Over half the people in this country do not pay taxes
45% of AMericans are not working but are still being supported by people like me that pay taxes
Why?
It's the American way, didn't you get the memo?
I don't work now, because I physically can't. The only government benefit I collect is food stamps.
Do I feel I'm entitled to this even though I am not working? Yes. Why? Because I spent nearly 15 years working 50-60 hours per week, I graduated from high school, I am currently enrolled at ODU, and I served our country.
I have a neighbor down the street that openly admits to selling crack as his sole source of income. He collects welfare and food stamps, and he drives a used Bentley that he purchased with drug money. He has been arrested several times for his exploits, yet he never does time. He brags that he can buy whatever he wants, yet still collects money and food benefits from Uncle Sam, even though half the neighborhood has reported him for benefits fraud. Apparently he has enough money to pay his way out of trouble and regulations too.
A former friend of mine years ago had a baby and couldn't support herself, so she received every benefit under the sun. She loved it so much, that in a three year span she had 3 more children, just for the added benefits. Never worked, never married, different father for each child.
My friend and her husband got divorced. They have 2 children. When they divorced, she was the majority money maker, because he was in school. After they divorced, she lost her job due to her employer moving the business overseas, and her ex husband got an engineering position with Verizon.
She is now working at Wawa for $8 an hour, and he is making $60k+ When they were married, she got addicted to painkillers after back surgery. her husband branded her a drug addict in court, so he got full custody of both children. Even though she's clean and went through rehab and has been sober for years now, and her income is roughly 15% of what his is, she has to pay him child support. As a result, she has no money to live on and had to move in with a mutual friend of ours. Why does she have to pay child support when he makes more than her? Because before she lost her job, she was making over $80k per year for 12 years. They base child support on your earning potential, not actual earnings. The problem is, her earning potential is based on a job that has been replaced by robots in most cases, and she will likely never reach that potential again.
She went to Social Services to apply for food stamps and was declined. The reason? Her income level was too high to qualify since she is single, does not have her children, and lives with someone who also has income. They do not take into consideration any bills or financial obligations like child support when making food stamp benefit determinations.
They base it on your gross pay, and they base it on a 40 hour week even if you do not work 40 hours. The fact her room mate does not buy her food doesn't seem to matter either, so she has to make the trip from Norfolk to Virginia Beach multiple times each week to eat with friends and family. Now all of her remaining income is going to gas. But she still can't get help. The system is seriously flawed and needs to be dramatically changed.
Not every case is the same, and nothing is ever as it appears on the surface.