County/ State "Helping" ( Yup Another One)

And we wonder why so many kids grow up and think they deserve handouts? Ugh. When will it ever stop?

I don't have internet on my phone either, and I agree with you, this is one of the reasons this country is so broke!

I like what 3boysunder3 said regarding her own situation. It is totally true that individuals take advantage of the system, and there are problems but some people are decent and do decent things with government help/benefits. My DH went back to school on the unemployment 599 program and got his college degree and is now getting his masters while working full time (and then some) and is an accountant. He never scammed the system. He worked his butt off to complete his schooling. A friend of mine and her husband have been on unemployment for almost 2 years now and are not even trying to look for work. One is working part time, off the books while the other happily sits home with her baby, and babysits a friend's kids, also paid off the books. They are scamming the system. Funnily, they are republicans and are the first to make awful remarks about the democrats and the "welfare system" for the "lazy poor minorities who just want to keep having kids instead of working". Some people are unethical, some people are very honest. What can we do.

I may get ripped for this, but I AGREE WITH YOU COMPLETELY! Nothing makes me more angry than going to the grocery store and seeing someone pull their EBT card out of their Coach bag and push their cart to their shiny new car. I could go on about this for days, but I will stop here.

*Updated
@ Sunshine- You are right, I don't know that for a fact. But here is what I do know: If everyone that CAN get assistance gets it, then the possibility for those that NEED assistance is going to be less and less. Families like 3BoysUnder3 that NEED it to survive will be unable to get it because the sense of entitlement in this great country is out of control! Does every person on public assistance really need a cell phone for all of their teenage children? Laptops? My husband and I are both lucky enough to have good jobs and are able to support our family and we have only had 1 laptop in the 11 years we have been together. We just bought it last year! I am all for helping those that are in need. However, I think that there are also those that get handouts simply because they can. People have stopped living within their means.

This goes along with my no money but.... fake nails, no tattoos etc..post from the other day...our whole system needs to be revamped...and I need to work to continue to pay for people like this...my brothers " babies momma's" told me once that there is no way she would let someone else watch her kids, told me I was a mother of convienance because I didnt drag my DD with me on a 3 hr car ride to take her sorry butt to the dentist. No she doesnt drive and I took the day off work to take her to a dental appt 3 hrs away, so medicaid would cover it. I pointed out to her that I wouldnt of been able to fit all 3 car seats in my car and that I HAD to work and send my kids to a day care provider so someone would be able to afford her food stamps and medicaid coverage for the kids. I was LIVID! Shut her up real quick!
BTW...to add to the story the state PAID her to go to school online but her new BF told her she wasn’t spending enough time with him, so she quite...and he is also on SS!! Two people living off SS in their 20's and they don’t spend enough time together OMG!!! I could go on all day but ill stop here..and YES Ido agree with drug testing for gov assistant recipients.

I've worked 7 days per week, 24 hours per day with one vacation in 25 years. I raised my kids to work hard and they all have. BUTT... My 21 year old is scaring me with talk about all the stuff she could get if she moves out. She has been getting free school already. It's made her very self entitled. It bothers me a lot because she told her dad recently no one is paying anything for HER school so she wasn't making any effort to save any money for her son's future. REALLY? She lives at home rent free and I care for her son while she does her thing. The state pays for her school and the hospital wrote off 5000 worth of medical expenses at the birth of her son.

This girl was a manager at McDonald's by the time she was 16. She worked so many hours. But since she has started getting free stuff her morals have declined even more than they already had. Obviously, getting pregnant outside of marriage shows she already had some morality issues.

I agree that we have a HUGE problem in this country. Socialism does NOT work. It causes people to want more and more for nothing.

In response to Jenny B., I give expensive handbags to the thrift store all the time, how do you know the people pulling their EBT card out of their Coach bag didn't pick up MY castoff at the second hand shop for a dollar?

I am getting sick of the judgement that surrounds the state/ government assistant issue. It's too bad she didn't just call information for the number. It would have been safer for her.

oooh my word!! what a waste of resources!!!

talk about keeping her "tied down" who would want to work if they are getting free housing, free food and all that other stuff?!?!?!

The kids don't need cell phones - again - blatant waste of money.

And people wonder why I get all upset over welfare and people who take advantage of the system!!! THIS IS MESSED UP!!!! And of course - she feels "entitled" to it all and the kids won't grow up with a sense of earning their way and being productive citizens...they will most likely copy their mama and live the life of welfare!! OH JOY!!!!

SOCIALISM IS GREAT UNTIL YOU RUN OUT OF OTHER PEOPLES MONEY!!!!

Can't do anything but agree with your outrage.
And no, you are not the only one that doesn't have internet on your phone. My hubby and I don't either. It costs $$$ and it's Not a necessity AT ALL.

so how's the weather in IA? j/k ;)

Government programs were developed and designed to provide TEMPORARY help to people who had fallen on hard times. Unfortunately, these programs have turned into a way of life for some like the person you've told us about. Wow, for someone who has that many financial burdens taken care of for her and all those cell phones & internet & technology - wouldn't you think she could find the phone number she needed? Strange. BTW, our single family computer is about 7 years old. I don't have internet on my cell phone because I can't see wasting money on it. Or should I say I can't afford it because I'm paying for all these "free" programs for everyone else!

Really?!?!? I go to this site to find resources to raise my children as best I can and I have to read this BS? All the money supposedly spent by the big, bad, awful government on this family doesn't even amount to a nanosecond of costs in the wars our country is supporting.

I can't believe that I'm even wasting my time responding to this.

Get over it.

It doesn't make you heartless, callous, uncaring, or selfish to be upset about this. This kind of thing is only going to become more prevalent and anyone who suggests reforming the system is called all of the above and much worse.
Here is a great article, if your are interested.
http://www.heritage.org/Research/Reports/2010/06/Confront...

After reading your post I just could not wait to see what State you were from that even allows all of this unnecessary extra's cell phones w/ internet on them and laptops bills paid and etc. Then I log on to the Mamapedia site to see it is the lovely state that I live in IOWA? Really? I am ashamed to know that our goverment offers this to people that obviously are NEVER going to work and why would you if someone did everything for you? I see this all the time but I never knew how ridiculous the system has gotten until now. This is absolutely absurd and I do not care who I offend at this moment. If you need help I am all about helping those in need but to take FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE SYSTEM IS WRONG. Work.

I am a single mother of one son he is now 15 and I had him at 18. I have done everything on my own since I was 18. I worked and I have not recieved Child Support or any assistance since I have had him. I have worked 2 jobs just to have extra money, I own my own home. I have a good job but b/c I make 32k a yr I do not qualify for even heating assistance in the winter it is ridiculous and I work. I can not even get reduced lunches for school my son is 15 freshman in HS and goes through atleast $25 a week just in lunches almost $1000 a school yr. I make too much money is what I am told? Really? Let me tell you 32k a yr really is not that much by the time you pay taxes, insurance for you and you're child and you put into your 401k so that you can try to build for your future. My son says to me all the time so and so goes on vacation, so and so gets new shoes all the time, so and so has blah blah blah... I say and well So and so mom is on public assistance gets reduced rent, gets heating assistance, foodies, child support and help w/ school lunches and some have how many different baby daddies that pay it unlike me who can not get NOTHING b/c I actually work and have a J.O.B.! I am not a master manipulator of the system or men.

No wonder why there is no help for people that do work and when they do need a little help can not get b/c we are paying for cell phones and laptops and free rent and food. What is really sad is that this is being taught to her children how to manipulate the system and history will probably repeat it's self. I have internet, cable and cell phones but I work to pay for them and that is how it should be it you want the extras in life. Not have it handed to you.

I see people quit there jobs and go on assistance b/c they make more that way. I guess if you live in IOWA you do... Nice I am ashamed of OUR GOVERMENT in this STATE I CALL HOME.

No offense, but I have a hard time believing the woman you talked to. In MN, a parent with children and no way to support themselves gets rent paid (directly to the landlord), food support and some child care assistance and that's it. They are accountable to prove that they are spending time looking for paid work (the expectation is 40 hours per week!--hence the childcare). There is a limit on the amount of time they can be on this program. They don't get utilities, cable, internet, phone, etc., etc. Since the federal aid program took its cue from MN back in the Clinton era, I can't imagine that Iowa is that much different.

How does she know that she will be receiving all of these benefits if she doesn't even have the number for the agency? I think that's wishful thinking on her part, frankly.

Contact the local media. This is a story that needs to be shared.

Something doesn't sound right about this.
In more ways than one.
If she has a letter promising all of this great stuff, why isn't there contact information for her social worker on it?
I had to get medi-Cal after breaking my leg. First of all, it wasn't an easy process at all and I was denied in the beginning because someone made a miscalculation on my disability income. However, every single letter I received had my case number and social worker number along with her department and contact information.
I don't know about IA, but in California, there are no such perks. Because of budget woes, welfare for a family of two, (a single mom and 1 child) is down to $435 per month. There is a lifetime limit on cash aid. There are welfare to work programs in which you MUST work to receive any aid. They will buy you a monthly bus pass and they will help you buy a decent outfit or two for interviews and work. That's it. California doesn't even have section 8 subsidized housing anymore. The wait list was 6 years long, so they don't accept applications anymore. If you didn't get it 6 years ago, you never will.

I honestly don't see how people get by with scamming the system. I'm an honest person so they busted my chops over everything and I mean EVERYTHING. I had an ancient bank account with $5 in it, and had to go through hell getting documentation that the account hadn't been used at all in nearly 10 years. It was so old, I only got a statement once a year and had to go through a huge thing with my bank to verify all of that.
I'm divorced, so the first thing they did was want information on my ex husband to go after him to repay anything I needed. We had just been through a huge court child support case so that was resolved.
I could be wrong, but I don't see any state having the money to provide all the things you mention. In California, there are agencies to help you with electricity and heat. Telephone, cable, internet...those are luxuries and no one helps with those. Where I live, there aren't even agencies that will help with your water bill.
Computers, cell phones with internet, up to $1000 rent?
Sounds like someone's pipe dream to me, but if not, Lord help you if everyone moves to IA to get the same thing.

This doesn't sound right . . . . I work for the government in MO, which granted isn't IA, but still, we don't provide help for ANY of this stuff and I have yet to learn of a single state that does, especially the cell phones.

ADDED:

Have you ever thought that she is getting scammed? Did she read the whole letter word for word to you? How do you not know that if you call the number that's on the actual letter that it's not going to ask her for all kinds of information and then really ruin her? People who are involved "in the system" are some of the most commonly targetd with financial scams. I haven't found ANYTHING about Iowa offering money for cell phones, internet, or laptops, not even within the school district. If this was actually happening, it could be found SOMEWHERE. I think we're to quick to jump to the "mean, awful government spending all this money on "entitlement" programs" without really thinking that it could be a scam. The fact that the right number that she needed to call wasn't even on the letter makes it even more fishy. If I send any letters requesting for someone to call me, I put my direct line in the HUMAN SERVICES office. Also, the "state" doesn't go through the process of reviewing the applications in most cases. They delegate that job to the county case workers, so if it wasn't sent from her caseworkers office, her caseworker didn't go in and qualify her. I say scam. Just saying.

I hear stories like this from my brother (works for the county) all the time and it truly makes me ill. While we play by the rules and live within our means, others are milking the system and as a bonus we get to pay for them to do just that. Our country is a complete mess and I believe its mostly due to these freeloaders. I think what really bothers me the most is these people who have kid after kid after kid and keep getting more money for their irresponsible behavior.

This frustrates me also. My husband and I both work and are barely getting by. Our son has Cystic Fibrosis and we can't seem to get any help because we are over income. In my state, they take your gross income and they don't take into consideration all the expenses we have. You know it is pretty sad that the people who do the right thing get punished for it. It would have been better off if my husband and I never got married and just lived together before we even thought about having our son.

Benefits are necessary and there is nothing wrong with claiming them when you need them, but this sounds like they want to pay her to not do a darn thing to improve her own life or her children's lives. 5 years? That is a long time to be using that many comprehensive benefits. What incentive does she have to do anything for herself? I think this is taking things too far.

Hi R.,
Keep them coming! People seem to have no clue when it comes to government spending that goes on for the "poor" and the waste that goes with it. Here in WI we have quest cards instead of food stamps and the money is loaded on the card. The person receiving the card can "lose" the card as many times as they like and get a new card no questions asked. Finally a Representative is looking into these scams! Since receipts were found where they bought lobster, beer, steaks and you can see it was paid with a quest card. Then I have to hear on the news how it is hard to eat well with the money they are given on the quest card!! REALLY!?! Maybe make better choices with your given money, since the ones giving the money are making wiser choices! People will have you believe this is rare and doesn't account for much money in the big picture but that is simply a LIE to keep the money pouring it. Here in WI, the "poor" get rent assistance, heat assistance, quest card, daycare assistance and I can't remember if it was for state taxes or federal taxes but if you make less that $16,000 a year with kids you get $8,000 at the end of the year. So first they are not paying taxes (because currently 48% of the population is not paying taxes beacuse of "low" income) but then they get $8,000 of taxpayer money to help on top of all the assistance they are getting. So bascially all their income and the extra $8,000 is for fun spending because food, rent, heat and daycare are paid for!
So I can't say if the numbers are right about your neighbor, or if you or she is exaggerating but I bet it is PRETTY CLOSE!
M.

Welcome to the party of entitlement. Welfare was suppose to help out families and single moms who needed help getting back on their feet but it has become a "keep up with Jones" entitlement. Children who don't have cell phones, computers and such might be teased about being poor. Children have the right to have a home, clothes, food,and medical these do not have to be the best of everything. Anything else is a luxury and shouldn't be paid for by taxpayers dollars.

Outstanding- good work government.

We don't have internet on our phones. In fact, we just got texting two years ago b/c everyone else in our world was texting and we were paying .25 per text just to RECEIVE the darn things. It was actually cheaper to add it. We have the crappy "free with your renewal" phones. They work and they didn't cost us anything.

My office bought me a Droid with internet. Again, it was cheaper to buy the phone and service then to have a wireless access card AND a cell phone. Otherwise, they wouldn't have suggested it.

I agree with Laura A, call your local media and enlighten them on what's going on in your state. It will either prove this woman is lying or let the readers know how their tax dollars are being spend. No wonder this country is in trouble if this really is going on. My best friends daughter could give classes on how to "milk they system". If it's out there she knows about it and is most likely receiving it. She has no shame and brags about all that she gets.

JMO,

Try and get a copy of the letter, block out her name and SEND IT IN TO YOUR LOCAL TELEVISION STATION'S INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER --- ASAP. Also send it to the biggest state paper you have. Im ripped and I don't even live in IA.