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so flipping flameful and I don't care
I am so frustrated. Here in the mess of a state, California we are having major budget issues. Our district alone has to cut over $10 million. They are now saying we will either lose 70 teachers or take a 5% paycut. My DH and I are both teachers in this district so this is a significant cut to our family. It really pissses me off that we BOTH work to support our family and I am away from my children so that I CAN provide for them when I guarantee not one family on welfare, wic, disability, etc is going to feel the cuts from this budget crisis. Don't get me wrong, I know that people rely on this support BUT it is the out of control spending that has gotten us in this mess. I know many families where the mom stays home with her kids and gets handouts. They come to my school and get free breakfast and lunch, but don't work.
And don't even get me started on the octuplet mom......
This discussion has been closed.
Re: so flipping flameful and I don't care
Well..its better than being one of those families on welfare.
I mean..if someone guaranteed DH's job..but told him he had to take a 5% pay cut..I would seriously take it.
This economy means..things are different. Some times you have to give up a little..to hopefully gain some stability and something more in the end (aka the economy picking up)
our entire society is screwed up. it's discusting. we all struggle and take care of what needs to be taken care of so that we can makes ends meat and there are people out there who do sit on their ass collecting services. i've got an aunt (very embarrasing) who lives in a house that she doesn't own while taxpayers give her handout after handout to 'raise' her 4 kids. and might i add that she's not doing a stellar job at that - if it weren't for family those kids wouldn't be alive.
that may not be where you were going in this post but i am enraged by this.
If you think wic and disability benefits are the reason for the budget crisis, then I know you're not going to listen to any response I can offer.
So... sorry you are having financial problems - I hope things get better for you.
Your rant really doesn't make any sense.
Welfare abuse is unfortunate for sure but people on welfare are hardly living the life of riley. I fail to see how wonderful or glamorous it is to be on public assistance. If you and your DH both lost your jobs, sure you'd get "handouts" but I doubt you'd be thinking your life was all that great.
Sorry about your pay cuts but millions of Americans have lost their jobs at this point, it really has nothing to do with people getting handouts. Sometimes it's easy to lose perspective.
The economy sucks & it's affecting pretty much everyone. I did a quick search on the welfare/govt assistantance issue, because I just heard something about this on the radio yesterday.
You are incorrect - the governor of California is proposing substantial changes to the welfare program.
https://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_11482650
ETA: not trying to be bitchy, just clarifying the information.
ok first of all, I am not having financial problems, thank you very much. And yes, I am EXTREMELY grateful for my job and my husbands job. I am not talking about all the people that are needing assistance in times like this. I am talking about all the people that have been, and continue to take advantage of handouts without doing ANYTHING to better themselves or their situation.
Also, I am voting for the paycut so we don't lose ANY teachers.
Actually I think her "rant" does make sense. Of course it's not JUST the handouts that are the cause of the budget crisis, but it's all part of the out of control spending. It IS frustrating to see others get to stay home and get WIC/welfare to purchase the nessicities while others send their infants to daycare all day so they can earn the money for the basic needs. This is an never ending nest debate...YES there is a need for assistance but the abuse of it is staggering.
But..hopefully you realize..that even people that want to work right now..can't even find jobs. Yes there are people that scam the system..but those people are a very small percentage right now. When the economy was great I might have agreed with you. But things are different now. You are lucky to have a job at all now. I am praying we can stay a two family income..instead of all of our friends are down to single family incomes..and not by choice.
I hate how education always seems to get the short end of the stick. Do you guys know where teacher's salaries come from... only a small percent is from the federal government, another small percent from the state and the majority from the local community. The local communities always seems to find a way to cut back on education while keeping other programs going. It's just not fair to the teachers who work their butts off and end up making WAY less than they should in the first place.
And to the pp who said it's only a loss of 6K... that's a lot of money. 6K would change most people's budget. So, don't say it's not significant.
Statistically, abusers of the welfare system are not as prevalent as you seem to think.
My sister is a public school teacher in San Fran. My mom also lives in the Bay Area, was laid off before Thanksgiving and has had a very tough time looking for a new job - she may well be using assistance (other than unemployment) very soon. We are all more ticked at the fact that CEOs are getting millions of dollars in bouses at the same time their companies are failing and getting public bailout money. The small percentage of people who may abuse the welfare system are not to blame for what is happening to youor family.
I am sorry. I know you are venting and upset.
I think teachers having to take a paycut for anything is BS.
So, let me get this straight. You want to cut programs that help feed and protect children so teachers can keep a couple thousand dollars while the entire country is in a crisis? What message does this send? We care about children so we take care of our teachers - oh, wait, we only care about wealthy children, the poor ones are too icky and cost us too much to worry about.
I nominate you for Disney's Teacher of the Year. Truly inspiring.
I agree with Lucy. I'm sorry that anyone is being faced with anything like this right now. It makes me incredibly appreciative of my job and the stability of DH's job as well.
Liam is 5!
Maybe its a lot of money to you..my point is 5% is a small percentage. But..someone making $10.8k a month..$500 isn't a whole lot.
So..we should up teachers salaries..or keep them the same while everyone around is losing their jobs? I mean..this is ridiculous...teachers have to take the same economic hit as the community that surrounds them. its SUCKS..and it maynot seem fair..but you can't sustain one economic base..while everything else falls down.
Ok the PP have valid points...but she didn't say "I'm so frustrated by the people that genuinely need assistance and are getting it." Her point (I think) was that she is frustrated by the abusers. The ones that have been and continue to just milk the system. And while "statistically" it might not be a ton of people mooching off the system...even one person doing it is frustrating in my opinion. Sheesh....
"It really pissses me off that we BOTH work to support our family and I am away from my children so that I CAN provide for them when I guarantee not one family on welfare, wic, disability, etc is going to feel the cuts from this budget crisis. "
You can vent about whatever you want, this board is a good outlet for it. But, I think the reason the post was flameful (as you yourself titled it), is that the state of the economy has very, very, very, VERY little to do with people abusing the welfare system. So, it's fine to be pissed about paycuts. DH & I are both facing them, & I know that it sucks. But, I don't understand how that ties into a discussion about welfare & families getting free handouts. . .
It's a global economic crisis. Getting an abuser off of the welfare system is a huge moral victory, but will not solve the economic problem this country is facing.
Yes, I'm also laughing that while touting my degress and my literacy - I spelled a word wrong!
I can agree with the point of your vent AND my DH is one of the unfortunate who has been laid off and I would love for him to have been able for him to keep his job with a 5% pay cut.
I feel the same annoyance sometimes. We both work (well, until DH was laid off 4 days before Christmas!) but we have to budget really well. We got rid of our cable, clip coupons, save the baby bucks from our grocery store to get discount points, and sacrifice a lot of "extras". BIL and his gf are some of the "abusers" you speak of and it makes me so mad when we work so hard and still get hit hard. I am still paying off the combined $5K that it cost to have my 2 kids. I had a shared room, no extras, to keep costs down cause I had to pay 20% with my insurance. BIL and his gf got to have their DS in a private hospital, private room, with a whirlpool to labor in and paid NOTHING, it was picked up by the state. They get daycare assistance for DS even though its my MIL that watches him all day until recently, and when they were on WIC, they were selling the formula for cash and buying generic for a profit. Last year they got a combined $4K tax refund, DH and I owed $3000.
So vent away..flameful or not, I agree...I have no problem with assistance and folks being helped when they need it, but the abuse is rampant, from my BIL to the corporate CEO's using bailout money for vacations, its all just sick...
Yes, just one more... you said just today:
"Jaredswife is total trash anyway. Wasn't she the one that was actively TTC and asking about how to get some food stamps?"
hmmmm, but it's just the poor, innocent child that she is creating that needs the food. I mean, geez mattslady...a little heartless? Or is it hypocritical? So you can call someone trash for taking food stamps but lulu can't vent that she has to take a pay cut for, well, the "trash" you so speak of?
Interesting.
Teachers in my district make above the average for my area and work 9 months rather than 12. My DH works for automotive and had to take a demotion to keep his job (about $7-9 thousand less a year). You do what you have to in order to actually have a job.
I'm not sure how people on here know about the amount of abuse going on as far as welfare, etc. unless you work for the state. I have worked for physicians and saw a lot of people with Medicaid (adults) that were able bodied. They had cell phones and artificial nails. I didn't even have a cell phone yet I am working helping to support their livelihood. Our state is doing terrible economically (MIchigan) but I don't think there is any plans to cut Welfare benefits...I missed the governors speech yesterday.
If the state (or your district) is going to reduce your paycheck by 5% that is just that much less that will go into the welfare fund.
Honest questions.
Why do employees of the education system feel exempt from budget issues? Is it because as a country we provide education as a right? Is it contract issues?
Christmas 2011
I don't think it's a coincidence that California is the hardest hit by all this. I think the abuse of our social services is absolutely a huge part of our problem.
Obviously, Lulu isn't talking about the people using social services appropriately.
I did read that as of now the state is not paying the bills they have related to things that aren't mandated by law. So, yes, social services will get cut/IOUs. But it's got to be extremely frustrating to be forced to take a pay cut when the abuse of the system is so rampant and freaking expensive!
Do you live in CA? If no, believe me, we give way more than a few dollars! The problem is we are being asked to give so much that working, fiscally conservative people are getting in trouble.
I suppose the state will accept an IOU for my property taxes since I'm not getting my income tax refund? I suppose more small businesses will be able to "give a few more dollars" and not be tempted to leave the state because of the cost of doing business here. The SPENDING is our problem...not the fact that hard-working people like Lulu and her DH don't/can't give away more of their money (trust me, by living in CA, they certainly are giving away enough).
Nice try EMT. I know you're just trying to stick up for your friend but the op wasn't about out of control government spending. She was specifically bitchin about families that take advantage of wic.
And yes, seedoteach, you're right. Here is your cookie...
Um, I was replying to you Mattslady. That's why I quoted you and not the original post.
BTW, welfare abuse IS a major part of the spending I'm referring to.
Sigh. Sure, vent away. That is not the problem. What I (and several others) found so ridiculous is that she blames the budget crisis on these welfare programs. Those of us more educted on the subject know better.
Whatever, I'm done. If I could pay the difference for her so she wouldn't have to contribute to these programs I would. I think that would make us both happier!