When I grew up there were very few people on welfare. Where you were only on it for a short time, there are now generations of those who have made a career out of living off the government. Everyone has difficulties. It is a matter of how we handle them. Those who complain the most about not getting help from the government are the same people who would or do make a career out of welfare and social programs. I think we would be much better off as a nation and people if we eliminated welfare in this country. We used to help one another until the government got involved. You will NEVER totally eliminate poverty. No matter how much money you throw at it, you will never get rid of poverty. There are plenty of jobs in this country. Companies cannot find enough people who are willing to work. When we work for what we have, it gives us a sense of accomplishment and pride. You are right about feeling ashamed about being on welfare. The government has made it acceptable to get and stay on welfare. In fact, many social services employees encourage people to stay on the government tit. It gives them job security. It isn't the responsibility of the government to support those who are unwilling to support their families. It is the responsibility of men and women to support themselves by getting a job. It doesn't matter if it is something that you may not want to do, nor does it matter that it doesn't pay top wages. It is a job. We used to work 2 or 3 jobs, if necessary to feed and take care of ourselves and our families. Crime would probably decrease if those who are living off the government had to get a job to support themselves. They would be too busy earning a living to get into too much trouble. Most immigrants who come to this country will work at anything they can find to earn a living. They get an education, learn a trade or start a business. There are those who come to this country for the free money from the government. This would never been a consideration 30 or 50 years ago. We have the capability to help one another. We don't need the government to do it. If you want to see the efficiency of government, just look at what happened in Louisiana after Katrina. Churches and private organizations were helping those in need while the government was still assessing the situation. The government spent billions of dollars and it still looks like a war zone around New Orleans. We still don't know what happened to much of the money that was sent to the area. To contrast the situation in New Orleans, look at Mississippi. Individuals got involved and rebuilt their lives. In New Orleans, you have more people who have grown up living off the government. They didn't know how to survive without government assistance. People in Mississippi didn't wait on the government. They rolled up their sleeves and got something done.

 

I hear you, Gman. I would also like to add that it appears the work ethic of the up and coming generation is lacking. It seems to me that kids nowadays think that the world OWES them and deems their self worth on what they have not what they have done. I don't know it if is because the of double income family situation.... give kids stuff to make up for not being their 24/7 or from so many split families. I really can't solve it, just acknowledge it. I believe that there is no respect exercised by today's kids. It is really quite sad.


PS..I am spending my $$$ on a remodel job to list my house for sale in a totally failed market. Talk about stimulating!

 

I come from a family of businessmen. Both my parents and their parents were businessmen. We were all expected to work in the business from the time we were small. We grew up knowing where our bread was buttered, so to speak. My siblings and I grew up understanding from an early age that we would need to work for what we had in life. We knew that nothing in life is free. If we wanted something then we would need to work for it. I started my first business when I was 14. There are those who didn't grow up in business who seem to think that when you grow up in a family business, that you have everything given to you. I have known a lot of people who grew up in family businesses. All of us, with rare exception, worked in our families businesses. I have benefited greatly over the years from what I learned from my parents, in the family businesses and those that I have owned over the years. One of the most important is a strong work ethic. We were also taught that we need to help our fellow man and those less fortunate than ourselves. I think that we have an obligation to help one another. I don't think that it is the place of the government to help us get along in the world. When the government become so involved in trying to rid the country of "poverty" they took something away from us.

 

Self respect maybe??? :sad:

 

I don't THINK so, Ridge! Perhaps, the word is motivation. Like GMAN said, we USED to grow up knowing that we had to make our own way! the self respect that came from that was a byproduct. Self respect may be LACKING in the welfare community, but I really can't say it was caused by the government's WELL INTENDED efforts to alleviate poverty.

I just can't paint the government as the demon here, even tho their poor administration may have helped to worsen the situation. Evidence an earlier poster who said the government administrator was "sorry" to tell him he no longer qualified... yet he was elated to have risen above it!

I can't say my upbringing was the same as GMAN's. Although my grandfather worked in and owned his dry cleaning business in NC most of my life, my DAD broke the mold by becoming a preacher. I guess I DID learn that one could make a living with WORDS and THOUGHTS and SERVICE to others, rather than backbreaking work. But, still I learned the lessons of "enterprise."

At 14, I was working THREE jobs and going to school! Not 3 jobs fulltime, of course, but the point is I went out and found WORK. I did it because I wanted to earn my own money, and perhaps because my family couldn't give me all the things I wanted. Preachers are RARELY rich!

Somewhere around the 80's or 90's, when things were GOOD in this country, parents started GIVING their kids everything they wanted! It was s status symbol to be able to do so.... and all the therapists told us it was the thing to do! Hence.... a whole generation or more grew up without the MOTIVATION to go out and get a job to buy what they wanted!

TV and video games were given for NO GOOD REASON, and allowed to be abused as "nannies!" I can't even bring myself to blame the KIDS for this! It was US!! WE blew it! We succombed to the advertising geeks, and wanted our kids to be "special." We forgot the VALUES we were taught by OUR parents!

No.... I don't think the "entitlement" menatality of some of our generation is of their own making. Nor do I think it was the fault of a government trying to alleviate the poverty that followed the great depression and the economy following the second world war. I blame it on the parents.... US.... of OUR generation! WE are the ones who let this happen!

The solution is out there, but the gen X'ers won't see it. WE are the last best HOPE! WE are the tie between the past and the NOW (or the future.) WE need to get busy! We have lost so much time!

We used to march and sing about how WE would "overcome" and how everyday more of THEM die and more of US are born. Well..... the chickens have come home to roost! And WE were caught napping, or winetasting, or ladder climbing! And WE forgot our responsibility to teach VALUES to our kids!

And many of us have forgotten those values for ourselves! We'd rather propogate the welfare system than lose our OWN job as a welfare administrator! What does that say about US??

I HATE the chit being shown on TV today.... but, to blame IT for OUR failures is to be as "entitlement minded" as some say those on welfare are! WE have no one else to blame but US! Turn OFF the TV! Quit buying the latest video games to pacify your child! Get involved! BE a parent! To say WE/YOU are not "in charge" of what happens is to espouse the SAME "entitlement" philosophy that some here continuously rail against! Someone ELSE will solve our problems! Someone ELSE is to blame! Look in the mirror, folks! YOU are someone ELSE!

 

Gman was right when he said there are jobs out there, but many people think some of those jobs are beneath them. Nobody wants to do the ungrateful job of being the janitor(as an example). We leave those to other people. But buildings need to be cleaned. We complain when our place of work is dirty. Yet most look down on the cleaning staff when we see them we don't say hello. There are a lot here who are under the mentality that I am better than that. Nobody wants the "dirty jobs".

 

OK went to this site to see when the rebate would be sent

https://sa2.www4.irs.gov/irfof/IRServlet?app=IRACTC

Here's the results:

Where's My Stimulus Payment This table describes the status of your refund
Social Security Number: ***-**-****

Your total Stimulus payment was calculated as $600.00 and consists of the following:

Basic Amount: $600.00.
Qualifying Child Amount: $0.00 (Based on 0 qualifying children).
Your payment of $600.00 is scheduled to be deposited to your bank on May 9, 2008. If you do not receive the credit by May 14, 2008, please contact us again. We are unable to take any action until then.

Helpful Information:
You should receive a notice showing the amount of your payment. Please hold on to it because you will need it when you prepare your 2008 tax return.