Entitlement feeling

[oldhat]

Whenever you have social programs designed to help victims of genuine misfortune, there are always going to be some who will abuse those programs. Obviously, you do all you can to minimize such abuses. Yes, seeing people bilk the system is infuriating, but I'm not willing, for example, to penalize poor children even in cases where their parents are largely to blame for their own predicament. And I'm certainly not willing to withold help from people who are sick or unemployed through no fault of their own because a few get benefits they don't deserve.

I also think ApatheticNoMore raises an excellent point about differing levels of fraud. I don't like paying taxes to support welfare, but I dislike paying taxes to support corporate welfare even more. Five years ago gangs of crooks in the financial industry brought the world economy to the brink of collapse and the taxpayers bailed them out. To date, there hasn't been a single criminal action brought against any of these bozos. Seeing this, a worker with a mild injury milking Social Security disability might be excused for not feeling terribly guilty.

[Zoe Girl]

I was just thinking as I was driving today about how it would be interesting to look at 3 facts going into this election (although I am not sure how relevant this would be to others)

* who got bailed out and how much
* a couple years later how many people they employ at a living wage
* and how many top management are still earning what they did or close to that.

I just want to know that the bail outs actually in data show they worked in employing people at a living wage so that they do not need assistance. I can assume my answer but data may prove me right or wrong.

[San Onofre Guy]

I see abuse in my line of work. The vast majority of people on assistance deserve the assistance. I do see many people living in subsidized housing with their "common law" spouse. They don't get married as if they did they would earn too much to receive housing assistance, AFDC, Food Stamps, Free Lunch, public healthcare. They drive new cars which are in the spouses name and go on expensive vacations. This abuse is not caught because when the social worker visits with the recipient, the visit is scheduled and the spouse is at work and evidence of his living there is hidden.

There will always be people taking advantage of the system.

[freein05]

In California it takes a lot more than a doctors note to go on disability. I would guess it is the same in most states.

[pinkytoe]

I read today on yahoo of a Mexican drug lord's daughter caught at the border trying to cross so she could have her baby in the US. I think of all the "taking advantage of the system" abuses, this is the kind that bothers me the most. I don't know that people who scam feel entitled; I think they just like a good deal. Human nature.

[iris lily]

In California it takes a lot more than a doctors note to go on disability. I would guess it is the same in most states.

People use "disability" to mean several things. Getting onto a regular income stream from the Social Security Administration due to disability is difficult and will not happen with a doctor's note.

Getting time off from work due to real or imagined physical/mental impairment by employee or family member is a cake walk. All ya need is a physician's note.

[redfox]

Lately I've been meeting people in California who are on disability. It's a little disturbing. One stays home and does arts and crafts all day. She told me excitedly that she had had a stroke and heart attack, and that the doctor said that she can't work anymore. She's very energetic and enthusiastic about knitting, beading, crocheting, etc...She and her mother are hoarders. They're very nice, but the home is depressing.
The other woman told me that she worked for CPS and went on "medical leave" because they were overloading her with cases. She teaches knitting and is trying to sell knitting needles and supplies on line. She is very smart, capable, and experienced.
I believe there are a lot of people doing this. My SIL was able to get a doctor's note during her pregnancy for disability. She stayed home and made notecards. (She hated her job.) Some people really know how to work the system.
I have a couple of friends who really are disabled. (One broke his neck during a rehearsal, the other fell 50 feet through a trap door during a show, due to a stage manager's error.) It's such a difference to see their situations.)


I know there are a lot of people who need assistance. I just also feel there are many in California who are collecting disability, when they could work.

Sounds like people who were miserable with their jobs, are burned out, and grateful for a break. I've been grateful for unemployment when the job that ended was horrible. In my belief, no one has "entitlement thinking". I believe that we each & all want to belong, to be seen as valued for who we are, and to have our talents and passion valued. I also believe that we live in a society where such belonging is the exception rather than the rule, and that many many of us feel dissed for who we are. Hard to not welcome some relief when it shows up.

[Gardenarian]

One of the biggest entitlement programs is the mortgage deduction, one that most people overlook.

[redfox]

One of the biggest entitlement programs is the mortgage deduction, one that most people overlook.

Word. And one I am attached to!

[Spartana]

I don't know how disability works in the civilian world, but for veterans who are getting money for a service connected disability (a disability or injury that occured directly from their time in the service) it's not based on whether or not you can work, it's based on a "loss" you suffered - both the kind and degree of that injury. They even have charts that will show lines thru different parts of the body with rating for your disability. Looks like one of those charts they have at the butcher to show the different cuts of beef. Lost one arm, you get this percent. Lost 2 arms, you get that percent, etc.. So even if someone CAN work, they are entitled to get disability of a certain percent for life. And even if they CAN work, they still may not be able to work in the same profession as they did before, and often can not stay in the military any longer.

So maybe this is the same in the civilian world of disability. People get paid for the loss they suffered thru their injury - as well as compensated for not being able to work in their profession any longer - but are fit and healthy enough to work at some kind of job - maybe a lower paying one. I don't know if that is correct or not though and may not be the case.

As for things like SS. medicare, unemployment, etc... I personally don't consider them entitlement programs as you had to earn them somehow - generally thru working a large portion of your life.