Spokane7
65°
September 7, 2011 in City
Budget cuts thwart single mom’s effort to escape poverty
It was hard last year for a Spokane mother of three trying to work her way off welfare. It’s much worse now.
“I was trying to make the right steps, but now I’m going to have to back step,” said Jenniffer Cooke, 41, who receives Temporary Assistance for Needy Families while she works to lift her family out of poverty.
State budget cuts, including the suspension of child-support payments, have had a severe affect on her chances.
Born into a middle-class California family, Cooke found herself and her children destitute and homeless in Spokane three years ago as a result of the breakup of her marriage, which ended in divorce.
She worked “one dead-end job after another” until November, when she joined AmeriCorps, working as a volunteer coordinator for Cancer Patient Care, a nonprofit that serves the social needs of patients.
Cooke’s plan was to escape the cycle of poverty by learning job skills with the national service agency, which helps her pay off student loans and provides her a small stipend.
Though the court has ordered her former husband to pay Cooke $320 a month in child support, the payments are collected by the state because she receives a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families grant.
Beginning October 2008, federal and state law allowed the state Division of Child Support to pay custodial parents of minor children a portion of their child support. These payments, known as “pass-throughs,” are left to the discretion of each state. Idaho has opted not to pass through any portion of child support to welfare recipients.
In Washington, families with one child typically received a $100-a-month pass-through, and families with more than one child received $200 a month.
On May 1, those payments stopped for about 12,372 poor Washington families with 23,450 children as a result of budget-reduction measures taken by the state Legislature. Suspension of the child-support pass-through was expected to save the state $37.6 million over two years.
As of the first of the year, the state also cut welfare checks by 15 percent.
Cooke’s family lost its $200 pass-through while its TANF grant was cut from $662 to $562 a month.
Now Cooke fears she will have to find another low-wage job and quit AmeriCorps where she had hoped to gain experience that would improve her future employment prospects.
“I’m not a big spender, but I’m barely making it,” said Cooke, who is having a hard time buying shoes for her children, ages 9, 7, and 4. “No matter what I do I can’t get out of the poverty hole.”
Rights panel poorly understood 
Teseract on September 07 at 12:34 p.m.
My ex decided in February she didn’t want to live with me anymore. She moved out, finding a “temporary” space with her two kids (my former stepkids) living in the basement of a woman’s house, sharing a single bathroom with the woman who rented the room out to her. I tried to convince her otherwise, but she left anyhow.
She works part time (all she could find) as a in-home caregiver for a local agency. She makes enough to survive in her current situation but not enough to move into an apartment because of daycare costs. She spends a large portion of her income on daycare because the state no longer allows new people to enter the daycare assistance program.
A few years ago she could have found subsidized housing, or rent assistance. These programs are closed as well.
She gets child support from the father of her kids, but it’s only $150/month total. She could probably get more now, but she would have to go to court. Last time she tried prior to our marriage she tried to fill the paperwork out herself as she couldn’t afford a lawyer. The Grandmother of the “Baby Daddy” hired a lawyer for him and crushed her like a bug.
So, as a result, she’s trapped in a one-bedroom “apartment” with not so much as a private bathroom with an 8 and 10 year old until either she gets a significant raise or something else changes. A full time job probably wouldn’t do much more than make her pay her extra wages to the daycare.
Even though I’m “not in the picture” anymore, I care about the kids. I can’t afford the rent and utilities on two places but if the kids need something I get it for them. They at least have good clothes and school supplies. I watch them on my days off as well to save in daycare costs. I have no legal obligation to support them, but there’s no way in hell I’m going to let them go hungry or without clothing.
Oh, and she just got notice they’re terminating most of her food assistance too as she “makes too much money” because the rent on her “apartment” is too low. Thankfully they haven’t cut school lunches — yet.
People can’t get a decent paying full time job thanks to unemployment being so high. Rental costs in Spokane are fairly high compared to the average wage. Utilities prices as we all know are spiraling out of control (and it’s not just Avista - the city isn’t helping this any either). I went to Costco yesterday and the price of anything containing meat or dairy has shot up 20-25%. Milk was $4 for 2 gallons, it’s now $5. 5lbs of cheese went from $12 to $15. Etc. We’re all living on flat or decreasing wages while the government tries to tell us that inflation isn’t a problem. Bull.
Honestly, this is really my wife’s own fault in a way, she moved out of a stable situation because she didn’t want to live with me anymore, and did so at the worst possible time. I guess we’re back in the 1930’s where a couple had to stay together even if they hated one another’s guts because there was no way for a woman with children to survive on their own, even if employed.
Upthewazzu on September 07 at 12:37 p.m.
There’s a common denominator in all of these welfare sob stories: children. Our society needs to wake up and realize that we already have way too many people in this country. Having children is not a requirement, so stop having them.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on September 07 at 12:44 p.m.
Welcome to the Tea Party Republicans new America.
steptoe_fan on September 07 at 12:50 p.m.
And, besides the common denom of making babies without regard to your situation, there is a common response. The media, and the liberals, both don’t want to talk about it, instead they want the government to be everyone’s surrogate parent, regardless of the cost.
nobama - keep the change.
Now, all can see how the liberals have moved this country in the wrong direction - and the disastrous consequences.
philipgregory on September 07 at 1:11 p.m.
A recent network news report stated 1 in 5 children in America live below the poverty line.
And, Washington refuses to allow increases of taxes from the rich. 90% percent of the wealth of this nation is owned by 1% of the people.
The working class and middle class are expected to carry the burden of helping the poor through taxes or donations.
This country’s government is an oligarchy - rule by the rich - and only the ‘people’ can change that.
But, there is too much apathy for that. Back to the TV wasteland where you can hear all is fine and get ‘…your ears tickled’ by priests and preachers to appease your fears.
BlondeSquawker on September 07 at 1:11 p.m.
Why do Republicans not want to give free birth control to these people?
misjustice on September 07 at 1:18 p.m.
Poor people need to stop being a drain on the rest of us and pull themselves up by their bootstraps. Stop expecting us productive members of society to pay for your mistakes.
Where’s my tax cut?
johnclarke on September 07 at 1:20 p.m.
Yeah well the GOP wants to block any form of funding or no co-pay birth control. I can think of no better use of any funding than free birth control. Sure, you can think that reproduction is “personal responsibility” and all that, but history and common sense seems to dictate otherwise.
I have a woman with two kids freeloading in one of my rentals right now. She lied her way into the house, and since I have a soft heart I believed her, she just “needed a break”. Research later showed that she has been evicted by the courts 3 times in the last year, and obviously moves from place to place, kids in arms - living for free. She will stay in my house, living for free until the last possible second before the cops show up. I don’t have high hopes for these children, what with a professional freeloader for a mother. This makes me sad, because I know there are single mothers with kids actually trying to change their lives and make a better life for the kid. I think they deserve that shot, and I have no problem with my tax dollars going for training and daycare.
Teseract - you are noble for still helping those kids. You have my respect.
johnclarke on September 07 at 1:25 p.m.
Blonde - viagra is covered but not birth control. GOP thinking.
BlondeSquawker on September 07 at 1:31 p.m.
JC….and the cycle continues
Squid on September 07 at 1:36 p.m.
The positive: This will be incentive to keep your promises and honor your vows. It ain’t as easy to just walk away from what you created and committed to create. Not a solution, but it is a deterrent.
My heart aches for people like this, but the effort and commitment were abandoned and forgotten. Blue sky and greener grass are possible from your own porch swing. It is possible to fix things with communication and planning for success, instead of planning for failure. A lost art and the demise of too many. Your family is a team and not an enemy or tool. Choose to lose, or plan your success. Pretty easy choice.
MrNatural on September 07 at 1:40 p.m.
Gee…I hope someday that I am able to develop the self-righteous sanctimonious self control that the conservative tea-party republicans seem to generate. If only I could muster the total contempt and disregard for less fortunate fellow human beings I’d have so much more of the sacred riches that define goodness…for now I’m just totally mired in this awful empathy, compassion and sympathy for fellow human beings…MAN!…being a bleeding heart liberal sure is a rough and unnecessary burden to my conscience and such an impediment to my ability to generate private wealth…
All the best Ms. Cooke
BlondeSquawker on September 07 at 1:46 p.m.
The better of us could ask the SR to set up a fund to donate to her children. I’m in. How much could a decent pair of shoes cost? Twenty bucks?
They took the time to write a story on her, seems they could also take the time to help her out a bit.
de3 on September 07 at 1:48 p.m.
About 45% of all births in Spokane County are paid for by Medicaid. Kinda sounds like buying something with other people’s money that you couldn’t afford for yourself.
That figure is from www.communityindicators.ewu.edu
liz7315 on September 07 at 1:49 p.m.
Instead of giving these people money, how about giving them field work? Harvest is coming up Im sure there will be plenty of jobs picking and that will help with the illegal immigrant problem too. The problem is that we as Americans have become LAZY. To dependant on getting a hand out. Im a single mom, Im lucky enough to get child support I never planned on being a single mom but hey life happens, I was also fortunate to have two parents that taught me how to work and be embarrassed about having to receive welfare. Ill admit Im a full time student and get food stamps but Im also activly searching for work and if that means doing litte crap jobs for minimum wage regardless of my experience Im doing it. My kids dress from where I can afford it and Im lucky their grandma and fathers help out with that. Stop the excuses!!! THe only problem is that I have to pay out of pocket for daycare because the state is too busy paying daycare for these TANF cases to go sit at worksource and learn how to do a proper Resume.
misjustice on September 07 at 2:05 p.m.
Cut the waste from government…..just don’t cut mine. That’s what I read in all the Obama supporters comments & they blame it all on the Republicans for not going along with the program.
Yes it is hard to get by. I have a divorced daughter that has 3 kids. She works a job for $9 an hour. She pays her house pmt, car pmt, utilities, groceries and all other items from her small checks. No child support and no welfare. I’m proud of her for taking on what must be done to raise her family and not depending on the public dole to support her.
If she can do it so can others. Quit wanting handouts and figure out how to do a budget.
misjustice on September 07 at 2:09 p.m.
Well, there’s always the option of state mandated abortions or forced sterilization for poor people. Problem solved.
Where’s my tax cut?
Squid on September 07 at 2:13 p.m.
Holy crap, MisJ! Can I get a what what? Did somebody jack your account?
ChefGus/ John Olsen on September 07 at 2:30 p.m.
Je Suis Fini…. Henri
liberal_in_right_wing_land on September 07 at 2:30 p.m.
JustMeAgain must be proud to be a part of a political party that works to keep his daughter poor and barely getting by.
But, at least he is proud she can support her 3 kids, pay for her house and other bills on $9 an hour because thats the American way, to barely be able to put food on your kids table.
But, at least these so called job creators have their tax cuts. At least we still are giving billions of tax payer money to oil companies. At least we still are fighting two wars. At least we have a military bigger than the next 10 countries combined. At least we have tax breaks for giant corporations to ship jobs to India. At least we have farm subsidies.
Better to help out the rich than help out the poor since they are just to lazy to get a real job anyways.
Sad that Greed has become the new American way.
misjustice on September 07 at 2:41 p.m.
Liberal gets it; it IS better to help the rich than the poor. The poor are poor because they choose to be poor. Choices have consequences, folks. All you free lunchers need to realize that in this new age of austerity that the jig is up.
No one forced you to be a parent. Quit havin’ kids that you can’t take care of. Quit expecting other people to help you; when other people do give you a hand out that just enables you to continue to be irresponsible.
Don’t feed stray dogs and don’t give hand outs to poor people; it only encourages them and they ALWAYS want more, more, more.
Where’s my tax cut?
johnclarke on September 07 at 2:56 p.m.
de3 on September 07 at 1:48 p.m.
About 45% of all births in Spokane County are paid for by Medicaid. Kinda sounds like buying something with other people’s money that you couldn’t afford for yourself.
Bingo, a factoid that actually supports a point. We should make it easier for people to not have babies. Yes, in a perfect world, people would not have babies until they can afford them However, the world is not perfect.
European countries will send you to college while paying you a living wage AND daycare. See, that’s because they are not uncaring greedy slobs like us Americans. They know how to break the cycle of poverty and get people into the productive section of society. So yeah, I’m pretty sure they pay higher taxes and stuff, but they are willing to share a higher quality of life for everyone you know, with health care and stuff. We don’t gain anything by keeping people poor.
empyrius on September 07 at 3:01 p.m.
Let me see here . . .:
A single mom with three children makes 1500 dollars a month, BEFORE TAXES, and receives no monetary assistance from government/friends/family:
Car payment: 200
House payment (say she lives in the ghetto!) 700
Utilities: (I am granting that she, and her three children are really, really, really frugal!) 50
Food: 400
So with the remaining 150 (which would not be there if we added state/federal and city taxes) this working-class mom also pays for her month’s gas for the car, her house and car insurance, her phone bill, her internet bill, clothes and school supplies for her children . . .
Uhhhhh . . .
Something is not adding up here!
Har har har har har
misjustice on September 07 at 3:04 p.m.
That’s right. Tough as it is, & believe it or not. Some people just make it work.
nslopeofw on September 07 at 3:05 p.m.
MisJustice-
I dont think the “rich” (lets say a family of 4 making $250,000) are asking for a tax cut, they are just asking to not have a tax hike, and their wages taxed quadruple what the “poor” pay. For the last 20+ years, i’ve never been below 30%, and during Clinton years i paid 38%. I’m not rich, in fact, i’m no where near $250K.
So, 20+ years of 30%+, while someone making $35,000 pays 10% and gets most of that back. Plus all of the state and fed programs they can apply for. How is this in any way fair?
How about i pay 10% on my wage, and so does everyone else? I’m not asking for anything that the rest of the nation gets. Plus, @ 10%, i’ll still pay more than the person making $35K a year.
mikeln on September 07 at 3:06 p.m.
This way it will be easier to move people to the projects and demand thier labor for survival. We can’t all be wealthy to the point of having enough for a thousand people to live a thousand lifetimes. Keeping a large number of people in poverty insures a cheap labor force, after all, people are nothing more then overhead. This is not the future the founding fathers had in mind, they wanted a well educated society that worshiped discovery. What we got is a society that worships greed.
nslopeofw on September 07 at 3:14 p.m.
Empyrius-
The Ghetto housing is more like $350 a month. I know people who live in these places. Yeah, it sux, but they are not taking a hand out. They are doing what they can without asking their neighbors to pay for it. I even know some who’s rent is under $200, but that is HUD assisted. (Based on how much money you make a month for 6 months in a row)
I got no problem assisting the elderly, the handicapped, and children. I have a big problem helping able bodied adults for more than a few months straight. I like to give to charities. (Both religious and not) but prefer to choose how i give the money I EARN. I dont like MY MONEY to go to lazy, no work, system playing P’s o S!
nslopeofw on September 07 at 3:21 p.m.
Mikeln-
There have always been rich, and poor. Look at Hollywood. These buffoons run around talking about helping the poor while the poor scrub the toilets in their mansions.
I dont think a full developed society has ever existed where there were not rich and poor. Fully developed means hippy communes dont count. Even the Amish need the outside to survive, and have you ever seen the prices they charge for their furniture? If money wasnt important, then they would be happy with the cost of materials plus a small kick for labor. Instead, they are looking for the most they can make. Why is that important in a society where having money isnt an alleged issue?
misjustice on September 07 at 3:23 p.m.
“How is that fair?”, some one whined? Well it isn’t sonny! My daddy always used to say “suck it up, life isn’t fair”…and it isn’t. So, suck it up!
The woman in the above story is over 40 years old; she’s not some kid that is just getting started in the poverty game. She’s been at this poverty thingy her entire life, and now she’s teaching her kids how to work the system, how to be poor.
Geez….she’s teaching them how NOT to escape poverty by, well, STAYING in poverty. Poor people choose to be poor. And choices have consequences. So, she’s poor and she is teaching her kids to be poor, and then they will have kids and teach them how to be poor; and so it goes. The poor will always be with us because they choose to be poor.
Where’s my tax cut?
WHS on September 07 at 3:23 p.m.
How utterly disgusting… Here we have mr conservative teabagger republican extolling the virtues of poverty, and is using his own daughter as the shining example! You are really just one sick individual buddy boy…
Here justmeagain, a new bumper sticker for ya.
“Poverty, it aint so bad… Vote GOP 2012!”
WHS
Hiker on September 07 at 3:34 p.m.
Here are some interesting statistics on social services usage in Washington state as of 2008, the latest I can find figures for:
Spokane County is 9th out of 39 counties in per capita DSHS dollars. It receives almost $900 per capita.
King County gets $538 per capita and is 30th out of 39 counties.
San Juan County, probably the most liberal in the state, receives about $225 per capita in DSHS, the lowest of any county.
Also, keep in mind that both King and San Juan Counties are heavy tax donors at the state level. They pay a lot more in taxes than they receive in state spending. Spokane County is heavily subsidized.
Why is this?
mikeln on September 07 at 3:35 p.m.
We are slipping back to a time when a person was worth less then a horse, like I said, people who labor for a living are nothing more then overhead and as long as unemployment is kept high, wages will be low. This has been the plan for a long time, keep people in debt and keep thier wages stagnate. The amount of debt in this world is enormous and is nothing more then a house of cards. Stock up, it’s going to be a long winter with a wind that will blow this house of cards down.
norris1620 on September 07 at 3:36 p.m.
My wife works in the social services services world and between our church and her “other” volunteer duties, we spend a good deal of our free time volunteering. Not looking for praise, we choose to do it. I am beginning to see a disturbing trend however, the third generation unable to care for themselves. They honestly think it’s just the way it is and have no qualms about asking for anything. Even going so far as rejecting items you bring them. I want to be clear that this is a minority at this point, but I worry about the future. Obviously, I lean towards the liberal side of things, but I’m not sure that this problem can be fixed by redistributing the income. Some of these folks truly don’t have a clue.
mikeln on September 07 at 3:40 p.m.
Without some sort of help from someone it would almost be impossible to live on nine dollors a hour. Rent would take much of that leaving very little for other expenses.
steptoe_fan on September 07 at 3:41 p.m.
free birth control ? ?
shows the mentality of some of the libs here.
It isn’t free, someone has to pay for it and YES, there are many Repubs that would still support it, it is one H of a lot cheaper than having to raise unwanted babies.
the dems sure buy a lot of uneducated votes with their ‘make government your surrogate parent’ mantra - don’t have to worry, will never run out of other people’s money to spend.
just ask Chris or Patty Pork
misjustice on September 07 at 3:46 p.m.
Obviously the state needs to take out “Dead Peasant” insurance policies on the poor; help to recoup some of the money that we pay them for a lifetime doing nothing, except for sucking up our tax dollars.
Large corporations take these policies out on the lower rung workers in their ranks, and so should the state. Afterall, we want the state/federal gubmints run like a business. Don’t we?
Where’s my tax cut?
misjustice on September 07 at 3:51 p.m.
steptoe, that is why poor people should be sterilized. Or, if poor women get pregnant the state should just force them to abort.
I don’t want my tax dollars paying for “free” birth control pills; some of those poor people would only pretend to take the pills or aren’t smart enough to take them correctly so those poor women will end up pregnant. They are sneaky, in addition to being poor.
Where’s my tax cut?
Leo_Z on September 07 at 3:53 p.m.
Wow. Each person here thinks they know everything again. Surprise!
nslopeofw on September 07 at 4:24 p.m.
J.F.K. DEMOCRAT-
“And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.”
“Do not pray for easy lives. Pray to be stronger men. ” ( I’m not religious, but ole Jack was)
So, dont ask for handouts, ask what you can do to pay for things you receive. Rather than going to school for free, and getting handouts, work for free for the taxpayers of America, and then ask for handouts.
misjustice on September 07 at 4:38 p.m.
Why not just bring back the debtor prisons? It worked for centuries.
Where’s my tax cut?
misjustice on September 07 at 4:53 p.m.
WHS, bumper sticker for you.
Vote Obama in 2012 — Speak Spanish by 2013
Want Change? Share your home with the freeloaders by 2014.
@ mikeln: You’re right…..it’s almost impossible. But it can be, and is being, done.
nslopeofw on September 07 at 9:31 p.m.
Yeah, you know its just selfish of me to want to keep the money I EARN at my JOB. If i were any kind of humanist, i’d give it to those who have made bad choices in their lives. After all, its not their faults that they made those bad choices, its my fault.
You ever notice that the ones that think those of us that pay over 30% income tax are selfish, are the ones who dont make much because of choices they made with their lives? They get to make choices, but by god, i should not expect that same right.
SMARTGUY on September 07 at 11:55 p.m.
Alot of that thirty percent is spent on defense spending and corporate welfare, not just for the needy.
misjustice on September 08 at 6:06 a.m.
Where’s my tax cut?
jimvw2 on September 08 at 8:08 a.m.
A little fact-checking on the tax whiners. According to the IRS, you must be earning $174,500 to more than $300,000 to be subject to a 30% nominal, marginal tax rate.
For the uninformed, that means a person earning more than $174,500 would be subject to a nominal (on paper) tax rate of 33% ON THAT PART OF THEIR INCOME ABOVE $174,500, not their entire income. For income below that threshold, the rate is 28%, and the rate steps down in increments from there to 0% for families of four earning less than $22,000.
Then there’s effective tax rate versus nominal rate. Nominal is the rate you would apply to your marginal income absent any tax deductions. How many people making more than $175,000 do you think don’t have tax deductions?
On the other hand, the single mother changing your mother’s diapers and bedding at the nusing home, being paid $8/hour from your mom’s Medicare, pays a payroll tax on every dime she earns.
I earn an income that falls right on the national median for salaried workers and my effective tax rate is 17%. Since my home is paid for and I don’t own other property or have children in my home, my effective and nominal tax rates are pretty close to the same.
I pay a lot more income taxes than the folks interviewed for this article; but I’m not whining like some of the crybabies responding to this article.
They ought be asking themselves if maybe the collapse of unions and the export of manufacturers (43,000) of them in the last 10 years with the blessing of neocons like Gingrich (and yes, Bill Clinton — NAFTA) has something to do with the creation of a seemingly permanent underclass.
Blaming third generation welfare recipients and the government agencies who try to keep them off the streets is exactly where the billionaires club wants our national discussion to be. Congrats to all the responders who so faithfully do their bidding, while whining about their tax burdens from the decks of their boats.
We need to talk about a comprehensive strategy that will get is back to making things in this country with union-wage workers who can support their families on one income.
That means considering tax penalties as well as incentives, and being willing to engage in trade wars and subsidizing US made products with higher prices and tax revenues if necessary until we can get our manufacturing base back on it’s feet.
This is the only effective strategy for reducing poverty in this country by giving the working poor a ladder out of low-wage hell.
You see, the problem is not just a shrinking middle class, it’s the sharply narrowed ladder of opportunity to climb into the middle class.
Until recently this shrinking of opportunity to upward mobility was perceived as a problem you fix with a college education. Now we’re seeing that the great savior “information age” is not filling the gap in opportunity created by union-busting and the export of manufacturing.
The way back will be painful, expensive, and will take at least a decade if we start today. But neither political party will take on this issue honestly, because that’s not where the campaign money is, and neither party has the cajones to tell the American public the true cost of rebuilding a wage earning middle class.
Much easier to whine about taxes and blame the victims of 30 yearts of supply-side nonsense that destroyed our manufacturing base. Get a clue, tax whiners.
WHS on September 08 at 10:44 a.m.
jimvw2, nice! However, I am sure the radical right wingers will say it’s all bunk…
And funny, how justmeagain is championing his daughter, however isn’t she part of the same problem he is whining about…
“For income below that threshold, the rate is 28%, and the rate steps down in increments from there to 0% for families of four earning less than $22,000.”
And that is exactly who she is… She pays 0%. And I would be willing to bet that she is accepting some type of public assistance, be it free cheese, food stamps and what? Of course, as will all right wing whackos, justmeagain will have some sort of justification as to why his families situation is unique and doesn’t count.
Good luck America, were gonna need it!
WHS
WHS on September 08 at 10:46 a.m.
“Want Change? Share your home with the freeloaders by 2014.”
justmeagain, so are you saying your daughter is moving in with you?
0% Tax
WHS
Ten bucks says I get flagged for this one :-)
angelmcj on September 08 at 3:48 p.m.
I have a ton of respect for this woman - I don’t think anyone who has posted any comments could say the things they are saying if they had to spend a day in her shoes. For those of you with no compassion or empathy, there are a lot of single mothers out there who have had to make sacrifices and have struggled to support their families. No person in their right mind would choose this life if they could help it; not for them & especially not for their children. My heart goes out to those families who, through tragic events (losing a job, divorce, medical, etc.) have fallen on hard times like this. And I can’t believe how presumptuous & cold hearted some of the comments are in regards to “poor people” (as if they are a type of breed). People become poor for many reasons, try taking a big slice of humble pie & quit your judgment!!
misjustice on September 08 at 8:49 p.m.
I would NOT spend a moment in her stinky, discount bargin bin, warehouse, tennis shoes…it’s Prada or nothing for me! And not last season’s Prada, either!
People that are poor are poor for a reason. They CHOOSE to be poor. They have kids that they can’t afford, they marry men/women that have ZERO prospects, they skip college and indulge their animal instincts and partee partee partee, they live for today, they expect hard working tax payers to pony up for their mistakes, they blame others for their poor choices, they gobble up the free lunch and then ask “what’s for dinner?”…
Single mothers, really? What ever happened to waiting until you were married, with a stable life and a husband with a seven figure income to become a mother? Ohhhhhhhhh, not anymore. Now women pop out kids and expect everyone else to pay for them…
Well, this new age of austerity should put an end to that. If you “single mothers” can not afford the kids you should be sterilized and if you are pregnant you should be forced to abort. Tax payers are sick and tired of supporting women that breed with no thought to how they are going to pay to feed, clothe, and house their offspring.
The jig is up. If you can’t afford to have kids don’t expect tax payers to pay for your bad decision making process.
Besides that, poor kids reek of public education and they keep putting their sticky hands all over my chaise lounge…ICK!!!!!
Where’s my (bigger) tax cut????
Thatismeyouaretalkingabout on September 08 at 11:05 p.m.
This is but a brief view of my life. It does not tell you that I worked for a police dept. until I was injuried on duty, it does not tell you that I was married for over eight years or that all three of my children came from that marriage and have the same father, it does not tell you that my husband had four bypass open heart surgery, or that he tried to kill me and our three children, it doesn’t say how I got a job within five weeks of my husband trying to kill us, even though I deal with permanent spinal injury and chronic pain that I take no medications for, it does not tell you that my ex only works 15 hours a week by choice, nor does it tell you that in the last seven weeks my ex has spent a total 7 hours with his children,it does not say that I am a board member for a homeless shelter, that my kids and I give our time when I am off work to try to make our community a better place, it does say that I work for an amazing agency that I have been fortunate to interact with some of the most amazing people who want to give local cancer patients a fighting chance. I can tell you I never choose to be injured, poor, a victim of domestic violence, or,homeless. I do make the choice everyday to do what I can to make a better life for my children and for the other individuals I share this planet with. I will keep my cheap tennis shoes and make a positive impact. I have heard the devil wears Prada so it sounds to me like they may be a good fit for you.
nslopeofw on September 09 at 6:27 a.m.
Reality check, jimvw2-
Someone who makes $175K pays $57,750 in income tax now. Under uncle Bill “i did not have sex with that woman” Clinton, it was much higher.
Someone making minimum wage pays no income tax, and gets help with food, rent, utilities, child care, etc. So, if one were to figure a $ amount on all the free stuff they get, it would double their income. Still no tax.
Where’s their taxes?
Dont raise mine to give them MORE free stuff. I’m not asking for a tax cut as MisJ indicates, just asking that they dont raise mine anymore, and quit robbing me to pay for those who make bad choices with their lives.
misjustice on September 09 at 6:28 a.m.
What a touching story, snif. No different than hundred of thousands across this (once) great land. People with a handful of “gimme”… and a mouthful of “much obliged”. Or as gmorton would say, a bunch of “free lunchers”.
Get thee to Texass! There are lots of jobs there. And a generous social safety net to catch ya when you’re down.
Choices have consequences. YOU picked your husband, YOU had kids with him; now YOU get to deal with it. Why is the state of Washington and its taxpayers supposed to deal with the fallout of your broken little life? How is that anyone elses responsibility? Are we supposed to be our brother’s/sister’s keeper???
Are there no prisons? No workhouses?
Where’s my (bigger) tax cut?
nslopeofw on September 09 at 6:34 a.m.
More tax figures, this time for for 2008
http://www.bargaineering.com/articles/2008-federal-income-tax-brackets-official-irs-figures.html
$153K=38.6% in 1992 under clinton.
http://www.unclefed.com/IRS-Forms/taxtables/2002_i1040tt.pdf
nslopeofw on September 09 at 7:00 a.m.
So, TANF is an additional program besides welfare, food stamps, child care assistance, rent assistance, utility assistance, etc?
misjustice on September 09 at 10:40 a.m.
Assistance = a way of life!
Where’s my (bigger) tax cut?