I live better on Welfare then I ever did working!

originally posted by: Nyiah
I despise people who think just because the loopholes exist that means they should milk it.

Why? Is it any different than people looking for tax loopholes?

originally posted by: DrJunk
a reply to: ladyinwaiting

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

You are partially correct. The system is broken when something like this can take place.

But, how does a parent teach their children to be productive members of society if they are living like the OP? Short answer is, they don't. Their kids grow up to be slugs too. Then their kids,and the cycle is endless. Instead of instilling values like greed, sloth, and apathy, why not try to instill things like honor, integrity, and pride? Or is all that just pillow talk?

originally posted by: WeAreAWAKE
These people can support themselves...proven. They have decided instead to milk the system and take from it, instead of supporting themselves. The support system is there for people who can't...not people who won't.

Nope. It's there for people that qualify. What aren't you understanding about this?

originally posted by: learnatic

The amount of money spent of welfare for indivudals is really not very much compared to many other expenditures governments make. One of the biggest ares of spending by goverments if military, black budgets and corporate welfare.

That's a very good point. The amount of money spent on welfare is miniscule compared to the money wasted on Military.

For example:

"the Department of Defense is engaged in a mad dash to give away things that cost U.S. taxpayers billions of dollars to buy and build."

U.S. To Hand Over Iraq Bases, Equipment Worth Billions

I don't support the guy.. he supposedly went to like an ivy league school and spent $160k on it, but I think the topic brings up a great realization of how ridiculous it is in how we are choosing to live together as humans - things that need to get done, don't get done.. We make things in abundance that we don't need and throw them away.. People driving to work to do nothing.. and the list goes on.

Imagine a world where everyone did something that actually needed doing, that improved world conditions, and in an efficient manner; and everyone else chilled out and enjoyed themselves. That is how the world should be. Not everyone killing themselves at work. But then again, the people in Monte Carlo wouldn't want these vagrants running around and having yachts also, so that wouldn't work. It might work if we were smart about things, efficient, and had a lower population at the same time.

originally posted by: DrJunk

originally posted by: ladyinwaiting

originally posted by: DrJunk
a reply to: ladyinwaiting

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

It all depends on how you play the game. What have you really gained, if you manipulate and cheat?

Are you accusing this person of breaking the law? If you aren't then all you are doing is judging someone else without the moral high ground to stand upon.

People like the OP are the reason conservatives & the like want assistance for the needy abolished. Our family was needy for a time when it came to having enough to eat. Having been there, I think I have a right to be offended, judgmental, and even hateful towards them if they're gleefully taking this assistance & in the process, taking it from other people in much tighter financial binds who need the assistance much more their their $80k+ a year behinds do. They dumped good jobs for crap jobs to do this. It may be legal, but it's morally effed up to do.

originally posted by: DrJunk

originally posted by: ladyinwaiting

originally posted by: DrJunk
a reply to: ladyinwaiting

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

It all depends on how you play the game. What have you really gained, if you manipulate and cheat?

Are you accusing this person of breaking the law? If you aren't then all you are doing is judging someone else without the moral high ground to stand upon.

+

Excuse me? Did you read the OP?

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: DrJunk
a reply to: ladyinwaiting

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

You are partially correct. The system is broken when something like this can take place.

But, how does a parent teach their children to be productive members of society if they are living like the OP? Short answer is, they don't. Their kids grow up to be slugs too. Then their kids,and the cycle is endless. Instead of instilling values like greed, sloth, and apathy, why not try to instill things like honor, integrity, and pride? Or is all that just pillow talk?

What values aren't being instilled?

Highly educated people have found a more profitable way to live their lives? Isn't that what Capitalism is about?

Cost/Benefit analysis.

So, these people have decided that the cost of living was too high and decided to take a loss to increase government subsidies to offset expenditures.

It's out of the box thinking that should be praised. If more middle class people did this, and took control of the wealth of the country, we could have a real revolution.

originally posted by: network dude

originally posted by: DrJunk
a reply to: ladyinwaiting

Don't hate the player, hate the game.

You are partially correct. The system is broken when something like this can take place.

But, how does a parent teach their children to be productive members of society if they are living like the OP? Short answer is, they don't. Their kids grow up to be slugs too. Then their kids,and the cycle is endless. Instead of instilling values like greed, sloth, and apathy, why not try to instill things like honor, integrity, and pride? Or is all that just pillow talk?

I like how you used greed and sloth as bad values but pride as a good one. Just wanted to point that out.

originally posted by: ladyinwaiting
Excuse me? Did you read the OP?

Yeah... did you?

Are they breaking the law?

Nope.

So, where do you get off judging them?

originally posted by: Nyiah
People like the OP are the reason conservatives & the like want assistance for the needy abolished.

No it isn't. Democrats and Republicans both want to give your money to Corporations.

Democrats want to give your money to Corporations in the form of subsidies to help the poor.
Republicans want to give your money to Corporations in the form of subsidies to help the rich.

It's a game to keep the money flowing to the Corporations.

originally posted by: PaladinRoden
a reply to: kismetpair927
What killed us financially was our student loan payments, health insurance and daycare payments. It was more then we made and the only thing we could downsize was our jobs in order for us to survive.

Weird story.

Firstly: folks with a masters degree mostly earn a bit more than 40K/a. So, actually, if you were both working fulltime you should at least have earned 120K/a. But no, wait: that's for 2 full time employed higher academics. You even worked 20 hours more each week (6 x 10 = 60) so the combined income would have been more like 150k/a, I'd guess. Why weren't you able to get what you are worth?

Then the rent: 1200 bucks .. phew, that's steep. In where I live you could buy a VERY decent house for that. Ever considered a smaller house? Or a slightly longer commute? Might have saved you a few hundred bucks.

Then: 800 bucks shopping costs for family of 4 - that's high. I live in one of the more expensive countries with regard to food prices, we have a family of 5 grownups - and we pay less. So, probably you could have saved a bit there too. Let's say another 100 bucks.

Daycare for the kids: $ 1600. Mm. The minimum wage is 7-8 dollar/hour in the US of A. I don't know how much additional money you'd have to pay to satisfy taxes etc, but say it's 25 percent. So, for 10 bucks/hour you could hire somebody (legally) at the minimum wage. The average amount of working hours per month is 122. So, if you hired a nanny, you would have saved 400 bucks already, AND more control and probably a better quality of care.

But wait - since you "only" came 400 bucks short, we're already there then. So, all in all, you're story seems to be fabricated to me.

Any real academic worth his / her salt would have done what I just did: thought of another way.

Oh, and BTW: the rant about the health care premium being the final straw that snapped your back.. oh, come on. I say you're trolling and tell BS stories.

a reply to: DrJunk

Believe Me the Big Corporations™; Healthcare™; The Banksters™ et al. all need their "Greed Gear" lowered, I totally agree with that 100% BUT... Just because they jumped off the bridge. And their salaries and bonuses will always be there and then the ¢o$t of these bonuses are paid by those paying into it.

I guess You're okay with these folks getting out of their student loans too? That was a service that has ALREADY been provided. So if I go to the restaurant and order an entree what happens when the bill comes?

This is a case of "WANT" vs. "NEED"...

Charity begins at home...

originally posted by: ForteanOrg


Weird story.

Oh, and BTW: the rant about the health care premium being the final straw that snapped your back.. oh, come on. I say you're trolling and tell BS stories.

The story maybe weird to someone in Europe, but the costs that the OP posted are not that far off.

Some truth in what they posted, with high probability BS added

Health care costs are breaking many people here in the USA, but since most of Europe has virtually free healthcare from socialized medicine most people in Europe don't understand how f'd up the system really is.

A small bungalow 3 bedroom home in a decent area, in the Mid West is an average cost of $1200.00.

Hiring a qualified nanny here in the USA is about $1200 to $1500 a month, I have looked into that myself a couple years ago.

Master degree salary for many of my friends range from 35k to 65k, some are higher but not many. A higher degree doesn't mean someone is going to be paid more money, in fact, I know a few people with higher degrees living off of the system.

The OP whether the story is completely true or not, has stirred up some interesting facts, and allowed for many more questions to be asked.

a reply to: Volund

Example: Since I began driving I have paid 60,000 so far in car insurance payments with no claims. Yes, I calculated it out. If I file a claim after an accident is it a handout? Hardly. No one seems to think so.

If you purposely cause an accident, you get nothing. This is what the OP did and I hope he is jailed for it.

I love the mindset on this website. Those that actually need assistance are called lazy freeloaders and people on here have such disgust for them, but THIS guy openly admits he's a lazy freeloader and gets so much praise for it.

I actually think this guy should be banned because 1) it's probably a hoax or 2) he really is a giant POS

originally posted by: JimNasium
Believe Me the Big Corporations™; Healthcare™; The Banksters™ et al. all need their "Greed Gear" lowered, I totally agree with that 100% BUT... Just because they jumped off the bridge. And their salaries and bonuses will always be there and then the ¢o$t of these bonuses are paid by those paying into it.

The taxpayers are the ones paying the bonuses with our subsidizing of their businesses. What's good enough for Wall Street is good enough for Main Street, my friend.

If you qualify, get your money. That is why it's there.

I guess You're okay with these folks getting out of their student loans too? That was a service that has ALREADY been provided. So if I go to the restaurant and order an entree what happens when the bill comes?

Yes, I am. Businesses do this all the time. Read up on Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection. Businesses are able to stop payment, reduce interest on loans, get out of federal taxes, and all kinds of things in the name of remaining solvent.

This is a case of "WANT" vs. "NEED"...

Charity begins at home...

This isn't charity. This is subsidized Capitalism. You don't like it, that's fine. Heck, I DON'T like it, however, if the rules are there, use them. Why should the rich be the only ones to get money for nothing?

originally posted by: ForteanOrg
Why weren't you able to get what you are worth?

Because they don't live in Europe.

I am actually going to side with Op on this one. Maybe because I live in the UK where by the sound of it our benifit system is a little different.

I actually did the same thing several years ago when my partner became ill and I needed to quit my job to look after her and the kids.

I went from working 50 hours a week and 10 hours a week traveling to zero hours working and ended up far better off.

With no rent or council tax to pay and Job seekers allowance, child allowance, tax credits, child tax credits, free school transport and dinners I had more money every week than when I was working.

I also had time to grow my own veg, raise livestock and cook healthy meals from scratch saving even more money and I never had to hire someone to mend the car or fix things around the house.

Sure a few people had an issue with me because they resented me doing something they were perfectly entitled to do themselves but to be honest most working people in the UK pay such a small amount of tax in comparison to the services they recieve that it really does not matter.

Also please bear in mind that the money that was "given" to me went straight back into the economy, it's not like I was hiding it under the mattress.

The system is more and more set up to make most people equal. It seems to be working.

Back in the day, how you got something was what you took pride in, in today's society its what you have is what you take pride in.

originally posted by: DrJunk

originally posted by: ForteanOrg
Why weren't you able to get what you are worth?

Because they don't live in Europe.

The figures were those for America..