[thechat] FW: Protesters

Tara Cleveland taracc at home.com
Thu Oct 11 14:58:33 CDT 2001


Why is it always that when some people are talking about wanting tax cuts they say it's "the people's money" and
when they are talking about single moms on welfare they say it's "the government's money"? Last time I checked,
everyone pays taxes of one kind or another, even people on welfare. So if it's "our" money, then it's Erika's money
too. And yes, she puts into the system, so the system should treat her fairly, with respect and compassion. To say
that she is less deserving of respect because she made bad choices is descriminatory and is useless. I don't care
whose "rules" you say they are, really they are our rules, we elect the government, and we allow them to make those
rules, and if they are wrong than Erika was right to challenge them. I say Hooray! to Erika for taking her time and
effort to make the "rules" a bit more fair and respectful. We should all spend time making the "rules" more just.

And yes, single moms are often in a catch-22 vis-a-vis childcare and work. It's impossible to work at a regular job
if you don't have someone who will do care for your child for free or any $ to pay for childcare. It then becomes
very difficult to pay for child care, because you can't get a job. My father is an economist researching economics
and public policy related to child care. One of his recent papers showed that if the public pays into child care the
benefit returned was $2 for every $1 invested in child care.

"...the incremental benefits of the identified changes to child care arrangements in Canada amount to approximately
two dollars for every dollar
of cost to the public purse.... good child care matters to children, to parents and to society. The benefits of such
a program are likely to significantly outweigh the costs, and thus, publicly funded child care deserves a high
priority when decisions on the allocation of scarce public funds are made."

You can read his study at http://www.childcarepolicy.org/cost_benefit.htm . So sometimes our "rules" (as they stand)
don't really benefit us - all of us - they just serve to oppress and demean segments of society.

Just my 2 cents and yes it does feel good to get it out.

Tara Cleveland

Jeremy Weiss wrote:

> You know, I've kept quite throughout all this.  I've held my tongue, err...
> mouse, and just kept saying that replying to all these different messages
> and throwing in my $.02 worth really wouldn't help.  I don't think this will
> help either, but I just can't resist.  So, for my (first, I believe) post,
> I'll do what I do best.  Annoy, aggravate, and otherwise just be a pain.
> Have a nice day. ;)
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Erika Meyer" <emeyer at lclark.edu>
>
> > Our welfare system is a carrot and stick game, and for three years I
> > was the mule.
>
> If you didn't like it, leave.  Don't apply.  Welfare doesn't hunt you down
> and make you accept their version of help.  It's you choice.
>
> > What does the government want welfare moms to do?  Put their children > in
> an institution and take the first dead-end minimum wage job you
> > can and strip--i.e. expose everything about your life--and jump thru
> > hoops (fill out reams and reams of paperwork and do everything social
> > worker tells you to do no matter how ridiculous...)
>
> If you want the government's money, you play by the government's rules.
>
> > Oh, and while I was trying to perform between the carrot and the
> > stick... they refused to help me with child care costs 3 different
> > times (why did I expect help?  because it was the law.).
>
> So let me get this stright.  You decided somewhere along the lines to have
> kids that you couldn't afford to raise, and then got pissed off at the
> government b/c they wouldn't raise them for you?
>
> > So trying to work without child care, I also had to build 3 different
> legal
> > cases against them, all of which I won, but not before I had turned
> > into a near basket case.
>
> Seems that your time would have been better spent doing whatever nessacery
> to find a higher paying job and raising your children instead of  conducting
> a one woman war on the government for not supporting your children to your
> satisfaction.
>
> > Yeah, it's my fault.  I made bad choices in life.  My ex made bad choices,
> too.
>
> So has everyone else in life, learn from them and keep going.
>
> > So I deserve the carrot and stick treatment, just like all the other
> > welfare moms
>
> Again, you want their money, you play by their rules.  You don't like their
> rules, go get a job in their system where one of your duities is to re-write
> the rules.  Otherwise, you could always move to Afghanistain.
>
> > Erika
>
> Ahh... you know it does feel better to let it out once in a while.  Thanks
> for the chance.
>
> Later,
> Jeremy
>
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