Bah!

[vinegirl]

After hearing about this debate from my husband over breakfast this morning, I had to log in and give my two cents. I am new to GADS city but see the abuse he is referring to every day. I saw the tenants in his families rental property live off the system while driving a newer car than myself. When I heard that one actually had a boat and a truck to pull it while living off SSI disability I was truly disgusted. And to Foodie, if you think I am just an observer, let me tell you what I know of poverty. When I was 6 my parents moved my family of 5 to upstate New York. They had no money as their previous house burnt to the ground right after purchase and days before insurance was to kick in. For the first six months we lived in a tent on the land they bought with the last of their money. While in the tent my father made enough money to buy materials to build the garage. Upon it's completion we lived in this garage while dad was building the house. It took over two years as work was slow. Now you have to remember that there was no electricity, running water, or toilet. We got our water from a stream, ran generator, heated with wood, and had an outhouse. Yes, in the 1980's I was using an outhouse. I could go on, but i think everyone can understand the level of poverty I grew up in. That said, I've gone to three colleges all paid for by ME the last of which being an Ivy League school, Smith College. My husbands family has done things pretty much the same so I can see why he gets fired up by those abusing the system; especially when the number of abusers exceed the number of needy users. (At least in our area of the state.) I also see this in the hospital I work in with those abusing Masshealth to pay for emergency room visits because they had a big sneeze. It maddening. I also agree with my husband pertaining to getting these abusers to work and cutting down the jobs open to illegals. The two issues are absolutly related and they have nothing to do with poverty.