Food Stamps, Assistance Numbers Rising
and the Republicans don't care for it.
The story is in USA Today.
They are blaming everything except the minimum wage of course. I was estimating one person working full time would make about $12,000/year before taxes and FICA. The article mentions $40,000. as the ceiling for certain kinds of assistance. How could anyone possibly raise a family on minimum wage without some help? Even with both working, it would be hard. Our fixed income runs a little more than that for six people (no food stamps) and we're counting pennies at the end of each month.
They claim more people are either applying or qualifying because some of the rules have changed to make it easier. Could be but I think more people are applying because they would starve otherwise.
Some single parents work 3 jobs to make it - run from one to the other. Older kids are left to fend for themselves. I know some of them here.
Anyhow, I'm ranting and I didn't start out with that intention. The article is worth a look.
The story is in USA Today.
They are blaming everything except the minimum wage of course. I was estimating one person working full time would make about $12,000/year before taxes and FICA. The article mentions $40,000. as the ceiling for certain kinds of assistance. How could anyone possibly raise a family on minimum wage without some help? Even with both working, it would be hard. Our fixed income runs a little more than that for six people (no food stamps) and we're counting pennies at the end of each month.
They claim more people are either applying or qualifying because some of the rules have changed to make it easier. Could be but I think more people are applying because they would starve otherwise.
Some single parents work 3 jobs to make it - run from one to the other. Older kids are left to fend for themselves. I know some of them here.
Anyhow, I'm ranting and I didn't start out with that intention. The article is worth a look.
posted by Granny @ 3/14/2006 09:11:00 AM
5 Comments:
At Tuesday, March 14, 2006 4:30:00 PM ,
Unknown said...
The Managerial Asst. where I live is a single mom. Her workday here starts at 8 A.M. and ends at 5 P.M.. She dashes off to her second job and works until past midnight.
Because of the congested freeways during early morning traffic, she gets up at 4:30 A.M. and comes to work while traffic is light, arriving here about 6:30 or 7 A.M. I think she naps a bit sometimes but often she is already in her office hard at work long before 8 A.M. She says she averages about 3!/2 hrs sleep per night, and "catches up" on weekends. When ofcourse she has to spend time with her children, do laundry, grocery shop, run errands, pre-cook and freeze evening meals for her children during the week when she is not home, and all the other things single moms must do.
How does she maintain the pace? I don't know, except we do what we have to do.
I look at her and am reminded of Kipling's line: "you're a better man than I am, Gunga Din."
At Tuesday, March 14, 2006 4:36:00 PM ,
granny said...
I lived that. It sucks and I know that all the myths about hard work are just bullshit.
People don't necessarily have milliuons or billions because they are smarter or harder working than everybody else.
It is a corrupt system.
At Tuesday, March 14, 2006 6:02:00 PM ,
Granny said...
Hi granny. You're right. I've worked most of my adult life and just barely kept my head above water.
They think "workfare" is a magic wand. It's not. It puts people in the same position as WA just described and that I lived through as well. Meantime, many kids are left to fend for themselves because child care is so expensive.
Many of them are bused long distances from their homes to work at minimum wage. No time to attend to home or kids and still can't keep their heads above water.
Enough - the comment is longer than the post.
Ann
At Tuesday, March 14, 2006 9:28:00 PM ,
Unknown said...
Unemployment rates are down? Because so many are either off the unemployment line because they can't get a job, or they have taken minimum wage jobs - so goody, goody they have jobs! But not enough income to make a living.
Too many jobs have been outsourced or taken by people who will work for less pay. Too many employers have dropped job benefits, throwing the financial burden onto the employee. Private health insurance premiums are beyond their pocketbooks. More and more people are falling below the poverty line. The financial outlook for the average American worker is bleak and getting bleaker. To survive, they turn to government benefits.
And in spite of the number crunchers, benefits have been and continue to be CUT!! One way they could make the funds stretch a litle bit further to accomodate the citizens' needs would be to CUT giving benefits to illegals. And yes I know that sounds inhumane, but isn't it inhumane for America's own to suffer and do without while your tax dollars go to someone who is the responsibility of their own government. America cannot afford to be surrogate Daddy to all the poor in the world, and neither can the tax payers.d
At Wednesday, March 15, 2006 1:34:00 AM ,
Granny said...
Once their benefits run out, they're not included in the numbers.
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