Should Food Stamp Recipients have to work?

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Originally Posted by Jessica80

I said that was how I originally read it but it spun off from there. Your reply still feels like you expect people to move if they can't find a job. So either they move for a job or if they have family somewhere else they are expected to move there and live with them? I find many of your responses to be "well I did it and you must too". That's not always the case.

As I said before I would expect that if you are receiving food stamps and not currently employed that you should be looking for a job or going back to school.

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Not just me. I worked in Social Work so my whole days basically was hooking people up with resources, helping them get their lives together. I'd also see the ones who just really weren't interested in getting their lives together. I've seen some really amazing changes from people who you'd least expect it. The despite their odds people. I can't get onboard with people sitting at home, not working, not looking, and not going to school. They have to do 'something' to make it happen.

Um, I agree with the fact they should be looking or working or going to school. I don't appreciate anyone who bums through life or slacks in responsibility either. I also don't expect people to always know these things which is where the guidance comes into play.

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Originally Posted by Jessica80

Please say you are kidding about the water?

They have seasonal flooding, the area around the water may not be suitable to live., sewage from the new population can pollute the water, lack of food and building materials near water to name a few.

And yeah, I wouldn't move out of state to find a job. Sorry. Kids or no kids. I'm not entitled and I would continue to look for work and would move towns if I had to but I'm certainly not packing up and leaving to move to Kentucky. (no offense to those in Kentucky..it was just at the tip of my tongue)

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I was a teen and it was just an observation...and yes an analogy relevant to this topic. I didn't know much about the environment there when I was a teen. But I do know about our lives in the U.S. I am floored by your not willing to move, kids or no kids. A big slap in the face to hardworking people struggling to do what they have to do to survive instead of take advantage of the system. People honestly trying to do their part. People who take dangerous jobs just to survive instead of filing for the taxpayers to support them. This attitude is gross and definitely is an entitled attitude.

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Originally Posted by myyams

I was a teen and it was just an observation...and yes an analogy relevant to this topic. I didn't know much about the environment there when I was a teen. But I do know about our lives in the U.S. I am floored by your not willing to move, kids or no kids. A big slap in the face to hardworking people struggling to do what they have to do to survive instead of take advantage of the system. People honestly trying to do their part. People who take dangerous jobs just to survive instead of filing for the taxpayers to support them. This attitude is gross and definitely is an entitled attitude.

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So where are these jobs I should move for and why aren't the locals getting them?

I've read articles from Manpower about jobs they can't fill in the fields of IT, Accounting, Engineering, some special skilled areas, and some others. I've read there is a giant teacher shortage. I've read there is a giant nursing shortage and loan repayment for nursing and teaching can be pretty good (REF), particularly if you serve in under served area in nursing (REF). Lots of hospitals help people who are interested in becoming a nurse with their tuition and repayment.

There are factories trying to hire American workers but Americans aren't enrolling into vocational classes to learn how to do these jobs - because it's not glamorous work. ( REF)

Manpower:
ManpowerGroup Survey Shows 52% of U.S. Employers Can't Find the Right Talent | Manpower U.S. Pressroom

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Milwaukee (May 19, 2011) – ManpowerGroup today releases the results of its sixth-annual Talent Shortage Survey, revealing that 52 percent of U.S. employers are experiencing difficulty filling mission-critical positions within their organizations, up from 14 percent in 2010. The number of employers struggling to fill positions is at an all-time survey high despite an unemployment rate that has diminished only marginally during the last year. U.S. employers are struggling to find available talent more than their global counterparts, one in three of whom are having difficulty filling positions.

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In the United States, the top 10 hardest jobs to fill include:

1. Skilled Trades
2. Sales Representatives
3. Engineers
4. Drivers
5. Accounting & Finance Staff
6. IT Staff
7. Management/Executives
8. Teachers
9. Secretaries/Administrative Assistants
10. Machinist/Machine Operator

1. Skilled Trades
~I personally stink at most skilled trades
2. Sales Representatives
~Many of these are commission based which many people do not want. No secure paycheck
3. Engineers
~This is just something you are born for.
4. Drivers
~I can barely drive my mini van
5. Accounting & Finance Staff
~I'm awful at math
6. IT Staff
~No matter the amount of training I could NOT do this.
7. Management/Executives
~Again, you are born to be a manager or executive. You can go to school to hone skills but you are either a leader or not.
8. Teachers
~I don't want any Joe Schmoe teaching my kids. Teaching should not be a fall back career.
9. Secretaries/Administrative Assistants
~I do have experience in this. Does not pay enough for me to leave.
10. Machinist/Machine Operator
~Yep something else I could not do well

I know that those are only examples but I'm sure I'm not in the minority. These may be hard to fill positions because they either require a talent in a particular skill, a particular mind set or many years of school (not community college/certification programs that SNAP programs offer)

And no, I would also not take a dangerous job. Ever.

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Originally Posted by Jessica80

1. Skilled Trades
~I personally stink at most skilled trades
2. Sales Representatives
~Many of these are commission based which many people do not want. No secure paycheck
3. Engineers
~This is just something you are born for.
4. Drivers
~I can barely drive my mini van
5. Accounting & Finance Staff
~I'm awful at math
6. IT Staff
~No matter the amount of training I could NOT do this.
7. Management/Executives
~Again, you are born to be a manager or executive. You can go to school to hone skills but you are either a leader or not.
8. Teachers
~I don't want any Joe Schmoe teaching my kids. Teaching should not be a fall back career.
9. Secretaries/Administrative Assistants
~I do have experience in this. Does not pay enough for me to leave.
10. Machinist/Machine Operator
~Yep something else I could not do well

I know that those are only examples but I'm sure I'm not in the minority. These may be hard to fill positions because they either require a talent in a particular skill, a particular mind set or many years of school (not community college/certification programs that SNAP programs offer)

And no, I would also not take a dangerous job. Ever.

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This thought process is JUST as much to blame for our economy as the fiscal policies of our leaders. We need to stop feeding people like that and let them choose between doing the right thing and what they want.

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Originally Posted by Jessica80

1. Skilled Trades
~I personally stink at most skilled trades
2. Sales Representatives
~Many of these are commission based which many people do not want. No secure paycheck
3. Engineers
~This is just something you are born for.
4. Drivers
~I can barely drive my mini van
5. Accounting & Finance Staff
~I'm awful at math
6. IT Staff
~No matter the amount of training I could NOT do this.
7. Management/Executives
~Again, you are born to be a manager or executive. You can go to school to hone skills but you are either a leader or not.
8. Teachers
~I don't want any Joe Schmoe teaching my kids. Teaching should not be a fall back career.
9. Secretaries/Administrative Assistants
~I do have experience in this. Does not pay enough for me to leave.
10. Machinist/Machine Operator
~Yep something else I could not do well

I know that those are only examples but I'm sure I'm not in the minority. These may be hard to fill positions because they either require a talent in a particular skill, a particular mind set or many years of school (not community college/certification programs that SNAP programs offer)

And no, I would also not take a dangerous job. Ever.

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Why is this about you? I can't go on with you. When a person needs something and is driven to be self sufficient, they do things like become a secretary, a teacher, a manager, a machinist, a nurse, a whatever etc. When people have this I can't do anything, woe is me, then they suffer. We don't always get what we want - but we still have to do what we need to do.

You're not personally in need right now I take it. So all of this is irrelevant to your personal life. I guarantee you as feminine as I am, I would consider a whole lot of things outside of my comfort zone to take care of my family.

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Originally Posted by Jessica80

1. Skilled Trades
~I personally stink at most skilled trades
2. Sales Representatives
~Many of these are commission based which many people do not want. No secure paycheck
3. Engineers
~This is just something you are born for.
4. Drivers
~I can barely drive my mini van
5. Accounting & Finance Staff
~I'm awful at math
6. IT Staff
~No matter the amount of training I could NOT do this.
7. Management/Executives
~Again, you are born to be a manager or executive. You can go to school to hone skills but you are either a leader or not.
8. Teachers
~I don't want any Joe Schmoe teaching my kids. Teaching should not be a fall back career.
9. Secretaries/Administrative Assistants
~I do have experience in this. Does not pay enough for me to leave.
10. Machinist/Machine Operator
~Yep something else I could not do well

I know that those are only examples but I'm sure I'm not in the minority. These may be hard to fill positions because they either require a talent in a particular skill, a particular mind set or many years of school (not community college/certification programs that SNAP programs offer)

And no, I would also not take a dangerous job. Ever.

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If someone was on assistance and had excuses for every single possibility put out there like you have just done then they are choosing not to work. I think one of the reasons this country has people that take advantage of the system was just demonstrated beautifully by your post. If you are in such dire need that you need assistance then you should be at a place where you would take any job, as long as it didnt go against your moral code (like I would never work in the sex industry)

Personally, I might move for a job, but it wouldn't be a simple decision. DH has a job and a teaching license here; would he have a job in the new city? Me getting a job elsewhere but him not being able to get a job in the new place would be...unhelpful. How much would I be paying for childcare since I am now away from my family who helps take care of T for free? I would need probably need to sell my house before I could move, otherwise I would either be paying double mortgage or at least mortgage plus rent somewhere. And what is the housing market like in the new place? Would I be paying 4x as much to live there, but not making 4x as much money?

My point is, "just move" isn't necessarily the financially smart move in the long run. I think there is this expectation in some people's minds that people should do literally ANYTHING rather than being on assistance, even if that anything is actually a dumb move that results in them being worse off than they were before. It's the same thing I was trying to argue about having an iPhone while on temporarily unemployed and how it might actually cost more to break your contract and get a bare bones phone of some sort to use during your job hunt. I think it's just this knee jerk reaction that people have to anyone on assistance; like they shouldn't bother thinking practically and actually look at the numbers and figure out the smartest decision in the long run, they should just do literally anything it takes to get off assistance right this second. Sounds like a good recipe for more financial troubles and ending up back on assistance to me.