Quote:
Originally Posted by elchivito
I suspect we can all tell those tales. I am very close with a former student. An exceedingly bright girl, member of an ethnic minority, who screwed up in her youth and had a child at 15 and another at 17. Her family unable to help, she existed and raised her kids on public assistance while attending junior college and working full time. She is now a lawyer who works for an agency that helps girls in the same position she was in. Without public assistance, she wouldn't have made it. An intellect wasted.
|
Excellent example of good use of public funds. The problem is that this is, it seems, not only not the norm, it is a highly rare case. What is the norm is for people to get on the dole and stay there, and then encourage their children to do the same, which begets more children to do the same. If we take all the people and money that goes down this hole and compare it to those that would "make it" without the government help- it begs the question- is it worth it? Could those same people as shown in this example make it with private non profit help? The answers to those questions boils down to individuals' answers- and my answer is the government use of my money is wasted by in large. It was not wasted on her, and so if we could give more money to private non profit help of our choice instead of the to the government we would have more control of it and get better results. Your choice is that my money- and perhaps yours- it best spent by the government, and my choice is that it is not. Yet you want to dictate to me how my money is spent- which I strongly disagree with.
Quote:
Originally Posted by elchivito
It's real easy for those who haven't suffered the indignity of public aid to scoff and pass judgement. The reality is much sadder, and much more complicated.
Simple minds seek simple solutions.
|
Why is it easy? Because we have made the hard decisions to forgo stupid courses of actions and become productive members of society? Why does not preclude empathy? Could it be because you assume? Are you also saying people who work hard and work smart and become productive members of society are simple minded? Isn't it the other way around- those that leech off society are simple minded? (and this example is is not a leech- she just needed a helping hand- not a permanent stipend)