Why work when you can make more on Welfare...

Shepherdjel · August 2013

Absolutely shocking/disgusting!!! Someone in CT is def making more on welfare then I am working busting my butt!! Unbelievable!

http://americanoverlook.com/m/article.php?id=2902

Geekywife · August 2013

Wow. I am not making minimum wage but I thought I was doing ok until I see that I am making less then then welfare clients do. WTF. I have worked hard for every raise. This sucks. This is CA's numbers.

Shepherdjel · August 2013

It is very depressing!

SnShne322 · August 2013

I suppose with all my benefits, I'm making more than the welfare benefits for my state, but not by a ton.

RiverPlate · August 2013

I wonder what considerations were made in this study. They said pre-tax, but I wonder what else. My first job (in DC) was for less than half of what DC pays for welfare. I know a lot of people who work/worked for a pittance just to have a specific line on their resume for the future.

If this was based on COL, then it should be a huge indicator that minimum wage needs to be raised. The 'working poor' need to make more than people on welfare. People will always take advantage of the system, because some people are just awful like that, but there should be incentive to go out and get a job paying minimum wage over being on welfare.

RiverPlate · August 2013

And wow - the commenters on that article really are living in Crazytown.

jlq2005 · August 2013

No joke, I had a friend who had to get unemployment after being laid off from a job, and when she finally found a new full time job, she was making less money at the job than she was getting from unemployment. It's no wonder people just keep using off the system.

Jen748 · August 2013

Okay, so Missouri is at $22,800. And let me tell you, there's no way to live alone on that. It's pretax! My hubby made that through medic school working a full time job. He couldn't have lived on his own without my salary.

And I agree on COL. I'd like to see the behind the scenes figures on this.

MrsJenE · August 2013

We don't know where these numbers are coming from and how they arrived at these amounts. This article just seems like a lot of sensationalism.

courtneyjilll · August 2013

It's pretty common around here. I can name several families who make more than I do by drawing welfare. It pisses me off so badly!

84Lauren · August 2013

Sounds like a lot of you guys should probably just quit your job and go on welfare then. Or just keep bitching about our imperfect system based on the numbers in this article. Whichever.

Passanie · August 2013

I would take this story and that study with a HUGE grain of salt. First, have you ever heard of American Overlook, the website before? Not me. It's certainly not what I would call a reliable news source. And the Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank, which means it has an agenda and wants to you think a certain way. And thirdly, google the study and click the news tab. Gee, no reputable news organizations are reporting this, which is a big fat clue that something is not right.

Facts schmacts? (Just ignore that 5-year lifetime limit on welfare too.)

shellmh · August 2013

Passanie said:
I would take this story and that study with a HUGE grain of salt. First, have you ever heard of American Overlook, the website before? Not me. It's certainly not what I would call a reliable news source. And the Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank, which means it has an agenda and wants to you think a certain way. And thirdly, google the study and click the news tab. Gee, no reputable news organizations are reporting this, which is a big fat clue that something is not right.

Facts schmacts? (Just ignore that 5-year lifetime limit on welfare too.)

I haven't read the article, but just to back @shepherdjel up, all of our local news stations were reporting on this yesterday. Not that that makes every single thing in there 100% true, but it makes it somewhat reputable.

MrsJenE · August 2013

shellmh said:

Passanie said:
I would take this story and that study with a HUGE grain of salt. First, have you ever heard of American Overlook, the website before? Not me. It's certainly not what I would call a reliable news source. And the Cato Institute is a libertarian think tank, which means it has an agenda and wants to you think a certain way. And thirdly, google the study and click the news tab. Gee, no reputable news organizations are reporting this, which is a big fat clue that something is not right.

Facts schmacts? (Just ignore that 5-year lifetime limit on welfare too.)
I haven't read the article, but just to back @shepherdjel up, all of our local news stations were reporting on this yesterday. Not that that makes every single thing in there 100% true, but it makes it somewhat reputable.

Once again, I'd like to know how they arrived at these numbers and what exactly these numbers include.

RevJen · August 2013

It's on the Internet, people. You can't lie when you put it on the Internet.

RiverPlate · August 2013

RevJen said:

It's on the Internet, people. You can't lie when you put it on the Internet.

::applause::

Shepherdjel · August 2013

I'm not saying this article or the numbers are 100% true, I would be curious to see what backs them up as well. But it doesn't surprise me, the possibility that someone on Welfare could be making more then someone who is working and trying to support their family on their own. I have nothing against Welfare or other state aid for people who are really trying and need it! I just see a lot of abuse in my state and it makes me sick to see how easy it is for them to receive assistance with little in return. I don't want to make this a crazy post/discussion I just thought it was something interesting to look at and think about.

MrsJenE · August 2013

Shepherdjel said:

I'm not saying this article or the numbers are 100% true, I would be curious to see what backs them up as well. But it doesn't surprise me, the possibility that someone on Welfare could be making more then someone who is working and trying to support their family on their own. I have nothing against Welfare or other state aid for people who are really trying and need it! I just see a lot of abuse in my state and it makes me sick to see how easy it is for them to receive assistance with little in return. I don't want to make this a crazy post/discussion I just thought it was something interesting to look at and think about.

Well, you certainly seemed outraged enough.

This was ONE study by an organization that has a clear agenda. Yes, it was probably on the news because sensational stories usually do make the news. When I Google'd it, I noticed that it was mostly reported on Fox News. SHOCKER. #nonotreally If they included EVERY aspect of public assistance in this number then maybe it's possible, but not everyone takes part in every piece of public assistance. They also don't state what they are basing it on...is this a family? How many children are in this family?

I can go on for days about welfare but lucky for you guys, I hate posting walls of text.

Shepherdjel · August 2013

MrsJenE said:

Shepherdjel said:

I'm not saying this article or the numbers are 100% true, I would be curious to see what backs them up as well. But it doesn't surprise me, the possibility that someone on Welfare could be making more then someone who is working and trying to support their family on their own. I have nothing against Welfare or other state aid for people who are really trying and need it! I just see a lot of abuse in my state and it makes me sick to see how easy it is for them to receive assistance with little in return. I don't want to make this a crazy post/discussion I just thought it was something interesting to look at and think about.

Well, you certainly seemed outraged enough.

This was ONE study by an organization that has a clear agenda. Yes, it was probably on the news because sensational stories usually do make the news. When I Google'd it, I noticed that it was mostly reported on Fox News. SHOCKER. #nonotreally If they included EVERY aspect of public assistance in this number then maybe it's possible, but not everyone takes part in every piece of public assistance. They also don't state what they are basing it on...is this a family? How many children are in this family?

I can go on for days about welfare but lucky for you guys, I hate posting walls of text.

Agreed! It was shocking! Should I have done a little more research and not overreacted and posted this so quick...Yes! I agree that this was one article and that there could be tons more pieces involved. Sorry if my overreaction offended anyone, it wasn't the intention!

pinkybooklover09 · August 2013

Reading this thread makes me want to high five Past Pinky for choosing not to post. Past Pinky is obviously totes smart.

ewill7911 · August 2013

My states not on the list, but it is interesting that people make more then me in a paradise like Hawaii.

Passanie · August 2013

pinkybooklover09 said:

Reading this thread makes me want to high five Past Pinky for choosing not to post. Past Pinky is obviously totes smart.

Lol!

jackiback · August 2013

I actually think there is a problem with minimum wage and it's something I can get riled about, but I stopped reading this article when it said we are "one step closer to socialism" as no informative, facts based article would say that.

If you want to talk politics, let's do it, but let's not use Internet garbage as out jumping point. That never ends well.

Shepherdjel · August 2013

jackiback said:

I actually think there is a problem with minimum wage and it's something I can get riled about, but I stopped reading this article when it said we are "one step closer to socialism" as no informative, facts based article would say that. If you want to talk politics, let's do it, but let's not use Internet garbage as out jumping point. That never ends well.

Agreed! I've learned my lesson!!

Why work when you can make more on Welfare...

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