Big Government - Marginalizing Work

With Welfare It Makes Sense To Work Less

Remember when Mississippi used to have new manufacturing plants popping up weekly? What happened?

If you ask the business leaders, the problem is a lack of skilled labor. People don’t want to work. Especially in the Delta, people just won’t show up on time and often fail drug tests.

"How can this be?" you may ask. You have to work to eat. Well, that’s really not true anymore. In fact, our welfare state rewards not working. You can do as well working one week a month at minimum wage as you can working a $60,000-a-year, full-time, high-stress job.

"The line at 50 South Clinton Avenue is crazy -- people get there early in the morning, a lot of the people are cursing, yelling and screaming," Hernez said.

Hah! That's an *assistance line* in New Jersey; and it's two years old.

How long are the lines now?

You'd be angry too if you were 250 lbs, 5 feet 6 inches, and had to stand out there in the winter!

Now check this out - South Carlina's food stamp calculator.

I entered *family of 4*, *monthly rent of $300*, and *monthly utilities of $100* (satellite color TV).

And you can click the image, enlarge it, and read the GOOD NEWS - an idler like that qualifies for $588 of food stamps per month.

I don't care what anyone says, that's a LOT of money for food. I've seen infomercials late at night that declared kids could eat for 17 cents a day...

Everything's Messed Up

A friend just sent me the above pic with the following caption:

Recently Michelle Obama went to serve food to the homeless at a government funded soup kitchen.

Cost of a bowl of soup at homeless shelter: $0.00 dollars

Having Michelle Obama serve you your soup: $0.00 dollars

Snapping a picture of a homeless person who is receiving government funded meal while taking a picture of the first lady using his $500 Black Berry cell phone:

Priceless!!!

Whatever about the Blackberry....

I had more of a problem with the *homeless* getting expensive pecans on their *glory muffins*.

AND them getting MUSHROOM RISOTTO!!!

I actually asked my wife to make me her wonderful risotto just this week and she refused. It takes a lot of work to slave over that pot, stirring, adding wine, broth, cheese, and whatnot.

It's hardly fare for peasants!

Thanksgiving 2008

Given this economy, I figure why not put up a pic of lazy freeloaders from the Depression!

Free coffee, doughnuts, and soup?

Mrs. C-Nut wanted to do a *soup kitchen* in Manhattan for Thanksgiving this year. She thought it was a fantastic idea for the whole extended family to volunteer and serve the needy uninstitutionalized, mentally ill. In particular, she thought it'd be a great experience for our spoiled nieces and nephews.

But the euphoria evaporated when I informed her that, "We'd have to eat dinner there, too."

No way. She thought that after working a shift at the soup kitchen that we could go out to a nice Manhattan restaurant.

I got a great big laugh out of this. Turns out these kitchens won't allow small children in there so the idea was *out*. But really, I think it was my caveat that ruined the grand idea.

I don't do extra charity. I figure surrendering near half of my annual income is more than sufficient. I've probably got to self-improve in this department.

You know, before the State went into the charity/welfare biz private individuals and religious groups kept people off the street, fed them, and put them to work. If Big Government were to *step back*, others would step up - as they have for centuries.

We're still going to Manhattan for Thanksgiving; we might even take the kids to the Macy's parade.

And yes, we're going to a nice restaurant - though I'd rather do Dim Sum in Chinatown.