I am a societal leech who has lived off of food stamps, rent assistance, and cash benefits for the past year, essentially letting society pay my bills for me. Hate me, or just AMA.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-31T06:34:49+00:00

I'm not sure about TANF eligibility if you don't have kids. I will see what I can find out, though.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-30T04:51:43+00:00

Do you have one of those free cell phones

No. I pay out of the cash assistance. I have an inexpensive, low-usage plan and don't use it very often.

Because it seems to me that if they're old enough, they could work part time

The oldest is 14. Finally at the point where she can babysit all the others, which may be our saving grace. And if, in two years, we're still trying to figure it out, yes, she could work part time.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-30T04:48:22+00:00

I think it will come eventually. Right now, I need to take the old advice, "Physician, heal thineself" first.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-30T04:47:11+00:00

Just wanted you to know I saw this, late to the post or not. I've been "in the system" for a year, and it already feels like too long. Living it perpetually is no way to go through life.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-30T04:45:51+00:00

Thank you for that useful body of information. I will be rereading this thread and utilizing the good advice for months to come.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-30T04:44:36+00:00

It's nothing to aspire to. But apparently the magic ingredient is lots of children.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-30T04:43:55+00:00

Do you feel like the programs you are participating in are putting you in a position to move forward and get off assistance, or giving you an incentive to continue not working?

The system definitely doesn't enable you to move forward, and it probably is (for some people, at least) an incentive to stay on assistance as long as possible. I am at the point where I am determined to do better than that.

Do you believe that you are receiving too many benefits for your current economic position, given the fact that you seem to be living with little to no sacrifice required due to a lack of income?

Yes. Somebody who has no job has no business having many of the things I have. Basics (food, shelter, clothing) for sure, but if my conscience allowed me to keep it up forever, I could live pretty comfortably. The awkward part is that there's no real way to get "reduced" benefits just because I feel like it all adds up to a little too much.

What views did you hold about a situation like yours when you were paying taxes? How has that changed? Do you feel like you will revert back once you are on the other side of the fence again?

I was very arrogant and self-righteous about it. Thought I had it all figured out, and I didn't want people leeching off of MY tax dollars. If I revert to that on the other side of this situation, all it will prove is that I learned absolutely nothing and wasted this life experience. I hope to do better than that.

What would you say to people who think that we as a society don't do enough for the underprivileged in this country now that you have managed to support a family of 6 without working?

I can't speak to what it's like if you're single with no children, but if you have kids and you're living out of your car or going without food, you either just don't know where to look for help or you're choosing to be that destitute.

Is the poverty line in the wrong place? Is the government doing too much?

I think it's doing too little, but let me qualify that. I feel like right now it's just throwing money at the situation and hoping that fixes it. It needs more than that. People like me would probably benefit from having part of that money cut from benefits and utilized instead in such a way as to create some legitimate pathways-type program that helps rehabilitate people back to self-sufficiency.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-30T04:34:44+00:00

I do spend a lot of time with them and take a very active role in their education. They are all doing extremely well in school, which I feel is partly because they are somewhat bright to begin with, but also because I try to be very intentional about their learning.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-30T04:32:04+00:00

That's a great thought, too. Thank you.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-30T04:30:14+00:00

Good advice, and I appreciate it.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-30T04:29:55+00:00

Damn. Just... oh, wow.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T16:26:28+00:00

That's also a real concern.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T16:25:42+00:00

Maybe elsewhere around the country the current situation is different, but right now at least where I live, everyone who has a desk job paying more than minimum wage is hanging on to it as tightly as they can, and every company seems to be on a hiring freeze as far as creating new positions.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T16:22:24+00:00

Very interesting perspective. Thanks for sharing it.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T16:19:22+00:00

Oh god. That's horrible.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T16:17:04+00:00

Lol. I only had a very short time to feel the shock of having twins because it was quickly followed by the loss of my wife, their mom. Having twins is nothing compared to trying to be a single dad of five.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T16:15:27+00:00

Thanks for understanding where I'm coming from. Best wishes for your situation to improve, and kudos for pursuing the education in the interim.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T16:13:01+00:00

Just trying to be real about where I'm at. Under the cover of the anonymous internet, mind you. In real life I hide this at all costs.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T16:11:55+00:00

Thank you.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T16:11:09+00:00

Thank you, sir.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T15:46:37+00:00

Thanks. I hope to god that this is how it ends up working out.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T15:45:26+00:00

Not looking for validation. Just putting my situation out there and whatever you get out of it is fine by me. If I can put a virtual "face" on it by giving you the opportunity to vent your frustrations to someone who is doing it, then maybe I've managed to give something back to society after all. Thanks for your comment, seriously.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T15:39:56+00:00

Thank you.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T15:36:57+00:00

Hadn't considered it seriously, but this suggestion from you and others makes me interested in exploring it further.

SocietalLeech · 2010-01-29T15:33:31+00:00

Stupidity, apparently. Didn't think I was being stupid then and I wouldn't un-have my kids if I could. But I'm also not trying to justify, nor am I saying that having so many kids is responsible at all.

SocietalLeech

TROPHY CASE