West Virginia Sucks

[Elok]

Returning to the previous threadjack of manufacturing stuff, did you guys know that there's such a thing as water-jet cutting, ie using pressurized water, with or without abrasives, to slice through materials cleanly with negligible waste heat? I didn't, but I do now. Fun times!

[Aeson]

I remember reading about water-jet cutting in discover magazine many years ago. Also about chainsaws (I think?) that won't cut human flesh but will still cut logs. And hovercars. Lots of hovercars.

[giblets]

Elok, you have aspergers. Are you aware you can file for SSI disability payments and, depending on your work history, you can get ~$1200/month off SSI?

You mean he could sell his dignity for enough money to live in poverty forever?

[Dinner]

$14,400 a year is living the high life according to Al. Wow.

[Al B. Sure!]

$14,400 a year is living the high life according to Al. Wow.

PLUS $2400 in food
PLUS free cellphone
PLUS subsidized utilities
PLUS Section 8 housing
PLUS health insurance

That $14K/year goes a long way when you have no expenses.

It's like how a E-1's salary is a pittance but with base housing/BAH, food allowance, insurance, etc., the typical E-1 has a bit of disposable income.

Think about it this way: Once all your expenses are paid, how much disposable income do you have?

[Dinner]

Even the cellphone service isn't free just reduced cost with no long distance, section 8 housing has about a 10 year waiting list around here so few people get it (you also have to have a large family with very low income to get it; That $14,400 per year would probably disqualify someone unless they had a lot of kids), it's very hard to get medical as a friend of mine learned in 2000 when in college and needed to have his gallbladder removed, the subsidized utilities are (as far as I know) limited to heating oil in the winter which you get at a slightly discounted rate to prevent people freezing to death.

BTW with just local calling it essentially is an in coming call only phone. Since you need a phone to get a job I'd say paying $10 a month to make it easier for people on welfare to get a job is smart. Lastly, if you have a gross income of more than $1100 per month you can't get food stamps as far as I know so, no, you can't stack these things unless there is some sort of loophole I am unaware of. Their SSI income (assuming they even get it which most won't) would disqualify them.

[Elok]

The thing is, most people with money, y'know, like to live in nice houses in decent neighborhoods and eat good food. The guy who lives in a cardboard box next to the garbage cans behind a restaurant has FREE food and housing, but his life still sucks.

[Aeson]

$14,400 a year is living the high life according to Al. Wow.

It is for a lot of the rest of the world too.

[Dinner]

http://www.sdcounty.ca.gov/hhsa/programs/ssp/food_stamps/eligibility_requirements.html

A gross monthly income of more than $1100 disqualifies someone for food stamps (at least here) though I didn't check to see if there are deductions or exemptions (I doubt there are). Standard food stamp amounts:

$147 for households with 1-3 members
$155 for a household with 4 members,
$181 for a household with 5 members,
$208 for a household with 6 or more members,

Does your friend getting $200 per month have a wife and five kids or something?

[Al B. Sure!]

I don't know. People make it work.

All I know is everyone I know on public assistance is not hurting. They're living no worse than I am in terms of material lifestyle.

[Elok]

It is for a lot of the rest of the world too.

Such as Peru...because their local currency is a little more than a third of a dollar and has almost equivalent local purchasing power (ie, one Nuevo Sol buys slightly less in Lima than a dollar buys here, in my experience). So it would be more like $40K for nothing there. Of course, they're also pretty thrilled to no longer have commie guerrillas rampaging through the country and truly safe drinking water only comes in bottles and jugs, so that doesn't say much for Al.

[Elok]

All I know is everyone I know on public assistance is not hurting. They're living no worse than I am in terms of material lifestyle.

Are you sure they don't have other, even shadier sources of income? A basement grow room, for example?

[Dinner]

It is for a lot of the rest of the world too.

As Elok pointed out, sure, it's a lot in a third world slum where costs are much lower but in the US? Not so much, it's well below poverty line so it really is just a basic support for people who really do have serious medical issues. Just enough to keep them alive but not nearly as much as someone is likely to make with a full time job so it's hardly a disincentive to work so much as a very minimal social safety net.

[Dinner]

So at the standard food stamp amount of $155 per month for a family of four we have $38.75 per person per month or $1.29 per person per day or $0.43 per meal. Yeah, that's the ****ing high life right there! I'm quitting my job so I can eat steak and lobster all day with my $0.43 per meal in food stamps!

[Aeson]

Al has a very reasonable perspective (in regards to the value of the money) in this case. That's vacation on a tropical beach for the rest of your life money.