How come there are people out there who are on well fare but don't need to be?..i know of some folks who need it due to hard times..but then there are other folks who just don't need it cause i seen them use there checks for needless things like beer and cigs and other things and they are proud that they don't have to work and they are in good health..is are tax money supporting this life style?
200261
i think they are lazy, and think the world evolves around them, they dont realize how bad others need it... or they do and are just too inconsiderate to care
139531
You know, the government doesn't owe everyone a standard of living or any sort of help.  I am sure that help is available if you apply for it, but your sense of entitlement is just sort of "out there", you know?  No one is going to know the situation, go through the proper channels.
657131
This appears to be in the wrong section...but it doesn't hurt - most of the GENUINE travellers that I've met are self-sufficient, and don't take money from the state, so why should they have to follow the same rules as everyone else?  As long as such things as right and wrong are instilled in children from an early age, what benefit does a state education really bring?  I know which life I'd prefer, but I'm too scared to break out of a reasonably comfortable middle-class white-collar, BORING BORING BORING role.\n\nThe only caveat is that you have to differentiate the genuine travellers from those who are just in it because they can't be bothered to work.
118886
I disagree that there is lots of help for the working poor, I have seen directly that unless you fit into the "low income requirement" scale, there is virtually no help for working people who need a hand to make it above poverty level. (I am speaking about the state of CA)
280927
why would they care they get everything else free! havent Americans sat down and did a little look at ur own pay checks here. ex. a person making 15.00 buck a hr. at 40 hrs a week. equals $600 gross. u would bring home about low 400's to mid 400's if ur lucky depending on what u have to take out. that means really u only make about a little over 10 bucks a hr. if that and some pay checks are less then 400 after everything is taking out. so illegal making 5 bucks hr equals 200. and nothing comes out so that there whole check. so think about this here. they really have more money then Americans do so why would they care if they get paid low wages. there making a kill-in. they get everything else handed to them by us wonderful tax payers.
569459
People I've met that stay on welfare end up in a better financial situation then working full-time for minimum wage. Plus if you have children who need daycare, you end up working to pay the babysitter. It's a shame b/c continuing their education would get them a better job but either they don't think of it that way or they're lazy and don't want to try. This country definitely needs welfare reform AND disability reform. I've seen too many people take advantage of the system!
438325
EXACTLY! When I was younger I used to feel sorry for the people on the streets... I never gave them money but I did drive through a fast food place a couple of times and buy them food and go back and drop it off. Then I seen library park in Phoenix, AZ., and the food lines, etc! The only reason a person is homeless is because they choose to be! We have an overabundance of help programs and some states even have welfare for single men! I live in a city where there are an extreme amount of people getting SSI and Social Security and working (or hustling) under the table for cash and they live much better or at least have many more $$ flow through their hands each month than alot of people. I don't believe that drug addicts and alcoholics should be eligible for these benefits... In addition, I think the funniest thing I have seen is a huge man walking into the grocery store in the middle of the afternoon with his food stamps going to buy groceries.... instead of giving him food stamps and a check... make him get off his duff and work... then we won't have to pay for his stomach staple proceedure either! A friend of mine that is a millionaire went to our local Dr. that has been doing all of those proceedures and he wanted to have it done. He carries private blue cross and the Dr. would not even schedule him for a interview because he didn't have title 19.My friend told the Dr.s office that he has cash...... they said they couldn't take cash because in the case of complications it can run upwards of $100,000.00 again my friend said.... I have cash. They just told him they were sorry they couldn't help him.... however, I personally know 7 people that have had the surgery lately and another couple that are scheduled for it and they are all on welfare! Now if that ain't something! Now don't get me wrong... we do need programs that can assist.... but they need to know when enough is enough and their is a big difference between a hand up and a hand out!
648456
A lot of people like to smoke, and are willing to give their money to the tabacco company in exchange for cigarettes. Almost nobody likes the government enough to give them cash. Maybe the government needs to give us something physical in return...like cake. Everyone likes cake.
92239
People's personal blights, ie poverty or education, or not the responsibility of goverment. It is that person's choice where they are in life. In modern american society it seems that everyone wants to blame someone for the way they ended up, or make an excuse for why someone else is doing better than them. \n\nIt is a fact that some people will do nothing more than what is ABSOLUTELY nessacary for survival on that particular day. Some people will do more, and some will do everything they can to get better off than others. \n\nTo directly answer the poverty % quest... It all comes down to what the person doing the survey wants the number to be. A person living in per-say Montana with a small farm grwing there own food not really having a need for money is in poverty. But if you ask them they may say they are doing fine as all of their needs are met. A multi-millionaire that has no job (doesn't need it duh) and has no investment income (poor economic move) is considered in poverty by IRS standards. So it all comes down to what poverty number do you want to have?\n\nOn a side note, I fix up houses as a business. With the way the tax code is structured I can write off almost all of my income to business expenses. IRS paper work I made $9300 last year for a family of 3 (sole income earner). My actually net from the business for the year was $102,000+(not rubbing it in). I have been contacted multi times for Gov't assistance because we are POOR. LOL
284141
they are actually hurting themselves. If they were smart enough and realize that they are being ripped off by business who pay them below minimum wage then it will be better. The only time they pay taxes is when the go to a store and buy something because they have to pay taxes and they can't escape from that otherwise they don't pay taxes at all. i believe that they are actually focusing on the wrong topic here. The illegals need to be focused on getting business to pay them a fair wage and not below that. We are compensating by pay for their education, health and etc.
70603
yeah they have to break laws out of neccesity. have you ever been sick and not had health care? have you ever had to get to work with out a drivers lic.? yeah thats what i thought!!!! immigrants are just tryin to make a livin, you know they like to eat too! Not just americans! Oh and immigrants do pay taxes, so if they are puttin money into the system i think its fair they get health care! SERIOUSLY THERE ARE SOME IGNORANT PEOPLE OUT HERE!!! WHY DON'T SOME OF YOU THAT THINK ITS NOT FAIR THEY GET THE SAME BENEFITS GO OUT AND WORK MINUMUM WAGE JOBS, FOR LONG HOURS!!! THEN YOU CAN TELL ME IF ITS OK THAT THEY GET ALL THE HELP THEY NEED!!!!!
493738
Yes and no!! Yes because we know they are not REALLY concerned for our health!  No because,as smokers,we KNOW the tax we have to pay,but we CHOOSE to pay it!! So ask yourself,who are the real mugs?? I know I am! The budget is due shortly,yet another increase....................\nmoan......moan........moan!!!!!!\n      *********Just a note************\n As Alchohol levels reach record high, misuse among all age groups is estimated to cost the NHS pounds 1.7bn a year. !!!!\nSo smokers are NOT the only ones!!!!!! How many of you on here, condeming smokers, drink?????????? Hypocritical???????
97104
The very wealthy should feel it a privilege of being wealthy to pay more in taxes, no matter how hard that you work for it. I worked a lot harder as a truck driver then Bill Gates (only using him as an example, because he does give back to the community, he is a good man) ever did. physical hard labor, Drive 10 hours to get to a place so that I could unload the truck for another 4 hours. I was glad to pay taxes because it meant two things, 1) I was making money. 2) I was contributing to the good of all by paying my taxes.  My question would be after how many millions does a person not need any more. I can live out the rest of my life retired on about $100.000 or less. I feel no need for greed. Why do you?
385602
Some people are dubious as to wether or not they are actually homeless or actualy have a BMW parked round the corner and are doing this as a way of making loads of money.  Other people think that they should get a job and make money that way.  My personal opinion...I don't always give money, but most of the time I do, esp if they are selling the Big Issue, it shows that they have the get up and go to actually do something and try and make something of their lives.  I'm also a sucker for animals, so if they have a dog with them I give something, even though deep down I know it's probably gonna be spent on beer rather than pedigree chum! ;)
263190
People who live off "the system."  Able bodied people should have to work for living just like anybody else.  I, as a tax payer, am sick of supporting people who need to get off their dead a** and get a job!
208053
Very simple reason: to make totally unnecessary work for civil servants who are leeching from those parts of society that actually make the wealth to keep them in a job. It could be a heck of a lot simpler if they really wanted it to be.\n\nThis is true for other taxes too eg road tax.Why have that when it is avoided by the criminal classes and is expensive to collect? Simple - it creates non-jobs. To simplify it just abbolish it and add a few more pence to the petrol duty. Then those who drive more/have less efficient vehicles pay more AND its hard to avoid unless you steal petrol!
258342
They think that the elderly should work until they drop. \n\nIt's the pull yourself up by your boostraps mentality. If you can't take care of yourself it's not their problem or the government's problem.