Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Blame the Hungry and Homeless

I had a conversation with a woman today that made me cry.

I was in a waiting room, and she was the owners wife.  We exchanged idle chit chat, she discussed at length with my encouragement the winterizing of her inground heated pool.  Their enormous motor home was parked outside.

She checked her phone and commented that Governor Lepage was in another battle.

"Oh, the Land for Maine's Future?"

(Maine voters approved a bond in the amount of some millions of dollars to purchase vulnerable habitat.  The Governor has refused to release those funds to try and coerce the legislature to do what he wants)

"No, he wants to create a rule that single people on food stamps cannot own more than 5000 in assets."

This led to a conversation between us about the less fortunate in society.  I told her that I give 5 bucks to the sign wielding homeless on the streecorners, she countered with they can turn around and walk up to the local
 walmart and get a job.

I asked her how someone who has no phone and no address and no where to even take a shower can apply for a job?

She said if they are given money they will just spend it on drugs or alcohol.

I told her I didn't care  how they spent the money I gave them.

She said they must have some kind of money coming in, disability or whatever.  I told her that some people were incapable of filling out applications for help, or may not be able to get transportation to the agency.

I find this attitude so prevelant in middle and upper middle class society. 
"Get a job!"
"Stop freeloading"
"I work my ass of to pay my bills and they are getting food stamps!"

"I am paying for those food stamps!"

Yet the fact that most of those taxes go to fatten the coffers of 450 families that control 90% of the money in this country is perfectly ok. 

I once calculated that food stamps make up .002 percent of the total federal budget.  If you pay $10,000 a year in taxes, $20 of that goes to food stamps.

I will also add most of the people around here that have decent jobs work for the state.  Their paycheck comes from taxes. 

Poor people pay taxes too.  Tax on gas, tax on non food items, tax on cell phones.

And listen to them have a fit about poor people who suffer from addictions and drink or smoke!!

Even though  tobacco taxes make up 5% of the state budget.

Go ahead, blame the hungry and homeless.

 If I had to stand on a streecorner begging for money, I would probably need a drink myself.

I certainly wanted one after that conversation.




1 comment:

Tonia said...

Ugh... I would need a drink after that kind of conversation.. One of our pastors preached on something similar.. He is a very compassionate man to begin with. And he talked about how in the Bible it says we are to love the Least of these.. And he said not just the sick and poor but the People that deal with addictions or people that just can't seem to get life right, ones that can't seem to hold a job and continued to name off a list of similar situations.. He said How dare I think I am better than these... We are all human... and we are to love one another, no conditions to that love. While I may not agree with some people that is no reason to look down on them or treat them badly. I tend to give cash if I have it to those standing out with signs or whatever..I have had people question that, Because I could be that person... It is not that easy to get a job especially now..