A car and guns are in no way similar in this circumstance, IMO.

Last Mercedes I had any knowledge of required premium gas and cost an arm and a leg to insure and maintain. Possibly could have put herself into something a lot cheaper that was reliable and left her a little more self sufficient. I find it interesting that she makes no mention of even investigating such a move.

I know several who abuse the system and have it down to a science. I likely have a jaded opinion, but I'd bet a dollar to a doughnut that the system gets abused as much if not more than it assists those like this circumstance. I have no data. I have no link. It's my opinion from real life situations I deal with daily.

 

 

So, with that said, I guarantee I'd have made the assumption that this was someone abusing the system.

She does need a car for transportation. Unless the Mercedes was over the hill, there should have been enough money from selling it to buy something reliable. Most likely they have a second car. I guess some just do not see a need to sacrifice, when the government will step in and just hand over money. Why be put out, the government will just tax more and/or print more money.

The Mercedes was paid off.

 

Doesn't stop her from selling it to buy a reliable Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic and keep the difference and save on gas and insurance.

 

Again not saying she should not collect benefits but if you have luxuries, it is generally prudent to start selling them off unless you are confident your economic down turn will be short.

She does need a car for transportation. Unless the Mercedes was over the hill, there should have been enough money from selling it to buy something reliable. Most likely they have a second car. I guess some just do not see a need to sacrifice, when the government will step in and just hand over money. Why be put out, the government will just tax more and/or print more money.

 

Whatever. I wouldn't attempt to sell my 2004 Lexus. I would attempt to sell one or both of my televisions, get rid of Directv, sell the Playstation along with numerous other things before I sold my Lexus. Selling my paid off Lexus would be the absolute last thing I would do. Call me petty. Call me an abuser. I do not care. I'm not selling my Lexus. I would sell this house and go back to renting before I sold my Lexus.

Doesn't stop her from selling it to buy a reliable Toyota Corolla or Honda Civic and keep the difference and save on gas and insurance.

 

Again not saying she should not collect benefits but if you have luxuries, it is generally prudent to start selling them off unless you are confident your economic down turn will be short.

 

Yeah because Toyota Corollas and Honda Civics are just falling out the sky. But of course, she's broke so she should just find the first one she sees and buys it.

She does need a car for transportation. Unless the Mercedes was over the hill, there should have been enough money from selling it to buy something reliable. Most likely they have a second car. I guess some just do not see a need to sacrifice, when the government will step in and just hand over money. Why be put out, the government will just tax more and/or print more money.

While some may read my post above and think I have the same slant as you may have here, it's not remotely similar.

 

So, here goes my rant. And it affects me directly. I've shared this before, not with most of you, but some of you. My wife's best friend in high school made some terrible life decisions (suffice to say) and had various drug related issues, alcohol issues, DWI issues, etc.. Well, abbreviated version, she ended up pregnant, realized she didn't want her child to grow up in similar conditions and environment and we ended up stepping in. We let her live with us, she had the child, I employed her, we helped her regain her license, we bought her a car, got her a home and the list goes on. I say this for background, no other reason. I'd do it again because it was the right thing to do. Now, her son is 7, she went back to school while trying to work, couldn't do it again financially so had to stop taking classes. We moved and some of the ease of financial burden moved with us. So, she ended up upside down in daycare by some $400 and can't take him any longer, so she had to send him the hour and a half away to stay all week with her mom (in the very environment she wanted to leave in the first place) but she has little other choice. She can't quit her job, she clears roughly $1000/month and spends $65/week in gas alone driving back and forth to work. She makes just enough to qualify for a medical card for them both but receives no other assistance. There's no father in the picture (he's called me daddy since he could speak, still addresses me as such). So, how the hell does that happen? She busts her butt and can't get any foodstamps. And I'll tell you this, I have told her multiple times to consider quitting and seeing how much she could make on assistance alone. But she's not wired that way. She's a worker. She's a very good worker as a matter of fact. So, where does she fall? She doesn't have a mercedes to sell and downgrade. Who determines who gets it or not? where is the line? Frankly, it really ticks me off to see someone abuse it. I'm talking really chafes me.

 

So, now she is relegated to seeing her son on weekends because she has no choice and keep working. And if things work out, my wife and I may try to overcome her pride and take him ourselves to try to make a way for him that better than he has. The kid has no direction, no father figure, no real chance to succeed and is literally lost in the shuffle.

 

So, I'd say my opinion is freakin jaded.

Yeah because Toyota Corollas and Honda Civics are just falling out the sky. But of course, she's broke so she should just find the first one she sees and buys it.

 

Oh good God, please point out to where I made such a dumb claim. Log on to any car sales website, you will find dozens of each of those models to choose from. Both of those models are regularly on the top ten in sales in numerous years. There are other similar low cost, highly reliable cars also. What is the problem with that? I have even heard Dave Ramsey recommend a similar strategy to those to get back on their feet.

 

When a contract position at a company I worked at stopped renewing contractors when revenue took a down turn and left me unemployed, I seriously thought of trading out my car (which is paid off) for something cheaper to have the difference to hold me over for a while, I decided against doing so since my research determined my car was not worth much in the first place so the trade off would not yield very much. I then turned around and started talking to realtors I knew about selling my house and possibly moving in with a parent. All three realtors suggested that the housing downturn (at that time) was not looking to rebound anytime soon and recommended making selling my home as an absolute last resort. I then looked at possibly liquidating my retirement to pay off my house to eliminate my mortgage and just suffer the tax consequences. While looking into this, the job offer from a print company came about so I didn't need to take any action but I was ready to make such of move.

Whatever. I wouldn't attempt to sell my 2004 Lexus. I would attempt to sell one or both of my televisions, get rid of Directv, sell the Playstation along with numerous other things before I sold my Lexus. Selling my paid off Lexus would be the absolute last thing I would do. Call me petty. Call me an abuser. I do not care. I'm not selling my Lexus. I would sell this house and go back to renting before I sold my Lexus.

 

I agree with what you say here. She made no mention of doing those things. I did go back and reread the article, saying that the Mercedes was one reliable item they had, but what did she expect when people saw her driving a Mercedes and using food stamps?

I agree with what you say here. She made no mention of doing those things. I did go back and reread the article, saying that the Mercedes was one reliable item they had, but what did she expect when people saw her driving a Mercedes and using food stamps?

 

Exactly the point of the article.

"Judge not. Or ye shall be judged."

I agree with what you say here. She made no mention of doing those things. I did go back and reread the article, saying that the Mercedes was one reliable item they had, but what did she expect when people saw her driving a Mercedes and using food stamps?

 

I don't know what she expected, but it is clear what many think/thought.

While some may read my post above and think I have the same slant as you may have here, it's not remotely similar.

 

So, here goes my rant. And it affects me directly. I've shared this before, not with most of you, but some of you. My wife's best friend in high school made some terrible life decisions (suffice to say) and had various drug related issues, alcohol issues, DWI issues, etc.. Well, abbreviated version, she ended up pregnant, realized she didn't want her child to grow up in similar conditions and environment and we ended up stepping in. We let her live with us, she had the child, I employed her, we helped her regain her license, we bought her a car, got her a home and the list goes on. I say this for background, no other reason. I'd do it again because it was the right thing to do. Now, her son is 7, she went back to school while trying to work, couldn't do it again financially so had to stop taking classes. We moved and some of the ease of financial burden moved with us. So, she ended up upside down in daycare by some $400 and can't take him any longer, so she had to send him the hour and a half away to stay all week with her mom (in the very environment she wanted to leave in the first place) but she has little other choice. She can't quit her job, she clears roughly $1000/month and spends $65/week in gas alone driving back and forth to work. She makes just enough to qualify for a medical card for them both but receives no other assistance. There's no father in the picture (he's called me daddy since he could speak, still addresses me as such). So, how the hell does that happen? She busts her butt and can't get any foodstamps. And I'll tell you this, I have told her multiple times to consider quitting and seeing how much she could make on assistance alone. But she's not wired that way. She's a worker. She's a very good worker as a matter of fact. So, where does she fall? She doesn't have a mercedes to sell and downgrade. Who determines who gets it or not? where is the line? Frankly, it really ticks me off to see someone abuse it. I'm talking really chafes me.

 

So, now she is relegated to seeing her son on weekends because she has no choice and keep working. And if things work out, my wife and I may try to overcome her pride and take him ourselves to try to make a way for him that better than he has. The kid has no direction, no father figure, no real chance to succeed and is literally lost in the shuffle.

 

So, I'd say my opinion is freakin jaded.

 

What you have done for this lady is commendable. But if society realized that actions have consequences, there would be less of this to happen. I know that the world is not perfect and even in the good old days, such things happened, but it was less common. As people realized there were consequences to one actions.

What you have done for this lady is commendable. But if society realized that actions have consequences, there would be less of this to happen. I know that the world is not perfect and even in the good old days, such things happened, but it was less common. As people realized there were consequences to one actions.

 

Sure there are consequences. A citizen without blemish for 8 years deserves help when she's trying to be the best she can for her son and herself. Paint it however you want. This is where the system fails and it shouldn't. Bottom line.

Some of you read Mercedes and see $. It was a 2003 kompressor and is probably worth less then $10,000. Closer to $6000.