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WaPo: Waiting for the 8th

People raised by stupid people can grow up to become stupid people who blame their situation on just about everything but themselves. A good drinking game would be to take a drink every time she mentions something she spends money on that could have easily bought her and her kids some food. You'll be drunk by the end of the article.
 
November FREEBIES," read a flier attached to their fridge, a listing of daily handouts that looked the same as October's freebies, and September's freebies, and the schedule of dependency that had helped sustain Raphael's family for three generations and counting.
I got this far and stopped.
 
Well, that's a shame....there's a lot of good stuff in that article.


For all of her life, Raphael had been counting down to the 8th. It was her most reliable event, a monthly promise that she would have enough to eat when her parents spent their cash on heroin, or when asbestos and carbon monoxide forced her family to move houses three times in a year, or when a series of five "gone again" men fathered her six children and provided a total of $20 in monthly child support
^ from link
you wanna tell me what I'm looking for? Cyclical povery? Extreme poor judgement, both?

I get that people's lives get FUBAR - I don't get 5 fathers of her children. Sorry I just don't.
 
^ from link
you wanna tell me what I'm looking for? Cyclical povery? Extreme poor judgement, both?

I get that people's lives get FUBAR - I don't get 5 fathers of her children. Sorry I just don't.

and that's the totality of what you got from that article? Did you read the whole thing?
 
and that's the totality of what you got from that article? Did you read the whole thing?
with all due respect,
I tried to find some compassion on that article, but kept coming up against what I posted.

Since you did OP it, can you just tell me what you think?
 

She believed you could be poor without appearing poor, so Raphael Richmond, 41, attached her eyelash extensions, straightened her auburn wig and sprayed her neck with perfume as she reached for another cigarette. "For my nerves," she explained, even though doctors already had written eight prescriptions to help her combat the wears of stress. She blew smoke into the living room and waited until her eldest daughter, Tiara, 22, descended the stairs in new sneakers and a flat-brimmed baseball cap.

I see a bunch of ways to manage your money better.

I can't speak about jobs. I don't have one and I haven't looked for one in the last 50 years or so. So, maybe there are no jobs? After all:
"Thirteen an hour. You care about that?"

"No matter how many certificates I get, nobody's hiring. What's the point? I'm tired of trying for these things."

But the attitude is questionable.

I'm not "anti-poor" but sometimes people work hard at failing.
 
with all due respect,
I tried to find some compassion on that article, but kept coming up against what I posted.

Since you did OP it, can you just tell me what you think?

I'd rather not at this point, don't want to poison the well. I thought this was a fairly well written expose on the life of a welfare family and want to hear what various people take from the article. You seem focused on the bad decisions that put her there, and I understand that.
 
I see a woman who made bad decisions, doing the same thing her addicted parents did, living in the same bad areas. Frankly, her whining shows she's been beat down but I also see a fully dependent person and six kids who are learning how to be dependent. My views are one of hopelessness, yet I get the impression is if she got another $80 a month she'd be happy with that - which is sad. The pictures don't do much to bolster the story - they seem to have everything they need and while it might be tight during some times of the month they've got all the amenities it seems. I grew up in worse... but we made due and without government assistance and I had two parents and 3 kids in a 3 bedroom house. Not sure why the 22 year old isn't working. Hell move out of that dependent broke ass district area and start a new life, somewhere else where there isn't 24% unemployment.
 

My take away is that there is a segment of our population that is living in a horrible cycle of dependence. Neither they nor the rest of us know how to fix it. It would seem that the hope of the Great Society failed.

Another take away is that the debate about a few more or less dollars is a distraction from the real issue, which is how to fix this problem. Neither left or roght has the answer, so they go to the thing they do best, demagogue.
 
I see a bunch of ways to manage your money better.

I can't speak about jobs. I don't have one and I haven't looked for one in the last 50 years or so. So, maybe there are no jobs? After all:


But the attitude is questionable.

I'm not "anti-poor" but sometimes people work hard at failing.

You forgot whats actually the biggest expenditure.

as she reached for another cigarette.

Frankly, I quit a year ago. Partially for health but mainly because the price is just unaffordable. They average $8 a pack in the DC area and your average smoker has a pack a day habit.
 
Here are some facts about SNAP...

1) For every job opening that exists, there are 3 people looking for jobs. 2 of them just aren't going to get that job, no matter how hard they try. Not in this economy. So the solution is to punish them by starving their kids? What kind of savages are we? But even savages in third world countries try their best to feed their own. So that would make us even worse than savages.

2) More than 40% of people on food stamps are employed full time. Want to blame somebody? Blame McDonald's, who pays starvation wages, while instructing their employees on how to get food stamps. Welfare loafer? McDonald's, since they are doing their best to put as many of their own employees as possible on the public dole on MY DIME, instead of paying a livable wage.
 
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My take away is that there is a segment of our population that is living in a horrible cycle of dependence. Neither they nor the rest of us know how to fix it. It would seem that the hope of the Great Society failed.

Another take away is that the debate about a few more or less dollars is a distraction from the real issue, which is how to fix this problem. Neither left or roght has the answer, so they go to the thing they do best, demagogue.

That was one of the main impressions I took from it as well.
 
You forgot whats actually the biggest expenditure.



Frankly, I quit a year ago. Partially for health but mainly because the price is just unaffordable. They average $8 a pack in the DC area and your average smoker has a pack a day habit.

I had trouble empathizing with her as soon as I realized she smoked. I spent the majority of the article thinking "Cigarettes cost about 7 bucks, the average smoker smokes a pack a day, 7 bucks could feed a family a spaghetti dinner."
 
Here are some facts about SNAP...

1) For every job opening that exists, there are 3 people looking for jobs. 2 of them just aren't going to get that job, no matter how hard they try. Not in this economy. So the solution is to punish them by starving their kids? What kind of savages are we? But even savages in third world countries try their best to feed their own. So that would make us even worse than savages.

How many aren't looking for a job?

2) More than 40% of people on food stamps are employed full time. Want to blame somebody? Blame McDonald's, who pays starvation wages, while instructing their employees on how to get food stamps. Welfare loafer? McDonald's, since they are doing their best to put as many of their own employees as possible on the public dole on MY DIME, instead of paying a livable wage.

Those people weren't in this article. In fact, it didn't seem that anyone in this article was employed at all...ever.
 

For the mother...there's no hope. She's stuck in her cycle of dependence.

For the daughter...yes, she should take that course, then she should move. Get away from Mom. The lady will only drag her down. But she should NOT move to a city. She should move to a small town, work her ass off, get to know people...make a meaningful life for herself.

For the 17 year old son...hang in there. Graduate high school. Then follow the example of his sister and get away from Mom.
 
I'd rather not at this point, don't want to poison the well. I thought this was a fairly well written expose on the life of a welfare family and want to hear what various people take from the article. You seem focused on the bad decisions that put her there, and I understand that.

I'm pretty much buying into what Annata and Specklebang posted. Speck's really made my stomach turn.
 
Here are some facts about SNAP...

1) For every job opening that exists, there are 3 people looking for jobs. 2 of them just aren't going to get that job, no matter how hard they try. Not in this economy. So the solution is to punish them by starving their kids? What kind of savages are we? But even savages in third world countries try their best to feed their own. So that would make us even worse than savages.

2) More than 40% of people on food stamps are employed full time. Want to blame somebody? Blame McDonald's, who pays starvation wages, while instructing their employees on how to get food stamps. Welfare loafer? McDonald's, since they are doing their best to put as many of their own employees as possible on the public dole on MY DIME, instead of paying a livable wage.


Do you have sources for the bold?
 
How many aren't looking for a job?



Those people weren't in this article. In fact, it didn't seem that anyone in this article was employed at all...ever.

How many aren't looking for a job? That's another FOX News lie. To be on SNAP, you are required to spend at least 20 hours a week looking for work, and must document your work search. If you cannot show by documentation that you have spent at least 20 hours in a week looking for work, you are immediately cut off of SNAP. This requirement was written into the Farm Bill itself. This is a Federal requirement. Some states have even tougher requirements. Texas, for instance, requires 30 hours per week of job search activities, which also must be documented. I have had people come in the door where I work, asking if they could apply for a job, and they had their paperwork for SNAP with them. But ignorant people have no problem saying that these people spend all day watching TV instead of looking for work.

As for your second point, it seems the writer was very selective on who he interviewed. Bias? You betcha. It is hack journalism that keeps people ignorant to how it really is, and just plays on emotion, especially hatred, instead of facts. Their attitude is usually "We gotta punish these shiftless people who choose to work at low paying jobs, so let's starve their kids. That'll teach 'em". Disgusting savagery from disgusting savages.
 
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Do you have sources for the bold?

As a matter of fact, I do. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Here's the link.

Like I said, for every job, there are 3 seekers (2.9 to be exact), and if we are going to deny them food, then we are the freakin' Antichrist, and not the Christian nation that we falsely claim we are.
 
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I think she needs to learn how to manage that money better.Cigarettes, wigs, perfume, and eyelash extensions are things that can be cut. Things like flour, yeast, pasta,rice and ramen can stretch those food dollars if bought in bulk. These things can last a month or two depending on the amount bought in bulk.They can be used to stretch out meat. Even cheese,cooking oil, hamburger meat and other stuff can be bought in bulk. As many people as she feeds she shopping at Save-A-Lot is the worst store to shop at. If she cut those smokes,wigs,perfume and other **** I bet her and her older children can buy a Sams club or bulk foods store membership,especially if they make a trip to the plasma place to sell some plasma.
 
You forgot whats actually the biggest expenditure.

Frankly, I quit a year ago. Partially for health but mainly because the price is just unaffordable. They average $8 a pack in the DC area and your average smoker has a pack a day habit.

As a lifelong smoker, only recently redeemed by Ecigs, I am very sympathetic to the depth of nicotine addiction. But it's a habit that has ways to quit or at least less expensive alternatives.

There are only 2 ways to survive if you have the misfortune of starting over. You can make more or spend less. Or you can do both and be successful. I have low income friends and despite my gentle persuasions, I see them make poor financial decisions. Maybe it's an art or primal genetics. You either get it or you don't.
 
As a matter of fact, I do. From the Bureau of Labor Statistics.Here's the link.

Like I said, for every job, there are 3 seekers (2.9 to be exact), and if we are going to deny them food, then we are the freakin' Antichrist, and not the Christian nation that we falsely claim we are.

Wow, thank you! Not often you get a legitimate source and one so up-to-date. I will save that.
 
My take away is that there is a segment of our population that is living in a horrible cycle of dependence. Neither they nor the rest of us know how to fix it. It would seem that the hope of the Great Society failed.

Another take away is that the debate about a few more or less dollars is a distraction from the real issue, which is how to fix this problem. Neither left or roght has the answer, so they go to the thing they do best, demagogue.

Realistically, this may not be a fixable problem. In the age of robots and globalization, lower end jobs will not be returning to America. We've actually had growth in manufacturing but a great deal of our products are built by machines. To run these machines you must have enough education to manage them correctly. So, these are good jobs but they aren't available to a 20-something with a GED.

So, we will have a pool of people at the bottom. Some will have had a temporary disruption and they'll bounce back. Some will never leave their circumstances. As one of the worlds largest agricultural countries, that pays billions to certain beloved corporations to NOT grow food, I don't think we have any food shortages coming up.

Some on assistance will manage their tiny income wisely and get by. Some will squander it on dope. Hopefully, they'll remember to buy junior some oatmeal. SNAP is probably the LEAST troubling welfare program. Even useless people must be fed. Why resent something that basic?
 
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