I was on the thread about Obama's new healthcare bill and I saw a few comments the prompted me to write this. I have also been seeing some stuff on Facebook and this is where I'm going to vent.
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It really, really, really, REALLY irritates me when I hear people complaining about having to "work for other people's welfare," as if that's the ONLY thing that their money goes to or that even the majority of their money goes to the taxes that provide welfare, because get this: It doesn't. The exact percentage obviously varies as to how much is taken out of your wages but I would be comfortable saying that 80% still goes to you.
I don't understand why people feel the need to be so negative about those on welfare. People on welfare are on welfare because most of the time they have no other choice. It's either go on welfare or they and their kids starve. And yes, there are people who abuse it and yes, there are people who won't work when they can while they're on it to maximize benefits, but that's not everyone. I don't care if the only people you've met who were on welfare abused it, common sense tells you that with millions of Americans out there, not all of them are going to be like that.
Let's talk about my family for instance. We live in a small town in East Texas that's barely on the map. Obviously economic depressions are going to hit there the hardest, because the jobs are limited as is. My husband and I both grew up in poor families who are still poor. We have not, at any one time, been able to afford to buy even a used car because even if we can find one for 1,500 or so, it's several hundred more dollars to get it registered. That's a lot of money at one time. So, we don't have a car and we don't have well off family members to buy one for us like a lot of other people do. Because we can't afford a car, my husband's job choices are limited to what he can walk to and who is hiring. There are not a lot of places hiring here anyway and when the area is limited, you are cut down even further. Right now, he walks over a mile to the McDonald's he works at and he's still looking for a second job so MAYBE we can save up for a car.
I do not have the physical capability to walk over a mile to work then work 8 hours a day. So, my job choices are even limited even more. I haven't been able to get one yet.
Because of this, we went on foodstamps. Without foodstamps, I doubt we'd be able to make it, but with it, we do, and we even sometimes have a little left over. My daughter is on Medicaid and it's laughable to think about us being able to afford any type of health insurance for ourselves. Right now, our goal is to get a car so he can get a better job so we can get off welfare. But as for right now, we genuinely need it. We didn't lie to get more money nor do we spend it frivalously (I don't know if that's spelled right.. lol).
I find it very insulting when someone goes off about "people on welfare," when they have no idea why or how we are on it or even if we would still be on it if we had a choice. I personally wouldn't if I didn't absolutely have to be.
I find it very insulting when you complain about having to "work for welfare," when most of your wages go to you. I think you should be more thankful that you can afford to pay for all the things you or your family needs even though you "pay for" my welfare.
I find it very selfish that people don't want to help the common good with something as simple as taxes that hardly make a dent in your finances.
And you know what, we pay for welfare, too. We get taxes taken out of our checks too, just like you. You're not the only one who has to contribute.
Really, I think the only people who dislike welfare are the ones who've never been at rock bottom with a long, long climb up. It's people who've always been able to get by so they don't understand how circumstances prevent other people from doing it.. and to me, that's the saddest part of all. That they can't even have empathy toward what they don't understand.
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