in a one dimensional manner,,,,,someone 'sitting' around and being supported by 'taxpayers' money


however, the truth of the matter is that food stamps and tanf are different 'welfare' programs with different requirements


some of the facts:
A 2015 study by the University of California at Berkeley found that states and the federal government spent $152.8 billion a year on food stamps, health insurance, and cash assistance programs, more than half of it going to working families who were having trouble making ends meet.


the average benefit is $400 month


only 20% of those receiving cash assistance receive it more than 3 years



from: http://www.cheatsheet.com/personal-finance/whos-on-welfare-9-shocking-stats-about-public-assistance.html/?a=viewall





and here is the opinion:

because I have been through the welfare system, I picture people in economic need,, mostly unable to work, or find work, and with children


I feel a country as financially blessed as the US should have no reason to let children or the economically disadvantaged just starve or be homeless

and the nature of our economy is to always have some unemployed and disadvantaged,, so I believe it helps a great deal filling the gap

and since the days of Clinton, there are few states where anyone can actually spend their lifetime on assistance that is income qualified,, as most states have a 5 year LIFETIME limit

these are opinions I had before ever needing assistance, and they were only reinforced once I experienced it for myself


..of course, as with any system,some will find ways around the laws and regulations and abuse it,,,those people are criminal , but not representative of the system,,,,to me

Had had this discussion not too long ago 2fly. Where I used to live the majority of the individuals that used public assistance were not minorities. Once they completely their shopping they would hop in their Lexus or Mercedes like nothing happened. How on earth did they qualify for it is beyond me.

It is a myth to think that only people of color abuse the system and I'm not suggesting that you feel that way. It was used to help and then move on. Not help and keep your foot in the cement.

Get the help and then get out of the situation.

*Okay, lets start this by saying when you think of public assistance or state welfare, what's the first thing comes to mind?"

If 5 generations are on welfare.
(Especially in an entire community).
Then it is a lifestyle & subculture

Armed theft called taxes.


I don't care.

IMO this is like asking "how do you feel about the mugger that mugs you every quarter using what they stole from you to buy crack and help the crack dealer feed their poor starving kids?"

I don't care how the mugger uses the money as much as being mugged, and I want it to stop.


In 2015 the federal government collected some 3.25 trillion dollars.
3,250,000,000,000
That's more than the nominal GDP of all but 3 other individual countries (China, Japan, Germany).

MsHarmony,

my favorite opinion minion!

girl I luv the knowledge you have and I think your right. I guess real folks that use it right and not make a career of receiving public assistance over weights the Knuckleheades....

Dishonest people who exploit a system that was designed to help people that were actually needy.

A slippery slope of rationalizations, as entire communities of people get increasingly comfortable living off of the work of others.

Idealists who think they are trying to make the world a better place but who interfere with reforms that would actually benefit poor people.

“Do not blame Caesar, blame the people of Rome who have rejoiced in their loss of freedom who hail him when he speaks in the Forum of more security, more living fatly at the expense of the industrious. – Cicero

* Welfare is like the dead branch of the social tree. I cannot comment on it, as I know zip about it. I think Canada still has Welfare?
* I do know with an income of plus 50,000 with two children all three levels of government have rebates and payments. CCTB = 900. NCBS=200. OCB=300. GST=150. and a couple of others (I could pull my files/close is ok). It is about 1800. per. month.
* Canada government is now in the process of streamlining to G.I.
* Guaranteed Income (G.I.) will be simpler and efficient. Nordic counties have been successful with G.I.
* Working poor wages are topped-up, as is done now. Non working persons receive the same National set income. The G.I. will replace most government rebates and payments.
* G.I. is expected to introduce at 30,000 to 40,000 range and will reset annually. The G.I. committee is meeting all summer and is expected to be completed by Sept.

* In anticipation to some persons stating "Socialism"
** American city municipal governments are the largest property "landlord" owners and the abuse that it ensures.
* Canada spends 1% GNP (one percent) on military.
* Citizens have to prioritize Tax distribution.
* Children must be raised above poverty and the long social costs.

I have no problem with helping people in NEED.
I have a problem that people get a Bridge Card (Michigan's version of an EBT card) that is INTENDED for food being able to get cash that they can use as they CHOOSE. I had three people in front of me at a store who made two separate purchases, one was a single cake mix and the other was bag of nuts, totaling less than $10. They use 2 cards to get $400 in cash.
I know here in Michigan you can have up to $5K in cash and "other assets"....but they don't count your house or one car as assets. You can have a house worth $500k and $50K vehicle and still get assistance which IMO is ridiculous since the percentage of income used for housing is one of determining factor. The higher the percentage of income you pay for housing the greater your chance of qualifying.

I knew a guy who had rental property in Detroit years ago. He had to fill out paper work for the people who got their housing subsidized according to the amount of the rent. He didn't get the payment directly from the government, the resident got a check which was supposed to use for the rent. On more than one occasion the people cash the check and didn't pay the rent. He was told by the government they couldn't do anything and that he would have to evict them. Since it would take months to evict these people for nonpayment he started resubmitting the subsidy form showing the rent was $1/month drastically reducing the subsidy. Those people started "self evicting" when they lost their income. He had to beat the system that the people were abusing because the system wouldn't do anything.

It's not the assistance that is the problem IMO...it's some of the methods of giving assistance that is the problem. There is no way to stop all abuse of the system but it could be dramatically reduce if a few simple measures were implemented.

there are two types of assistance, food and cash

some states put all assistance on one card

some split the assistance

for example, in ohio and in Nevada, you get a card for food, and the cash is via a check

apparently Michigan has one card for both,, so if you qualify for both programs you get it all on one card, though its split up similar to how we split up a checking and banking account,, certain amounts allocated for each purpose

so there isn't necessarily a matter of the card is supposed to be used for food, its used for benefits, which can be food, cash, or both


as to the rest,,,I agree that there are abuses, but I also don't know a better way to do it

we shouldn't expect people to sell their home or their transportation during a time when they are most struggling, as both a residence and transportation are very important resources in the struggle to get back on ones feet

As states' work mandates kick in, tens of thousands of people lose food stamps

As many as 1 million Americans will stop receiving food stamps this year, the consequence of a controversial work mandate that took effect this week (April 2, 2016) in 21 states.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-food-stamps-work-mandate-20160402-story.html/




* Well... No one can blame the next President, White Privilege, Republicans or Trump. And when the next crew says 'they inherited this disaster'. It will be true ..
35,000 just in Alabama.
Pharaoh will be at his mansion in Dubai... When this sh@t hits the fan. Loyalty *

will probably work as well as when Clinton implemented it, of course that was just cash benefits

people don't starve so gracefully,

but we will move on,,,nothing much to do with the type of disasters a near economic depression could have caused

Some years ago my work included interviews with people in public assisted housing. I was not viewed as a threat or part of the "system" so the people were happy to shoot straight with me. MANY of the people receiving government funded assistance either did not need it or did not qualify.

My later involvement with some who needed assistance due to drugs found out that life was much better getting a job and ditching the drugs (with government funded counseling).

there are those who abuse the system,, or,, use it in place of the needier

like our current repuiblican candidate, for instance


I worked in an office where those interviews are conducted, and I also received it


a bit difference because our office was federal and so any deception had to be detected and reported, so the candidates probably were not so forthcoming as the environment you speak of,,,


but the assistance was minimal, in any case

** Forced labour will not crate jobs and has been proven unworkable.
* Are welfare boards a paid position ? Eons ago my mom sat on the social assistance (welfare)board for many years. Everyone was a volunteer and none of the top staff were paid. Helping your "neighbours" was a given.

* It would be interesting,to calculate the assistance budget "total" and then divide it by the number of recipients. It might be shocking , how little now dribbles down.

* Do your Presidential candidates sit on voluntary, none paid social boards.

*

that depends upon the position, there are many 'unpaid' positions filled with the new work requirement, actually,, they get the cash assistance in return for working in government offices

but the administrative type positions are filled with salary because they are so taxing and do require investment of time by people who still have bills they need to pay and those positions are often degreed in some type of administration or business background

I am not anyone's minion but I will comment anyway. People abuse the system regardless of race. People of all races use the system for what it is meant for and abuse it

* Now that is scary !
* Non voluntary, forced "unpaid" labour. Sounds and is very vengeful and mean.
* An old saying from U.S.S.R. "they pretend to pay us, we pretend to work"