Opening Doors by Building Bridges

I take exception to your entire post.  The ENTIRE post.  Read mine above - welfare isn't for freeloaders who want to pop out numerous children and sit on their asses.  Welfare is for people who need help.

In other countries, there is no welfare and people are forced to support their children.

Now - I want statistics.  I want to know what countries don't have social welfare.  I want to know what countries discourage people from having as many children as they want because they don't have welfare. I can name one that restricts how many children you have by threatening to take social benefits away.  But - you are free to choose to have as many children that you want, as long as you are ok giving up the money that the government gives you to support that child.

France - encourages people to have as many babies as they want/can and pays them handsomely to do so.  So does Russia.  So does Italy.

Ryan,

I do not think Lady Bug 3 meant that all people on welfare are on it for the long haul. My take on her post is similar to my own opinion. Those taking assistance for long periods need to be put off of it.

Statistically there are more people on the roles for relatively short periods of time. That however does not lessen the abuse by those that stay on it for generations, which is becoming less of a problem with the reform.

We are lucky in this country that their are assistance programs for short term use, when you are lucky enough to qualify.

When my first husband died, I was 6 months along with out 3rd son I was forced to file a warrant against him, a dead man, for non support, then I was told I would have to sell my car because it was not old enough. I needed that car to return to work as soon as I was able (I just wasn't able to work, I was a nurse and I wrongfully saw my own profession as having failed my family). If all that was not enough, I was still denied because I would get veterans benefits as well as Social Security death benefits whenever they got around to getting them started. In the meantime, I was supposed to support my children on thin air.

Why? I was told by the worker it is because there were too many people already getting benefits, too many people getting life-long benefits that they could  not help me out for a few months. I did get food stamps and WIC, but no money for rent, utilities or non-food items. Because I had an excellent reputation with the land lord and with CG&E the bills just grew until the checks started. But to clean my home and clothes or to buy toilet paper my parents had to foot the bill.

One other thing Ryan, China forces families in the cities to have one child only. Period, no excuses for #2. Only rural families who need a large family to support the farm are permitted to have more than 1. This is becoming a problem, I have read, because so many of the kids are leaving the farm and going to the cities. Forced birth control could soon come to all of China in an attempt to be able to feed and house them all.

The world can not support uncontrolled population growth. We either curb it willingly or it will come forcefully. France and Russia will catch up and discover uncontrolled population growth doesn't really help them or the rest of the world.

I think the reason for the policies in France, Russia and Italy are because their populations are plummeting - young adults are waiting longer to get married there also, just like the U.S., and they are keeping their families smaller.  As the older generation before them dies off, they have a smaller population. 

And I am very sorry to hear about your plight.  I think that after going through that totally demoralizing process, you should not be told to suck it up and wait.  Whenever people talk about welfare reform, they think of the stereotypical "Welfare Queen".  The people that they forget are people like you and me - people that just need a small boost to get us back on our feet.

All of your arguments are correct, and I'm not disputing them.  My issue with a post like Ladybugs is that she comes in and makes blanket statements without considering that gross generalizations don't work.  I'm trying to spark some level headed discussion, like yours, and not non-thinking flames about subjects that they may or may not understand.

Thanks for the post, it was enlightening. :)

You are right about the generalization. I have been guilty of it myself not meaning to. Maybe that is why I try to read posts as it they are not flaming others.

My plight was back in '82, except for having to file non-support charges against him I am OK with the whole thing now. Everything worked out OK, for the most part. But still, all these years later if I pull his name up in the county records, that warrant is there. That hurts because there was simply no need for it in life and surely not in death.

4real made a post, I think it was over the weekend, reminding people to explain themselves. I think he was writing to me. LOL But in any case, it was excellently written and would not hurt any of us to read it. Here's the link if anyone is interested:
http://po-poet.newsvine.com/_news/2008/11/20/2128916-how-to-heal-americas-divide

Just a disclaimer - nobody get me mixed up with Lady Bug 3...LOL

There does need to be ways to evaluate and find out if people are abusing the system, but many people are using it legitimately IMHO and I think the program this article discusses (and I personally did read it) is great. As I stated above I would like to see more programs like this one. But by the grace of God go I...being a single mom I can understand how programs like this could benefit people tremendously. I think there are many people out there who would LOVE to be off welfare but don't know how to begin the process or need some help besides just 'signing up' for food stamps.

I also believe there is plenty of abuse and we need to find ways to stop this. One of my co-workers had a story about how their church had a job program to educate women on job skills and help them find work - some of them would get grief from their families or friends simply for participating in the program - because why would you want to work when you have enough to make it without working... But I really don't believe in my heart the majority of people are free-loaders.

Just a disclaimer - nobody get me mixed up with Lady Bug 3...LOL

Thanks, actually, for saying that...I didn't look closely and thought the comments were both yours.  I WAS confused!  :)

Well, personally I'm glad I set the record straight. Didn't know there was another viner with a screen name so close to mine. Hope all my friends double check - actually I hope everybody double checks in case we have strong differences of opinion on some subject.

Hope all my friends double check - actually I hope everybody double checks.

That last part made me chuckle  :)

:::::bowing to you:::::  you rock, jsbach. 

No, I don't rock.  I just get pissy when some numb nut doesn't get the whole picture.  I'm actually arguing with someone on another thread.  Gotta go.

Good pick-up PIK!  Voted you up!