WA State is about to remove social safety nets

reply to post by marg6043
I moved to MN about almost two years ago and right after I got here, the state went offline for a while. You couldn't visit any mn.gov website or go to the DMV or even purchase a lottery ticket. It was pretty rough I also have a home in WA state and I do not wish to see a shutdown there.
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The loss of our manufacturing base has been a substantial problem for our economy. I certainly agree that government should not be involved but since they made the rules that broke our economy, they should now take the initiative to re-instate our manufacturing base.

Make and pass a law that says the following: If it can be made here, it can't be imported here or it can with stiff tariffs. Give us citizens that chance to manufacture and supply ourselves once again and we can overcome this downturn we've been facing.

Being able to manufacture what we need would be a great asset in the future if we ever get into a position, like that of a war that causes us to lock our borders tight or a situation where other countries refuse to export to us do to a debt issue or whatever. I guess it doesn't matter because China will soon buy up enough of our country and just start moving their citizens here to work in whatever factories they build and our government will probably sit there and tell us how wonderful that will be for the rest of us.

sorry for the long-windedness.

King 5 just posted an article about this shutdown.

To me, it seems like they are threatening the people.

King 5

King 5 also posted a link to the agencies they are shutting down, and partially shutting down. The PDF is linked at the bottom of the above article.

I noticed state parks are on there. I'm angry about that. They make us pay for a pass and now it's summer and if they shut it down, my family can't use the parks when we visit the most.

trusting the government to find you a job is like trusting your mother to find you a date

Originally posted by Swing80s
They are threatening to lay-off almost all ESD/WorkSource employees and programs and cut DSHS in half.

This is a long overdue response to America's entitlement culture. The government is cutting back on unnecessary and over-generous benefits.

Everyone who claimed Obama was a soft president who bribed voters with free money and fat welfare cheques is looking pretty damn stupid right now. He's cracking down on the takers.

Read this WSJ article: Are Entitlements Corrupting Us? Yes, American Character Is at Stake.

Also see this series of graphs from the AEI.

Originally posted by Swing80s
WHY CAN'T OUR DAMN STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WORK TOGETHER?!?!?!??!

Because that would be a classic case of big government involvement, and most people don't want it.

You will not get your tax refund because you will not be able to afford Obamacare and it will be taken from you in the form of a penalty.

reply to post by Sankari


Obama doesn't run the state of WA. They have a governor and state legislature.

Originally posted by esdad71
Social safety nets have been ready to be removed for the last few years. It was just a matter of time as to when it would finally catch up. Hope everyone is armed and ready to defend their homes.

So you're in favour of big government social safety nets? How does this work with your anti-government ideology?

You can't claim to be against big government and still demand a social safety net. That's a complete contradiction.

If you don't want big government involved in your life, you should be demanding the removal of social safety nets.

Originally posted by MsAphrodite
reply to post by Sankari

 

Obama doesn't run the state of WA. They have a governor and state legislature.

WA is a Democrat-controlled state.

They'll do whatever Obama tells them to do.

reply to post by onequestion


Its funny how one mistake can stuff up your whole life. Remember all problems that exist can be thought out, you can think your way out of everything, Its all one big problem solving exercise.

reply to post by Sankari


What are you talking about? I was giving a narrative about how the social net is collapsing. It is an abused program now. I see people all the time with their EBT cards getting into 60k cars parked in handicapped spaces while I see disabled vets begging for change. Unbalanced.

The system now sucks and with Medicare diminishing with Obamacare it will get worse for older folks. Taxes are killing the middle class and the poor. it is drying up and the people who really need it will be hurt the most.

reply to post by collietta
About the state parks.... have you ever tried to reserve a camping site for a WA State Park? When I was living up in Mount Vernon about 5 years back, I made a reservation and had some trouble with a site at Razor State Park. The rangers at the park couldn't help me change sites because the reservations are run by a company in Canada. Yes, our state park reservation system, at least in WA state are outsourced and the fees for a night camping are getting pretty close to what Motel 6 charges. I would have thought that with those fees and the day use fees that the parks would pretty much be in the black. Wonder what happened!

reply to post by Sankari


Just a fyi because I do believe that sources to information should be properly vetted as bias can exist dependent on the source. American Enterprise Institute is a non-profit think tank that is primarily funded through donations by foundations, corporations, and individuals. It's stationed in Washington, DC and 20 of its fellows were serving in the Bush administration, whose policy seemed to be "if we don't call it a recession, it isn't one". Newt Gingrich is also a fellow and involved with AEI and his ideas on what should be going on for the US was getting rid of child labor laws...

www.npr.org...

Part of the issue that is going on in regards to social welfare (entitlement actually implies that one is actually entitled to something--dumbest buzz word ever) is because we have been in a recession for nearly a decade. Cost of living has been increasing (and ironically enough, it doesn't include food and energy which have seen the most considerable cost hikes over the last several years) while workers' wages have remained relatively flat overall. Unemployment has been a consistent issue and really, I sometimes think that a lot of the reason why it has decreased may have more to do with people just giving up and going back to school or whatever. In other words, it's not that Americans are addicted to social safety nets. It's that there are a lot of desperate people out there. Previously, working in a factory meant that one had a sustainable wage. As many have already mentioned, our manufacturing has been gutted because we started doing trade agreements that basically let them walk out the door. Sad thing is, if we told them to either manufacture here or sod off, they'd probably sod off because China is the growing market now--not us. And to add salt to the wounds, most of those global arses pay little or no tax. The majority of our economy is financial services and DoD. While the DoD contractor jobs tend to pay reasonably well, not so true with service industry jobs, including financial services.

Kind of funny how much countries seem to be having problems with being forced to rely on social safety nets, isn't it? The funniest part is that it's all been a bunch of dominoes. This severe recession that we've been in? I swear it's a depression. They just think it may boost public confidence if they call it a "recession" but pssst, between you and me, recessions don't last this long...

www.forbes.com...

Social safety nets are necessary unless the U.S. government wants to actually be overthrown. It's already walking on pretty unstable ground as it is.

The reality of the situation is that the poor need to be taken care of and have their basic needs covered. When I lived in Washington State, Work Source was what all of my friends used to find the minuscule jobs that were available, even ones with college education.

The real reality of the situation is that almost everyone is going to be poor. People from age 20-30 are projected to be worth 50% or less than their parents.

The only ones coming out on top are probably going to be CEO's and politicians. The middle-class are suffering, and the poor are suffering.

If you are lucky enough to be upper-middle class, prepare to be shocked as you lose your job and your home and are sent out to try and find any work at all.

Originally posted by Sankari

Originally posted by MsAphrodite
reply to post by Sankari

 

Obama doesn't run the state of WA. They have a governor and state legislature.

WA is a Democrat-controlled state.

They'll do whatever Obama tells them to do.

Hardly. Western Washington is Republican while Eastern Washington is Democratic, the political parties are separated by a mountain range - the Olympic Mountains.

And not all Democrat states act the same, that is a heavy generalization. Washington State already legalized a substance that The Obama Administration was against.

reply to post by darkbake


Considering what has occurred in other countries over the past several years as cuts have reduced the same safety nets, I would agree that it would definitely not be something that would maintain the country's stability. Desperation is not a pretty thing.

reply to post by WhiteAlice


Thanks for supporting my view. I think the government is already on shaky ground with the N.S.A. spying, 10% congressional approval rating and congressional / corporate corruption (like the 2008 bailout and corporate lobbyists).

Politicians are completely out-of-touch with the reality of the situation, in my opinion. I'm lucky to be able to afford to rent a room, eat, have gas in my tank and a bit of spending money. Eating out is out of the question - $6.00 at McDonalds could buy me 6 meals at home.

Pushing that limit farther? I'm not sure it is a good idea. My friend is a teacher and bought his house after it was foreclosed on someone else, and there are three bedrooms, but 5 people staying here at the moment. One has a cot, one has the couch, and we all have college educations.

It is not my fault that politicians and corporations are corrupt and screwed our country over, it is their fault. And the universe has a way of holding people accountable for their actions eventually.

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In the end, when houses begin to be used past their normal capacity (like every house has a couch surfer, people in their 20's have no choice but to live with relatives, or two non-couple adults to a room, etc.) there is a problem.

P.S. I just found out there is another guy sleeping on the couch in the garage. Lol. Seth's relative. I admit it is kind of fun, this whole survival thing and learning to work together, etc. But pushing it farther hmm.

That is what happens when we relay on government to support us.

Originally posted by onequestion
Yeah welcome to the big government screwing america out of work for security.

I had a problem getting a job that pays 100k a year, i got the job i have a friend that works for the company who basically got me in but i couldnt pass the TSA clearance through the TWIC program because i have an assault felony. I know its my bad or whatever(personal responsability and all that) the hell im suppose to think but this was a real opportunity whereas i am now stuck looking for regular employment where i will be able to barely pay my bills.

Welcome to the government runs everything and you under facist rule.

edit on 20-6-2013 by onequestion because: (no reason given)

You expected to get a 100K a year job but have an assault felony conviction...?

Hell, I worked 30+ years stuck in a hospital cubicle doing legally and medically stressful work, never made more than 55K and that was a very good year, worked mandatory nights, weekends and holidays, had to take my 'vacations' when I needed surgery caused by that same job, and never got so much as a parking ticket; and meanwhile, your postings make me think you're barely literate and would be hard pressed to handle anything more than basic labor type jobs (fine when you're 20, not so great at 50).

Why do you expect an easy time of it? Why do you want to work for the TSA (and do they really pay that much for those goons? That's obscene.) Have you learned nothing by reading the posts on this forum? Or is it now okay (I'm addressing other posters now) to work for the defense industry and the spy industry and the kill people indiscriminately industry, if'n you're a nice guy living in a small town just trying to eek out a living? Cuz you're being screwed too, just not quite so much as those air travelers you're molesting, or those kids on the other side of the world your bombs are killing. Welcome to the chickens coming home to roost. Ward Churchill was right.

In the first place... there are more than 4 weeks in a month. There are 12 months in a year and 52 weeks in a year, which works out to 43.3 weeks in 10 months. At 40 hours a week, that's 1733 hours... you are required to work 1700. Why can't you work a full 40 hours per week like most people? (

This is ridiculous. Most of AmeriCorps are college educated. TRUST ME THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT WANT TO PISS OFF A BUNCH OF STUDENTS WITH CHEMISTRY DEGREES - and I'll leave it at that...

As a libertarian/conservative I used to have the same stupid view as that guy in Australia until I realized how much ESD/WorkSource is needed. I wish we didn't have to prioritize immigrants that aren't even citizens and give them special treatment (I've had the EOD called on me just because a Mexican got pissed at me when I explained to him that if he can't read and write English, doesn't have a basic education, and isn't a citizen -he came here illegally like a lot we help - he couldn't get the certain jobs he was looking for, and MY LAST NAME IS HISPANIC!). I also wish that TANF parents were subject to UA's. But COMPANIES PAY TAXES TO THE GOVERNMENT FOR UNEMPLOYMENT INCASE THEY END UP LAYING OFF PEOPLE like Boeing so I think Unemployment is fine because you have to be looking for a job to get your small check. They need to change a lot - You won't believe the amount of baby boomers that get laid off and are screwed because they don't even have the most simple computer skills, and as you know you can only get a job online now.

If this goes through I agree with you guys crime rates will shoot up farther than they already have so be prepared for that as well.