quote:

ORIGINAL: Lucylastic

I wish all of you, and that means ALLLLL Of you that read this, a happy and joyful
St. Nicholas Day, and Bodhi day, a Happy Hanukkah, a joyful Christmas, and warm Winter Solstice, have a great Ashura and Al Hijra - and a merry Kwanzaa.For the non believers have a happy holiday season, for scroooges, bah humbug:)
I made a traditional card online for anyone who cares to take a peek. Its not trickery or partisan, it is meant from my heart. Here.... http://www.lucylasticslair.com/christmas/
With regards to the other part of the topic, I agree with Rich regarding unemployment,  and also with Music and Spinner up to and including those on welfare. MzMia, you are wonderful and everyone else who shared greetings, have a wonderful holiday
Lucy

PS if your page brings up an antivirus thingy, it should be fine now, I have just re written some odd code.

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ORIGINAL: vincentML

A happy and festive Season of Lights to all. Thank you, Mia. Yes to your question. We are our brothers keepers. No one should be without food, shelter and medical care. We should make it part of our social contract.

The Treasury and the Fed have poured out a lot of money to head off economic disaster. Some of the stimulus money went to the States to maintain jobs for public employees. I applaud that. Some of it went for "shovel ready" jobs. I really don't know how much but evidently not enough looking at the rate of unemployment. Maybe too much went to banks who took the money and speculated more with it. I have heard that claim often from the TV commentators. It is all so very complicated with the bust in the housing bubble and credit stall. I don't have the remedy but we need more jobs.

Vincent

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ORIGINAL: MzMia

Merry Christmas Lucy!!!  Thank you for such a sweet post.
I adore most of the folks around here, regardless of political affiliations.
Thank you for the Christmas card, it is thoughtful!!
I love your new avatar, "so many black kettles calling the pot black" around here!!
hehehe
Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza, Happy Bodhi and Winter Solstice, Happy Everything!!!!

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ORIGINAL: MzMia

WELFARE

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

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ORIGINAL: MzMia

WELFARE

You're so impatient, Mia.  You know I'm good for a comment or five on this topic.  I'm trying to get stuff done around here, y'know.  That downstairs bathroom has to be clean enough for a drunk to puke in for our Christmas Eve margarita party, after all.

The key element is the fourth paragraph of your link:  Welfare reform also provided the states with nearly complete discretion over how to administer benefits.  That's the kicker right there.  I'm not sure how it's set up in your part of the country.  Where I am, in the Peoples Republic of California, we dole out roughly 30% of all the welfare benefits given nationwide.  A number was rolling around a few months ago (with little reason to suspect it has changed) that 20% of the population of Los Angeles County was receiving some sort of welfare.

The question I have to ask you is this.  What kind of "help" are we talking about, and for who?  People who lose their jobs, assuming they have been steadily working, are going to be utilizing the unemployment system, not welfare.  Unemployment benefits might, if you have a big enough family, be supplemented by food stamps or WIC.  Actual TANF (temporary assistance to needy families) is a big step down from there.

President Obama's stimulus included a 13% raise for food stamp recipients (it runs out just in time for the 2010 elections, but that is another subject).  I don't know of anybody else who got a 13% raise this year.  Let's not go trying to say they have been abandoned, okay?

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ORIGINAL: SDFemDom4cuck

My dear friend Mia...

I came to say Merry Christmas. I don't usually participate here but I'll reply to your question as well.

Over Thanksgiving I baked 20 pies and volunteered at my local Soup Kitchen/Food Bank. While I staffed a shift serving I was horrified to learn that they wouldn't need many volunteers to pack boxes since the Food Bank itself was running on near empty.

It seems that with the economy more people than ever are not viable for welfare due to their previous incomes and are relying more and more on the Food Bank to get through the month. Which also goes to say that along with the economy more and more people can't afford to donate either. Please folks...if you can donate to your local Food Bank, not just during the holidays but throughout the year. I digress though...

Sorry to hijack there for a moment but yes, I think that we are our brother's keepers... to those that truly need the help to get by for awhile. Given the way things have been lately who can truly say that they won't be one of those that need it at some point in the future whether they would expect to or not. It can happen to any one of us.

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ORIGINAL: MzMia

{{{{{{Jo}}}}}}
Thank you for posting!!!
Merry Christmas to you, sweetheart!!
You need to come post here more often, these people don't bite!!
We have a lot of fun down here, we chat about politics and we have wild freaky parties, too!

Bravo, for volunteering at the local soup kitchen.
Thank you for sharing that they were running out of food, I think many people aren't aware of the dire straits many people are in.
I just found out last week that all the leftover {still good} food is thrown away on Friday's at my school.
The employee told me that at some schools they give the food away, but not at my school!
I plan to make that one of my projects next year.
We certainly can give the food to deserving needy students, employees/and or a food bank!
If it is good enough to sell to students, it is good enough to be given away, a few hours later!!!!
 
No, you didn't hijack the thread at all, you enhanced it!!!!!
We should be our brother's keeper, and Jo you are doing a good job of it.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you, dear lady!!
 

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ORIGINAL: MzMia


I am talking about "help" for those that will NEED help, isn't that what welfare is for?
Do we get to pick and choose who we want to help?
I am thinking it will mainly be people who have lost their jobs and either have no job, or a part-time job.
"Welfare" is going to be an issue soon, for many people.
 

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

No, Mia, the 36 month time limit is for the current system.  This is where you can go after that.  If wards of the state, and that's what people are choosing if they enter such a program, don't like drug testing, they are free to leave the program any time they like.  Personally, I'd have a much bigger issue with the random inspections of my living space than with the drug testing, but that goes with the territory of declaring yourself incompetent.

I thought the idea was "assistance" not punishment.

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

They can't just stay on Section 8 for a lifetime, it can be passed on to the next generation.  It's a shame my local paper doesn't provide online content.  They love the stories of Section 8 fraudsters living in 2400 sq. foot homes with 5 bedrooms and a pool.  We get a lot of those stories.  The program had a heavy impact in my community in recent years, including persuading us to move the fuck out of a once nice little neighborhood. 

Am I seeming a little cold-hearted for the season, Mia?  No discussions of 'tough love' at Christmas?  Part of the purpose of structuring, let's call it ,Tier Zero, is the idea that the bullshit is so intense, the regimen so restrictive, and the work so miserable, people are going to say "fuck this," and go get a real job.  They can leave anytime they want, and apply for access to their account for legitimate expenses.  They'll hit the workforce with a new/renewed appreciation for the blessings of prosperity. 

I have brothers, Mia, and there have been people who were brothers to me.  Sometimes, along with a sandwich and a warm place to sleep, a hard motivational kick in the ass is also required.

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ORIGINAL: TheHeretic

I'm not saying they should be, Mia.  Maybe it is much different where you live, but I said from the beginning that I'm in a welfare state.  Of course people who are falling through the cracks should have a net.  If we create a new bottom for that safety net, we can do better with the folks only beginning to fall. 

I still want to hear you define, "help," though.  What are we talking about here?  Paying people's mortgages for them so they don't lose a house they couldn't afford to begin with?  Enough cash to keep the lights and heat on?  Food stamps, and pantry vouchers?  Knowing they can take a sick kid to a doctor?  I'm good with all but the first.