WELFARE: LES MISERABLES

WELFARE: LES MISERABLES

I recently read a blog about welfare queens or at least people milking the system and living off government hand outs.   

There is a family I know that falls into this category.   The mother and father are in their thirties.  The father was overweight and had leg surgery and milked disability for a number of years.  The mother has never worked.  They have a preteen child, and for a number year they were totally supported by the state.   The Father lost his disability and soon after the mother filed for divorce.  After the divorce was granted the family income increased.  They have their house rent paid, fuel paid, draw food stamps, and receives aide for dependent children.  The day after the divorce the father moved back in.  The father worked for a while and within a year was laid off so now draws unemployment.    Recently the mother changed doctors because her doctor would not write her a letter saying she is disabled and unable to work: though she has never worked.  They have two cars and cable TV and pretty much live a life of retirement. 

I am certain that one, if not both of their parents have lived off the system and advise them.    

Having worked for most of my life; just to be able to retire on a fairly meager income, I must admit that this scenario somewhat annoys me.   However, unqualified congress persons drawing six figure salaries, with a six year retirement plans and total health care – trying to defund health care and social programs for the rest of us – bother me more. 

I feel that the bloggers that rave about welfare recipients are somewhat disingenuous.    Many of theses people are living on Social Security and have already drawn far more that they ever paid in.  They get their health care from the VA or Medicare (A few years ago I had a stent placed in an artery – this procedure alone cost many times more than I ever paid into Medicare.)  Many of these people have drawn unemployment –again receiving more than they ever paid in.   They use the interstate highway system, and numerous government programs that protect them and oversee their quality of life.  

We are all feeding on the government tit to some extent.   I am more concerned with the people on the high end that are taking advantage of government programs than I am about people on the lower end.  

There is a human trait that we all possess that urges us to look down on other people.  Without having to defend our own worth we can elevate our position if we decry others. 

the Ol’Buzzard