en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/271597 Comments by SoloPocono http://teapartyeconomist.com/2012/02/06/when-the-welfare-checks-stop-coming/#IDComment285893561 PS I don't smoke, drink, nor do drugs. I DO have pain pills I can take after my 2-3 fractures/month. (from severe osteoporosis). I keep hearing about these "freebies" that us "entitlement whores" get-however, when I call Social Services, they laugh at me, say most of that is a ruse. My family got me this iPad for my 50th B-Day and brother & parents give me my Internet access as a yearly Christmas present. I have NO "cell phone", just a land line for $16/mo-no long distance, caller ID or voicemail. I have a 20yr old 13 inch TV/broken VCR, no cable. No washer/dryer-had them, but they were stolen when I was in the hospital-I was trying to help my neighbors by letting them use them. No car. BUT, YES!! I DO have a refrigerator!! It's just 4th tall, but after not having one for 4 months-it's HEAVEN!!! Heat is included in my $590 rent, no AC. Wanna switch places??!! Tue, 7 Feb 2012 04:21:45 +0000 http://teapartyeconomist.com/2012/02/06/when-the-welfare-checks-stop-coming/#IDComment285893561 http://teapartyeconomist.com/2012/02/06/when-the-welfare-checks-stop-coming/#IDComment285885149 I'm going to post this-despite knowing the replies I'll get. ("this would NEVER happen to us", "well, you probably missed a premium, etc. Things WE used to say). 15 years ago, I was in my 1st year of Med School-a "returning student" at 37. My husband made over $250K/year, I went to working part-time as we had custody of our 6 children between the two of us. We owned a beautiful 4 bedroom, 1 office home, two nice cars, took nice vacations, had over $60K in the bank, health insurance from a company I'd had mine through for over 20years. We bought two beautiful horses. Two years later, I was on Summer Break when a tornado hit our home. No one was there at the time, Thank God. After stressing out for two weeks as my hubby was on an out of town contract at the time in MD., (we lived in Al), friends talked me into going for a ride-horseback ride. I'll TRY & shorten this: Spinal Injury->Spinal Rehab->Insurance dropped me, "pre-existing condition", (and completely legal in Al at the time-NOW outlawed-UNLESS the ACA is repealed of course) Docs wanted me to stay for 9-12 months, 5 months= $450,000. We Lost EVERYTHING, I went to work in a body cast-part-time. Knew absolutely NOTHING about "Entitlements" until 4 years later. In the meantime, we lost our main home, the second home *I* purchased to be near the spinal center., lost our marriage, residence of my children, car, savings, EVERYTHING, and didn't heal correctly because we couldn't afford my final surgery. 4 years later I was homeless, and VERY "disabled" because I also was born with a genetic disorder which was triggered with the spinal injury. I learned about the Fed help I could get about then-but didn't want to go on it-kept convincing myself I'd pull out of it. But after several trips to the ER with broken bones, then kidney failure, (didn't know until then I was born with just one kidney), I had no more choices. I've been on disability & Medicaid now for about five years. $694/month. No housing or other benefits besides Medicaid. I'm 98% bedridden, but am unable to qualify to get anyone to help me. I stopped going to church because I was unable to walk more than about 50ft, am now mostly blind from glaucoma. No family or friends around here anymore to help out. AND, I have to pack up a 1500sq ft apt all by myself in the next two weeks because they are tearing my building down. I began working at 15, founded 2 volunteer, non profit organizations, worked 2-3 jobs most of my life-NOW? I'm treated like DIRT because I'm on "entitlements". NEVER say " well THAT will NEVER happen to ME"!! It does, and HAS-to tens of thousands of Americans. And believe me, I do NOT enjoy "living off the Govt teat"!!! Tue, 7 Feb 2012 04:09:04 +0000 http://teapartyeconomist.com/2012/02/06/when-the-welfare-checks-stop-coming/#IDComment285885149 http://www.atheistrev.com/2009/12/why-atheists-shouldn-eat-at-chick-fil.html#IDComment49277609 My 22yo daughter was employed by this Co. While she had NO idea what she was getting into, and her first couple of weeks, thought her fellow employees "just happened" to be over-zealous Christian's; it was when they had their first meeting that she knew there was something different. Instead of being an "employee" meeting, they spent maybe 3 minutes out of 2hrs talking about business-the rest was "Bible Study". As much as she wanted to quit right away, it had taken her months to find ANY job, and Tallahassee being a "student" town, there just wasn't anything around for a young student with no other work experience. A month or so later, after going to a meeting where they basically told her she had "no choice except to 'accept jesus christ as your lord and savior'" IF she wanted to complete her "probationary period" and qualify for benefits-the choice was made for her. The next day, one of her co-workers saw her on campus at a Dungeons and Dragons booth. LOL-she and her fiance run a local group together. Apparently, the holy rollers don't appreciate a good medieval adventure. She was told that night that her probationary period just didn't show any "progress" and that she could go pick up her final check. Luckily, a job, a MUCH better job doing what she really wanted to do, came open just days later, and she was hired. She's seen some of her former co-workers since then, and they're STILL trying to "save" her!! She's a strong young lady though in her pagan beliefs and as soon as she says something about Solstice, or the "Divine Mother"-they practically RUN the other way. ;) These people are NUTs, and what's worse, they're dangerous. They prey on the weakest and most vulnerable in our society-and with this economy, there's a LOT of vulnerable people in this Country. NO ONE should support the advance of this ugly, dangerous cancer. Look at what's happening in our Govt today-is that what you want for your children's future? Mon, 28 Dec 2009 04:04:59 +0000 http://www.atheistrev.com/2009/12/why-atheists-shouldn-eat-at-chick-fil.html#IDComment49277609