what is wrong with my country

I am going to relate this story at the risk of sounding like a total judgemental douche,but it pissed me off to no end.

Waiting in line at the post office behind a group of 9 people 3 women 6 men (I had plenty of time to take mental notes believe me)...appears it was a mother and father and the rest were kids and the mates of the children ...(I use the word "mates" because the entire experience was more like observing animals than humans).....they were not particularly obnoxious or rude but they were loud enough that I knew most of what they planned for the rest of their summer,and that the 2 girls were getting tattoos as was one of the guys. one girl was picking up her new I-phone after they left the post office.They were there they explained to the clerk because they were all now living together and needed a larger postal box......it was further explained that welfare cheques were being mixed up and not arriving (this is where I began to fume) they were ALL!! on welfare..every one of them...not unemployment..but welfare..this is in the same area where my 17 year old son has 2 jobs and there are many more available. It got worse though...they were also telling the postal clerk that they were expecting passports and also didn't want those to be sent to the wrong box...the clerk asked it they were going on vacation and it seems the whole family is going to Florida as soon as all the passports come in.....an entire family of welfare recipients going to Florida on vacation:frustration::frustration:...seems the elderly lady behind me was listening to the whole thing as well (hard not to , it was being broadcast for anyone to hear)...the lady behind began quietly mumbling the words "shameful" and "sickening"....I have to agree. I'm glad my tax dollars can fund vacations,tattoos and I-phones......I honestly fear for the future of my country................there it is... am i a judgemental douche-bag who should mind my own business? ...or should this piss me off as much as it did?

 

You should come to the United States.

Everyone on welfare is doing better than low income workers here.....why get a minimum wage job when welfare pays better!

 

Welfare is a way of life for alot of Chicago.

I see people all the time in line at the local supermarket paying with Food Stamps....holding a $500 purse...on there I-phone..etc...

 

I'm not going to type out the rant that i have going in my head, but i will say that i don't think welfare money should be used for recreation. And if you have enough money for recreational activities, then you shouldn't be on welfare. This type of thing is not getting better either. That mother and father have taught those children how to mooch off the system, and in couple of years when they have children of their own, they'll pass it down to them.

 

The sad thing is these were not young children...they were I would say 20 at the youngest to maybe 30 for one of the older guys...the parents looked to be in their 50's,but hard to say......some of them prob have a few more kids at home...

 

Hate to dig this thread back up, but people are generally lazy and they will generally vote for the person that promises them the most free stuff,

Im strict conservitve, and want a small government, my dad told me when i was alittle boy, that a man who didnt want to work is useless, and never take nothing for free,and never depend on someone for something you can get yourself, this may sound mad to some people but it has served me well as now i have a family of my own with land and a house that me and my wife earned with our own two hands, i can be proud of it,

i intend to teach my children these same principles,

I dont want to get into a political rant, because in the end theres very little we can do other than vote to change the way of things.

not looking for any enimies here, just giving my 2 cent

 

Seems to me the easiest thing to do would be to make welfare pay for only certain things.
Food, shelter, and clothing. Isn't that what it's supposed to pay for anyways?
I don't make a lot of money, but im comfortable. But I'm sick of paying for other people.
Use it for what it's intended for, nothing else.

 

I think part of the problem is that there is no shame in being on welfare. EBT cards that look like credit cards, when I was a kid they had food stamps. Hell you can even use the EBT cards at McDonalds now. What happened to milk, eggs, bread, etc?

 

You're correct...I think shame is the one thing people (not all thankfully ) are lacking......I hope we take a GOOD look at Europe right now and see a glimpse of our near future if we allow this to continue....you can't have 20-30% of the population paying the bills for the rest ,because once you subtract the children ,retired/infirmed,public/government employees,welfare recipients...there are very few left to carry the burden.....

using a "food stamp" program at Mcdonalds is like getting a medical prescription filled by a crack dealer...unreal......don't forget banks that actually gave the unemployed and welfare recipients mortgages for 1/2 million dollar homes

 

To extend the analogy buying jeans with holes, to big(so they sit low), or both. Same thing with shorts. It just makes me mad when I see people with shorts that go to their ankles. It used to be people wanted to look better than they were a higher class. now people dress like gangsters. WHY? i don't understand. Nobody has any shame anymore. In China students are shamed by their family if they get to low of a grade. I'm not saying it should be like that here but I think some shame is in order. A little motivation to excel. Us North Americans are very charitable but when its thrown back in our faces people get mad.

 

Wow. Two years later and it is only worse. I might add to what okaufman said about $500 purses, that when they finish checking out they go outside in their newer-than-mine car, parked in a handicap or fire zone, daring you to say anything with that "you owe me this" attitude and loading cuts of meat that I only treat my family to on special occasions kind of BS. Time we open our eyes and push back some.

 

Nothing new im afraid,was in the city last week to pick up my 1992 acty seen a native driving a brand new dodge pickup with the following sticker pasted across the entire back window.....................THANKS FOR THE NEW TRUCK MOONY ASS!!!

 

Yup and drive through a reserve and nice vehicles up on blocks, total write offs from never changing engine oils and stuff.
Sometimes only a couple years old and selling the rims and parts off it.

 

fupabox, I considered deleting this entire lengthy reply because I kinda feel it’s none of my business but I re-read the posts and decided then again You Did Ask for my opinion!

Yes and No,

Were they happy people or possible happy cheaters. Might never know for certain. When everyone’s happy I would try harder to find a reason not to get mad and take others with you down the hate hole.

I know when we see people that appear to be abusing these essential programs our taxes are funding we may feel the need to add more restrictions or just remove them all together as wasting money on trash. But wait, there may be many reasons for someone getting assistance not apparent or obvious to you. Grown and Dependent children might also be getting support for some reason too. I feel a speedy judgement was made on them but it does not mean you were wrong in your conclusion but how would we know.

If I was feeling as strong about it as it appears you are I would have had to ask them a few questions. I would also say to you "Stand up in public with your issue. Question inequality head on. Go get your medal or get your lumps as you deserve. If it turned out they truly were criminals I am confident we would have liked the resulting post more, at least I would have. Don’t run crying to us here at (Minitrucktalk) about it, drumming up support for your snap judgements. If I heard what you said you heard and I felt as you say you do why not say something and get to the bottom of it (they brought up the comments out loud in public=Fair Game). Were you too scared to talk about it with them and find out how they all came to be on public assistance? I also might consider I may have misread or jumped to a conclusion without all the facts a polite discussion might have provided. It helps me to find a positive alternative to a negative conclusions immediately just to try to be fair, if I find myself judging. A better plausible alternate conclusion is all I need to let it go of a perceived sleight. Ive been wrong many times before I could be wrong this time too.

On the other-hand you might be right some people may always figure out ways to cheat the system but please don't assume or think everyone does it. Everyone who reads what you write will be influenced by it as well, right or wrong. Just go back and look at your thread now. Anyway, it's far from true and not much fraud (before COVID) in my experience on both sides of these services, giving it and receiving it.
Please realize they did not always just hand out the money. There used to be many more people working in these departments helping people but with lack of funding now it’s all online. There is no personal contact with applicants in reviewing or receiving or denying their benefits. Which can happen without warning for no reason other than a typo by anyone involved. Communication is almost exclusively online or on the smartphone now. Seems lots better for the cheaters and harder for people that need guidance with these increasingly complicated application requirements. So now more fraud investigators= even less social workers actually helping and the situations gets worse for decades.

I am a little sensitive on this subject of basic human services and I wish I had not read your post or the responses but just as what you saw at the post office, it's too late.
My mother was a terrible single parent and without welfare, food stamps and free school lunch programs me and my siblings would most likely be in jail or dead or worse, on public assistance. There was so much paperwork involved and I remember it was so dehumanizing trying to explain your terrible situation to total strangers.
Thanks to those programs me and my family have grown up and given more back to our communities as leaders in public and private sector careers and I alone have paid it back more than 1000 fold for what my entire family was given growing up. And I am only average many other recipients become great pillars of society. I have grown up to support all education levies and social services regardless of any complaints or politics against them. If we can spend what we do on military, weapons, corporate bailouts and tax advantages for the rich we can spend a lot more to help those really in need (a lot more).

Rather than removing, reducing or providing more roadblocks to basic supporting services for the poor, I suggest supporting hiring more field personnel on the ground to better focus on helping families getting their needs met and working towards making it on their own sooner. With more personal contact much if not all this type of fraud you may have witnessed could be eliminated. Those types of service jobs are some of the most rewarding jobs on the planet for those of us that enjoy helping.

If anyone is considering voting against safety net and social programs like basic welfare for the poorest of us in society please look into it independently first on your own without listening to any political influences. Wont take long to see the benefits you want to see severely outweigh the liability it will cost us. If you can't see the huge benefit of investing heavily in people over anything else then IDK what else to say. Maybe if you really could see where your taxes ultimately end up it doesn’t take an economics degree to see we do not help others as much as we could or should or even think we already do.

Oh, if someone reading this is working at minimum wage and, sees someone get into a situation where they receive a benefit for basic services, and are shocked to see it is much higher than what your hard working wages are, you are not alone. Don’t be mad at them, all minimum wages are below basic life support level. Your minimum wages are less than half what it was in the 50's (inflation adjusted). All minimum up to middle class wages for the last half a century in the US have been held down by corporate greed and commercial lobbying interests. look it up if you don't believe me.

I really didn’t intend to write all this I was just looking to read and write about mini truck stuff. I know better than to click on “what’s wrong with my country”. It is a hotly debated topic and I for one do not want to bring it in or build on it in here. I am sorry if my comments upset anyone I really just want to read and write about tiny trucks. That is all.

Wheelio

 

I am truly living in a world that I don't, and will never understand!
Limestone