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No Trust Fund? Try Food Stamps [Down and out in Brooklyn, young artists turn to public assistance]
The Village Voice ^ | January 10th, 2005 | Anya Kamenetz

Posted on 01/13/2005 4:17:21 PM PST by The Loan Arranger

Like thousands of other single women living in Bushwick, Brooklyn, Brigette, 24, collects Medicaid and food stamps. Unlike most of her neighbors, she's white and a college graduate—the kind of welfare recipient rarely considered in debates over public assistance. Brigette, whose parents and two sisters run a restaurant in rural Vermont, got her B.A. in film from Bard College, a top-tier liberal arts school in upstate New York. She moved to New York City about two years ago to pursue experimental filmmaking. As young self-styled bohemians have always done, she found a neighborhood with cheap rent and cobbled together a living from various gigs—in her case, waitressing and assisting more established filmmakers. The idea was to leave time for her own projects.

But then, two and a half months ago, she lost the job at the diner. Her two film posts together pay just $140 a week, and her rent is $600 a month, so things got lean quickly. Brigette was also missing payments on her $17,000 in student loans; she is now over $1,000 in arrears.

"I was really hungry—no food in my house, no money to buy food, my pants were all falling off, and I was like, something's not working out here," she says. "Then I got this raging ear infection." With no health insurance, Brigette went to the emergency room and later applied for Medicaid to cover her bills. "I figured as long as I'm applying for this, I should go across the street and apply for food stamps." After a six-hour wait at the office on Thornton Street, Brigette was awarded $147 a month, which she spends at her local C-Town supermarket on beans, rice, greens, and peanut butter.

(Excerpt) Read more at villagevoice.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; US: New York
KEYWORDS: deadbeats; parasites; welfarequeens; welfarescam
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To: The Loan Arranger

I don't know, if any relative of mine didn't have money for medical care, I'd help them out. That's the way it used to be in this country and that's the way it should be.


21 posted on 01/13/2005 5:00:08 PM PST by Hildy ( To work is to dance, to live is to worship, to breathe is to love.)
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To: The Loan Arranger

She chose her degree program poorly. She chose a "profession" that isn't in demand. Therefore, she has a useless degree. I could start a buggy whip manufacturing company tomorrow. How soon would I be bankrupt? How long before some liberal whines about the lack of funding for the "arts?"


22 posted on 01/13/2005 5:20:03 PM PST by SALChamps03
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To: annyokie
What I gleaned from this is the types of jobs that these people have are sources of income whre the actual amount received may not be repported if at all.

BTW, I don't know of any places around here that provide health insurance to waitresses.

23 posted on 01/13/2005 5:25:33 PM PST by PleaseNoMore
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To: mammer

There is no shame in welfare anymore.


24 posted on 01/13/2005 5:26:19 PM PST by PleaseNoMore
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To: annyokie

LOL! Guess what? If you physically confront one of the patrons it is VERY easy to get fired. Trust me. I've been there, done that. Of course, after I grabbed the obnoxious foul mouthed guy by the collar and pulled him to the door and shoved him out I was applauded by the other workers. I still volunteer to fill in once in a while when they are short of help. Of course, most know I don't take any junk so all is well.


25 posted on 01/13/2005 5:30:15 PM PST by PleaseNoMore
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To: PleaseNoMore
Shame died in the 90s. Clinton taught us all about NO SHAME
26 posted on 01/13/2005 5:31:30 PM PST by mammer
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To: The Loan Arranger

She could be living at home and waitressing in her family's restaurant, but no...she fancies herself an "artist" and that means she can freeload off my taxes and my children's taxes. They are struggling to pay bills for their families too and could use the extra money that the government confiscates to support air heads like this one. Colleges that award these worthless degrees ought to have to pay the stipends of their graduates who can't make a living after paying thousands of dollars for an "education"...oh, that's right, WE paid for that too, through her student loans!


27 posted on 01/13/2005 5:38:46 PM PST by kittymyrib
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To: mammer

I guess onlyhoseof us with a conscious can still feel the emotion of shame. Most often it is felt when discussing our own citizens, elected leaders and such.


28 posted on 01/13/2005 5:39:42 PM PST by PleaseNoMore
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To: SALChamps03

I know of a guy who actually DOES manufacture buggy whips. Yes, real buggy whips.

He can hardly keep up with demand. Competitive and professional carriage drivers, as well as the folks with a pony and a cart, are almost beating a path to his door.

Which may be neither here nor there, but then, there's not too many others doing it. Which may tell us something.


29 posted on 01/13/2005 5:39:42 PM PST by coydog (My bathroom djinn can beat up your bathroom djinn!)
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To: The Loan Arranger

This thread prompted me to change my tagline.


30 posted on 01/13/2005 5:45:35 PM PST by WorkingClassFilth (There's nothing wrong with this country that 1,000,000 executions won't straighten out.)
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To: Fizzie

She lost her job at the diner. Translation: fired from diner.



Yep, and probably in no rush to find a job in another diner. I know other degreed people (fine arts) who consider a full time job as something to be avoided at all costs. That's for other people to do.


31 posted on 01/13/2005 5:49:45 PM PST by Starboard
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To: The Loan Arranger

Disgusting. But no surprise for a high-tax state like NY.


32 posted on 01/13/2005 6:03:35 PM PST by valkyrieanne (card-carrying South Park Republican)
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To: coydog

Perhaps I picked a bad example...lol


33 posted on 01/15/2005 9:59:22 PM PST by SALChamps03
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To: DTogo

I've done that too. Living with your parents while youre having hard times is the biggest kick in the pants to better your situation.


34 posted on 01/15/2005 10:12:41 PM PST by abishai (This space is for auction online.)
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To: The Loan Arranger
Brigette, whose parents and two sisters run a restaurant in rural Vermont

Maybe she can go home and WORK.

35 posted on 01/15/2005 10:25:04 PM PST by kcvl
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To: The Loan Arranger

This is just a story of the previously pampered counting on someone to rescue her. Having been down/and/out in NYC, I can tell you that it is possible to almost always find a job. It may not be the job you want, but it'll put food on the table.


36 posted on 01/15/2005 10:35:22 PM PST by durasell (Friends are so alarming, My lover's never charming...)
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To: Recovering Ex-hippie

She went on to apply for Safety Net Assistance, New York's cash-grant program for childless adults, but discovered it involved a mandatory job-training program. Now she's looking for another 15-hour-a-week job.

Brigette is telling everyone she knows about the great new way for starving artists to survive in the city. Her (white) upstairs neighbor just got food stamps, and a friend who is a musician, hatmaker, and babysitter has been accepted onto the rolls as well. Applying for aid was "the best thing I ever did," she says.

Slumming it is a venerable New York City tradition for emerging artists. But the idea of using welfare to support a long period of youthful exploration is not part of reality for the typical young Bushwick resident.

Brenda Batista, 18, has lived in this neighborhood since she came to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic at the age of eight. She and her grandmother are both on public assistance, like about one-fifth of the people in her City Council district, but Brenda doesn't think it's all that. "I don't really like it, but it's a help and we got to do what we have to do. I feel bad because sometimes they give me a hard time when I go to the welfare office." Brenda also doesn't like the work-first attitude legislated by welfare reform—the welfare office tried to hire her. "They told me that I should go to school at night and work for them in the day, but I told them I wasn't going to do it. I'm only 18 and I want to finish my education."


37 posted on 01/15/2005 10:36:18 PM PST by kcvl
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To: mammer

I saw whoppi decades ago in an interview.

She was a heroin addict, welfare mama ect...She was disgusted by her own life choices and also did not want to die so she made changes. Cleaned up her life and was very fortunate to make it as a comedian turned actress.

Regardless of her political views I think her story should be told in context.

Did you know that? Because your post comes across as a little short of what Whoopi did to correct her poor life choices as a young woman.

Also when her daughter ended up knocked up out of wed lock Whoopi was very hurt as she did not want her daughter to make the same mistakes as her. Regardless she would love the new grand baby dispite how it came into this world.

While our family does not agree with her politics we have enjoyed her roles in Sister Act and a couple of other movies.

She surely did not succeed by her looks alone.


38 posted on 01/15/2005 10:43:28 PM PST by oceanperch (2005 is going to be an Awesome Year, IMO)
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To: Recovering Ex-hippie

Agree she needs to get a job and pursue her colleged education as a hobby.

Her priorities are screwed up and others are paying for it.

Food Stamps are their to bridge the gap for those put in circumstances beyone their control untill they can get back up on their feet.


39 posted on 01/15/2005 10:48:47 PM PST by oceanperch (2005 is going to be an Awesome Year, IMO)
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To: Fizzie

Agree one hundred percent.


40 posted on 01/15/2005 10:50:49 PM PST by oceanperch (2005 is going to be an Awesome Year, IMO)
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