This is what happened when I drove my Mercedes to pick up food stamps

[Jacob]

No, I don't think he has.

Then what's the point of bringing up the resale value of this particular car?  If they were allowed to have nice things it wouldn't matter if it the car would fetch 40 grand.

I think people should be allowed to have nice things.

[CountDeMoney]

No, I don't think he has.

Then what's the point of bringing up the resale value of this particular car?

To highlight that there isn't the liquidity in it that heartless douchebags like you that wipe their asses with the social contract think there is in your expectation that Everything Must Go! when one falls on hard times.

[CountDeMoney]

I think people should be allowed to have nice things.

It's all well and good to side with corporations and the wealthy and bleat on and on about how it's nobody's business what they do with their money to dodge taxes costing this nation countless millions in lost revenue, but if you're busted ass broke then they're all up in everybody's business on how these people spend what few shekels they have.   The hypocrisy of conservatives is all about bullshit.

[garbon]

I think people should be allowed to have nice things.

It's all well and good to side with corporations and the wealthy and bleat on and on about how it's nobody's business what they do with their money to dodge taxes costing this nation countless millions in lost revenue, but if you're busted ass broke then they're all up in everybody's business on how these people spend what few shekels they have.   The hypocrisy of conservatives is all about bullshit.

Well it kind of makes sense if said poor people are simultaneously taking handouts that cost other people money.

[CountDeMoney]

Well it kind of makes sense if said poor people are simultaneously taking handouts that cost other people money.

Peanuts compared to corporate tax exemptions and shelters to hide wealth, and you know it.  Talk about handouts. 

But no, let's make sure the poors are even poorers before they're allowed to get help.  That'll do wonders.  "Handouts that cost other people money."  Hell of a social conscience you have there, Cunty McCapitalism.

[garbon]

Peanuts compared to corporate tax exemptions and shelters to hide wealth, and you know it.  Talk about handouts.

Have I ever said I'm a fan of that?

But no, let's make sure the poors are even poorers before they're allowed to get help.  That'll do wonders.

I'm not really sure where this is coming from or really what it even means.

"Handouts that cost other people money."  Hell of a social conscience you have there, Cunty McCapitalism.

Well they do, which is why it shouldn't be surprising if someone gets upset if they are paying to support someone who spent their money frivolously. Their referring to "someone" in the previous sentence not the "they."

[garbon]

Besides, Seeds, you'd be wrong to say I don't think there should be a social safety net. Clearly even if it were the case that everyone poor was such as the result of poor choices (which is clearly not true for even the majority of those facing poverty), we'd still need something as our country wouldn't really be able to function if we just had them starving, dying or face some other sort of inhumane condition.

[Admiral Yi]

To highlight that there isn't the liquidity in it that heartless douchebags like you that wipe their asses with the social contract think there is in your expectation that Everything Must Go! when one falls on hard times.

Right, which isn't relevant if you subscribe to the unqualified position that people who get handouts can hold on to their nice things.

Pretty sure I already said that.

[merithyn]

Yi, would you feel that a family who has fallen on hard times should sell their house and move into a rental before applying for aid?

[Razgovory]

I think people should be allowed to have nice things.

It's all well and good to side with corporations and the wealthy and bleat on and on about how it's nobody's business what they do with their money to dodge taxes costing this nation countless millions in lost revenue, but if you're busted ass broke then they're all up in everybody's business on how these people spend what few shekels they have.   The hypocrisy of conservatives is all about bullshit.

I suppose it makes sense if you equate wealth with morality.

[Admiral Yi]

Yi, would you feel that a family who has fallen on hard times should sell their house and move into a rental before applying for aid?

If they're net ahead after paying rent?  Sure, why not?

[DontSayBanana]

Right, which isn't relevant if you subscribe to the unqualified position that people who get handouts can hold on to their nice things.

Pretty sure I already said that.

Honestly, I'm of the opinion that a family's shelter and transportation should be sacrosanct.  Barring fraud, families apply for assistance because their circumstances have become reduced.  Logically, penalizing them by further reducing their circumstances is more likely to demand more aid, not less.  To that end, you'd need a damned good reason to take shelter or transportation from a family receiving aid.

Too many people don't think this through.  You take a family's car, you send them to public transportation.  What happens if there's not enough public transportation coverage?  They take cabs.  Which they can't afford, so it goes back on the public dime.  It's easy to say "poor people shouldn't have cars" after you've just driven yours back from work, but speaking from experience, there's nowhere near enough infrastructure to just yank cars and expect adequate transportation.

Forcing to downgrade housing?  Have you guys ever been in HUD housing?  It ain't pretty.  I don't know what you think your tax dollars are paying for, but what they're really doing is lining the pockets of slumlords.  At best, you've got people paying out of pocket (well, social security checks) for essential repairs and needing to go back and claim more from SNAP to feed their families.  At worst, you've got people trying to tough it out in unlivable/hazardous conditions and needing more medical care in the end- and it gets better: thanks to the cap on medicare deductions from paychecks, increases hit the lower-income taxpayers harder.   That domino effect is a bitch: borderline becomes aid recipient, lower-middle becomes borderline, another round of "wealth redistribution" hits, lather, rinse, repeat.

[sbr]

Right, which isn't relevant if you subscribe to the unqualified position that people who get handouts can hold on to their nice things.

Pretty sure I already said that.

Honestly, I'm of the opinion that a family's shelter and transportation should be sacrosanct.  Barring fraud, families apply for assistance because their circumstances have become reduced.  Logically, penalizing them by further reducing their circumstances is more likely to demand more aid, not less.  To that end, you'd need a damned good reason to take shelter or transportation from a family receiving aid.

Too many people don't think this through.  You take a family's car, you send them to public transportation.  What happens if there's not enough public transportation coverage?  They take cabs.  Which they can't afford, so it goes back on the public dime.  It's easy to say "poor people shouldn't have cars" after you've just driven yours back from work, but speaking from experience, there's nowhere near enough infrastructure to just yank cars and expect adequate transportation.

Forcing to downgrade housing?  Have you guys ever been in HUD housing?  It ain't pretty.  I don't know what you think your tax dollars are paying for, but what they're really doing is lining the pockets of slumlords.  At best, you've got people paying out of pocket (well, social security checks) for essential repairs and needing to go back and claim more from SNAP to feed their families.  At worst, you've got people trying to tough it out in unlivable/hazardous conditions and needing more medical care in the end- and it gets better: thanks to the cap on medicare deductions from paychecks, increases hit the lower-income taxpayers harder.   That domino effect is a bitch: borderline becomes aid recipient, lower-middle becomes borderline, another round of "wealth redistribution" hits, lather, rinse, repeat.

Well it's their own goddamn fault anyway.

[Admiral Yi]

Honestly, I'm of the opinion that a family's shelter and transportation should be sacrosanct.

Do you mean the shelter they currently inhabit, or some shelter?  The transportation they currently use, or some transportation?

I don't think it's fair to the guy living within his means in a shitty little efficiency to hand over free money to a family living in a mansion and driving to pick up their food stamps in a Rolls.

[garbon]

Well it's their own goddamn fault anyway.

Pah! We all have a right to free, lovely housing and a car.