FarmerChick said:
everyone pays taxes
if hubby paid alot in taxes, then you made alot of income....did you truly spend correctly to keep your life in order to pay for those repairs? Should someone be controlling your income to be sure you spend wisely so you don't have to suck off the govt system?
if you pay $5 or $35,000 you don't have a right to say how it is spent when received thru govt programs down to the penny......I mean last penny, the recipent to the level of control. Thru voting etc. you can sway what happens to your tax dollars....but total control of your tax money will not happen. I say to myself--live with it lol
why should someone in rough times get help? not a family alive hasn't had rough times....you need some cash to get out of those rough times, is the govt. supposed to just hand you money to get going again for your personal rough times. No....you must meet requirements to truly suck out tax dollars to be put in your pockets to get help.
what did you OWN when you had these rough times? You probably had alot more than any other person accepting help from the system.
just cause one finds themselves in hard times and does have alot in their life, doesn't mean a check is at your finger tips without having to work for it just cause ya paid into the system.
my tax dollars---I vote to sway what I want done with them, but we are funding a huge country....not everything is rosy in it at all
On paper it showed we made a lot of money. In reality we made very little. But self employment taxes have to be paid. Yes, everyone pays taxes, but some pay more than others.
We were doing quite well until we used some of our savings (which we had put aside for times of strain) when we had 3 blizzards and 1 snowstorm (without the wind, otherwise it would have been a blizzard) within a month. Our savings had taken a hit, but once the yards were dry enough (he hauled lumber at the time) he went back to work, and we started putting money back into savings. Things were going great until the truck started on fire. It wasn't our fault. But, we had some in savings, so we made do. When he did work, it was good money, but when you have thousands of dollars going out every month for business costs, and none coming in, it dwindles the savings quickly.
The insurance company went back and forth about whether to total it or not. This was our income source. All this while his leasor kept telling him they were getting a loaner truck "any day" so he could work. He sat around waiting for the insurance company to decide what to do. All this while he isn't getting paid, and since I wasn't on a full time schedule, I wasn't making much. The truck was out of commission for a month. A month where a large portion of our yearly income is being made, where we put money away for times like that. Winter was hard, but the summer months was where he made 70% of our income. After the truck got repaired, the shop where he had his repairs done at didn't fix something he asked them to fix-twice. It took over a week for a new place to fix it. Then, since his leasor didn't trust his truck, they didn't set his loads up so he would be making the money he was making the last summer. Then, the transmission blew up, costing us towing charges, and all sorts of bull.
All in all, he was unable to work for the majority of the bread and butter season, and even then, his leasor didn't want him going far, but he was under contract until September. September came and he went to work for another company. We were broke, all savings depleted, etc. Everything that we owned was on borrowed money. When times were good, we handled things fine. Heck, even when times were bad, we handled things good. Up until the end of July, we had perfect credit. Even after that, most of our bills were less than 60 days late.
Do I wish we made better choices? Sure. But we did take the proper steps to prepare for most of what happened. But when it all falls in your lap at the same time, something's got to give.
And it gave.
As far as "working for it" and having a check at our fingertips...I am pretty sure that we have paid our fair share of taxes (and military service) in order for us to get a couple hundred dollars worth of money to go to the grocery store.
Regardless of our personal story, IMO, there should be some form of control over the food purchases of those on SNAP. I'm not saying that they HAVE to buy 1 loaf of bread a week and 3 lbs of bananas, and a 5 lb bag of potatoes...heck, have them buy 20 lbs of bananas, but the food that is shown to be bad for health shouldn't be allowed, or at least extremely limited.
Health. It is about health. Good health isn't decided by habits over short periods of time...it's over long periods of time. Most people on assistance are on it for long periods of time. Our nation, as a whole would be healthier, and would be in less of a medical crisis if those who utilize assistance would be limited to better food choices.
I also use my vote. I have missed a few municipal elections, but I have participated in the process since I turned 18. I know things can't all be rosy, but we are all entitled to our opinions.
(And I won't even go into earmarks and reckless spending!) LOL
In any case, just keep preparing for the worst, praying for the best...
