Government Assistance: A Moment With Bill Reflection

Good Morning, Bill. The sun came out for two days in a row! Woo-Hoo! Today looks promising as well. As a matte of fact, I have earned a bit of cash from my writing this week.

Hope the weather's good where you are. How are the veg and chicks coming along?

billybuc

''I'm not terribly interested in politics. '' with due respect, politics is the major factor for why people are in such a state of affairs.

billybuc

Check this link, maybe the government is pushing reliance instead of independence.Barak Obama Campaign Promises

.https://hubpages.com/politics/barakobamacampaignpr... 2/14/13

Having It All for Free: 19 Things Obama Says Won’t Add to Deficit

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2013/02/havin...

2/25/13 Sequester - The Three Things you need to know

http://www.gop.gov/sequester/

President Obama Proposed the Sequester

USDA moves to end questionable food stamp ads after criticism

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/13/usda-mo...

You are spot on, Bill. I've had so many jobs in my life it's not funny. Amusing, perhaps. Some of those jobs could be classed as menial. But I take pride in my work and did the best job I was capable of. And with every job I had, I gained new skills and insights that I was able to take with me to other jobs. In short, I became a highly skilled and valuable employee; oftentimes I would give managers a run for their money with the work experience I have.

Now I use those experiences in my writing. Menial jobs? A job is what you make it.

This is indeed a subject that touches a nerve. I think I commented on this before but obviously I was not done with it. I know so many examples of abuse of our welfare system, and I use that phrase loosely, that I could fill the page with it. For years I worked as a parent advocate for lack of a better word for parents of children in a depressed area --I was employed by a school system. During that time I had baptism by fire and I was immersed into a whole different world.

I have heard parents say that they have taught their children to 'act crazy' so they would qualify for SSI. I have driven families to food banks and to United Way only to have them say to me on the way home--'I need to hurry and get home; I have to pay my cable bill!!" (And I have NO cable.)

I have had four year olds tell me that they had no plans to work when they grow up as their Momma didn't work; she got money every month even though she didn't.

I have seen a young Mother have her body become consumed with cancer because she could not get medical care. That is a whole 'nother story.

There are times when some need help, a leg up, a way to survive in the short run. But that of course is not what has happened.

If any part of our society needs an overhaul it is this one.

And yes. You again are correct. Pride in the American work ethic needs to return. Rather than sitting all day complaining about no work, pounding the pavement looking for work as well as accepting so called menial jobs to make ends meet needs to return.

Thanks Billy for giving a voice to this issue...awesome. Angels are on the way ps

You sure must have trampled on quite some feet with this candid outburst, Bill. But I do hope better sense prevails among the newer generation. Government assistance should be availed by only those who genuinely need it.

Wonderful hub. Voted up and have a great day, my friend.

Hi Billy

Part of my new life involves working with homeless people and teaching them life skills. See my web site. I hear what you are saying and in large part I agree! Then I have a case of the young man in today's class who asked me "what is college like?" After some discussion, what this person really wanted was "Am I good enough to dream that even I can make it?"

Well you know me.... After assuring him that anyone who can read and write is at least as smart as many profs (I being one ), I could see the light go on. Here is a person who will make it! He is dreaming dreams, and acting on them in order to see miracles.

"Trouble with a capital T that rhymes with P and that stands for pool". I loved the Music Man reference. :-)

I don't know how to teach pride or legislate it, but encouragement of any kind goes a long way. I look at it like we need to be pushed out of the nest to fly, but we also need a safety net (or soft landing) in case we don't make it.

Actually......of course I know you care, bro.....I was just joking about you and my kids maybe sending me down to the creek without a raft!! LOL

Hey.....It's fun to be in the house with me....I've always been able to laugh at my own klutsiness & stupidity!

Seeing very good things about you and from you and for you....not the least bit surprised. WoW

ah....Uncle bill......You're giving me a complex. You keep telling me to go walk by the creek/stream......and yeah, OK....but we've had a LOT of rain and the creek, she's a-risin.....and it's common knowledge here, that I don't swim.

So, it's OK, you can tell me. Which of my kids called you? Or was it a conference call?

There are so many common sense comments on your rational hub, Billy, because you have written it like it is. Earning your own living is old-fashioned today it seems when with little effort and perhaps some tutoring by scam artists, you can take advantage of every single entitlement our government offers - to its citizens and immigrants alike. Something wrong with that picture and our elected representatives, especially at the federal level, seem to be clueless about a solution. Or maybe it's just that they couldn't care less!

Thanks, Billybuc, for telling it like it is. No government system can solve a problem that is actually located in the mind and heart of each of tens of millions of Americans. I think the primary source of the problem is clear. From this country's origins through the Great Depression, chores and work at home (and, in early years, apprenticeship) had children learning to work early, and it became a basic part of the personality. I think that children can start "helping out" with chores by age 3, putting their toys away, mixing foods while mommy cooks, digging in the garden next to a parent or older child. That "helping out" may not be very productive at an outer level, but it creates a sense that work is part of life. Then we grow to be proud of life and work.

Parents are responsible for children's safety. Beyond that, let's see children work, play, grow, and make their own happiness. Let's stop using the TV and computer games to babysit our children - that teaches them that they are entitled to lie around and be happy.

Wow once again Bill you have hit a nerve for many out there, and I must say I enjoy reading the comments of others as they have responded to your blog. I am trying hard to keep my promise of taking a break from FB for the rest of this month. You do not make it easy though my friend. Given that tomorrow begins May I hope to respond to all that you have written of late. Keep the fires burning you continue to be an inspiration to many .

BRAVO!! With all you have said and the landslide of excellent comments....I don't need to say much more than......"Amen! brother bill" Up+++

You are so right..this is a topic that evokes a reaction from both sides of the table.

Like you I have seen abuse and I have heard little children answer when asked what they wish to be when they grown up....'Oh, I am not gonna' work; I am gonna' live on welfare like my Momma."

I have seen Mothers encourage their children to 'act crazy' so that they could get monies for their 'disorders'. And I am not a Mommie basher as I am one; I have men abuse the system as well.

then there are those that I know personally who have not been able to receive medical care because they made one or two dollars more than the cut off so did not qualify. Someone I know and love has advanced cancer because she was unable to have medical treatment at a time when staving off further cancer could have prevented advancing cancer.

So this is a touchy subject for me. I do so believe that the system has been and is being abused. I do think that sweeping changes need to occur and I also believe that it should be equitable for all.

Voted up, Billy, and shared. Angels are on the way ps

Well said Bill. As in other hubs of yours I mention that things are mirrored here in the uk. I truly worry about the future, the fabric upon which our countries were built is being abused and torn down. Standards are falling everywhere. Did our warriors of yesteryear and today die in vain?

Graham.

"Relief" was started during the depression, and then became welfare. I so agree with having pride, and working for a living. I was brought up in a "work for what you have, or go without family." Thankfully, assistance was there when we needed it...when my dad suddenly died, and years later when my husband left me with two kids, and no child support.

I will say, I only used "the system", until I could better myself, which I did in a hurry because I was embarrassed to use the food stamps.

I don't believe that any child should be hungry in this country. With food stamps, food pantries, and local help, no child should be hungry. I could never understand why they claim so many children are going hungry.

Perhaps the system need to be changed to where if you want assistance, you have to work to get it. It would be similar to the CCC camps of FDR's time. A little money for A LOT of hard work. I bet many would just get a regular job.

Hi Billy... Thanks for posting this and doing so as to not offend anyone. We in Canada are not much different in watching the abuse carry on. There are so many different levels Unemployment insurance, compensation, etc and many other safety nets in place. The shame of it is these are the same people but the difference is they walk through a different door. When help is needed I am all for helping, after all it is one of the reasons I pay taxes. I do object when I see those same people smoking, golfing, drinking and just simply sitting back while others work.

People are less tolerant here and are just as likely to outright ask why they are using the system. If a good reason is not given they have no problem calling and reporting them. It is the way things are dealt with and it is very effective.

Hugs and Blessings

When I was young, I knew a few people in our neighbourhood who were on welfare. They were spoken about in whispers and stared at when they passed by. Being on welfare was considered shameful and nothing to brag about. Nowadays, people see it as a lifestyle choice. And it's not just limited to the States.

The UK has more than its fair share of benefits cheats who seem proud of the fact they're scamming the system. Unlike the States there are no food stamps. People line up for ages to get a cheque and then splash out on booze, drugs, mobile phones and the latest 'designer' fashions. What little is left is spent on junk food. They get free housing according to the number of kids, so they 'Moms' just keeping having more kids they care nothing about to get more money and a bigger house. This mentality (lack of?) then gets passed on to future generations. The children grow up thinking it's normal to not work and the government pick up the tab. Is it any wonder they don't make the effort in school? What's the point of studying hard and learning marketable skills? The only office they will ever know is the Benefits office. And don't get me started on the free housing courtesy of the taxpayer.

I think it's more than a lack of pride. I think the meaning of success has been compromised. It used to mean being able to stand on your own two feet and making your own way in the world. Now it seems to mean having the best TV, the biggest house, the latest gadgets etc. Could it be that these people feel they are successful because they can have shiny, new toys regardless of how they were acquired? Oh good God, I think I need a lie down.

I have no problem with helping those who are disabled and unable to work or those who are making a genuine effort to get back on their feet again. It's the cheats I have no time for.

Oh yeah Bill, one last thing... :-)

I do not support sending one penny overseas until no child is starving here!

Billy,

This subject has me spittin' bullets! This system is so flawed it's borderline worthless or at least counterproductive! (I will probably speak in exclamations!!!) I don't want to bore you with stories so I'll try my best, but you'll probably be reading this in the a.m. so you might want to grab a cup of coffee :-)

I was in an abusive relationship for 10 years (my problem, yes) I had two kids within this relationship and spent 9 years trying to figure out how to leave it. Know why I didn't leave? I was a stay at home mother with kids/kid not in school for 9 straight years (had them 4 years apart). For one thing, I think that stay at home parents have one of the hardest jobs in the world, you don't get paid and you can't call in sick. Secondly, I chose to stay home with my kids. They are kids for only a short time and I knew the days would come that I would miss them being little. Furthermore, I wanted to be solely responsible for the things they were being taught at such a crucial age, not some stranger-day car provider. BUT, with that being said, I felt almost ashamed when asked out in public "What do you do for a living". You're made to feel like you don't have a job... "Oh, nothing, I just stay home with my kids". After I had a few years experience with my first child, I did start and finish an entire College degree and was halfway through my Bachelors when I decided to leave. Back to the "Know why I didn't leave?"; the answer is, I was afraid. How do I leave and start all over, I have no money, no "job", no experience... So, after the last good beating he'd ever give me... I just didn't go home. I scooped up the kids and left. I spent a week or two staying at a friend's home... a friend that had 3 of her own children and a husband and I would not stay there for long and impede on her already overwhelming daily life. So, as hard as it was, I drove my little self down to the local county building... stood in line waiting for the doors to open for over an hour, just to grab the 11th ticket. After sitting in a public waiting room for 3 hours, I was called to a bullet proof window where a lady asked what I wanted and after answering her, she told me to "come back tomorrow and try to get a ticket numbered 9 or below. They will only start 10 cases a day. I spent the week, using gas money that I did not have to travel to this God forsaken building, just to stand in lines for hours, sit in waiting rooms for half the day and then sent away to fetch appropriate proofs and paperworks, such as bank statements. Wouldn't you know that 2 weeks later when I sat down for my "make it or break it" interview... I was turned away. Reason; I was enrolled in college. I was told that if I wanted any help, I couldn't be going to college. I needed to go to a work-ready program that was 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for several weeks, to learn how to get a job. I asked them if they were serious and ufortunately they were. I thought that Public Assistance is supposed to be temporary until a person can get on their own feet; goal - self sufficiency? Apparently I was wrong. So, my kids and I barely at and were damn near homeless, while I drove around all day in heels and slacks, one interview after another... one person after another telling me that I had an impressive resume but lacked in "job experience" ... well duh! I finally got a less than attractive job and it wasn't enough to make it, but I learned to be savvy and eventually got a better job. My point, for the small moment in my life that I desperately needed help, I was turned away. But in the urban area 20 minutes from where I live, people are driving around in Escalades, their toddlers are wearing 24 carat gold chains and they eat like kings. Why? Daddy's dealin' drugs and Mommy's poppin' out kids. I guess that's what the system looks for, people who find a way to sneak into the system and live there for the rest of their lives. ... I also had a 30 something year old uncle that was diagnosed with a debilitating form of MS, left him in a wheel chair and an uncontrollable bladder not to mention excrutiating pain. When he and his wife applied for assistance (As her two meek jobs did not pay the bills) he was told to get a desk job! Yup

For starters, I think there should be drug tests required to even get assistance. Personally, I don't care if you smoke weed, but if you can afford that or any other drug, then you really don't need assistance.

Secondly, I think they should make it easier for those who need it, but harder for those that don't. How do we do this? My fear is to tighten one, you will tighten the other...?

Sorry for the rant/ramble

Voted up and awesome!

Cat

Thank you for this. Briefly: We should help Americans first, then help other countries.

Not only is this hub very interesting, but so are the comments! Thanks for a great hub about an important topic, Bill.

This Hub and Comments thread are eye-opening. In my state, one can generally receive Cash Assistance from OWF ("welfare") for only the first 3 children for 3 years total, but the counties can extend benefits in extreme hardship cases - news reports say fewer and fewer extensions occur every year.

Some cash assistance and food stamp scams were effective in my city, but largely only short-term; and it seems that cash/food stamp fraud are reported and eliminated a lot here. It's harder that it used to be to receive help here, because of all the investigation by the public assistance organizations.

In fact, I know a few people in Ohio and Michigan that must pay back all the cash assistance, SSI, and/or food stamps they ever recieved. Still, I know that some scams exist and are missed.

I don't like paying taxes to provide help to scammers, but I DO like paying taxes to help people who need help.

I never applied for help, even though I was elligible for about a year or so - I didn't know I was elligible! Aside from working many part-time jobs, I did grocery mystery shopping that provided enough food. There are not enough of those assignments for everyone that needs help, tho.

This is a timely Hub and I appreciate seeing it and the comments. A++++

I was just thinking of the Teach a Man to Fish syndrome as I read this. Well said....people are too quick to reach a hand out for assistance.

billybuc

AS LONG AS WE THE PEOPLE REMAIN SILENT, NOTHING WILL CHANGE.The group of 8 are pushing a new immigration law even when the government hasn't enforced the present laws.STUPIDITY, yes by Washington and we the people, again silence from the people.

The last time Congress tried to push a new law, the people rose in rejection of the bill.

WAKE UP AMERICA,SOUND THE ALARM

billybuc

''millions of Americans '' NEED HELP from our government in these troubled times. Shameful as it is, our government is part of the problem. The Mexican counsels in the country send flyers to illegals and giving them instructions on how to collect food stamps and other entitlements. THEY TELL THEM TO SIGN UP BECAUSE THE AGENCIES WILL not ASK IF YOU A CITIZEN.all this with the knowledge of our government USDA moves to end questionable food stamp ads http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/07/13/usda-mo...

http://jon-ewall.hubpages.com/

There are those who really do need assistance, as you say, but I have seen otherwise. I remember being a young mother in line with my buggy full and two small children, and someone was ahead of me with two buggies full of steaks, etc., with huge diamond rings on each finger on both hands. Well, guess what he paid for all those steaks with . . . yes, food stamps!!! I thought of asking him, if he could just add my food in with his . . . ha!!! I was so disgusted, I just did not know how to act. I paid plenty for my food.

God bless, Faith Reaper

When food assistance first came out, it was material that you received in order to make a good meal. If that came back, I think there would be less people taking. Not many people know how to cook in these days.

(god i'm exhausted from scrolling..lol)..

Oh, Bill - as i was reading the first few paragraphs - i'm thinking to myself" WHERE HAS THE PRIDE GONE? Who WANTS food stamps??

And - why are these people not reported?

And then - whammo - the entire rest of the hub was all about pride - or - the lack of it..

the problem is so broad as to be jaw-droppingly intimidating!

single mothers on welfare for instance - WHY should they be having more babies at tax payers dollar?

people will jump all over me for that , BUT - COME ON! where does it end - we can just support the entire freaking TRIBE?

scam is right..

awesome awesome awesome hub, my friend - you tackle the biggies!

Wow...beautiful thoughts, bill.

amen to that, my friend!!

I am in total agreement with you mentor!

When we came back from China, we had to start all over again, with a baby. We applied for and received food stamps for a few months until my husband found a job. After months of looking for work, we are both working and feeling that pride that comes from contributing and being responsible.

However, I know a couple of people that need to stop making excuses and get a job!

Even the Bible says that "For if a man does not take care of those who are his own, especially those who are members of the household of faith, this one has renounced the faith and is worse than those who are unbelievers." (1 Timothy 5:8)

I think that because the government has so many people that are "scamming the system", they lack the resources to investigate each case and make sure the family is doing all they can to get back on their feet. If people were more honest with themselves and everyone else, the ones that really need the help could get more attention.

Amen, Steele.

I am reminded of America's Great Depression of the 1930’s when fear and anger were common faces. I think more of the angry people should read books about it, especially the ones involving families. This would help some to get a realistic glimpse of how poverty affects people. It caused many to realize that money was their only strength because they failed the test of endurance when their money was gone. Fathers walked away from their families. Mothers did the unthinkable to feed their children. Many children were abandoned or became run-a-ways because parents had become their enemies.

THE GRAPES OF WRATH (J. Steinbeck) and NO PROMISES IN THE WIND (I. Hunt) are great teachers that do a great job of painting pictures of the Depression with the family, the most important institution in the country, standing in the foreground, with faces missing.

There is no excuse for bilking the government on any level. Stealing government funds has always been done on all levels, including white-collar levels. After Hurricane Katrina hit, there were more inside crimes than the government could handle. Many of the very people that the money and goods were entrusted to proved to be master thieves. All government stealing should be the talk of the people.

Another great hub, Bill! I am clicking positively and sharing.

Hi Bill,

Unfortunately this problem is global and here in Ireland there is exactly the same issues with government assistance and those scamming the system. Being unemployed here has been particularly tough as many have lost their homes, gone into serious debt and the banks have had gotten away with murder. There are many people who genuinely need help and as you say, it is pure common sense that new systems, approaches or guidelines need to be introduced to make sure the genuine cases are looked after. Well done my friend on tackling this subject that has affected me and the Mickster, voted up, useful and shared!

This is a tough one for sure. We don't have food stamps here in Canada, but we do have people on welfare and there are those who need it, and there are those who abuse it. I couldn't agree more with the lack of work ethics, especially the younger generation. I read somewhere that in western society many of those living under the poverty line still have TV's, cars, tatoos, etc. Show that kind of poverty to someone living in the slums in India and they would laugh! I don't know what the anserw is though. I know of some young (well...not that yound....late twenties) sitting in thier parents home, not working, because none of the jobs they qualify for are good enough! Grrr! Yup..you opened a can of worms with this one. But I do have to make one point....the atronamical amount americans spend on war, and yet so many of thier citizens are in such need!

Well put Bill. I see this shift in thinking today also. Damn shame. You hit a home run here, I agree with everything you have written. Great message.

Again, I haven't read all the responses so as not to color my own - or to keep my steam at a decent level.

In 2010, at the age of 60 I was fired from my job - Texas is a right to work state and there was no justification for the dismissal so I was awarded unemployment benefits. I earned that money - worked hard all my life and deserved it.

That did not stop me from looking for another job. Unfortunately, although I made it to many interviews, I was not hired. My counselor at the employment office - he also of an age - felt that, although my job skills and references were excellent, my age had a lot to do with my not getting hired.

There are not a lot of jobs here. Some companies that were lured here by the city with promises of tax breaks stayed open for a year or two and closed abruptly leaving more people out of work.

I don't have any answers, just my story. I do think whenever they try to limit access by cracking down on fraud, the poorest always pay the most in hardship. Just my opinion.

I worked for the welfare department, in food stamps, for 2 years in California back in the early 90's. The abuse running rampant even then was sickening. We were literally weeding through dozens of reports every single day (just in our city of Ontario/Montclair).

I have also received food stamps when my husband (and sole provider up till that point) left unexpectedly and leaving me with 2 kids to feed. As a high school dropout with no work experience to speak of at that point (except fast food) I was markedly unable to provide for my children's housing and clothing let alone food.

I was embarrassed to be on welfare. I wanted to be able to provide for my children myself. I was fortunate that in Oklahoma, where I received aid, they have a rule that to receive TANF (cash aid for children) you must either be working, looking for work, or in school. They put me through college, fixed my teeth, and helped me with clothing suitable for job interviews. I got off aid as soon as I could.

There's that pride you were talking about :) Today's generations are being raised to feel entitled and when they don't get what they want for free or easy they find a way to scam it or steal it. Because that is what it is. If you receive aid you don't really need you are a thief, stealing from those who actually need it. Especially places like food banks and charitable churches and the link the resources are finite and accepting them without dire need WILL cause some other child to starve. Quite possible to death.

It's not a joke. It's not funny. and none of us are entitled to anything free. Have some self respect and don't take aid unless you absolutely have to.

Billy, I am with you--'we come from tough stock, and it's time we showed it'! Just as soon as Congress and the President stop being self-serving and out of touch with the 'real' people of this country--that's when things will turn around.

Personally, I don't think that looks very likely, but stranger things have happened!

Voted Up and Awesome ;) Pearl

The work ethic definitely has changed over time. I wish there was some way to make sure that the people who need assistance get it, and the people who don't DON'T. There will always be flaws, though. I wish it could be better. Nice hub. :-)

Great hub. I am liberal to the core but I have to agree with you on this issue. Food stamps and many social programs are simply handouts. Handouts do not really help anyone. Empowering people is what works.

I knew a guy, decades ago who was homeless and living on the streets. I would pass him each day while going to work. He never asked for cash nor did he ever beg for anything. Long story short he came in our office one day and asked if he could wash our windows for some cash. Within a few months, he was washing windows for businesses on the entire block. Within a year, he had his own business washing windows around the bay area. If he had been given handouts he would probably still be on the streets.

I do also agree that many of these people who receive food stamps and live on unemployment year round are scamming the system. We do need to tighten the regulations on these programs and for those that really need help, we need to empower them to help themselves. The KIVA microfinance loan organization is a good model for empowering those who want better lives.

Without going into too much detail, I do receive Medicare, among other things. Last week, at the doctor's office, my doctor asked me if I'd been feeling very tired lately. I told her "not particularly." She asked again. I thought maybe she'd gone deaf. But no, I haven't been tired lately. She said she was going to check off the box that I had been tired lately because she had to have a valid reason to check my thyroid or Medicare wouldn't pay for the test. I was honestly a little pissed. She did run the test, even though I told her that I have never had thyroid issues (and my weight is the result of too many Twinkies) and, of course, the test came back negative. I also caused a little bit of a riot before surgery a couple weeks ago because I wouldn't consent to a pregnancy test. There was absolutely no way THAT was coming up positive. I just don't see the point in wasting tax dollars for unnecessary testing.

My point is, I guess, that it isn't just the qualifying issues that are part of the problem with these kinds of government help. There's a lot of unnecessary crap at the professional level, too. I'm not saying that my doctors are willingly committing fraud for personal gain, but there is an awful lot of that going around.

My Father died when I was 13, and my Mother and I struggled to make ends meet. She would never apply for assistance! She had too much pride. I agree the system is abused. I think the government makes it too easy for people to qualify for a lot of the available programs.

Great Hub. Voted UP and shared.

sybol - Some of the best coaches on how to beat the system actually work in the welfare offices themselves. Perhaps they view this a job security?

Well Said, I believe your evaluation of this topic is very accurate. I have much to say about this but you have said a lot of it.

I did not vote on the poll because there was no accurate choice for me. Years ago I needed assistance but did not get it because apparently my situation was not believable. I gave everything that they asked for. I was denied over and over. I too knew people who were getting assistance because they knew how to work the system. I was instructed on what lies to tell by some of them. I chose to be honest and my girls sacrificed for it. Situations have to be taken as individual cases. One form of questions will not qualify every situation. I think the system is LAZY in qualifying those in need.

Billy, you tell it like it is....I see so many older people who refuses to claim well needed government help. They've paid their taxes for years, still, they will not take a penny from the government because there are others who need it more. How society has changed.

Another gem.