Yeah, sort of!

I did the math when I was 17 and nearly had a heart attack! Being unskilled and uneducated, I realized my chances of being able to pay bills with a regular 40 hour work week was nil. I said screw it.

Fortunately, I am privileged to a base allowance from the parents. This only amounts to ~3% of their collective salaries, so I'm actually okay with it. I'm just below the poverty line, so don't bother paying taxes and funding black holes, and the black-ops budget. Bills paid, $20 a day, and a bike to ride gets me by.

I opted out early, seeing the apparent insanity that is our society. When things become somewhat sane (if ever?!) I will pay my dues. I do so now in a different way. I'm more relaxed than most, probably from not working, so I do my best to expand this calmness to others, and put a smile on their face as often as possible.

Originally posted by unityemissions

I did the math when I was 17 and nearly had a heart attack! Being unskilled and uneducated, I realized my chances of being able to pay bills with a regular 40 hour work week was nil. I said screw it.

That's why they let illegal aliens into the country to do the work that Americans didn't want to do or were smart enough not to do.

Originally posted by infolurker
A couple more to ponder:

Estimated 5 million on full Government Welfare and an additional 9.5 million receive disability benefits from social security ...

Also, we have "Government" workers who's pay comes from the "other" taxpayers. This looks to be roughly about 20 million.

I counted social security disabled non-workers as disabled, but I added welfare reciepients to the list. Forgot about them.

The post is a bit biased. Most of the people who aren't working are our loved ones - children, spouses, parents. They're not working for various reasons. They're in school, they're taking care of the kids, they've retired after a lifetime of hard work. They're not supposed to be working.

Most of the unemployed would rather be working. Most of the disabled would rather not be disabled. Yes, some cheats get disability who don't deserve it. Some people who work also collect welfare. But most desperately need the pittance they receive.

People who collect unemployment paid into the system. True, the employers write the checks, but that money comes out of what the employee might otherwise have been paid. Also, unemployment runs out. Work fifty years, get up to a year of unemployment benefits.

I am currently unemployed, have been for over a year. My benefits ran out in July. I used up my life savings. I have zero money to my name, no assets to speak of. I am well and truly screwed. I have simply not been able to find a job, either in my own field, or doing anything else. Over the past 15 months, I've sent out over 500 resumes and applications. At the moment, I'm trying my hand at being a street musician. So far, that hasn't been profitable.

So basically, I'm facing homelessness. At best I can get into a shelter and collect welfare. I couldn't pay my rent this month. When my landlord gets tired of not getting the rent, he'll evict me. Then men with guns will come and take all my belongings and put them out in the street. They will escort me out of here, and I'll be homeless. You think I wouldn't rather be working? I would gladly be among the 25%, paying my taxes to feed and house the other 75%. Fine with me. Work is good. Idleness is not good.

You seem to think that people on welfare or disability have it easy. Nothing could be further from the truth. They get nothing. It's shameful how little they get, not enough to eat, not enough to pay the rent. They live in abject poverty, which tends to keep them from finding work. They can't get together enough money for a phone. How can they apply for a job, if they have no way to be contacted? What states should do is at least put healthy people on "workfare", where they do some sort of job for the welfare benefits they receive. It would help them emotionally, and it would help us get some of those little, less-important tasks done. It might make it easier for them to get off welfare. Everybody wins.

Worthless kids, I knew it! Only fine Americans like Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck are paying the taxes and this proves it!

Honestly, I'm on disability myself, I had to go on when i was 19 after a nervous breakdown from working to hard to try and help my parents pay bills after my step dad got hit with a bus. from the age of 16 when i graduated high school, i worked nearly 60-75 hours a week every week, on year 3, Because I was such an "Exception employee" they offered me unlimited OT, i took it, and because i was working for nearly 15 hours a day for 2 week straight, i just snapped. Honestly, the paper chase is just that a chase, when you get it, you might as well not even have it because its worthless to begin with.

Originally posted by In nothing we trust
People who work for a living are stupid?

Lets not forget all those good paying jobs
that have been funneled out of the country in search of
higher corporate earnings from cheaper labor abroad.

Originally posted by marg6043

... I feel sometimes that working in this nation is becoming a burden rather than a means to improve ourselves ...

Working to support the state and it's mile long list of deadbeats is an oppressive burden on the few americans that do work.



[edit on 13-10-2009 by In nothing we trust]

Originally posted by chiron613
The post is a bit biased. Most of the people who aren't working are our loved ones - children, spouses, parents. They're not working for various reasons. They're in school, they're taking care of the kids, they've retired after a lifetime of hard work. They're not supposed to be working.

Most of the unemployed would rather be working. Most of the disabled would rather not be disabled. Yes, some cheats get disability who don't deserve it. Some people who work also collect welfare. But most desperately need the pittance they receive.

People who collect unemployment paid into the system. True, the employers write the checks, but that money comes out of what the employee might otherwise have been paid. Also, unemployment runs out. Work fifty years, get up to a year of unemployment benefits.

I am currently unemployed, have been for over a year. My benefits ran out in July. I used up my life savings. I have zero money to my name, no assets to speak of. I am well and truly screwed. I have simply not been able to find a job, either in my own field, or doing anything else. Over the past 15 months, I've sent out over 500 resumes and applications. At the moment, I'm trying my hand at being a street musician. So far, that hasn't been profitable.

So basically, I'm facing homelessness. At best I can get into a shelter and collect welfare. I couldn't pay my rent this month. When my landlord gets tired of not getting the rent, he'll evict me. Then men with guns will come and take all my belongings and put them out in the street. They will escort me out of here, and I'll be homeless. You think I wouldn't rather be working? I would gladly be among the 25%, paying my taxes to feed and house the other 75%. Fine with me. Work is good. Idleness is not good.

You seem to think that people on welfare or disability have it easy. Nothing could be further from the truth. They get nothing. It's shameful how little they get, not enough to eat, not enough to pay the rent. They live in abject poverty, which tends to keep them from finding work. They can't get together enough money for a phone. How can they apply for a job, if they have no way to be contacted? What states should do is at least put healthy people on "workfare", where they do some sort of job for the welfare benefits they receive. It would help them emotionally, and it would help us get some of those little, less-important tasks done. It might make it easier for them to get off welfare. Everybody wins.

This post brought tears to my eyes. I wish you luck.

Originally posted by marg6043

... we are a nation that doesn't belong to the American people anymore ...

America is dead.

This thread is a disgrace! I have worked as many as three jobs at one time in order to pay all of my bills, and apparently most of yours as well.

Let me get this straight: You did the math and decided you were better off not working and just thought -- hey, I'll be a professional mooch!!

I mean -- seriously?

Get off your tails and actually work for a living. It's really pathetic that people are comfortable accepting a handout. It's one thing to HAVE to, temporarily, (stress temporarily), but it's entirely another to decide to just be a leech.

Well -- you'll get yours. It's the government payments to individuals that will run out first. Then let's see how capable you are of taking care of yourself.

My guess is -- not very.

Originally posted by lpowell0627
This thread is a disgrace! I have worked as many as three jobs at one time in order to pay all of my bills, and apparently most of yours as well.

Let me get this straight: You did the math and decided you were better off not working and just thought -- hey, I'll be a professional mooch!!

I mean -- seriously?

Get off your tails and actually work for a living. It's really pathetic that people are comfortable accepting a handout. It's one thing to HAVE to, temporarily, (stress temporarily), but it's entirely another to decide to just be a leech.

Well -- you'll get yours. It's the government payments to individuals that will run out first. Then let's see how capable you are of taking care of yourself.

My guess is -- not very.

Not really sure where you got that from.

I pay into the system and don't benifit at all from it.

The system is a joke.

I work to support my own three dependants and I figure I pay enough to support about 10 more that the federal reserve pays off to keep thier worthless mouths shut.

[edit on 14-10-2009 by In nothing we trust]