<< divinemartyr, have you ever had to use welfare? >>
No, however, welfare is SUPPOSED to be a temporary solution. There are also other programs which, when used in conjunction with welfare, are definitely enough to SURVIVE until you get a job, get on your feet, and stop buying drugs.
Section 8 housing costs like $25 a MONTH. Combine this with $4 a day to ride the bus, $75/week in groceries (for good food), renters insurance for $11 monthly, $25/month for a phone, $60/month for minimal electricity use (my bill was lower than this running a computer and other things), $10/month for water (less if your apt. complex pays for it), and let's say you go out once a month for $50. You have expenses of about $550 a month for food, transportation, water, electricity, insurance to protect what you do have, and even an AMMENITY, a phone!
Welfare will pay you more than this monthly, unemployment will pay you up to $268 WEEKLY, and if you have children you can pull off another $500+ monthly from social security.
No I haven't been on welfare, but is it adequate? More than adequate, not to mention, it's a temporary solution it isn't MEANT to be something people take advantage of and live their entire lives on. Unfortunately we have social parasites who intend to do nothing but this their entire lives.
I, like many people on these forums, have a job I go to daily, pay my taxes, and enjoy a few of the finer things in life because I choose to.
When I see someone on the streets who can afford a brand new car nicer than the one I'm driving, and their only source of income is charitable 'gifts' people give them as they drive along, am I upset? A little bit, these people are making tax free money and not paying a dime on it. I pay nearly 30% of every one of my checks to taxes, and another 8.25% on every purchase I make, and even more when I buy gas, even more if I buy cigarettes, even more if I buy any alcohol, and yet even more if get stopped for driving 10 miles over the speed limit because I was late going to my JOB!
Anyhow, I'm getting carried away, I could go on but this is just a small example of why working people are not always the most valued in the common society.
dm