Michigan poverty up, incomes down

Two words "BLOWN AWAY"

This is so sad but hardly surprising. It's getting harder and harder to make ends meet. When you are constantly behind on bills the stress just piles on and on. I wonder if this will get any better any time soon. It's such a scary time for Michigan. But as all the politicians say, we're not in a depression. They're beginning to be right tho, we're no longer in a depression, but a recession.

And yet, they continue to tax us to death too!

You mean BUSH

Is this a surprise to anyone ?? Why work when welfare will give you everything for free ?? That is what the state goverment is saying. There are jobs if you want to work but why work, the welfare will give you the same food, the same house, the same car as someone who works 60 hours a week. Until the state says no, just because your heart is beating does not mean you get the same thing as someone who works. STOP THE HAND OUTS!!!

I have said my peace. Thank you for listening.

And other in ground breaking news; the sky is blue, the grass is green and water is wet. Thank you.

Greg Shades I have no idea what the welfare costs are these days. Historically the cost of welfare has been a paper tiger used by politicians who want to give you someone to hate. Even back in the 60's and 70's the research showed welfare was a small portion of the budget and the recipients were for the most part on for surprisingly short periods of time. Just for practice you should check to see how much welfare you qualify for and then make a budget using that amount. I can see you are angry with the current situation and maybe justifiably so. If what you say is true, I would be angry too.

Greg Shades wrote:

Is this a surprise to anyone ?? Why work when welfare will give you everything for free ?? That is what the state goverment is saying. There are jobs if you want to work but why work, the welfare will give you the same food, the same house, the same car as someone who works 60 hours a week. Until the state says no, just because your heart is beating does not mean you get the same thing as someone who works. STOP THE HAND OUTS!!!
I have said my peace. Thank you for listening.

THANK YOU! I'm so glad I'm not the only who is frustrated that my hard-earned tax dollars are given away to abusers of the welfare system. I'm not saying that everyone who receives government assistance is guilty of playing the system, but there has got to be a limit, people! Single mothers continue to stay unmarried but continue to spew out more kids because they get more money. Drug addicts can't hold a job, but are able to keep their homes and have food on their table, while my money allows them to support their illegal habit. There needs to be some serious welfare service reform. It's a nice idea, but we need to prevent the abuse!

Wish some of these comments were directed at big business, which receives more government assistance than all the little hungry bellies every thought of receiving. Big business and government use a system called "triangulation", get 2 groups of "little people" arguing and nobody will notice they are both being ripped off by the big guys at the top of the triangle. Works like a charm, oh, it is a charm, and we fall for it over and over.
Show me one person who gets "everything" they need on welfare. Show me one inner city school that has everything they need to properly educate a child from a disadvantaged home. Come on people look up and see the big picture.

Yes let's send more troops to Iraq from Michigan and raise the gasoline prices higher. Maybe this will help improve our poverty levels in Michigan.
It has been 3 long years since I have had a respectful paying job here in Michigan. My pay take home has dropped 50% since 2005 I have no hospital benefits here where I am employed. Making 10.00 an hour for the past year has really crimped my living standards and causing my family of 4 to adjust to living life at 1920 levels. I am a veteran faught for this state 1967 through 1971 for what 10.00 an hr pay. Lets put another nut in the White House like we have today.
Sighned,
Disgusted

Greg Shades wrote:

Is this a surprise to anyone ?? Why work when welfare will give you everything for free ?? That is what the state goverment is saying. There are jobs if you want to work but why work, the welfare will give you the same food, the same house, the same car as someone who works 60 hours a week. Until the state says no, just because your heart is beating does not mean you get the same thing as someone who works. STOP THE HAND OUTS!!!
I have said my peace. Thank you for listening.

I totally agree! Well said

I think I love Greg wrote:

<quoted text>
THANK YOU! I'm so glad I'm not the only who is frustrated that my hard-earned tax dollars are given away to abusers of the welfare system. I'm not saying that everyone who receives government assistance is guilty of playing the system, but there has got to be a limit, people! Single mothers continue to stay unmarried but continue to spew out more kids because they get more money. Drug addicts can't hold a job, but are able to keep their homes and have food on their table, while my money allows them to support their illegal habit. There needs to be some serious welfare service reform. It's a nice idea, but we need to prevent the abuse!

I see no reason why there shouldn't be drug testing before a person receives a check for ANY type of assistance, except possibly child care. If they are doing drugs the kids are better off in a different environment anyway. Besides, those checks go directly to the provider usually.

Jennifer wrote:

Wish some of these comments were directed at big business, which receives more government assistance than all the little hungry bellies every thought of receiving. Big business and government use a system called "triangulation", get 2 groups of "little people" arguing and nobody will notice they are both being ripped off by the big guys at the top of the triangle. Works like a charm, oh, it is a charm, and we fall for it over and over.
Show me one person who gets "everything" they need on welfare. Show me one inner city school that has everything they need to properly educate a child from a disadvantaged home. Come on people look up and see the big picture.

So perhaps not "everything", but I personally know people who have housing paid, get food stamps, child care paid, medicare (or medicaid I'm not sure which is which really)and help with their bills. They say the key if finding that breakpoint, not working over it. Waitress jobs are best, since they can claim less income.

The said point it they KNOW they can work minimally and still get so much from the state.

I agree with Greg! Welfare needs reformed, recipients should have to take drug tests randomly to receive benefits and should have to hold some type of job whether its part time or full time. I also think that there should be a time frame to get a job and that you should have to maintain it to get benefits. I don't think that you should receive more benefits if you continue to have children while you are still on welfare, obviously you can't afford the ones you have , be RESPONSIBLE and don't have more. I realize everyone has hard times but you have to rise above.

ListenUpNow wrote:

<quoted text>
I see no reason why there shouldn't be drug testing before a person receives a check for ANY type of assistance, except possibly child care. If they are doing drugs the kids are better off in a different environment anyway. Besides, those checks go directly to the provider usually.

In a lot of instances the day care is is interlocked. Family running the day care.

Well that doesn't surprise me at all... automatically ASSUMING that those getting assistance are druggies, etc. Those who are complaining about governmental assistance.. have you EVER been on it? Probably not. You're probably "too good" for that. Does anyone here realize that of those that are getting assistance MANY did NOT want to ask for the help but had NO OTHER choice?

Not everyone on assistance is using and abusing the system to pay for their drug habit. Do a little research before complaining... you may find some startling information.

Good Day,

What wonderful news! What a glorious day for the leftist liberals and govenor in the State capital! Their agenda is working! Even more people are dependant upon them and they are driving capitalism out of the State! Lenin and Marx would be proud!

Exagerating? Not really. They have not really done anything to improve the situation in Michigan. Instead of helping the people of this State, they raise taxes across the board. Income, business, etc. How does that help us in any way? It is a proven fact that when taxes are increased tax revenue decreases and that the opposite, reducing taxes, results in higher tax revenues. Obviously they have not taken even economics 101.

Aunt Jenny can go on as many European vacations as she wants but it will not result in much of anything at all. The legislature has made this State extremely unfriendly to business and individuals both. Big deal, so Aunt Jenny helps to retain 1,000 jobs in Ann Arbor, but what of the 50,000 that were lost last year alone? That is still a net loss of 49,000 jobs! Perhaps instead of her European vacations she should travel to Texas. She should investigate what they are doing. Why? They created 72,000 jobs in Texas last year.

I am generally an opptomist, but as I have stated before, we have not bottomed out in this State by a long shot, and stories like this support my prediction, as well as the writing on the wall. What do I mean? Well, how about GM stating a few weeks ago that they are going to have to let go of several thousand employees for instance. And where are the vast majority of these positions going to be eliminated? Michigan. I have said it before, we are heading toward double digit unemployment in this State. And quite possibly by the end of the year. Many areas have already breached this level while others are knocking on the door.

Now I am not foolish enough to place all of the blame on our impotent Govenor or our imbicilic legislature, although they deserve the lion's share of responsibility. But we also have an industry, automotive, that has become so arrogant as to not be able to find their collective way out of a paper bag. Furthermore, certain locales have become overly dependant on this dinosaur of industry. Thankfully in West Michigan we are more diversified.

We have been dug, I believe, into such a deep hole, that for some reason we continue to dig, that we will not recover any time soon. Can we expect a turn around in a year? No. Five years? Unlikely. Ten? Now that may be more like it, but honestly, I think it may take more time than that. If our legislature, Govenor and certain industries continue their current behavior, I forsee that we will have dug ourselves into a twelve to fifteen year hole. With twenty years not being out of the realm of possibility. Could we get out of the hole more quickly? Perhaps, but it would require the legislature and Govenor to make a complete 180* turn. Which, unfortunately is unlikely. The solution is simple. Reduce all taxes across the board. Business, SBT, Utilities, income, fuel and so on. Make Michigan a Right to Work State. Weaken the stranghold of unions like the UAW if possible.(I know that will incurr the wrath of some, but it may be necessary.) Unfortunately this is unlikely to occur any time soon. Sadly, I predict the opposite will happen. That they will continue to raise taxes and practice wealth re-distribution. That their actions will result in even more jobs lost and more companies and individuals moving out of State. The brain drain will continue as well, which will impeded any progress even further. How can one expect for good, high paying jobs to move into the State if there are not people here educated enough to preform them? I could go on...

Steelie

I'm curious, does anyone that is complaining about Welfare actually know how the system works in Michigan?

Most of the reform suggestions you all are making have already been applied. The only ones that haven't is the "drug testing" suggestion and "getting more money for more births".

Unless a person has a disability/condition that prevents them from working, there is a time limit that a person can receive cash assistance. That time limit is 2 years total.

Also, in order to receive the cash assistance you must attend classes at a MI Works building. These classes help you prepare for work and help you to actively seek work. These classes are 30+ hours a week, every week.

If you do not attend MI Works you do not get your "check".

GR_Mom_of_Five wrote:

I'm curious, does anyone that is complaining about Welfare actually know how the system works in Michigan?
Most of the reform suggestions you all are making have already been applied. The only ones that haven't is the "drug testing" suggestion and "getting more money for more births".
Unless a person has a disability/condition that prevents them from working, there is a time limit that a person can receive cash assistance. That time limit is 2 years total.
Also, in order to receive the cash assistance you must attend classes at a MI Works building. These classes help you prepare for work and help you to actively seek work. These classes are 30+ hours a week, every week.
If you do not attend MI Works you do not get your "check".

[sarcasm] Oh that's just crazy liberal prattle, you and all you're 'facts'...that's not what we want to hear on this forum, we want to dog people less fortunate than ourselves so we can feel better about our aimless existences; of course we'll gussie it up in the guise of 'personal responsibility'.

Personally I think anyone not earning at least $70k a year with a credit score of 760 or better should be shot in the head...I know I'm safe.

I am all for helping those that need a little extra to make ends meet to get through a rough patch. What I don't agree with are those that scam the system - never get a job, keep having kids, do drugs, etc. People use the excuse that there are no jobs, but that's not true. They might not be the greatest jobs out there, but $7.00 and hour is better than $0 an hour. People who work, and just can't quite make it definitely deserve the help. Those who lose their jobs and need help until the next job deserve help. But there are a lot of people out there who know exactly how to scam the government and live off of welfare. It's really sad. It makes those that truly need the help for a short amount of time look bad.