Coronavirus in Massachusetts (Boston, Springfield, New Bedford: section 8, to rent, house)

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Poor people tend to work A LOT.

Really.

[msRB311]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Yep. There's this Fox News mythology that poor people spend their day sitting on the sofa watching game shows. It gets working class white people to vote against safety net programs paid for by rich people that those working class white people would benefit from. Brilliant Rupert Murdoch political manipulation.

And liberal dems tend to think poor people work a lot.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

Who are these "poor people on welfare"? The welfare reform law enacted under Bill Clinton doesn't grant cash welfare benefits to able bodied people. The "T" in TANF is "temporary". Unless they're disabled, poor people have to work.

Still Section 8, food stamps, baby daddys, heating assistance, free phones...and a myriad of other ways to scam the system. Don't kid yourself. And oh, SSI/disability scamming is HUGE (especially in New Beffa Geoff).


Edit: And oh yeah let us not forget that $600/week (now $300/week) "unemployment" scheme.

[msRB311]

Plenty of people run illegal cash businesses AND get welfare so at the end of the day they ain't even poor. Welfare system is a mess.

[yesmaybe]

Saw a picture of people entering the Garden last night for Game 1 of Bruins-Islanders. It was jammed.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by msRB311

Really.

Yes, usually multiple jobs. Well in excess of 40 hrs combined. This is almost everyone the food bank I work with deliver to.


Thankfully, it doesn't matter what we "think". There is data collected on this. We know most people in poverty are eligible to work. We know most of those eligible to work do work full time or more than full time hours. There have been multiple economists that have studied this for years. The journal findings are quite robust.

Originally Posted by msRB311

And liberal dems tend to think poor people work a lot.

That would make sense, since they tend to be better educated and understand research.


On the other side, right wingers do not care about research and data. They tend to cling to the long disproven Reagan era "welfare queen" trope.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by massnative71

Still Section 8, food stamps, baby daddys, heating assistance, free phones...and a myriad of other ways to scam the system. Don't kid yourself. And oh, SSI/disability scamming is HUGE (especially in New Beffa Geoff).

I made the mistake of going to the New Bedford Social Security office to deal with the paperwork to take over my mother's affairs. (Dementia) I was probably 58 at the time and I was by far the oldest person in the waiting room. My guess is it was full of people trying to qualify for SSDI. Wiser now, if I have to do something in person, I go somewhere rural. Rutland, VT was really easy. Concord NH was really easy. Both had a few old people in queue ahead of me doing retiree business.


I know someone who works in the welfare office in the south end of New Bedford next to the hurricane d.i.k.e gate on West Rodney French. According to her, it's pretty difficult to qualify for any kind of cash public assistance. Lots of people try. Most are told a flat NO. I only have one data point. My understanding is that SSDI applications have the same high rejection rate.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Yes, usually multiple jobs. Well in excess of 40 hrs combined. This is almost everyone the food bank I work with deliver to.


Thankfully, it doesn't matter what we "think". There is data collected on this. We know most people in poverty are eligible to work. We know most of those eligible to work do work full time or more than full time hours. There have been multiple economists that have studied this for years. The journal findings are quite robust.






That would make sense, since they tend to be better educated and understand research.


On the other side, right wingers do not care about research and data. They tend to cling to the long disproven Reagan era "welfare queen" trope.

I don't know what fancy think tank generated "research" you are referring to, but the labor force participation rate in Springfield is an abysmal 57.7%. In Newton, it's 65.8%.




https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fa...etts/PST045219

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

My understanding is that SSDI applications have the same high rejection rate.

It is extremely difficult to get (SSDI). You're at least getting rejected the first two times, and you'll need a lawyer to help guide you through the process.

[massnative71]

Originally Posted by timberline742

It is extremely difficult to get (SSDI). You're at least getting rejected the first two times, and you'll need a lawyer to help guide you through the process.

Many are experts at it though (whether you are talking SSI or SSDI). All it takes is one "pro" among an extended family/social network, to get the rest situated. You have to remember, it's a lifestyle and lifelong goal for many to never work another day in their life. You'd be surprised.