My Personal Story, and a Rant About Dumb@sses Getting Money for Nothing

Before I begin, I would like to explain why I feel that I am qualified to discuss the topics in this post. 

I have been on Disability for almost a year now.  I have been very sick for a very long time, and my doctor still will not let me go back to work.  Before I was actually able to get on disability, though, I had to find help somehow.  My wife makes $10/ hour at a national retail chain that I’m sure your wife shops at all the time.    We were turned down for food stamps, Medicaid, and help with the utilities, simply because my wife makes too much money.  $10/ hour equals a little less than $1,500/ month (see below), but the Government had absolutely no sympathy for us.  I would like to say that it is because of race, gender, or age, but I can’t.  I’m a 29 year old white male.  We’re supposed to have it made, right?  That’s what Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton say, anyway.  Have they been lying to me?

I’m not sure why people that “f” themselves in every way can get help, and someone like me, who worked all his life and only stopped because he almost died 4 times, can’t get a damn thing.

Now that I have proven my credentials for being able to write this, I will get on with the post.

Point 1:

If I can make 40% of $50,000 ($1,667/ month) on Unemployment, why would I go to work at McDonalds or Lowes, just to make the same amount of money?

1.       $50,000 * 0.4 = $20,000 = $1,667.66/ month, w/ no taxes

2.       $10/ hour * 40 hours/ week = 400 * 4.33 = $1,732, w/ taxes

a.       $1,732 * 0 .15 = $259.80 = $1,472.20/ month (after taxes)

I will make this amount for the next 99 weeks (104 weeks is 2 years), so why would I want to work 40 hours per week at a job that I hate and where I am not appreciated when I can sit at home with my wife and kids for the same amount?

But, that’s not all.  On Unemployment, you are eligible for all of this:

·         $10/ hour is too much to get food stamps (I know, I’ve tried).  But, if I am getting Unemployment, I am guaranteed food stamps.   This gives you an extra $300 - $400 per month, for doing absolutely nothing.

·         While on Unemployment, I can also get Medicaid.  This is the equivalent of having a full insurance package through my employer, so equals around $500/ month.

·         Since I do not have a job, I can get help with my utilities (if your utility company participates in the program).  This would equal around $150/ month (you don’t get all of the money, only a portion).

Now, I’m not against helping people when they really need it, but you need to give them an incentive to go back to work.  When you make it more viable for them to stay home than to go to work, it only makes sense that they will stay home.  This of course, leads to higher unemployment rates, which in turn costs all of us more money, hurts the economy, and eventually leads to even higher unemployment (less people working means less money in the economy, which means more people get fired).

Point 2:

All of this also applies to people that are too lazy to work.  There is nothing wrong with them, but they get the equivalent of $10/ hour plus benefits if they just sit at home and collect a welfare check.

Oh, and I’m qualified to criticize this, as well.  I used to be the sales and marketing manager of a staffing agency.  We lost many, many employees for this exact reason.  Of course, the people coming in to the office actually WANTED to work.  They weren’t lazy like the rest, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that they were losing money.  When you can get all of the items listed above by quitting a job that pays $9/ hour and still come out ahead, why wouldn’t you?  I know I would.  The Regional Manager and I discussed this all of the time.  We actually thought about doing it ourselves, but didn't want to sit at the house all day with nothing to do (and who would have known that I would end up there anyway).

Point 3: (gets there in a second, just keep reading!)

I absolutely loved my job at the staffing agency.  I loved knowing that I was making a difference in people’s lives.  There was one guy that we had LOTS of problems with, and after a while, even he admitted that it was because no one had ever taken the time to help him learn how to keep a job until he came to us.  One day he called the office almost in tears (he was a macho, “gangsta” type guy, so this was huge for him).  He was calling to thank us, because a few of the guys that he used to hang out with got arrested the night before for attempted murder.  He was supposed to go with them that night, but we had given him another chance and had a job lined up for him the next morning (the day that he called).  As of the last time that I checked on him, he was STILL with the company that he went to work for that day (around a year ago).  It’s great to know that not only did we help people get back on their feet, but we actually saved at least one person’s life (as he knew it, not from death).  

And yes, this is a true story.  I hate lying.  You will get in trouble whether you tell the truth or tell a lie, so why not just skip a few steps and tell the truth the first time around.  Kinda like when you tell your wife that she’s right and you’re wrong just so that you can stop arguing.  But I digress….

I had to leave all of this because I got sick.  I loved my life, I loved my job (even if it didn’t pay well), and I loved the people that I was working with (in the office and our outside employees).  We were renting a cheap apartment, my wife’s car had recently been paid off, we had $0 in debt, and we gave money to charities every chance that we got (we still do, even with almost no money - we just don't have much to give). 

So why is it that the people who took out mortgages that they KNEW they couldn’t afford get all of the help?  What the hell did they do to merit help?  Be idiots?  Last time that I checked, these idiots were NOT the kinds of people who you are supposed to put up on a pedestal and praise.

Okay, this post is now the length of a short novella, so I will stop ranting now.  Thanks for reading, and please, please post your comments.  But no dumb sh@t about how I hate poor people and I’m racist and all of that other crap.  The guy that we put to work was black, 95% of the employees that I am so proud of having helped were black and Hispanic, my step mother is Hispanic, and I have been poor for the majority of my life (I made $11/ hour with no benefits at the staffing agency, even as the manager).  So, if you say any of these things about me or this post, I will have to take it personally, and you don’t want me talking about you like that on the Internet.  I promise.