...I drove my Mercedes to pick up food stamps

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/07/08/this-is-what-happened-when-i-drove-my-mercedes-to-pick-up-food-stamps/

 

I thought this was a very interesting essay. One that shows that it'd not just "lazy" people who need help and benefit from social aid programs. It 's also a great example of why we should never judge on circumstantial clues.

...I drove my Mercedes to pick up food stamps

 

This is what happened when I drove my Mercedes to pick up food stamps - The Washington Post

 

I thought this was a very interesting essay. One that shows that it'd not just "lazy" people who need help and benefit from social aid programs. It 's also a great example of why we should never judge on circumstantial clues.

 

Easier said than done, sadly.

...I drove my Mercedes to pick up food stamps http://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/07/08/this-is-what-happened-when-i-drove-my-mercedes-to-pick-up-food-stamps/ I thought this was a very interesting essay. One that shows that it'd not just "lazy" people who need help and benefit from social aid programs. It 's also a great example of why we should never judge on circumstantial clues.

 

Great read.

 

I think you'll find that people rarely have a problem with that type of story. It's the perception - sometimes justified but sometimes not - that some have absolutely no desire to do anything but subsist on those programs. I've never had a problem with the programs themselves, only those who abuse it and the fact that some are allowed to do so.

Love this line from the article:

"Poverty is a circumstance, not a value judgement."

Maybe she should sell her car and buy something cheaper to help pay for life's necessities. When you short on money you have to cut out the extras like root beer, candy or any little extra. How do you think the "Greatest Generation" made it through the Depression? They sucked it up, lived on the basics, did without the extras, survived, won a war and went on to make an already great nation into the greatest freedom loving country in the world.

Maybe she should sell her car and buy something cheaper to help pay for life's necessities. When you short on money you have to cut out the extras like root beer, candy or any little extra. How do you think the "Greatest Generation" made it through the Depression? They sucked it up, lived on the basics, did without the extras, survived, won a war and went on to make an already great nation into the greatest freedom loving country in the world.

She needed help. She qualified for help. It was not forever. She and her husband eventually got out of their financial hole and no longer needed help.

 

It's interesting that the article is about how she was being judged by others.......

I've never had a problem with the programs themselves, only those who abuse it and the fact that some are allowed to do so.

 

I think you sum it up well. Safety net programs should be just that, safety for when you fall on hard times. I do understand that there are some people who do have limitations and will never be able to obtain truly marketable job skills who will have to fall on such programs off and on and I have no problem with that. The problem we have is determining how to put up limits on those who do have the ability, just don't, it is not black and white.

 

Someone mentioned above that she should probably sell the Mercedes. I would agree. When you fall on hard times, there is the need to eliminate expenses of things that are nice but not needed. In the same token, sell those things that are luxuries and replace them with more modest replacements.

 

I used to work for a private school. Often times families would come into our office in the middle of the school year due to a job loss or some other financial short coming and ask for financial aid to assist with tuition. Often, we would request the family make a sacrifice just like they are asking the school (be giving more financial aid) to make. The type of sacrifice could vary, sell a luxury car and rely on the other car(s) in the household, sell the family boat, etc.. Some families would agree that such a request was fair. Some would be offended and refer to us with rather colorful language. Oh well.

 

A former boss of mine was a deacon at a fairly well off church in Oldham County and served on their financial board. When families would lose a job or whatever often times they would come to the church. Some families would do so repeatedly. If someone would come a second time to the church, he would do similar, ask them to make a sacrifice. More than once the was told he should be ashamed to call himself a Christian. Again, oh well.

She could have held off getting the stamps for awhile by selling her car. Then that would have left the resources for those who truly needed them, those that did not have any resources to bring in any money.

Maybe she should sell her car and buy something cheaper to help pay for life's necessities. When you short on money you have to cut out the extras like root beer' date=' candy or any little extra. How do you think the "Greatest Generation" made it through the Depression? They sucked it up, lived on the basics, did without the extras, survived, won a war and went on to make an already great nation into the greatest freedom loving country in the world.[/quote']

 

The car was paid off.

 

I think you sum it up well. Safety net programs should be just that, safety for when you fall on hard times. I do understand that there are some people who do have limitations and will never be able to obtain truly marketable job skills who will have to fall on such programs off and on and I have no problem with that. The problem we have is determining how to put up limits on those who do have the ability, just don't, it is not black and white.

 

Someone mentioned above that she should probably sell the Mercedes. I would agree. When you fall on hard times, there is the need to eliminate expenses of things that are nice but not needed. In the same token, sell those things that are luxuries and replace them with more modest replacements.

 

I used to work for a private school. Often times families would come into our office in the middle of the school year due to a job loss or some other financial short coming and ask for financial aid to assist with tuition. Often, we would request the family make a sacrifice just like they are asking the school (be giving more financial aid) to make. The type of sacrifice could vary, sell a luxury car and rely on the other car(s) in the household, sell the family boat, etc.. Some families would agree that such a request was fair. Some would be offended and refer to us with rather colorful language. Oh well.

 

A former boss of mine was a deacon at a fairly well off church in Oldham County and served on their financial board. When families would lose a job or whatever often times they would come to the church. Some families would do so repeatedly. If someone would come a second time to the church, he would do similar, ask them to make a sacrifice. More than once the was told he should be ashamed to call himself a Christian. Again, oh well.

 

The Mercedes was paid off.

The car was paid off.

 

Then she would have had money to buy something less expensive and money left over to buy food and root beer.

 

My brother had a small gun collection, but when he hit hard times he sold most of them.

He had to do this even after my sister and I had given him some money.

Then she would have had money to buy something less expensive and money left over to buy food and root beer.

 

My brother had a small gun collection, but when he hit hard times he sold most of them.

He had to do this even after my sister and I had given him some money.

 

So instead of keeping a car that is paid off you want her to sell the car and accumulate more debt? You're assuming that she'd be able to find a car less expensive that would be reliable and not require money being put into the car.

It's always easy to be judgmental when you see someone who you think is abusing the system. We never truly know what a person is going thru at any given time unless we know them personally. My dad grew up fairly poor, and worked hard all of his life to make a better life for him, and his family. He knew what it was like to go to bed hungry, to not have shoes to wear on his feet at times. He taught me a long time ago instead of trying to be judgmental toward people when you think they may be abusing the system to always stop and give thanks to the Lord for having the money to purchase your own groceries and clothing.

If people need help, I have no problem with helping them over the hump. Yet, sacrifices may have to be made, as my brother sacrificed his gun collection. Selling a Mercedes would have left her with enough money to buy something less expensive and reliable and money for food. How would those of the Depression Era looked at individuals unwilling to help theirselves before turning to others for help? They would would have helped even after it hurt, but they would have expected those receiving help , to help theirselves first.

 

Then it is possible they made some other sacrifices, other than their root beer.

If people need help, I have no problem with helping them over the hump. Yet, sacrifices may have to be made, as my brother sacrificed his gun collection. Selling a Mercedes would have left her with enough money to buy something less expensive and reliable and money for food. How would those of the Depression Era looked at individuals unwilling to help theirselves before turning to others for help? They would would have helped even after it hurt, but they would have expected those receiving help , to help theirselves first.

 

Then it is possible they made some other sacrifices, other than their root beer.

 

A gun collection is way different than a car. She'd be smarter to sacrifice something other than a reliable vehicle that will allow her to go looking for a job.