True Story

OK, this is a true story about what is happening in my life these days.

Back story:

I was chillin out playing NCAA football on the PS3 back in Dec. It was around noon. I get a call from my wife. Apparently her brother was suffering from a severe nosebleed and wanted someone to drive him to the clinic. I agree to go. I get to Paul's house and it looks like someone slaughtered a pig inside. He is sitting on the couch, beer in hand and tissue in his nostrils. There is blood on the hardwood floor, blood in the kitchen sink, trashcan full of bloody tissue, blood on the kitchen floor.....hell even the bathroom sink, floor, and trashcan was covered in blood.

I asked Paul how long his nose had been bleeding and he said "I dunno, couple of hours maybe". I told him it was serious and that he needed to get in the truck and let me take him to the clinic. Now this man is 46 years old and I can't make him do squat that he doesn't want to do and he refused. I stayed there until 2:30 trying to convince him until I finally gave up and called his wife, who was at work.

She rushed home, bitched at him until he got up and they went to the doctor. Come to find out, Paul's drinking had finally caused his liver to shut down and that was causing the nosebleed. He was periously close to bleeding from every orifice in his body. If he wouldn't have got attention that day, he had a good chance of dying. He was told to stop drinking immediately and was put on a battery of medication.

Flash foward:

A few weeks ago I had to do a walk through of a vegetable oil plant near his house and give a bid on a job they wanted done. Since this plant is only a block or two from Paul's house, my wife wanted me to drop her off so she could see how he was doing. After I did the walkthrough and went to pick up my wife, I decided to go inside and visit some myself. Paul had a longtime friend at his house at the time.

Now both Paul and "Zeke"(yeah, it's a nickname) are both the same age and neither have ever worked a day in their lives. Neither has ever even attempted to find a job. Zeke is still a raging alchy while Paul has unbelieveably abstained since Dec. Both were sitting in Paul's living room discussing the best way for Paul to get SSI benefits. Zeke himself was telling Paul how he was able to get the benefits. Of course you guys know me......I blew up.

 Basically, this is just a vent. I know some here believe that we need government to help us poor citizens. I know y'all refuse to open your eyes, but this is exactly why government should never get involved. I know y'all do not want to believe it, but this behavior is much more common than those who honestly need the help. I know y'all also refuse to acknowledge that there is only 1.8 workers for every 1 person on the dole.

When will those that support and enable this type of behavior wake up and quit allowing others to take advantage of them??? Will it take a total crash of the system??? Historically that has happened several times in history. Why do many refuse to see it??? Are you guys really that blind??? Are you guys really that naive??? I am struggling to understand the thought process here so can someone help me out???

I'm going to comment on this one.
 
1st, you did the right thing.  Paul is very lucky to have a friend like you.  He could have died that day.
 
2nd, I believe in safety nets, which is different from just a pure handout from the govt.  The current welfare program really should be only for people who are incapable physically or mentally of being able to work.  From your description, Paul could work.  And you should not be rewarded for pumping out more babies after you start getting welfare.
 
But its not as easy to get disability as it seems.  I've tried a few times and I cant even stand up for more than a few minutes at a time.  And i cant sit for more than maybe an hour because of the pain in my hips.  Seriously, I cant.  I have a degenerative condition and after 50 years its gotten me down.  And I cant get disability because according to the State I haven't built up enough of a medical record to be considered.  So it isn't easy...at least here.  I dunno about Louisiana. 
 
But honestly man, i'm far more concerned about the billions we give away to countries that hate our guts.  Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan. Turkey, and now Syria.  I know this is off topic a little but we are just throwing our money to the wolves.  That money could have built a border fence hundreds of times over.  It could help a lot of people that need it too.  Or it could be used in other ways, I dunno.  Here's a thought...how about using that money to pay back the money the govt stole from social security?  But I hate just throwing this money to the wolves.

My dad had an interesting idea. Only allow people to collect welfare for a certain period of time and only for a couple times in their life, with the idea being that the Government will help you when your down but its not going to pay people to sit back and do nothing.

Dennis324 wrote:I'm going to comment on this one.
 
1st, you did the right thing.  Paul is very lucky to have a friend like you.  He could have died that day.
 
2nd, I believe in safety nets, which is different from just a pure handout from the govt.  The current welfare program really should be only for people who are incapable physically or mentally of being able to work.  From your description, Paul could work.  And you should not be rewarded for pumping out more babies after you start getting welfare.
 
But its not as easy to get disability as it seems.  I've tried a few times and I cant even stand up for more than a few minutes at a time.  And i cant sit for more than maybe an hour because of the pain in my hips.  Seriously, I cant.  I have a degenerative condition and after 50 years its gotten me down.  And I cant get disability because according to the State I haven't built up enough of a medical record to be considered.  So it isn't easy...at least here.  I dunno about Louisiana. 
 
But honestly man, i'm far more concerned about the billions we give away to countries that hate our guts.  Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan. Turkey, and now Syria.  I know this is off topic a little but we are just throwing our money to the wolves.  That money could have built a border fence hundreds of times over.  It could help a lot of people that need it too.  Or it could be used in other ways, I dunno.  Here's a thought...how about using that money to pay back the money the govt stole from social security?  But I hate just throwing this money to the wolves.

While no one wants money to go to those hostile to us, domestic fraud of the system cost trillions a year and is what will bring us down.

Paul has never worked a day in his life and is not able to now. He now wants to use that as an excuse as to why he can't work even though he never worked when he was able.

Bryant wrote:My dad had an interesting idea.  Only allow people to collect welfare for a certain period of time and only for a couple times in their life, with the idea being that the Government will help you when your down but its not going to pay people to sit back and do nothing.

I support that 100%, but the money received must be more per month than it is now. It has to be enough to make a real difference. It needs to pay retraining or relocation. Right now it just lets them "get by". Retrain for the jobs in the area or relocate to where jobs are. That takes away the main excuse.

Marconius wrote:

Dennis324 wrote:I'm going to comment on this one.
 
1st, you did the right thing.  Paul is very lucky to have a friend like you.  He could have died that day.
 
2nd, I believe in safety nets, which is different from just a pure handout from the govt.  The current welfare program really should be only for people who are incapable physically or mentally of being able to work.  From your description, Paul could work.  And you should not be rewarded for pumping out more babies after you start getting welfare.
 
But its not as easy to get disability as it seems.  I've tried a few times and I cant even stand up for more than a few minutes at a time.  And i cant sit for more than maybe an hour because of the pain in my hips.  Seriously, I cant.  I have a degenerative condition and after 50 years its gotten me down.  And I cant get disability because according to the State I haven't built up enough of a medical record to be considered.  So it isn't easy...at least here.  I dunno about Louisiana. 
 
But honestly man, i'm far more concerned about the billions we give away to countries that hate our guts.  Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Afghanistan. Turkey, and now Syria.  I know this is off topic a little but we are just throwing our money to the wolves.  That money could have built a border fence hundreds of times over.  It could help a lot of people that need it too.  Or it could be used in other ways, I dunno.  Here's a thought...how about using that money to pay back the money the govt stole from social security?  But I hate just throwing this money to the wolves.

While no one wants money to go to those hostile to us, domestic fraud of the system cost trillions a year and is what will bring us down.

 True.  Medicare fraud and also govt waste.