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 ...
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.
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?"
BTW, I don't know of any places around here that provide health insurance to waitresses.
There is no shame in welfare anymore.
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.
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!
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.
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.
This thread prompted me to change my tagline.
She lost her job at the diner. Translation: fired from diner.
Disgusting. But no surprise for a high-tax state like NY.
Perhaps I picked a bad example...lol
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.
Maybe she can go home and WORK.
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.
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."
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.
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.
Agree one hundred percent.
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