Why? Either you're poor or your not.
I have an idea. And I see plenty of able bodied, able minded people who aren't working.
I'll put my understanding of the issue up against anyone here, or anywhere else.
If you'd read the rest of my posts you'd already have the answer to this. We need a safety net. We don't need that safety net to be a way of life, which it is for many recipients.
I know it when I see it. It's not hard to distinguish the people who are doing things right and those who are gaming the system. Ambition alone won't get you anything, but ambition combined with a work ethic will work for anyone. Even if you don't have ambition, you can make a nice life for yourself just by having a good work ethic.
Before you ask me how to quantify "work ethic", here are examples I see every day of people who do not have one.
1. No show/ no call.
2. Taking off work for a full day for a doctor's appointment, to get your driver's license renewed, or other routine tasks that others fit into their work schedule with minimal time off.
3. Not showing up for work the day (or several days as the case may be) after payday.
4. Showing up for work under the influence of alcohol or drugs.
5. Stealing from your employer or their clients.
The sad thing is, most of these things could be taught very easily. Many people don't understand that it's not okay to do the things I listed above (which gets back to the generational poverty thing - no positive role models). I'd like to see some "how to get and keep a job" training implemented as a condition of receiving any aid.
