I'm one of these people. I'm above poverty level, yet I can't pay my bills. I'm robbing Peter to pay Paul every month. I'm too "rich" for food stamps. I'm too "rich" for Medicaid. So I sit here with no insurance and very little food in my fridge. I guess I should just be happy to be alive and live in the USA. ;)

This is EXACTLY why so many were against the School Levy, Yet the Proponents thought we were just Lying to everyone, because surely we were just being GREEDY. You can NEVER get people who have Plenty to believe that there are Many who DON'T, some of us were being as Honest as possible when we said that we can not even afford to take our prescription medicines but every OTHER day, we were forced to make a months supply last us for 2 months. Well it passed anyway so I have decided to completely Stop ALL of mine, and if I DIE, what the Hell, you Can't call this Living !!

missourimomma:

Just think how tight it’s going to be when osamabama starts fining you for not having medical insurance.

I'll concede that there are some people who truly can't afford their needs and nothing else. But there are far too many that can't afford their needs, but they always manage their wants.

They go to the bar every week; they still manage to buy cigarettes; they can afford their pool parties at Ramada; all of the latest video games; cell phones for everyone in the family with every feature, including internet; their internet at home is the best speeds they their provider carries; the best cable/or satellite tv packages with the sports extras; out to eat for all their meals or prepackaged foods: ...need I continue?

Doesn't anyone know how to make beans and rice from dry grains anymore? See, when I grew up poor, my mother would buy the least expensive car she afford to make payments on and maintain. We didn't have cable at all, channel 2 or nothing on a 19" television (we had to get up and change the channel ourselves). For many years we grew our own vegetables and Mom canned them and worked a full time job. We never had new clothes, all hand-me-downs. We ate at home most of the time. Mom usually kept the car and we walked or rode the bicycles someone gave us.

If you fit in this second group, I hope you make it okay. Hang in there, it will work out for you and children eventually. If you fit in the other, just wtf are you thinking?

My mom didn't go to the bars or smoke, even if she had; she would have gave it up because she felt responsible for her children first. In other words, she cared more about her children then she ever did herself. Maybe some of the spoiled snatches today should take lessons from the mothers of yesterday. I've got to go, need to go give my mom a hug!!!

I totally agree with ya Apparently So. And Dalearch---the idea alone is giving me tingles up my spine.

ApparentlySo:

I know exactly what you’re talking about. I have a contract employee that I hire and pay as needed per job. He is constantly whining about money.
The other day I drove him to look at a job. (His car was repossessed) On the way he was doing his normal complaining about money and asking me to put him on salary and give him a car to drive.
We stopped at the Quik Trip store in Oak Grove, MO to get gas & he went inside. When he came back out he was carrying two cartons of Marlboros at $37.95 per carton - $75.90 worth of cigarettes.
As soon as he was back in the car he started his whining about money…”my cell phone is going to be shut off”, and “I can’t even afford to put food on the table”.
When I asked him how much cigarettes cost now, it went right over his head.

I agree with you all and there are people who put thing like cigerettes and things that are not needed.But the fact remains we cannot label all people this way.There are people out there who are having a hard time and they are on that fine line of any assistance.My heart goes out to those people and their children.
There are those who have plenty and will never understand how these people survive.
I also think and see what SteveO is talking about with my inlaws and their medications and affording them.
But the nice son in law that I am I help them as much as possible.In these times this is what it is going to take family helping family.
And we need to quit labeling all people who are in this position and people who are getting assistance because we all know there are people who are recieving help for the first time in their lifes and it was hard for them to ask and then we make them feel bad because we label them.

mm.... well spoken.

i too know of people that wine about money and who also smoke.they say it there right to smoke or it is an addiction and they would stop if they could. i think you have to have priority in your life.my mother was also the type that put the children first. she would buy what she could and tell us we don't need this or that all the while knowing we couldn't afford the small stuff.we barely got by. i know what rolled oats and gov. butter tasted like. i too understand what it is like to have very damn little to get by with. that is not a lessen i enjoyed learning. i would have much rather been from a family that had most of what they needed. it was extremely embarrassing as a child to wear second hand clothes and shoes from catholic charities. there was nothing i could do until i grew up to change things. i live pretty well these days but will never forget the younger years when we had nothing.i was not handed a thing in my life, everything was earned from hard work and learning everything i could to improve my situation. i too know that there are a lot of people out of work today and it could happen to me at anytime. i live my life one day at a time. i hope there are programs out there to help the ones that truly need them and some that just need a leg up. i do what i can, always, and had $200.00 borrowed by a smoker who will pay me back. i know, what is wrong with my logic? he is a good friend and he is on disability. well, what can i say, allot more people could have used that money more then him. without these programs helping others , where would they be as a people?

Or people could quit giving a drunk a drink.

"I am for doing good to the poor, but I differ in opinion of the means. I think the best way of doing good to the poor, is not making them easy in poverty, but leading or driving them out of it. In my youth I travelled much, and I observed in different countries, that the more public provisions were made for the poor, the less they provided for themselves, and of course became poorer. And, on the contrary, the less was done for them, the more they did for themselves, and became richer." -- Ben Franklin, 1766

That sure is a nice quote by Ben Franklin there, however it doesn't apply as much today as it did then. Especially when you have people who work, and work hard at more than one job and STILL can't pay the bills. You've got landlords in this town that think they can charge rents as high as they do in KC (and actually, KC rents are starting to look MORE reasonable) but the jobs here don't pay as much as there, now do they? We have people that lost jobs because of companies moving away and now the only ones they can get pay 1/2 to 1/3 of what their former job did. You can call it living above their means if you want, but they WERE making enough to cover the mortgage, the car payment and college for their kids and unfortuneately credit bureaus don't really care why you can't pay anymore.
For all the naysayers, I've said it before & I'll say it again - yes, you are going to have a small percentage who use the gov't help for all it is worth, but you'll have a small percentage like that ANYWHERE and in ANY circumstance. You can't judge the whole hunk of cheese by one moldy corner.

Landlords charge what they charge because... people pay it! Called supply and demand. As for the wages... why do you think the majority of those in St. Joseph making over $50K a year commute to KC? Are you not capable? Are the people you're refering to not capable? Live beyond your means much?

People wouldn't be in such a tight spot right now if THEY took care of THEMSELVES and didn't depend on the government. Yes, I'm including the older generation because them of all people should have known better. They were around when this stuff was being created - they knew the mess they were getting in to and they did little to nothing to prepare themselves for old age. Sorry if that bothers you but the truth hurts. You can either make it on your own and enjoy it or break it on your own and blame it on someone else. Then the government steps in and creates and avenue for which the lazy can become more lazy. Big freakin' surprise we're where we're at.

You're right about the Franklin quote. We might as well stop printing them in history books. We should probably stop showing people the Eisehower warning on the military industrial complex too, right? I mean, after all, it's not the same world anymore and it just doesn't apply as much today as it did then, right?

Those who refuse to learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. When you repeat them, it means my country repeats them. Pardon me if I take personal offense to you and the rest of the, "it's a different world" crowd when you're entitlement mentality ruins my country.

Don't like what Franklin had to say? Move to Europe. This country was created by those who wanted out and it was fought and earned by those that agreed with them.

And now you're going to tell people that it was all for nothing, huh? Listen, we've progressed as a country because of our freedoms, not in spite of them.

As far as I'm concerned if you accept government assistance you should be REQUIRED to disclose ALL of your spending habits. ALL OF THEM.

Don't like it? Don't take money that you didn't earn.

I bet you those people that truly need a temporary hand would have no problems disclosing that information.

I can see it now - if that was required the NAACP and ACLU would be screaming unfair, unfair!

Careful there LOD. Earlier this week the resident community activist accused me of being a Klansman for making a similar statement. But I took it as just her color commentary adding to the discussion at hand (or should I say handout).

It's all about priorities. I know a family that makes well over 100k and complain that they have no money. While my wife and I make maybe 60k a year. I know way above the poverty level, but we struggle just the same as everyone else. We limit the amount of times we go out to dinner, we don't go on vacations, don't go to the boat or the bars. We try and live within our means. People today are lazy and would rather take a handout than put a honest day's work in. If I knew I couldn't put food on the table and someone called and said, "I'll give you $20 to come and clean my toilet," I would hop in my car and get over there right away. People can not seperate their needs and wants. The food stamp program needs to be redone. I am tired of standing in line at Walmart and having someone with a cart full of steaks and other "high quality" products, then put up two cases of Busch Light, a bottle of Jack and two cartons of Cigs. It's everything that I can do not to say anything.

I know that there are people that truly need the help and I will give the shirt off my back to them. But I refuse to help someone who smokes, has a Wii, and premium cable and still asks for help. Thats why I have issues adopting families. I know it's about the kids, but one time my work group took a family some presents and heard the parents say to the kids, don't open those we are taking them back.

That's my rambling for the afternoon...whew...my head hurts!

You all cannot label all people the way you are.Sure there are some people who do not want to try but there are people who actually have been hurt during this ecomony and have hit hard time and have never asked for help of any kind.What the hell is wrong with our country we have no problem spending billions to fight wars or send money to other countrys.We had no problem bailing out companys and wall street and banks when these are the people who have got us in this mess in the first place.But do not let a american citizen that have hit hard times ask for any help they will be labeled a dead bet.What's wrong with this picture?

I look at this as the same way that you do about bailing out big business. I am not sure who else said it, but if you get financial assistance, your spending habits should be evaluated. Same thing that took place with business's that took TARP money. I will be more than happy to help the person who has fallen on hard times, but not the person who continues to blow through the help and not curb their frivolus spending. You loose your job, quit buying cigs and booze.

Mizzou when you do a good thing don't resent it later. God judges you how you listen to him. Do what he asks you to do. He used you to bless another and it is on them if they blow the blessing of God. Be thankful that YOU are the one who had it to give.

MsD, that restores my faith. thank you for those words.

I think if you are on any kind of government assistance you should have to pass a drug test first. That would get rid of a lot of people on assistance I bet!

Great idea stjoecitizen!

Thanks!!!

MM, did you read my whole post? Did I say something that you took personally?

I think I point out the two segments. In reality, it's not even about being poor. It is about individuals at all income levels that take care of the things they want, over the things they need. I don't care how much any family has or obtains. If, however, the parents are doing it at the expense of providing the essentials needed for their children then the parents need to reconsider their priorities.

The point of not having anything growing up maybe should include, that no matter what, my mother went without and she did not do anything for herself. She bought what she needed for work, otherwise, she sacrificed everything so that she could take care of her children.

So when somebody who is more middle class and has a larger income then my mother ever had, and are unable to provide for the necessities; I'm forced to ask the question, are they giving up everything so their children can be properly provided for?

In other words, you don't always have to have the "best, latest, greatest, fastest, coolest". Sometimes you buy just what you need and nothing more. And when times are tight, and you have the "best, latest, greatest, fastest, coolest", scale back and cut your expenses. Sometimes that means to zero in some areas, but cut the wants over the needs.

I actually completely agree with the drug testing idea.

You see how this stuff can seriously be accomplished by us, the citizens? We don't need those fools in Washington. Sure it might take a little longer, maybe a LOT longer. The point is we're capable if we at least start the discussion.

This is exactly why big government has got to go. We don't need them to tell us where our money goes and who should be receiving it. They are LOSERS in Washington. They have done nothing but wreck the country for the last 85 years.

I say it's time we reclaim our state sovereignty and cut ourselves from the government tit. It will be hard but seriously, look around you. You want to leave your life to Washington? Don't you think you're capable of screwing up your own life if you wanted to? You want to continue feeling lost in Missouri when they screw up in New York?

Should New Yorkers be punished for any of Missouri's laws? Why the hell are we eating NY's problems?

The alarm is going off, WAKE UP!

ApparentlySo,
No there was nothing in you post I took personally and if you did not read I said I agree with all of the post I just do not think we need to label all people because of a select few.

LoD:

Thanks a lot. When I came to “I actually completely agree with the drug testing idea.” sparks started flying out of my computer.

Totally agree with the drug testing idea. Also with the financial records checks. People who declare bankruptcy these days have to provide stringent details about their spending habits, if you're wanting free money, they should have to go through the same process. Hey, it'd create jobs at the same time! Deadbeat auditing anyone?

Don't get me wrong, for those who are legitimately hurting... the "working poor" whose priorities are actually in order, who aren't trying to take advantage of the system, playing the "disabled" card when they're perfectly able to work, etc. do deserve help. But I don't think Big Brother Gov needs to be the one doing it. Ideally, communities, Non-profits, churches, etc. need to be the ones to step up and band together to help our own without huge bureaucratic oversight and red tape.

Never mind MM, the High Rollers will continue to think what
they want, and will never learn any different because they have NEVER walked a mile in my shoes, Nor will they EVER have to !! I truthfully PRAY that they don't !

Doesn't anyone have any ideas on how Steve-O can get his meds at a more reasonable price?

BTW, Steve-O please do not stop taking them. Despite the problems, it's worth it!

Finding help for cost of prescription drugs:

http://www.ssa.gov/prescriptionhelp/

www.access2wellness.com

http://www.ehow.com/way_5522778_paying-prescription-drugs.html

http://www.rxhelp4u.com/

http://patientmedicationassistance.com/

http://www.medadvocates.com/?

Many generics are available at Walmart and HyVee for $10 for a 3-month supply

Dale, it's no secret that I've always maintained that you are responsible for you.

Whatever I do in my time, is my time. It's my time because I pay for it. I evaluate the situation according to my beliefs and needs and then I make a decision. The decisions I make have no impact on my fellow man.

As long as those elements exist, then no one has the authority to require me to do otherwise. It is not now their business, nor will it ever be, under these circumstances.

Once I request a favor, in the form of any socialist program (welfare, medicaid, medicare, bankruptcy, borrowing) I am immediately bound by the terms of the lender, or in this case, the bureaucrat. If I do not accept the terms, then I am in no way bound by them for I have not accepted what appears to have been, "offered."

The problem is - the United States Federal government has a problem with the definition of "offered." In my world of understanding an "offer" is a non-binding proposition in which one presents another with goods or services for an agreed payment of goods or services.

The United States federal government takes a twisted approach where the offer becomes a requirement via "criminal non-compliance" legislation hidden in every damn bill or law it passes. In other words, sometimes you can opt out (borrowing, financing) or you can't opt out (medicare) - in EVERY SINGLE CASE YOU PAY REGARDLESS. Sometimes in the form of financial burden or personal liberty - both at the cost of the taxpayer.

And to top it off, we pay them to do this to us! How ignorant and complacent the people are.

Sometimes physicians are not aware of what their scripts cost the patients. If it's too expensive tell the Dr. that it is and ask if an there's something else that will work but is on the $4 (3/$10) list.

MM, your response insinuates that I labeled all of them the same way. Of course I did not.

I will also disagree with what else you said, there are far more than a few that choose to forgo needs for wants.

ApparentlySo
So you know this for a fact that these people forgo their needs for their wants?
The people who do this will get caught up in a mess they cannot get out of but the people who are doing the things the right way are the ones who suffer for their mistakes.

SteveO I wish there was a way I could help you and please do not stop taking those meds.I know it hard for people right now and it would seem as if there was some kind of help out there.I also remember you saying your wife had to take a special kind of inhaler because she could not use abulterol if I was not mistaken.I can relate to those breathing medications prices I have children who use them to the tune of around 1400 a month for 2 different perscriptions.Hang in there I seen someone posted several web sites maybe some help there.
And Steve you are right some people might have had it hard when they were growing up but have forgotten where they came from.I have done fairly well for myself but will never forget where we came from growing up and our parents as well went without to make sure we had and I would do the same but I have been fortunte not to have to.

Yes, MM. The people that I am referring to. I know for a fact. Remember all of things I listed? Those were examples of some of the things that they have they are all wants, not needs. These same families couldn't pay their basic utilities or provide enough food for their kids. Or proper coats or other clothing. and even basic dental and medical care.

But they can afford to buy new big screen tvs, and get the complete cable and satellite packages multiple new computers, phones with all of the options-this means the most expensive phones, game consoles and a lot of games, and they can always afford beer and cigarettes. Why wouldn't people give up beer and cigarettes over food for their kids?

And of the ones I am referring to, didn't have all these things and suddenly lost their jobs, they were still working at a job with the money they were used to making.

Now, tell me how so many can afford $200,000.00 to $350,000.00 homes, when so many people have stated that there aren't that many people making a lot of money; in this town? The housing crisis was made of tons of people who bought more than they could afford and when their variable rate loans went even higher they couldn't make the payments.

As I said, there are also those that don't buy anything extra. They are struggling and for them I am completely empathetic. There are those that really didn't buy above their means, they bought an average car and an average house; and then they lost their job. I generally have no issues with them, because they had their things prior to losing their jobs. I do have issues with them, when they don't cut back on the play things and extras, continue to smoke and drink, and then state they can't afford food and basic utilities. It's all about choices.

The real problem is everyone knows someone who abuses the system and as a community we should openly shun those people.

That's how they are in Asia. It's called honor and few Americans have it.

It's the same way with infidelity. We probably all know someone who has cheated on their spouse (maybe even some of us) and when we hear about it we say, "I don't even want to know" and continue on about our day.

Fact is, we should be shunning those people openly in our society. Not giving a nervous grin and changing the subject.

I wish most of you could have been present the last time I heard someone offer to sell someone else their $240 food stamps for $120. Yeah, that card they give to prevent unauthorized users? What a joke. It's actually easier for them now because they don't have the little coupon book - it just looks like they're using a debit card so they don't care and no one looks at them any different while they're carrying their groceries out to their $25K SUV.

Want to fix society? Start taking a moral stance. This your money and my money. I DO have a valid opinion when you use my money and I love finding those people in line at the grocery store. Let this be a warning if you're one of the people reading this. I will call you out as loud as I can and I will encourage everyone around me to do the same.

These people need shunned and not quietly. It's needs to be done openly so everyone can hear it.

Wow LOD, do you ever leave your house and see reality?? I guess not. I LOVE how you think that the people who do get assistance are living high on the hog! Go out and learn some facts why don't you! A single mother of two with zero income can expect to receive $290 in cash assistance & about $350 in food stamps per month. Wow, what a winfall! On the other hand, if she works and has a job making $8.50 an hour for 40 hours a week she'll bring home roughly $1156 after deductions. Depending on the age of her children, she'll need daycare so she can go to work. Depending on the age of the children that can be anywhere from $60-$120 a WEEK. So now she's down to $676-$916 a month. Rent for a two bedroom apartment can be anywhere from $350-$700 a month in St Joseph, we'll say she's lucky and has a place for $500. Now she's down to $176-$416. Utilities will be anywhere from $100-$400, she'll need food for the kids, probably doesn't rent a place with a washer/dryer provided (as most don't come with that) so she'll have to pay to do laundry at the laundry mat, gas and insurance is needed for the vehicle, if she has one or bus fare if not. Then there are the unexpected things, illness, which will be paid for out of pocket because her job doesn't offer health insurance, and any number of other emergencies. Wow, maybe she should just work a little harder huh? The world IS different. Get over it already. We don't have the same kind family structures they did even a couple of decades ago. EVERY able bodied person needs to work in the family to make ends meet. Childcare costs are soaring, along with healthcare costs. But nobody's pay is soaring, is it? Well that is unless you work for some fortune 500 company, but I don't see any of those in this town, do you?

Keep judging people based on what you don't know. Maybe those people selling their food stamps did so because they needed to cover their rent, or a utility or fix a car or take a child to the doctor. Unless you've learned how to mindread keep your uninformed bias to yourself and quit being a hatemonger. Try for some compassion and realize that not everyone who needs assistance tries to get it because of people like you. Also remember that just because they don't have a job today doesn't mean that they didn't yesterday and their taxes paid in as well as yours.

For those of you who think that people on assistance need to take a drug test - let me ask you to think with a bit of LOGIC - don't worry, it won't hurt. People need MONEY to buy drugs, obviously something these people don't have, why do you think that everyone on assistance is a druggie???? GET OVER YOURSELVES. People have lost jobs, good paying jobs that they have had for 20-30+ years and where are the opportunities for them to make that same kind of money? NOT HERE. A small percentage of people on assistance are ripping the gov't off. Just as a small percentage of your priests are diddling your children, and a small percentage of your cops are beating a suspect because of the color of his skin, just like a small percentage of nurses are giving leathal doses to elderly patients, just like a small percentage of baptist ministers are visiting prostitutes - SHALL I GO ON???

Maybe I will end up moving to Europe to a country where people come before the ALLMIGHTY DOLLAR!

Faerie,
I have had this same arugment with LOD and he is blind to the fact and he must have been born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
LOD has no concept of the real world only his own world.You are right he must never leave his home to see the real world.
He is also very judgemental toward people and groups all people together.

Faerie,
No, I never said that everyone on assistance is a druggie. I said that in order to get assistance you should have to pass a drug test. This will help to weed out the ones that are abusing the system, by doing things such as selling their food stamps for drug money.

I see Faerie is rationalizing her "assistance."

She should have made better choices in who she reproduced with, that's not my problem.

She can ask her family for help watching the kids while she gets on her feet, again, not my problem.

Your numbers on what they receive are a "windfall" when you multiply it by the millions of losers abusing it.

Obviously if she's making $8.50 an hour she is going to have to cut her lifestyle and probably get a second job.

Yeah - I see a lot of losers selling their foodstamps to pay rent. You moron those people who get food stamps typically have housing assistance where they pay like what - $150 a month?

IF YOU HAD A GOOD PAYING JOB FOR 30 YEARS AND YOU DIDN'T SAVE A PENNY - YOU'RE AN EVEN BIGGER IDIOT THAN BEFORE.

You think the government is going to take care of you? Morons! If anyone had a "good paying" job for 20-30 years they're a complete IDIOT for not having a dime saved after so long. Morons.

Silver spoon huh?

I lived in over 30 different houses all over St. Joseph BEFORE high school. I never went to the same school for two years in a row until middle school. Most often I was changing schools mid-year.

4 of the houses I lived in as a child have been demolished because they were unfit. I was raised by a single mom working 3 jobs most often than not and we had squat for extras.

Because of that I've learned to work on your own cars to save money. I've learned to do my own home repairs to save money. Because of that I've learned that this isn't a price-tag world and that some things can be bartered.

BECAUSE OF THAT I'VE LEARNED THAT IF YOU'RE IN A BAD WAY YOU ONLY HAVE TO LOOK TO THE MIRROR FOR YOUR ANSWERS.

There's a good place to go when you're broke. Work.

In any case, the last damn thing I want to hear about is how many or how expensive your kids are. You should have chosen who you let into your bed a little more carefully.

When my mom and I talk about the good ol' days I even tell her, "if you'd have chosen your HUSBAND (at least she married him) differently then we wouldn't have had to fight so hard just to stay above water.

I can't count how many times I went to school without a shower because the water or the electricity got shut off.

Don't tell me about silver spoons buddy. You are just as clueless about me as you THINK I am about "assistance rodents."

LOD as you are clueless about me as well.I do not sit and critizes people and have not forgotten where I came from either.
You should rememember how hard it was for your mother and your family then.It as well is that hard now for some in this screwed up economy and job losses going on everyday.I know you will say go to a resteraunt or gas station and on and on but your community has to have good paying jobs to support those jobs as well and out community does not have good paying jobs.Look I here Sara Lee in the last 2 weeks have laid off 200 people and that is in the food manufacturing.People are going to be on assistance till things turn around and people like you do not need to gegrade them any further.By the way before you say it I take no assistance and I do draw my unemployment due to a plant closing and no I was not one of the Smurfit guy either.So my question is for you how do you think people are going to survive since there are no good paying jobs and even the jobs you speak of if people are working those they still recieve assistance because they pay nothing.You got lost along the way somewhere it seems to me.

Also LOD this lady you speak of can get a second job and never see her children and how good do you think that is for their well being and their education.The children need time with their parent to grow and mature.Nobody said their problems are yours you just like to put people down get a damn life and leave people along and grouping all people who recieve assistance as low lifes.That shoe will fit your foot for you actions toward people.

MM I can't answer all the problems and question life throws at you.

That's your job. That's that moms job. You have to figure this stuff out for yourself and until you do you'll always have socialist tendencies. Socialism is born of weakness and is another avenue in which personal liberties are lost.

Hey LOD,
Who said I was on assistance? Who said I wasn't married and 'reproduced' willy nilly? That would be you making yet another uninformed judgement. Yet again you group everyone all together and don't see the whole picture. Hello? Is there anybody in there? IF she has to pay out all that money for daycare, why do you think having a second job where she'll need MORE DAYCARE will help? And just who is she going to get to watch her kids for free? Like I said before, it's a different era - Gramma's working too! You all who think that everyone who needs assistance is a druggie or someone who made poor choices are missing out on reality! Maybe that single mother is that way because her husband died in Iraq or on the job or in an accident. YOU DON'T KNOW!!

And just a little FYI, LOD - I don't live on assistance. Never needed to thank goodness, but I have family that has. My father is a widower who lost his job and for 6 months couldn't find another one. In those 6 months he lost his house and had to ask for food stamps. He HATED having to ask, but he'd worked for companies for 30 yrs that ended up moving away, he was out everyday looking for anything that he could do. He needed some help to get through for awhile. He'd paid into the system long enough, that I had to convince him it was okay to ask for a little help for him and my brother. I took them in but didn't make enough money to cover 2 extra mouths to feed as I already lived paycheck to paycheck. Everything isn't cut and dried like you'd like.

As of 2005, in Buchanan County a single mother of 2 needed to make between $11 -$12 an hour to make a living wage. Unfortunately, living wage calculations only encompass rent, food, utilities and nessecities, not transportation, childcare or healthcare.

Community Action Partnership of Greater St. Joseph puts on Poverty Simulations, where you get a glimpse of what it's like to be the WORKING poor. Maybe you should give them a call and see if you can participate in one. That might open your eyes.

One more thing LOD, don't call me moron again. You are the one who reveals more and more of your blatent stupidity by your gross misjudgements and rationalizing of how everyone who is in a bad place is so because of their own making. RIIIIGHT. All those people who worked for companies who moved overseas, they should have know better and foresaw what was coming. The widowed women with children shouldn't have married soldiers or better yet you're chiding the dead soldiers for making the decision to defend our country! Good one LOD, just keep digging that karma hole.

lord/michael...... you have really gone beyond the limits in this recent tirade, IMHO.