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Welfare moms - Page 3

post #41 of 47
5/19/02 at 9:14pm
Hi everyone,

I'm a single mom with a four month old baby and a ten year old boy and an eight year old girl. I have a dream of creating a self-sustaining community that would serve the needs of single mothers while allowing them to attachment parent. I see this as a viable alternative to the whole welfare mom thing, which as most of us know doesn't come close to meeting the needs of moms and babies. I will post more about my idea, but in the mean time, anyone interested is welcome to email me.

Lupa
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post #42 of 47
5/25/02 at 2:40am

Funny I should read this thread tonight...

I am 21 with a 20 mth old dd, living with my wonderful parents. I just told my Mom that if I did not have the excellent family support I have, I would be living on food stamps and welfare and would also attend school (paid for by the govt.) to be a teacher (which is what I am doing now, just my parents pay for it). I think any woman who is using the govt. to help them and their child to becoem a better person, you should be proud!!!! You are raising a child- the best job in the world. I can see how you could feel ashamed, but forget what others think of you- you can go places and taking very good care fo your child is very important our society will benefit in the long run!!!
I got prego at 18 by a Loser boyfriend who was 31 at the time- I made bad bad decsions, despite the fact that I come from a very good home, my mom was an LLL leader!
The only real life experience I have had with welfare moms is those that lived off the govt. b/c they were too lazy to work. I lived in a neighborhood where at least 40% of the people received govt assitance- the local grocery store was a mad house on the first of the month. And everyone I saw was people who just did not care about working and milked the govt. The couple living across from us did not work, and the woman had 5 kids that her mother took care of, and yet she was getting the check for them every month. This is extremely ommon in my area. Frankly I have never met anyone who truly needed govt assistant who was on it- everyone I know has been totally capable of getting a job and taking very poor care of their kids.
However, I know there are people out there who really need it and I wish the moochers would stop giving Welfare a bad name! It's such a shame that these people make Welfare look like a handout instead of a leg-up. I think all those mama's who are living on welfare and still giving their kids the best in parenting should be congraulated b/c it takes a very special and strong person to do that.
Sara
post #43 of 47
5/25/02 at 10:29am
Skyemama! You are inspiring! Keep up the good work... The secret to not feeling so helpless is to do what you're doing... talk until you're blue in the face, do your advocacy projects, start chipping away at all of the lies and prejudice until the truth is revealed.

Lila Blue, I found out yesterday that people in my municipality CANNOT change their caseworker. I'm sorry I don't have more knowledge about the systems in the U.S. It's hard enough keeping track of the policy directives of different cities in Ontario. All of Ontario is painted with the same brush, that means someone living in a rural area on a farm has the same "budgetary requirements" as someone living in Toronto in the eyes of Ontario Works (formerly General Welfare). Which of course is ludicrous.

Nanner, of course it's true that there are going to be people who are unwilling to work. After people have been living on welfare for a while it becomes very challenging for them to go out and find work, for various reasons. That's why we need more resources for people in that position. Job banks, clothing banks, counselling, resume help libraries, etc. I won't even get into the pitiful daycare issue. However, I do not believe welfare is a system that is truly meant to help people... it is a system that tries everything to deter people from using it. The same can be said for both the U.S. and Canada. The paradox is that there are not adequate resources to help people get back to self sufficiency. Not everyone can muster the strength to go "out into the world" and start working at a job (which there are not enough of) so they can start getting taxed to death again.

Let's put the blame where it belongs, on the FACT that there are weathly corporations and individuals that use TAX SHELTERS and other devious and unfair ways to get out of their social resposibilities. In Canada, unpaid taxes by corporations and SOARING interest rates account for about 95% of the federal debt. Social programs account for about 5%.
post #44 of 47
5/29/02 at 1:17am

ForestSage

I actually was not blaming anyone! I think the system needs a lot of work too! I was trying (though not very well!) to say that the system needs to do more to support those who need it and really give them a leg up, and try to weed out the moochers. I have a friend who is a moocher, I hate to say it, but it's true. She lives with her parents and does not need the money, yet she receives govt assitance such as WIC, food stamps, her school is paid for, and she was getting a welfare check. Her parents make over $100,000 a year and they are hardly lacking. But 2 girls at school told her how she could get hooked up too. I see way too much of that around here. People actually plan to go on welfare, rather than using it as a leg up. And then there are people who really need it who could use a lot more help than it is providing.
Sara
post #45 of 47
5/29/02 at 5:23pm
Thread Starter 
I don't believe a mother is "lazy" simply because she doesn't have a PAYING job. Being a mother is the hardest job ever - being a single mother, harder still. I believe that a woman should have the right to stay home with her children and get paid a decent wage for it. Sure, it takes up the taxpayers' money, but so do teachers, police officers, and members of congress, and no one complains about that!

I would much rather my tax dollars go to someone on welfare than to a drug-using congressman.
post #46 of 47
6/1/02 at 11:04pm
(((Nanner!!!)))
I'm sorry if it seemed like I was jumping on you! I wasn't trying to attack you! I just have to deal with clients who are being hassled relentlessly by their caseworker when they aren't doing anything wrong. Such as people being investigated for welfare fraud, for no reason. They are in a vulnerable position, and I feel like they're being taken advantage of. Your 'moocher' friend, under the system where I live, would not be getting one red cent! Not even a student loan! It's because the rules are so stringent here that there are alot of people "falling through the cracks."
post #47 of 47
6/8/02 at 2:06am

I know you weren't after me!

I wasn't offended, Forest Sage! I Just hadn't read all of the responses and I honestly do not have a thourough undertsanding of the Welfare system. I wish it did more for those who need it!!!!
Maybe my area just sux at keeping the moochers off of it. Actually, I can guarantee it sucks at that b/c of the reports my friend gave! The workers are way overburdened and nobody has checked to make sure she really does need it.
Sara