We paid for my mother's funeral out of her funds. Now we're submitting a claim for her life insurance policy (which is a fairly low number; you couldn't buy a cheap car with it). It occurs to me that this is income (and if I forget, the IRS will be sure to remind me; the insurance company form notes that they'll tell them), and that it is about 60% of the amount I'm going to pay for my dental work. My mother's taking care of me, again. I know that's sappy. Usually, I'm not.
Reading an article about families and food stamps, I had a distinctly non-Republican thought: these are real people. I tend to assume that food stamp recipients are the bottom of the barrel; shiftless, only able to work at the grungiest, cheapest -paying jobs. This despite knowing that there are people in the military who use food stamps. But reading this article, it became clear: for the most part, these are decent people who are in a rough time, laid off from jobs for no reason that they could control, with children or mates who have medical problems, trying to survive. I was going to say 'trying to make it', but they're no where near there. They're just trying to survive. Real people. I wonder if professional Republicans understand that?
I'm getting a little tired of hearing about Obama 'not doing anything'. The complaints tend to come from the people who are making a policy of blocking him, keeping him from doing what he wants to do -- and yet he is getting things done, despite them. Yes, every so often, the Democrats manage to all face the same direction. And every so often, an intelligent Republican joins them. I do believe those people won't be happy till Obama says "You know what? Tax cuts for the rich, that's the ticket." And then they'll bitch that it took him too long to get there.
Nice article about Joe Biden in the Sunday Times magazine.
5 comments:
Yes, they are real people but some of them want to consider themselves worthier than others who get food stamps. The deserving poor, if you will.
" I ask you, what am I? I'm one of the undeserving poor, that's what I am. Now think what that means to a man. It means that he's up against middle-class morality for all of time. If there's anything going, and I puts in for a bit of it, it's always the same story: "you're undeserving, so you can't have it." But my needs is as great as the most deserving widows that ever got money out of six different charities in one week for the death of the same 'usband. I don't need less than a deserving man, I need more! I don't eat less 'earty than 'e does, and I drink, oh, a lot more. I'm playin' straight with you. I ain't pretendin' to be deserving. No, I'm undeserving. And I mean to go on being undeserving. I like it and that's the truth." ___Alfred P. Doolittle
Some, yes, but the majority? It surely doesn't seem that way. I've seen the pictures, too -- the scruffy woman buying cigarettes, beer, and Cheetos with food stamps -- and thats been my image of them. For some, it's true. But for most, let alone all? Perhaps not.
I made my peace with the idea that people will misuse my charitable contributions or purchase things that I think are poor choices with food stamps some years ago when I was really struggling with the hordes of panhandlers that hang out in places I like to go :) Anyway, I decided that when I give to a panhandler, I'm giving a gift which s/he can use or "exchange" in any way s/he chooses. If I want him or her to buy a meal, I should do what one of the men I knew at the Newman Center did: take the person to a restaurant and buy him a meal. I have never been able to do this. The Buddhist monk carrying the beautiful woman over the muddy street comes to mind.
My post isn't clear: one of the men in the article considered himself better. "Like many new beneficiaries here, Mr. Dawson argues that people often abuse the program and is quick to say he is different. While some people “choose not to get married, just so they can apply for benefits,” he is a married, churchgoing man who works and owns his home. While “some people put piles of steaks in their carts,” he will not use the government’s money for luxuries like coffee or soda. “To me, that’s just morally wrong,” he said." So my post was referring to Mr. Dawson view of himself and others. I threw the My Fair Lady quote in as a contrast to Mr. Dawson. And having worked with the indigent for all most of my working life, I can categorically state that cigarettes and alcohol can't be purchased with food stamps.
And thats the truth!!!
;)
My goodness, a California - Canada connection! What is it with these people from CA places?
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