if it makes them comfortable. While you may not be comfortable where you are at with Gov assistence does not mean that many of your fellow Americans feel the same way. It is unfortunate, but we need to make these people very uncomfortable, and pray for those that are assistence can find a way to bust their rears to get ahead. I know it sucks, but we need to demand more from most of the people in this country that can provide for themselves but remain on Welfare. I know I am mean conservative.

I met a pretty young thing in designer clothes at a tony local watering hole. I said to myself, “she’s either an heiress or a welfare mommy.” She was the latter but she had some well developed skills and attributes. I kinda took up with her for a while and shamed her into getting a job; well, actually, I got the job for her ’cause she didn’t have a clue how to get a job. Since she was usually at my house or me at hers, I took her to work every day and usually took her to lunch. Horizontally speaking; she was the very best. You date yourself if you know the song that line comes from.

Then after a payday or two she starts complaining that she’s broke. I did the back of the matchbook math. I was a fairly high-level State employee and on welfare, her disposable income had been more than mine. Working, she was broke, even in a job better than her vertical abilities might merit and with full benefits. So, after about a month an a half, she quit the job, went back on welfare, and returned to answering the door only well after noon and in her always elegant bathrobes. She kicked me to the curb along the way because I wasn’t the commiting kind of guy in those days, at least the way she defined committment.

She had a “domestic disturbance” at her apartment, bewitched the much older cop who responded, ran off his wife, and is now living happily ever after on his retirement.

When these AFDC/TANF motheres start work, they receive subsidized daycare. How does that cost the state less? Incomes are low enough that they recieve food stamps and mediciad still when employed.
On TANF an unemployed mother of 3 might recieve $400/month (I don’t know what it is but am guessing it’s around there) cash payment. When they work the state pays $1200 for four children in daycare, plus things like bus fare or gas gift cards, taxis to get to work and here in FL (I don’t know about other states) they were buying “welfare to work” recipients cars. I don’t know how it’s calculated but there is also expense for the large number employees hired for daycare and welfare to work.

For the sliding scales, only TANF is like that $1 for $1 starting at $1, but the payments are so low. Even if someone worked 60 hours a month that would still kill any TANF/AFDC payment. Food stamps have a limit before they are decreased at all. I know when we recieved them, the limit was high, around $1400/month and that was just for 2 people. Most people have a larger family size so the limit will be higher.

The only place I’ve seen the would rather collect than work mentality is with married families that are on the high end of the food stamp earning limits. The husband works but the wife refuses to work because it will cut off or reduce their food stamps.
I’m sure there are some out there but haven’t seen single parents deciding AFDC/TANF is better than work so they just stay home. I see it mostly with food stamps/medicaid with married families. Also they won’t opt in to buy insurance through their work because they can keep their children on medicaid.

Thanks for explaining.