[fintstone]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

Fint I agree, when the government pays better than a menial job there is a portion of our population that will take the gravy train. Years ago I worked for a mobile home park, there was a significant portion of the residents that were fully capable of working but chose to stay home and milk the system.

Where I grew up in rural Appalachia, most who worked at low level jobs actually lived worse than those who chose welfare. Most already owned their shacks and land outright as the property had been in the family for generations (but usually so tied up legally that they could not sell due to generations without a will). The folks who stayed home could cut wood to heat their homes (and sell for cash so it did not affect their taxes/welfare), do odd jobs, and raise all their own food, hunt, fish, trap, etc. They did not have to have reliable transportation or work clothes. they did not endure a long commute or have to buy a lot of gas. Their life did not seem too bad. The only difference that I see between their lives and that of my family (who did not get social welfare and worked for low wages) was that their children are still there...doing the exact same thing (except few raise their own food any more because "food is free" through SNAP, WIC, etc)...and all the children of my family have gone to college, earned professional degrees, and are fairly affluent. We run the same risk throughout the US...raising future generations sired by parents who do not see value in work. Generally, the apple does not fall far from the tree.