The Hard Working American vs. The Government Parasite

[_ajax18]

http://theeconomiccollapseblog.com/arch ... t-parasite

Did your teacher ever tell you, "You can't cheat your way through life?" It looks like that old addage has been debunked.

[_ajax18]

My favorite quote of all,

When half of the people get the idea that they do not have to work because the other half is going to take care of them, and when the other half gets the idea that it does no good to work because somebody else is going to get what they work for, that my dear friend, is the beginning of the end of any nation.

[_Kevin Graham]

To put this in perspective and to show just how "whacked out" Right Wing thinking really is, the US Government is going to spend close to $4 trillion in 2012, with a budget deficit well over a trillion.

According to ajax, the reason Americans are suffering is because it spends money on freeloaders who don't work at all, but receive food stamps.

How much does it spend on the SNAP program? Given his apocalyptic fears you'd think it was well over a trillion.

In reality, it will spend a measly $75 billion for the entire year. We could slash the entire SNAP program and it would only account for less than 2% of the budget!

And that's what one month in Iraq costs the tax payers.

Gee, let's see, we can feed struggling Americans (mostly children, who can hardly be accused of "freeloading") for an entire year, or we can spend a that same amount of money financing a useless occupation in a foreign country.

Republicans are so out of touch with not only reality, but morality as well.

Incidentally, the only reason more people are moving towards government assistance during the Obama administration is due to the recession (near depression) he inherited. It has nothing to do with his "policies" that "encourage" people to "get on the dole."

[_Kevin Graham]

Another fact that ajax doesn't seem to get is that the majority of food stamp recipients are in fact tax paying workers of America. Not all of them are unemployed.

In fact, we know a few people here in Atlanta who receive supplemental food stamp help, and they have their own home and live in a nice neighborhood. I don't know the details, but if you have a lot of kids with a modest income, most likely you qualify for at least some government aid. Not surprisingly, this makes many Mormon families eligible.

[_Kevin Graham]

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/Rober ... -president

They also point to Census data showing that 49 percent of Americans now live in homes where at least one person is collecting a federal benefit – Social Security, food stamps, unemployment insurance, worker’s compensation, or subsidized housing. That’s up from 44 percent in 2008.

Finally, they trumpet Social Security Administration figures showing that the number of people on Social Security disability jumped 10 percent in Obama’s first two years in office.

They argue our economic problems stem from this sharp rise in “dependency.” Get rid of these benefits and people will work harder.

But they have cause and effect backwards. The reason for the rise in food stamps, unemployment insurance, and other safety-net programs is Americans got clobbered in 2008 with the worst economic catastrophe since the Great Depression. They and their families have needed whatever helping hands they could get.

If anything, America’s safety nets have been too small and shot through with holes. That’s why the number and percentage of Americans in poverty has increased dramatically over the past three years. According to a study by Northeastern University, a third of families with young children are now in poverty.

This is the real scandal. For example, only 40 percent of the unemployed qualify for unemployment benefits because they weren’t working full time or long enough on a single job before they were canned. The unemployment system doesn’t take account of the fact that a large portion of the workforce typically works part time on several jobs, and moves from job to job.

Republicans also object to Obama’s health care law, which covers 30 million more Americans than were covered before. That law still leaves over 20 million without health insurance. They’ll get emergency care when they’re in dire straights — hospitals won’t refuse them — but we all end up paying indirectly.

Regressive Republicans pretend they’re about opportunity. In reality they’re back at what they’ve been doing for years — promoting Social Darwinism.

[_ajax18]

If anything, America’s safety nets have been too small and shot through with holes. That’s why the number and percentage of Americans in poverty has increased dramatically over the past three years. According to a study by Northeastern University, a third of families with young children are now in poverty.

This is the real scandal. For example, only 40 percent of the unemployed qualify for unemployment benefits because they weren’t working full time or long enough on a single job before they were canned. The unemployment system doesn’t take account of the fact that a large portion of the workforce typically works part time on several jobs, and moves from job to job.

It is true that temp agencies are a company's defense against paying healthcare and unemployment benefits. That's why they won't hire people full time.

But if the American worker isn't willing to do it, there's 100 immigrants who would love to have the job. Kevin leaves out the fact that this is what allows companys to set terms like this. After all, we need immigrants to do the jobs that Americans won't do.

And if people in the US will not work for that wage, the company will outsource the entire operation outside of US jurisdiction. Viva Mexico!

[_Kevin Graham]

It is true that temp agencies are a company's defense against paying healthcare and unemployment benefits. That's why they won't hire people full time.

Are you trying a marathon of dumb comments or something?

Many temp jobs are temp to full time positions. My company hires through a temp agency and provides full time employment with benefits to those who make it past 90 days and prove they can do the job productively. Temp agencies are usually nothing more than a filtration system, and a company will pay more hiring through a temp agency than they would hiring someone straight on as a full timer. A $14/hr full time job pays a person $11/hr if they go through a temp agency, but the company pays the temp agency roughly $5 for every hour that employee works.

But if the American worker isn't willing to do it, there's 100 immigrants who would love to have the job.

Only legal immigrants who have a work visa. The illegals will work low skilled jobs and pay billions in a social security system so you can retire off of their backs. You freeloader.

Kevin leaves out the fact that this is what allows companys to set terms like this. After all, we need immigrants to do the jobs that Americans won't do.

I'm "leaving out," what? I cited an article.

Yes, Americans are too lazy to do some jobs. That is an established fact. If you don't believe me then go to Yuma Arizona and see how many blonde haired blue-eyed Americans are working for $14 an hour in the lettuce fields.

[_ajax18]

Yes, Americans are too lazy to do some jobs. That is an established fact. If you don't believe me then go to Yuma Arizona and see how many blonde haired blue-eyed Americans are working for $14 an hour in the lettuce fields.

That's the first time I ever heard you admit that. As a working American, I think it's a problem and I don't think that should be acceptable.

If I ever get any social security, I'll give the illegals back what they paid minus all the taxes they avoided by working under the table!

Temp agencies are a way for companies to avoid paying benefits. It's not about proving yourself with many companies. It's about saving the company money. That's why they prefer temps even when a high turnover of people means more training costs.

My health insurance and other benefits through a temp agency might as well have not existed. That was where the company saved money.