thompsonx
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Joined: 10/1/2006
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quote:
Wrong! You are only giving one part of the picture - welfare. I know several people who live quite comfortably on "welfare" (SSI or SSDI) of only $661 a month. But they get housing benefits - 2 bedroom that normally rents for $770 for $110 a month. Plus they get free medical. Then they get food stamps - $100 a month. They also get the food bank which in our area is fairly good. They also have access to free donations. (One lady I know has a home that when you walk into it looks like a Victorian Mansion. High quality oak furniture, fine china, and real silver silverware.)
Plus they get side jobs which they often don't report because they trade services for things they want - like babysitting for a nice dinner and massage a week. Plus they get can go to several place for free due to programs we have here.
All of that does not count the gifts from friends and family. Many also have special needs trusts that allow them to take vacations to places like hawaii and vegas.
The reality for many of the people that I know who are on benefits is that they are on them because it is too expensive to work - they would loose all those benefits and they could not earn enough in most cases to replace the value of those benefits so why do it?
Let me see if I understand your concept of living well. A person gets $661 SSS/SSDI plus $100 from food stamps. So we are up to $761 per month. From that we need to deduct $110 a month for that mythical two bedroom apt for $770 a month and now we are are down to $651 with which to pay the utilities,clothing,food etc. Many here on the boards,myself included, would like to know just where you can have steak,crab and lobster three or four times a week on that amount of money even if you had no other expenses.
quote:
Hi Mark - Sorry I'll have to disagree with you on that as I worked for several years as an aide to clients in public housing. So I lived in public housing and saw hundreds of people who did. Many of my friends live in public housing.
I've also done dozens of "back to work" counselling for the disabled. The minimum income in my state is the highest in the nation at about $1,470 per month before taxes. If you figure a tax rate of 15% then you end up with $1250. Now add up the benefits they get - $661 tax free income, $670 housing, $100 food stamps, free medical, nearly free transportation on our bus system, etc. The simple truth is that most of the people I have worked with who are on disability would have to earn about twice the minimum wage to replace their benefits so they are much better off not to work.
Right now I'm on disability due to an injury my income is actually below the minimum wage level. But I'm saving more and living better than I was when I was working a traditional job. I eat steak, crab, and lobster three or four times a week. I go to see movies and concerts once or twice a week. I travel and I have more sex. I have much more free time to learn and enjoy life. I could stay at this income level until I retire and still become a millionaire. It really has been a nice vacation; however, the injury is almost as healed as it is going to get so I'm going to head out into the earn your own way world.
Ones lifestyle on "welfare" is not determined by income but rather by how you use that income and use the free time you have!
I looked in the IRS schedule and people who make less than $18,000 are not even in the same zip code with your 15% figure. Most who make less than $18,000 pay nothing to the fed or state in income tax.
"How one uses ones free time"?????I would ask the assistance of any single mother of two on these boards to tell us all about their use of their "free time".
T
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RE: Equality of opportunity. - 
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