I read over and over how welfare is something that should be provided. I ask why? How many people have actually studied those on welfare to determine how it has benefitted the family or the welfare of the children in the home? Not many. However, as a landlord in the inner city, I have had much experience in dealing with those who get welfare. I have witnessed how they live, how they educate their children and care for their children, and how they role model to their children. The sad thing is that the money provided via welfare, hasn't helped improve their wellbeing at all. Now, I know I will get posts stating the opposite, but until you have spent 6 years of your life witnessing the destruction in the inner city, I will challenge you every time. Welfare was originally meant to be a temporary means to assist a family in need. Let me repeat, a temporary solution, not a way of life. However, welfare has become not only a way of life, but a way of enslaving people and keeping people down. Not ONE welfare family that I had valued education - kids missed school constantly, there was little parental supervision, and kids were allowed to play video games all day & went to bed to movies on a tv in their room. I have many stories to tell, but let me start with Tiara's story.
Many children I had living in my apartments had little food in the fridge, and were hungry. One little girl, Tiara, had nothing to eat. Her mother and her mother's boyfriend were drug users, and mom was the welfare recipient. Mom was more interested in getting high with her boyfriend Quincy than in feeding Tiara. In fact, Tiara was told to stay in her room and watch tv on many of the days that I visited her mother's apartment to do work. On one particular day, I was there fixing a sink and Tiara was crying about being hungry. Her mother screamed at her to shut up and stay in her room. She stated that Tiara was a difficult child and proceeded to ignore her. Meanwhile, Tiara's mother and Quincy were in an argument and it was getting rather loud. Both Mom and Quincy were drunk, open cans on the table and a bag full of beer cans in the hallway. I decided to intervene. I asked them if I could take Tiara to the store and buy her something to eat. The mom allowed it - in fact, she was pleased that Tiara would be off of her hands for a little while. So, I walked Tiara to the corner store and asked her what she liked to eat. She said chips. Not suprising, but I obviously wasn't about to let her eat chips. With minimal selection in the store, I found one of those snackables with lunch meat. I paid for one and watched her eat it outside the apartment on the lawn. She devoured it. I walked Tiara back up to her apartment, where her mother put her back in her room so she could continue her argument with Quincy. That was one of many times I witnessed Tiara being hungry. I eventually called CPS, her mother moved out and to this day, I have no idea what became of Tiara. The whole time I was their landlord, I could only think of why her mother was allowed to keep this child and get welfare when the mother spent her welfare money on booze, cigarettes, cable and drugs. Where was the benefit to the child? On top of that, why should I spend my hard earned tax dollars so Tiara's mom can get stoned, drunk and sit around watching cable? The answer is that I shouldn't have to pay for Tiara's mom. Tiara should be removed from her mother's care, and her mother's welfare should be revoked. What should become of Tiara's mother? Maybe she should go back to school, get a job or have her boyfriend actually work instead of sitting on his butt all day, living off of her welfare check.
This story is one of many. The sad thing is that this is the NORM. If you think otherwise, you need to launch your own investigation into how your tax dollars are being wasted and helping keep people down. In fact, not one of the families that lived in my apartment and had welfare looked for jobs or ways to further educate themselves in order to become self suffiecient. Why should they? If you want a glimpse of how entitled welfare mothers can be, go to this site and prepare to get very, very angry. www.welfarewarriors.org
Here is what welfare warriors are fighting for:
Our Mission...
The Welfare Warriors are mothers and children in poverty
who have joined together to make our voices heard
in all policies affecting families in poverty,
the larger community, and the Earth...
We work to create a voice for mothers in poverty through our
own organizations and media. Through street activism,
advocacy, and our newspaper, the Mother Warriors
Voice, we fight for the creation of a federal
program to guarantee that all children
have support to the age of 18.
We educate and agitate until all communities recognize that
"Motherwork IS Work" and must be paid and prioritized
by the community and in the workplace.
We actively protest the devastation being caused
by "welfare reform."
So, for those who do their homework and really evaluate the damage that welfare can do, I ask you to stand against welfare. The benefits being paid out are not always benefitting the children. In fact, I didn't see any benefit to the children. These mothers would be better role models to their children if they finished their education, got jobs and were off drugs and alcohol. So, I ask for an end to welfare. It does not work.
Although what you have stated is true, the problem is not actually welfare. The problem is miss-educated. There are many out there who takes advantage of the let just say innocent. They are taught that which is negative by those who don’t know any better or hates them. You will be amazed at how many of us in life like having them that way and how many of us have contributed to their miss-education. It is true that in a setting as welfare there is less to do and these individuals often turn to that which is negative. This is true even of some of the rich with idler hands. I see kids abuse that is not part of welfare and it is against the law to kill the parents. What can you do? The system has fail! Guess who is mostly responsible . . . the preacher man. See RACISM DOESN'T EXIST! http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/52843-racism It covers the cause of the issue you have posted well.Let love be you mentor!
Clearly you are not educated on the matter in which you speak. This is not a race issue. This is a social issue, and a moral issue. The point is that welfare is NOT enriching lives, it has become a way of life, keeping people in poverty. The only way to end poverty is to end welfare, and focus on education, self-sufficiency, and abstaining from getting pregnant until you have a job to pay for your family. Welfare does not lead to prosperity in any sense of the word.
I will not condone a broken system, which allows those who are responsible to pay for those who are not. The price we pay for welfare in this country is high, we see less of our income, but crime, neglect and poverty continue despite "welfare reform". It does not work & love won't change my mind. Let's hope logic and reason will change yours.
Apparently you did not read http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/52843-racism. If you had, you had known this posting express there is no racism or maybe you lack the intelligence to understand it.
You know some people have sex just to have something to talk about. Why do you keep renting to those you have a problem with the way they live? To have something to talk about? You are finding faults with these individuals lives that everyone is aware of. Why? Is it to make you feel better about your miserable existent or are you jealousy of these individuals? If there are roaches, it is your job to eliminate them. The problem is you’re too cheap. This is revealed in you posting. I can see now you don’t have a life. You are running around invading others lives just to have something.
Do you have any idea as to how must money the USA gives to Israel each year? Should we not support our own? Do you have any idea as to how must money the USA is spending on this war that will not benefit this country in any way at all? Should we not support our own? Welfare is small compare to the money being spend on useless ventures.
Let love be you mentor!
Why do you keep renting to those you have a problem with the way they live?
I'm glad someone asked my question.
"What a crazy random happenstance!"
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Read my Blog!
Why do you keep renting to those you have a problem with the way they live?
I'm glad someone asked my question.
"What a crazy random happenstance!"
Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog
Read my Blog!
Good question. Initially, when began to run numbers to determine a cash flow situation, I determined that the inner city was one of the only ways to cash flow in the real estate market in my town. In addition, I was a bit naiive to think that I could provide quality housing to socioeconomically disadvantaged people who would take care of the improvements I made to each apartment. However, over time, I realized that no matter how many improvements I made, the renters didn't respect the property and numerous problems constantly ensued. i recently got out of the business for that reason. I took a $22,000 loss and couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel anymore. It was pointless and I came to the determination that those who choose to live this way cannot be helped because they have no desire to help themselves. So, the other part to your question is that in the inner city all prospective tenants have baggage - no one looks good on paper, so you follow the rules, never discriminate based on any criteria and take the first person who presents the most honest application. The reason why I tell their stories is so that I can educate the remainder of the popluation as to what happens with their tax dollars - in these times we must take the time to educate ourselves - welfare DOES NOT work.
I try to understand the basis of your comment, but come up short. You see, welfare has nothing to do with race - it impacts all races. So, your comment about racism is truly incorrect and simply a distraction of the larger issue, which is the social and moral issue that we face in America in uncertain economic times. You see, when you are an inner city landlord, you don't have many choices as to who you rent to, and besides that, I would be violating the law if I turned away renters whose lifestyle I disagreed with. My friend, life works much differently than you have written above. You can't descriminate against people for any reason -which is why I rented to the first person who met all requirements via their application. So, now let us discuss why I would divulge stories about these people. Because the public has the right to know. There should be more transparency in our administration so people know how their tax monies are being spent & how it is NOT WORKING. This is called return on investment. Well, my friend, we are not getting return on investment via our tax expenditures. It is about being responsible - finding ways to fix a broken system and not tolerating the RAMPANT abuse of social programs or the EXPLOITATION of taxpayers.
Being naiive enough to state that I don't have a life and that is why I write these stories shows your ignorance. My life is dedicated to educating my community about fraud, abuse and misuse of taxpayer funds. My life is dedicated to getting inner city kids a better life through pushing for education and mentoring to show them that they can make a better future for themselves someday.
So, I encourage you to choose your words more carefully. For someone who says "Let love be your mentor", you certainly seem fairly full of hate.
I have reviewed all of your comments, and quite frankly, I find them to be rambling tirades. My guess is that you grew up in a socioeconomically depressed area and feel you were deprived of opportuities because of your background. I cannot attest to your personal experiences because I don't know you. However, I can comment on the generalizations that you consistently make, which are irritating to those who take this issue seriously. Your ignorance blocks your ability to see the situation for what it is, instead you feel the need to attack those on this site who are exposing the inner city and much of the abuse and fraud that takes place there. Now, am I saying that the only place where abuse and fraud takes place is the inner city? No, of course not. I simply have experience as an inner city landlord to know the fraud and abuse that took place before my eyes.
So, once again Truth, you really need to examine the facts and remain unbiased rather than condemning others based on your own prejudices. As you say - let love be YOUR mentor.
I have reviewed all of your comments, and quite frankly, I find them to be rambling tirades. My guess is that you grew up in a socioeconomically depressed area and feel you were deprived of opportuities because of your background. I cannot attest to your personal experiences because I don't know you. However, I can comment on the generalizations that you consistently make, which are irritating to those who take this issue seriously. Your ignorance blocks your ability to see the situation for what it is, instead you feel the need to attack those on this site who are expose the inner city and much of the abuse and fraud that takes place there. Now, am I saying that the only place where abuse and fraud takes place is the inner city? No, of course not. I simply have experience as an inner city landlord to know the fraud and abuse that took place before my eyes.
So, once again Truth, you really need to examine the facts and remain unbiased rather than condemning others based on your own prejudices. As you say - let love be YOUR mentor.
I believe in a short term welfare safety net. But you are absolutely correct that it should not be allowed to become a way of life. Welfare benefits should only be allowed for short periods and there should be a lifetime maximum on the number of months that a person can live on the dole.
I'm not completely sure that I agree with you that it totally a social issue. In many ways it is a genetic issue. Human intelligence fits on a bell curve with some people being very smart, some people being very stupid and most people being in the middle. There is a very high degree of correlation between the stupid people on the left end of the bell curve and welfare recipients. I wrote a blog about this some years ago:
Poverty, Stupidity, Obesity and Food Stamps
While not every person on welfare is stupid, a lot of them are barely functional and would have little value in the workforce. They are easily displaced from unskilled jobs by motivated illegal aliens who lack education but not intelligence. We are essentially stacking the most motivated people from Mexico up against the dregs of our society and gene pool. But society would be a lot better off with those dregs employed at low skilled jobs earning their own living then supporting them on welfare. While we reform welfare, we should also reform and enforce immigration laws so that our poorest and least capable citizens are not forced to compete with an endless stream of cheap labor that squeezes them out of jobs, lowers their wages and generally makes it impossible for them to make a living.
But I do agree with your point that welfare can become a lifestyle choice that is engrained in some people from childhood and they are raised in an environment where they learn nothing else. A lot of these kids could grow up to be productive people if they learned something different. And we should make sure this happens be not enabling the welfare lifestyle.
It is not a genetic issue. It is a result of generation after generation of improperly prenatal care. Which could have included any number of factors, like improperly dieting, drugs and alcohol abuse during pregnancy. Today that will also included environmental conditions. If it was genetic, why aren’t you on welfare? Then maybe you are. I don’t know. Again, I say abusive prenatal care begins due to miss-education by those who did not know any better or those who wish to miss lead many of them on welfare purposely.
Let love be you mentor!
One of the ways to recognize a person on the left (stupid) end of the intelligence bell curve is by their inability to rationally read, comprehend and respond reasonably to an argument. Reasoning capability is pretty much the essence of intelligence. Your response to my post indicates that you either failed to read and or were unable to comprehend my post and as a result were unable to formulate a well-reasoned response.
Your repeated assertion that generations of inadequate prenatal care and "miss-education" (did you learn that word from President Bush and did your education include the fact that the "mis-" prefix usually includes only one "s"?) are the problems behind chronic poverty and use of the welfare state is undoubtedly partly true. I pretty much recognized this same thing when I wrote to the original blogger, "But I do agree with your point that welfare can become a lifestyle choice that is ingrained in some people from childhood and they are raised in an environment where they learn nothing else." That sounds like "miss-education" to me.
But a reasonable person would recognize that poverty is a complex problem and that are probably MANY reasons why people become trapped in the cycle of poverty and welfare and that "miss-education" is only one of many possible and probable explanations. I explicitly recognized this when I said in my previous post, "While not every person on welfare is stupid, a lot of them are barely functional" and when I said, "I'm not completely sure that I agree with you that it totally a social issue. In many ways it is a genetic issue." I am clearly not saying that genetics is the cause of poverty or welfare dependency in every case.
It is ignorant to argue that a) there is not a strong correlation between intelligence (or lack thereof) and economic status (rich or poor) and b)and that genes play a key role in intelligence. Both of these facts are supported by abundant evidence.
Yes, I agree that poor prenatal care can cause development retardation which can manifest both physically and mentally. But there are plenty of kids that get perfectly adequate prenatal care that are still born stupid and stupid people born into the upper and middle classes drift down the economic ladder to poverty with considerable frequency. Perhaps that was the situation in your case? Put another way, a baby that was well-endowed by his forebears with strong intelligence genes could be made stupid by poor prenatal care. But a kid that was short-changed genetically in the intelligence department cannot be made much (some studies have shown small correlations between exposure to things like classical music in the womb and intelligence) smarter by adequate or even exceptionally excellent prenatal care.
It is more difficult to educate stupid people then it is to educate smart people. Smart people are much more likely to recognize their own educational deficiencies and self-educate by doing simple things like reading books. For example, when my wife got pregnant neither of us knew the finer details of pregnancy or infant care. Half a dozen books later we had an excellent handle on the basics and our biggest problem was that the experts did not always agree. So it seems to me that there is a high degree of probability that a lot (not all) of the people who are "miss-educated" are that way because they are genetically lacking the mental horsepower to overcome their educational deficiencies. On the other hand, there are plenty of examples of people that are born into poverty, that because of their abundant intelligence are able to climb out of that cesspool. Justice Clarence Thomas would be a good example and so would Sonya Sotameyer. Probably neither of these two got everything they should have from a prenatal care perspective but nevertheless, they ended up on the right end of the intelligence bell-curve.
I replied to what was posted here. A summary of that pertaining to my posting should have been posted here, like the summary of genetics. “Intelligence, terms usually referring to a general mental capability to reason, solves problems, think
Abstractly, learn and understand new material, and profit from past experience. Intelligence can be measured by many different kinds of tasks. Likewise, this ability is expressed in many aspects of a person’s life. Intelligence draws on a variety of mental processes, including memory, learning, perception, decision-making, thinking, and reasoning.” Intelligence is measured by many different kinds of tasks and is not limited to grammar. It wouldn’t be wise to assume such. As for the extra “s” in mis, I appreciate you pointing this out. I stand behind my posting because this is the real world view of it.
"But I do agree with your point that welfare can become a lifestyle choice that is ingrained in some people from childhood and they are raised in an environment where they learn nothing else." This statement represents 85% of the reasons most are on welfare continuously. There also the situation today where students who are smart must hide this fact to prevent being labeled a nerd or abused in other ways. This is not productive behavior and will lead to continuous welfare. It is not about an inability to learn. It is a lack of disciplining and role modeling. Many of those on welfare are there because the system wants them there. It gives them something to talk about and a scapegoat. A great percentage of those who are not on welfare have been suppressed and not where they should be in life. Those on welfare are suppressed by themselves as well as by others. In the eleventh grade, on college day, I expressed interest in becoming an Air Force pilot. The recruiter informed me I couldn’t be a pilot if I had fillings or three teeth missing. I gave up this interest based on what he said. This was a lie I found out later. I’m not the only person who has been mislead.
It is not genetic. If you are saying it is genetic based on genetic mutation due to environmental circumstances, like improperly or abusive prenatal care, then yes, it is genetic, otherwise it isn’t. As in the Clarence Thomas circle, when someone reaches down and pulls a child out of the welfare circle, the child lead a productive life. You may quote all the bell curves you wish they do not represent the reality of the situation. You have limited your findings, on others findings and have not asserted any creative thought. This show an inability to think outside the box. You have made genetics your priority focus in your posting when it represents at best 15%. I believe you are labeling. The fact that you are name calling reveal inadequacies. The author of this posting, just as many of us are, is a shoot first and ask questions later type of person. The author expressed that welfare must end without considering their survival depends welfare. Who would rent such substandard apartments other then those on welfare?
“But there are plenty of kids that get perfectly adequate prenatal cares that are still born stupid and stupid people born into the upper and middle classes drift down the economic ladder to poverty with considerable frequency. Perhaps that was the situation in your case?” You lack the knowledge and qualification to make this assumption about me. You have no idea as to what my economic status is. If I wanted to, I’m sure, I could buy your wife. In fact there are those who have low IQ’s that lead productive lives because they have had the right support.
I’m glad you have injected Clarence Thomas into this posting. The circle that surrounds Thomas substantiates my findings. “His family's house had burned down when he was 6, and for most of his young life he was raised comfortably in Savannah by his grandfather Myers Anderson, one of the black community's leading businessmen.” The Washington Post, Justice Thomas's Life A Tangle of Poverty, Privilege and Race, http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/21/AR200704.... It is obvious his grandfather recognized the conservativeness in Thomas as Thomas recognized the same in his nephew Mark. His grandfather liked him and pushed his to be all he can be. When an individual has positive support in whatever their endeavors maybe they will have more confidence and greater self-esteem. If an individual has negative support, they will lack confidence and have low self-esteem. On the other hand Clarence sister, Emma May, was left in a world of “poverty, illiteracy, divorce, child abandonment, drugs, crime, and imprisonment.” This is a dog-eat-dog world where everyone must discover the path of life on their own. Where those who live their lacks the wisdom or know how direct, due to the limitations this world has been exposed to and being mis-educated. Clarence and Emma received their genetics from the same parents. She was on welfare due her environment and he became more productive due to his environment. It should also be noticed she passed her genetics to her grandson who became apart of Clarence environment, as a result he became more productive then his grandmother. “When he began raising Mark - - He sent Mark to private schools, gave him extra homework to improve his math and reading, taught him to dribble with his left hand. And Mark responded. He excelled in school, became a Harry Potter fan and took up golf, and as a teenager he is comfortable around some of the most brilliant legal minds in the country.” It would be hard pressed to find this kind of behavior in welfare environments.
It is ignorant to argue when there are so many cases like that Clarence Thomas that testifies that environmental is the blame for many of those on welfare. Why does Pin Point have a drug problem with a population of 275? Could it be because of “valuable waterfront property?” Let love be you mentor!
I can honestly say that welfare is a choice as well as a cycle within many inner city families. We all have free will and make choices, full well knowing the consequences of our choices. Well, the same is done with welfare recipients - except that many of them don't see the social stigma that we see regarding punishments for their choices. Having babies in middle or high school or having a drug conviction is no big deal. However, the way I was raised, neither of those options was acceptable behavior and violated social norms, so it never crossed my mind to take a chance that could ruin my future prosperity.
In today's politically correct world, we cannot say what needs to be said. Schools should be educating children on how disadvantaged they would become should they get pregnant in middle or high school and not get an education. Federal & state funding for those who use welfare as means of income should be reallocated to other, more beneficial projects or programs. Why should we continue to help those who will never help themselves? Remember, these folks are not taxpayers and never will be. They just tap into the money that working Americans pay dutifully every month with no responsiblity. That is GROSS negligence, not only at the Federal & State level, but at our level for not revolting and saying - we have had enough!
I agree that the system needs to be changed, the federal program WIC gives out monthly checks which have on the checks how much cereal, milk, eggs, cheese ect that the family is allowed to have. Everything on the checks is nutritious and no junk food is allowed. The welfare system should opperate like the WIC program, and should be given checks where they can only get nutrious food for the family and checks made out for rent and utilities. If people want to smoke drink and do drugs they should work to pay for it. Also any child in a home as you have described should be removed so that the parent can not receive benefits because they have children. Unfortunately our social service system is too overrun, with kids who were in situations similar to the lones you have mentioned and hypocritic church goers don't adopt older kids so unfortunately we have kids aging out of the system with no family every single day. Once people start realizing this is all of our problem and we all need to fix it the better off we will be.