* clif note The New American Dream

[SumDumGuy]

[Lennie]

yikes!

It's basically true, but a little exaggerated. I don't see any clients at the clinic where I work who are receiving all these benefits, but most are available. The income from SSI is usually closer to $800. If the person has a work history they may get more. Still, the gov't supplies a lot of benefits. Housing is offered now besause it is cheaper to house people than pay for the inpatient hospital stays that are generally more frequent and expensive for homeless or indigient people.

[Captain]

I see many families using this life plan. There is a core of people who "work" at learning all the newest benefits and where to get them,(a pretty big core in my city)then designing their life around them. They call all their relatives the minute money or stuff is available so they come in quick. What is left out of this article is free home repair and weatherization, free summer camp (all summer) and after school programs, free sports teams, free haircuts, free shoes, free dental and health checks, clothes, school supplies, haircuts, Christmas toys and checks (United Way and others), Thanksgiving turkeys and public dinners, free light bulbs, free laundry soap, cleaning supplies (thru Healthy Homes Program), free internet classes,

trips to colleges during high school years and subsequent classes and scholarships and of course the Individual Development Accountknown as an IDA where you sign up to open a savings account and deposit money.For every $50.00 you put in the government puts in $100 up to $4,000.The money must be used for education needs, an automobile or a home purchase or home repair. Of course child care and elder care for a family member getting paid to care for the elder person in their home. This is absolutely true because my profession is certifying and distributing these entitlements and I am probably forgetting some freebies. I have had people unabashedly tell me to hurry up when distributing bags of new Xmas toys so they can make it to the next social service agency giving out Xmas toys. And we wonder why people come to feel "entitled". When I began years forty ago all these did not exist but have been added and added and added. The problem is there are also some folks who hit a bad patch and just need a little hand and are embarrassed and then extremely grateful when they receive help. Often they come back to help others thru our programs and out of their own pocket. This is all hard to correct and people can be vicious when they don't get what they know they are entitled to. When I recall my sons, one a National Merit Scholar and another a National Triathlon Champion who both started cutting grass and shoveling snow at age ten, working at restaurants at age 15 ( during the school year) and still excelling academically and otherwise I wonder how screwed up our society can be. They spent spare time volunteering thru my job to install air conditioners or clean houses for home bound impoverished elderly. They still struggle in middle class lives to pay bills and buy a new car after ten years but they are great people who when I point out an occasional program they might qualify for like Individual Investment Accounts which go up to 200% of the poverty level they say, "That's okay Mom, leave it for the folks who really need it" I don't know whether to shake them or kiss them!

[h v]

"That's okay Mom, leave it for the folks who really need it"

I would bake them their favorite cake and kiss them.

 

You raised them well.

[Captain]

Thanks!

(I don't know if there is another embarrassed emoji)

[SumDumGuy]

I see many families using this life plan. There is a core of people who "work" at learning all the newest benefits and where to get them,(a pretty big core in my city)then designing their life around them. They call all their relatives the minute money or stuff is available so they come in quick. What is left out of this article is free home repair and weatherization, free summer camp (all summer) and after school programs, free sports teams, free haircuts, free shoes, free dental and health checks, clothes, school supplies, haircuts, Christmas toys and checks (United Way and others), Thanksgiving turkeys and public dinners, free light bulbs, free laundry soap, cleaning supplies (thru Healthy Homes Program), free internet classes,

trips to colleges during high school years and subsequent classes and scholarships and of course the Individual Development Accountknown as an IDA where you sign up to open a savings account and deposit money.For every $50.00 you put in the government puts in $100 up to $4,000.The money must be used for education needs, an automobile or a home purchase or home repair. Of course child care and elder care for a family member getting paid to care for the elder person in their home. This is absolutely true because my profession is certifying and distributing these entitlements and I am probably forgetting some freebies. I have had people unabashedly tell me to hurry up when distributing bags of new Xmas toys so they can make it to the next social service agency giving out Xmas toys. And we wonder why people come to feel "entitled". When I began years forty ago all these did not exist but have been added and added and added. The problem is there are also some folks who hit a bad patch and just need a little hand and are embarrassed and then extremely grateful when they receive help. Often they come back to help others thru our programs and out of their own pocket. This is all hard to correct and people can be vicious when they don't get what they know they are entitled to. When I recall my sons, one a National Merit Scholar and another a National Triathlon Champion who both started cutting grass and shoveling snow at age ten, working at restaurants at age 15 ( during the school year) and still excelling academically and otherwise I wonder how screwed up our society can be. They spent spare time volunteering thru my job to install air conditioners or clean houses for home bound impoverished elderly. They still struggle in middle class lives to pay bills and buy a new car after ten years but they are great people who when I point out an occasional program they might qualify for like Individual Investment Accounts which go up to 200% of the poverty level they say, "That's okay Mom, leave it for the folks who really need it" I don't know whether to shake them or kiss them!

 

Captain,

 

when i read that article i posted, i had an idea what the game was but i didn't realize the extent. my jaw almost hit the floor when i got done reading it. then i come home and read your post and my jaw went the rest of the way. i believe it hit the floor so hard it actually may have bounced. how nice would it be for the government to put $100 in an account for every $50 i put in, i could use another car. of course, i will work for what i get (that is after GUS takes pret near 50% of my gross through all the various taxes they have installed throughout the economy).

 

kudos to you for raising your children well

[Guest Unregistered]

Captain,

 

That is a truly awesome post.

 

The flip side of that post is not inspiring, nor happy. I am on the flip side of your excellent post.

 

I am the poor sod that pays taxes, at gunpoint. If taxes were voluntary, I would not pay them. If the government does anything for me, they charge me extra. Water (water bill), roads (fuel tax), postage (stamps) etc. And, they collect sales tax and income tax from me at the point of a gun. The government wages wars in my name, and I pay for it all at the point of a gun. Government workers fill buildings with copy machines, phones, government cars, paid vacations, and work hard to hand out my hard earned money. And I pay for all of it, including the salaries and benefits of the government workers that hand out all of the goodies.

 

I don't mind the government collecting fees for water, roads, and postage. In those instances, the government actually provides a service, and my participation is voluntary. It is the wealth redistribution done at gunpoint that I resent.

 

And that is why it is not "my" government; I only work on this plantation. Pray for a strong wind.

[gigi]

I had read this article too Foxx and just shook my head, as there is so much truth to it. My mother raised my brother and me the way Captain raised her children with the same principals.

 

Now, the new thing is to get a job, and get fired within the first 3+/_ months through non-performance-just do as little as possible to nothing and collect unemployment. And our state allows it. It used to be that non-performance was a suitable reason for an employer to fire and no unemployment could be collected. Now it is a done deal with few questions asked on the part of the labor department for our state. People now know they just need to land a job and do as little as possible, if that's their quest...get fired-get a free ride. Unbelievable.

[jdurand]

I was talking to two government officials today (different departments) about a technical exemption it turns out my company needs. The pleasant surprise is how both officials went out of their way to help my tiny company. I commented on their helpfulness and they both said they're old-school where you actually help someone when you can.

 

Wish we had more like them.

[SumDumGuy]

I had read this article too Foxx and just shook my head, as there is so much truth to it. My mother raised my brother and me the way Captain raised her children with the same principals.

 

Now, the new thing is to get a job, and get fired within the first 3+/_ months through non-performance-just do as little as possible to nothing and collect unemployment. And our state allows it. It used to be that non-performance was a suitable reason for an employer to fire and no unemployment could be collected. Now it is a done deal with few questions asked on the part of the labor department for our state. People now know they just need to land a job and do as little as possible, if that's their quest...get fired-get a free ride. Unbelievable.

 

gigi,

 

here in the great (communist) state of New York, we are getting ready to raise the minimum wage. a couple of months ago our very wise governor Andrew Cuomo, Marios son, came up with the brilliant idea of following others suit by giving fast food workers $15 an hour as a minimum. this was to be implemented in a staged roll out. in NYC it was to be immediate and then spred to the rest of the state in coming years.

 

well i guess ol' Andy saw the error of his ways. yesterday he came out with a bigger and better idea. he is going to mandate a $15 an hour minimum wage for all workers across the state. this is the best news ever, nothing in the world could go wrong with this plan.

 

of course, one needs to know what the plan is to understand that it can't possibly go wrong.....

[sneakymeme]

here in the great (communist) state of New York

[Buzzard]

gigi,

 

here in the great (communist) state of New York, we are getting ready to raise the minimum wage. a couple of months ago our very wise governor Andrew Cuomo, Marios son, came up with the brilliant idea of following others suit by giving fast food workers $15 an hour as a minimum. this was to be implemented in a staged roll out. in NYC it was to be immediate and then spred to the rest of the state in coming years.

 

well i guess ol' Andy saw the error of his ways. yesterday he came out with a bigger and better idea. he is going to mandate a $15 an hour minimum wage for all workers across the state. this is the best news ever, nothing in the world could go wrong with this plan.

 

of course, one needs to know what the plan is to understand that it can't possibly go wrong.....

 

It is not really a minimum wage hike, it is a minimum skill level hike. If your skill set is not worth $15/hr., it will soon be illegal to work in NYC.

[Mulder]

It is not really a minimum wage hike, it is a minimum skill level hike. If your skill set is not worth $15/hr., it will soon be illegal to work in NYC.

It won't be illegal. But you are correct that nobody in their right mind is going to hire completely unskilled workers past a certain wage level. The net result is that a great many entry-level jobs will simply vanish, because they will have been priced out of the market.

[DaddyBob]

The net result is that a great many entry-level jobs will simply vanish, because they will have been priced out of the market.

 

Which, I wonder, may be by design.

[chesire]

and all this "money" ends up where ? in the vaults of the banksters the hood lice are not stuffing thousands in the bank of mattress instead it sloshes through the economy providing many desk roaches with a check and benefits in government jobs at all levels . most if not all of this largesse coagulates in the coffers of the elite .

[chesire]

my experience with the entitlement mentality has taught me to keep my mouth shut . From an early age the old man never missed a chance to impart useful knowledge especially about cars . he was one heck of a shad tree mechanic the type of guy who could change a starter on the side of the road during a snow storm with the tool kit carried in his trunk. anyways he would join out cars making noises and say this is whats wrong with it . better a 100 dollar driveway repair than having to install a new motor rear end or transmission . to wit anytime i have alerted people to a "cheap fix" to avoid a mechanical catastrophe in the last decade or so . they have become enraged when i don't have the tools or facilities to fix it for cheap . well screw them i just keep silent unless it is a good friend who asks me what is wrong and can i take a look these days

[Chetery]

my experience with the entitlement mentality has taught me to keep my mouth shut . From an early age the old man never missed a chance to impart useful knowledge especially about cars . he was one heck of a shad tree mechanic the type of guy who could change a starter on the side of the road during a snow storm with the tool kit carried in his trunk. anyways he would join out cars making noises and say this is whats wrong with it . better a 100 dollar driveway repair than having to install a new motor rear end or transmission . to wit anytime i have alerted people to a "cheap fix" to avoid a mechanical catastrophe in the last decade or so . they have become enraged when i don't have the tools or facilities to fix it for cheap . well screw them i just keep silent unless it is a good friend who asks me what is wrong and can i take a look these days

You have reminded me ..

In Romania there was a tradition that a young man was not marriageable unless he could fix his own (horse)cart. Obviously not applicable today but the sentiment behind it is still a bit of an undercurrent.

When I was growing up I learned to work on the car along with learning to drive it (yeah I am a girl, so what!!). In those days you didnt really need a lot of tools, and it was fun. Todays cars you need computers and test harnesses and all sorts of stuff the mechanic of my day wouldn't even recognize. So whats todays 'test of adulthood'? Skilful use of a smart phone?

[diver]

You have reminded me ..

In Romania there was a tradition that a young man was not marriageable unless he could fix his own (horse)cart. Obviously not applicable today but the sentiment behind it is still a bit of an undercurrent.

When I was growing up I learned to work on the car along with learning to drive it (yeah I am a girl, so what!!). In those days you didnt really need a lot of tools, and it was fun. Todays cars you need computers and test harnesses and all sorts of stuff the mechanic of my day wouldn't even recognize. So whats todays 'test of adulthood'? Skilful use of a smart phone?

 

My oldest daughter insisted that her older brother show her how he performed all routine maintenance on her car (oil change, spark plugs, brake job) so that the next time, she would do it herself. This same daughter, after becoming an ER nurse, is starting med school to become a surgeon. "Show me, and then let me do it myself" is certainly an "adult" attitude to care through life.

[DaddyBob]

You have reminded me ..

In Romania there was a tradition that a young man was not marriageable unless he could fix his own (horse)cart. Obviously not applicable today but the sentiment behind it is still a bit of an undercurrent.

 

Still a strong undercurrent in some circles and probably explains the popularity of this song:

 

[Bluehealer207]

I too was raised to be ashamed of any handout, I drive a 2000 Toyota truck (Yes 2000) and never miss a day, the new youngsters I see hired into the law enforcement field are arrogant and think they deserve every promotion coming down the pike when they have only put a years into the department. And don't get me started I fly off the handle when someone with maybe two years in starts talking about being burned out, holy shyt I then began to inform them of my 25 years and still going. We are the LAST generation folks, God help us all.

[plane]

Can Americans apply for refugee status in Canada or Germany? Or do you have to buy a Syrian passport for 200 euros in Istanbul first?

 

Perhaps more on topic, the real waste is on pensions, isn't it? A relative gets something like five pensions, from state and county and university and military, and maybe a little social security thrown in for good measure. Not sure in his case, as it is a sensitive topic, but many government unions have done a phenomenal job of getting pension promises.

[jdurand]

If you "lose" all your papers and come in with other refugees then all you have to do is claim to be from Syria. Helps if you can pass for having Arabian ancestry.

[DaddyBob]

I drive a 2000 Toyota truck (Yes 2000)

 

You're in good company here. I have 10 vehicles in various states of (dis)repair but 1999 is the newest one. Only two are tagged right now, a 1999 Toyota Camry and a 1998 Subaru Forester. I am PROUD of this!

 

I think Neo and h v are in this crowd too.

[Neo]

Yep, I'm with ya DB. I drive a '92 Beretta...... hey, it's reliable, runs great, gets great gas mileage, and was payed for in '97.... which is when I bought a '97 Harley Davidson.

 

 

But I'm pretty sure hv has us all beat. He's got one of those cars that got 50mpg 25yrs ago without all the batteries and electronic crap that a lot of Americans are falling for.

[DaddyBob]

I wanna get my '87 Mazda B2000 back on the road...best truck I ever owned. Just needs a timing belt, but that Subaru is so incredibly useful that I just haven't been motivated to do anything else. Got a hitch and 5 trailers that I can pull with it.