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Unpopular Opinions

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  • Raesofsunshine1Raesofsunshine1 member
    noonandj04 said:

    jalara48 said:


    pnwlover12 said:


    ohioloveyou said:

    All of this public assistance stuff really makes me think.  I am wondering what judgment people would have about my situation.  I qualify for medicaid as substitute teaching pays like crap.  Up until recently, I had still paid for my own insurance, however, as I didn't feel right taking public assistance when we have a substantial amount in savings and parents willing to help us out while DH finishes Dental School.  When I got pregnant and switched my insurance through the healthcare marketplace, it automatically approved me for medicaid.  I got my first card yesterday. While I know its possible for us to "make it" without this assistance, it would make it a hell of a lot nicer to raise a child and put the $266 I pay for insurance each month towards something else.  Especially since subbing won't pay for daycare and I will be at home with the baby (so pretty much zero income here.)

    That being said, I have an iPhone.  We are purchasing and registering for nicer things for our child.  If you saw me on the street, you wouldn't think I'm on Medicaid.  I have a coach purse (4 years old, but still) and am dressed relatively nicely.  I'm torn on whether or not to use the medicaid I have been approved for since we would be ok without it.  Do we deplete our savings because we feel bad about using this assistance, or do we take it and feel guilty if we go out to dinner or something? We'd love to be able to purchase a home when DH graduates next May, and saving that $ would be great, but I also don't want to be looked at as abusing the system, you know?

    tl;dr: I'm approved for medicaid and can't decide whether or not I should take it because of savings, etc.

    Dude. Use the medicaid! You automatically qualified based on income - that means you fall into the category of people who get it. There is no shame!

    ^ use the medicaid!


    I concur. Doooo it! I would. :)



    I third this! If you qualify for it, you arent abusing the system.

    I used to work in an eye doctor's office. Those on medicaid 18 and under received a basic eyeglass package and an eye exam. If they wanted anything above this, they had to pay out of pocket. Also, it would not cover contacts (unless medically necessary, I think). I dont know how many parents would get upset about this. Like they expected to be able to get anything they wanted covered.

    Also, it was the same for those getting a free pair of glasses through the Lions Club assistance. They could get get the bottom two packages free. I had one lady literally get upset with me because the Lions Club wouldnt cover the $270 Coach frames she wanted. This happened at least once a week.

    If someone else is paying for your glasses/food/etc, just be grateful for what you get!
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  • pckfn4lifepckfn4life member
    @trisharenee0316‌ I hear you. I just fear it's a slippery slope. As a sports fan I've followed these arguments for years. Do the Chiefs, Braves, Blackhawks, Vikings, the Cleveland Indians logo has been under scrutiny for years, offend people? Probably. What about the Fighting Illini of Illinois. I went to a high school with the Warriors as a mascot, public school, not Native American. We were proud, still are of it. We have a neighboring school with an Indian mascot that does the full on tom-a-hock drop when we play against them. The point is maybe we (as a nation) should focus more time and energy on welfare reform and poverty and less time worrying about what "offends" others. It's an entertainment industry.
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  • golfingdarwinfishgolfingdarwinfish member
    Not sure if anyone else saw or read about this, but thought I'd add it for those interested.


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  • JessAnnJJessAnnJ member
    edited June 2014
    trisharenee0316 said:


    JessAnnJ said:

    Yes, the public at large does contribute towards public assistance, but that does not give us the collective right to micromanage those people's lives.  There are a ton of things that get federal tax dollars like corporations (for example), but no one is suggesting drug testing the directors and officers, or even suggesting they hire fewer employees or streamline their product line if they can't survive without corporate charity.

    In a perfect world, people would only have as many children as they could afford to support, and people would only need to be on welfare for a few months, and all the rest of it.  I get it.  But I also don't think that poor people need to necessarily live these Dickensian lives because it makes us as a society feel better about their management and use of welfare dollars.  Some people do have a bad attitude about the system and some people abuse the system.  And yes, that is obnoxious.  But the fact that a woman has a manicure or a cell phone or has the nerve to buy a bag of chips doesn't necessarily mean that she's a scammer or abusing the system, or not using the assistance for necessities.

    Trust me when I tell you that based on my experiences in both teaching in the inner city and being intimately familiar with inner city settings, I wouldn't trade places with a single person living there who is on public assistance.  In no way are any of their lives easier than mine, in no way do they have more disposable income, etc.  




    END QUOTE

    The corporate situation is not a legitimate comparison and it would take forever for me to type out all of the reasons so I'll just leave that for another time. But, yes I do think that taking government assistance gives the government the right to micromanage how you spend the money you are given. I get that you have sympathy for people, I do too, but I don't think that translates to saying well you have a tough life so go ahead and spend the extra cash you have on an expensive cell phone or a manicure. To me if you do not have enough money to pay for your necessities then you do not have have money to get a professional manicure or the newest most expensive phone. Nobody is owed a manicure or an iPhone. Yes, some people are gifted these things, but those situations are not what I am referring to.

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  • Wino411Wino411 member
    pckfn4life said:

    @trisharenee0316‌ I hear you. I just fear it's a slippery slope. As a sports fan I've followed these arguments for years. Do the Chiefs, Braves, Blackhawks, Vikings, the Cleveland Indians logo has been under scrutiny for years, offend people? Probably. What about the Fighting Illini of Illinois. I went to a high school with the Warriors as a mascot, public school, not Native American. We were proud, still are of it. We have a neighboring school with an Indian mascot that does the full on tom-a-hock drop when we play against them. The point is maybe we (as a nation) should focus more time and energy on welfare reform and poverty and less time worrying about what "offends" others. It's an entertainment industry.

    So as long as the unoffended are entertained the ones being ridiculed, mocked, and offended can just suck it. Oh ok...


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  • trisharenee0316trisharenee0316 member
    Well, then I eagerly await the government micromanaging the lives of ALL residents of--or at least the government budgets of--New Mexico, Mississippi, Alaska, Louisiana, West Virginia, North Dakota, Alabama, South Dakota, Virginia, and Kentucky as those 10 states take in the most federal benefits (i.e., take in more than they give).  As a resident of California, where we collectively as a state pay more than we take in, I'll be sure to send my legislators my list of demands for those state budgets.



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  • IrishHoney123IrishHoney123 member
    keelyd said:
    IrishHoney123 said:
    I have always wondered why public assistance is so EASY to abuse. Why are there not delegated items at Walmart that can be purchased with an Access card? Why can't a laptop or iphone be declined? I strongly feel if so many people are unable to make good decisions the assistance should be structured and purchases monitored. Some are talking about children going without meals-there is no reason for this....there are so many programs in place to feed children, and it is a such a shame that the parents have the ability to spend their assistance allotment on anything they choose, and they can choose not to feed their kids. This is a hot topic with me-many of us are expected to work hard, help to support the less fortunate, and make appropriate choices on how to spend our own earnings. It's criminal for me to decide I'm going to buy drugs and leave my children hungry. 
    I worked for a few years as a nurse case manager in a busy ER, and I am forever jaded. The manipulators of the system FAR outnumber the appropriate recipients that these services were originally intended for.

    I'm sorry, but why exactly should electronics not be allowed? Education, at all grade levels, demands that kids have familiarity with-- and frequently access to--technology. I was nothing less than impressed with the ingenuity of some of my low income students who used iPod touches to type out entire essays (4+ pages), or who have dictated work to their iPhones because they didn't have access to computers at home. Smart phones allowed them to communicate with teachers for help via email when they might not have otherwise been able to. Considering the considerable lack of access to tech in poor schools and the assumption that everyone knows how to use tech because it's so ubiquitous, I hate the idea of judging anyone for trying to give their kids access.
    It's kind of you to assume that the purchase of an iPhone or tv that I mentioned is for the education of the children in the home. The example was given to illustrate that a big screen tv can be purchased and maybe there is not enough left over to put food on the table. I am in no way judging this, only pointing out that in my opinion these things should be monitored by somebody (the government?).
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  • IrishHoney123IrishHoney123 member
    JessAnnJ said:
    JessAnnJ said:
    Yes, the public at large does contribute towards public assistance, but that does not give us the collective right to micromanage those people's lives.  There are a ton of things that get federal tax dollars like corporations (for example), but no one is suggesting drug testing the directors and officers, or even suggesting they hire fewer employees or streamline their product line if they can't survive without corporate charity.

    In a perfect world, people would only have as many children as they could afford to support, and people would only need to be on welfare for a few months, and all the rest of it.  I get it.  But I also don't think that poor people need to necessarily live these Dickensian lives because it makes us as a society feel better about their management and use of welfare dollars.  Some people do have a bad attitude about the system and some people abuse the system.  And yes, that is obnoxious.  But the fact that a woman has a manicure or a cell phone or has the nerve to buy a bag of chips doesn't necessarily mean that she's a scammer or abusing the system, or not using the assistance for necessities.

    Trust me when I tell you that based on my experiences in both teaching in the inner city and being intimately familiar with inner city settings, I wouldn't trade places with a single person living there who is on public assistance.  In no way are any of their lives easier than mine, in no way do they have more disposable income, etc.  


    END QUOTE The corporate situation is not a legitimate comparison and it would take forever for me to type out all of the reasons so I'll just leave that for another time. But, yes I do think that taking government assistance gives the government the right to micromanage how you spend the money you are given. I get that you have sympathy for people, I do too, but I don't think that translates to saying well you have a tough life so go ahead and spend the extra cash you have on an expensive cell phone or a manicure. To me if you do not have enough money to pay for your necessities then you do not have have money to get a professional manicure or the newest most expensive phone. Nobody is owed a manicure or an iPhone. Yes, some people are gifted these things, but those situations are not what I am referring to. 

     
    This exactly. 
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  • IrishHoney123IrishHoney123 member
    ohioloveyou said:
    All of this public assistance stuff really makes me think.  I am wondering what judgment people would have about my situation.  I qualify for medicaid as substitute teaching pays like crap.  Up until recently, I had still paid for my own insurance, however, as I didn't feel right taking public assistance when we have a substantial amount in savings and parents willing to help us out while DH finishes Dental School.  When I got pregnant and switched my insurance through the healthcare marketplace, it automatically approved me for medicaid.  I got my first card yesterday. While I know its possible for us to "make it" without this assistance, it would make it a hell of a lot nicer to raise a child and put the $266 I pay for insurance each month towards something else.  Especially since subbing won't pay for daycare and I will be at home with the baby (so pretty much zero income here.)

    That being said, I have an iPhone.  We are purchasing and registering for nicer things for our child.  If you saw me on the street, you wouldn't think I'm on Medicaid.  I have a coach purse (4 years old, but still) and am dressed relatively nicely.  I'm torn on whether or not to use the medicaid I have been approved for since we would be ok without it.  Do we deplete our savings because we feel bad about using this assistance, or do we take it and feel guilty if we go out to dinner or something? We'd love to be able to purchase a home when DH graduates next May, and saving that $ would be great, but I also don't want to be looked at as abusing the system, you know?

    tl;dr: I'm approved for medicaid and can't decide whether or not I should take it because of savings, etc.
    I hope you know the heart of what we are debating in UO regarding public assistance doesn't really apply to the situation you are in. 
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  • vrj0522vrj0522 member
    Emerald27 said:
    My UO today is that stuff like this is ridiculous and really rude: Image and video hosting by TinyPic Of course it's not cool for strangers to come up and touch your baby. It's also really strange to me that as a precaution you hang a sign on baby's carseat saying "don't touch."

    My SIL gave me a similar sign when DS was born. It said something like "don't touch my hands until you've washed yours." I appreciated the thought but didn't use it because I didn't like it. Instead DS used baby mittens for the first couple of months of life when we were out. 
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  • Emerald27Emerald27 member
    MrsL2B said:

    1. I am not a fan of any skin-tight clothing worn below the waist unless it's accompanied by a top that comes down to the thighs. This includes leggings, yoga pants, stretch pants, jeans, etc. You might as well just be wearing tights. Or nothing at all.

    2. I don't stand close enough to people when they're checking out at the store to monitor what kind of card (debit, credit, EBT) they're using for payment. But I do roll my eyes at the check-writers. Not that it takes them that much longer, really, but it just seems like a strange thing to even want to do.

    Some people HAVE to write checks based on the type of account they have. For example, I'm my father's legal guardian, and guardianship accounts cannot have any sort of debit card. All transactions must be completed by check...so whether we are out to dinner or I'm buying him underwear, it's all done by old-fashioned written check.

    I'm not saying that some folks might not prefer checks (though I don't really know why they would), but the fact that some of us occasionally HAVE to write checks is a good thing to keep in mind...especially when someone is being slow about it. ;) FWIW, I usually choose longer checkout lines so that I can fill out everything except the cost on the check before I get to the register.
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  • ohioloveyouohioloveyou member
    IrishHoney123 said:
    ohioloveyou said:
    All of this public assistance stuff really makes me think.  I am wondering what judgment people would have about my situation.  I qualify for medicaid as substitute teaching pays like crap.  Up until recently, I had still paid for my own insurance, however, as I didn't feel right taking public assistance when we have a substantial amount in savings and parents willing to help us out while DH finishes Dental School.  When I got pregnant and switched my insurance through the healthcare marketplace, it automatically approved me for medicaid.  I got my first card yesterday. While I know its possible for us to "make it" without this assistance, it would make it a hell of a lot nicer to raise a child and put the $266 I pay for insurance each month towards something else.  Especially since subbing won't pay for daycare and I will be at home with the baby (so pretty much zero income here.)

    That being said, I have an iPhone.  We are purchasing and registering for nicer things for our child.  If you saw me on the street, you wouldn't think I'm on Medicaid.  I have a coach purse (4 years old, but still) and am dressed relatively nicely.  I'm torn on whether or not to use the medicaid I have been approved for since we would be ok without it.  Do we deplete our savings because we feel bad about using this assistance, or do we take it and feel guilty if we go out to dinner or something? We'd love to be able to purchase a home when DH graduates next May, and saving that $ would be great, but I also don't want to be looked at as abusing the system, you know?

    tl;dr: I'm approved for medicaid and can't decide whether or not I should take it because of savings, etc.
    I hope you know the heart of what we are debating in UO regarding public assistance doesn't really apply to the situation you are in. 
    I know.  I'm totally aware that since I qualify, I might should take it.  I just struggle with guilt knowing that our savings could pay for it all, and should that money instead go to someone who might have more trouble? 
          

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  • duckrduckr member
    Emerald27 said:
    ...How about put $76 million towards programs to help people that actually want to live?...
    Methinks suicide prevention is SUPER important, and whether or not a net under a bridge is a good way to work toward that is another question entirely. The attitude this UO expresses is extremely sad.



    End QUOTE -


    Thank you for saying this @Emerald27.
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