I have a family member who went to nursing school with a girl who was attending on the taxpayer dime. When she finished school, she decided she wouldn’t sit for her board exams because then the government would expect her to get a job.
The boy worked with a single mom (unmarried but baby daddy on the scene helping suck up bennies) who received a $6000 refund. My first thought was pay the rent and utilities up... she took her little “poverty stricken” family on a cruise.
Getting something for nothing appears to be the NEW American dream.
Responsible people often have to skip years to save up enough for the occasional modest vacation.
Those on the dole often take several lavish vacations a year.
Half-price shopping is the favorite way to turn food stamp cards into cash in this area. We have a niece on my wife’s side who sold groceries bought with her “EBT” card for half price to raise the money to take her daughter to a Kenny Chesney concert! I would want to be paid a healthy amount to go and endure a Kenny Chesney concert. There are huge numbers of people selling half priced groceries around here, I have been told that at least in one town they are cold calling, knocking on doors to offer to go grocery shopping with anyone who will pay fifty dollars for a hundred dollars worth of food that the taxpayers are paying for, supposedly to feed hungry children but in reality to pay for concerts, tattoos, whatever, anything but food.
Don’t ask me what they eat after giving away their free groceries, I don’t know.
I know a guy that has 4 kids with his baby mama. They live together, but are constantly on the move. The get kicked out of a place at least once a year. Last year he got back about $6K in a refund....with very little work on the books. He went out to the casino, and won 10K with it. He came home, bought a new tv, new stereo, two computers, Wii, PS3 AND Xbox. New furniture, and bikes for the kids. In one month, he was asking me to borrow money. I worked him sometimes in my business, but never have done it since. Thursday last, I called him and asked if he wanted to work a few days. He told me that he was busy, it seems he started his own paint company, and had jobs to do. The kicker is, after telling me no thanks, he called me back 3 hours later. He asked if I had any boxes, when he had gotten home from “work”, there was a three day eviction notice on his door. His wife is a convicted felon. She plead guilty of embezzling a restaurants weekly receipts, but both of them are receiving rent support, help with power and phone bills, food stamps, financial aid....the whole shebang. I on the other hand, pay taxes quarterly, last year received nearly $200 back in an overpayment, and am the sole support of myself and wife. Of course I am angry at these stories.