Are all forms of govt assistance created equal in your opinion?

I think we do way too much for irresponsible people in this country. We let women say they are single mothers and play like they don't know the father's whereabouts. We punish productive two parent households and reward nonproductive parents because of misguided concern for the children of these idiots. In turn we have allowed an entire generation of children to be born into single parent households with not fathers but, baby daddies. And as a whole our society suffers for it. The teenage mothers come on here and demand government assistance because they think they are needy and do not want to bother the father for child support. They feel entitled to these programs even though they have done nothing at all to deserve once cent of assistance. It is their job to get an education. Nobody wins when children have unemployable, uneducated parents.

So in turn, responsible, employed 2 parent households of lower income are denied assistance

because the money is all spent on these teenage single parents. I have no problem assisting two productive people in their child bearing years having a few children. These are the parents we need having children. Parents who are mature and ready to parent.

I do not think we need to let families live in subsidized housing for years on end. This is not a lifetime rental agreement. Eventually people should move on and give others a chance who need help. Again, How many of these homes are occupied by "single" parents who now are trying to play catch up as adults? And again, responsible, two parent households are put aside in favor for those who made bad choices.

I think I would embrace all entitlement programs more readily if those receiving help were responsible or at least had to do something to receive their assistance. But, too often the irresponsible in our country get free passes every time they mess up. And the responsible people get the shaft. Pisses me off everytime I go to the doctor and my copay is $35, last year it was $15. My service is not 200% faster. Then I come on here and see all the questions from unemployed teenagers wanting government assistance to have a baby with their boyfriend who is unemployed.

Health care is expensive even when your company pays for part of it. At least ours is. And I am sure that is pretty normal for most people. Though I would not say it is unobtainable. It is a large piece or our check every month. We made it a priority to afford it. And we had kids when we could afford it.

Most of those things you had listed are for those that have no other choice. At least in my mind. If you are able bodied and can work then you should work before you take from your fellow man.

Free health care isn't free. Someone is always paying for it.

Well, some forms of government assistance are obviously superior to others. For instance, government money being used to help poor people so they can eat and afford things like housing, health care, education, and other basic necessities is the worst thing in the world.

Giving millions of dollars in subsidies to multi-billion dollar oil companies and tax breaks to billionaires when they buy a new yacht is not only perfectly acceptable, it is absolutely essential.

I'm not against any form of govt assistance...as long as they TRULY need it.

WARNING: These next comments may sound racist/offensive/rude. I apologize in advance, but since you asked I am going to answer as honestly as I can.

I live in a city where there is Wal*Mart. At said Wal*Mart, on any given day, this is what I see:

- A mother with at least 3 kids who uses a $100 to pay for her beer, cigarettes and clothes all piled in her cart. She then pulls out [insert form of govt assistance] to pay for the OJ, cheese, milk and bread sitting where the baby that her 4 yr old is holding should be sitting. Take note: She pulls the $100 and [govt assistance] from a designer wallet, out of a designer purse with a manicured hand that she will certainly run through her highlighted hair as she pulls up her low rise designer jeans.

/End racist/offensive/rude rant!

Now, I try not to judge people. I try to stay open minded and keep an open heart to anyone who I have never spoken a word to. Lord knows I've been judged [19, married, two kids] so I try to extend courtesy to others and keep my mouth shut about situations I know nothing about. But if you have the money to spend on beer, cigarettes, clothes and designer goodies, then you CERTAINLY have to money to spend on the rest of the food items that your using American tax payer dollars to buy.

If someone genuinely needs government assistance then I have absolutely no problem with them getting the help they need. Everyone has struggles and those who are struggling DO deserve to be helped. But if you can afford a luxury lifestyle, then you don't NEED that assistance. What you need is a kick in the rear end, along with a job application and a crash course in *Responsibility* and *How to Prioritize 101*

*Mom2Max: Sorry, I didn't know that I needed to specify that the clothes in the cart were young children sizes. There is no excuse to be using a $100 to buy beer when you can't even afford to pay for your [and your childrens] food. A parent needs to know how to prioritize and beer and cigarettes should be at the bottom of the list.

I support all forms but what I have a problem with is the fact that they jump to help people who don't even try to make their lives better, yet when hardworking people come across hard times they make them jump through hoops, and still deny them.

I don't know a single person who isn't on some form of government assistance, some of my friends have been receiving foodstamps since before they became parents, and continue to do so. My husband got layed off a couple of weeks ago and since it was unexpected and unemployment said it will take six to eight weeks to process we had to file for foodstamps. I only make one hundred and fifty dollars a week but they counted his income from last month so we got denied. Who saves a months worth of paychecks in case they lose their job? Luckily my husband picked up some work this last week otherwise we would literally have been begging in the streets, or worse stealing.

We have always held our jobs, neither of us call in, and we have never applied for assistance before yet they denied us. I know people who refuse to work, or cant hold a job and they get benefits for it. Wtf? Who are we trying to help?

No corporation or rich person is ignoring tax credits/loopholes/etc or passing up grants because they feel bad about accepting government assistance; I would encourage private citizens to collect whatever their income level entitles them to.

Maybe the whole 'years of screwing the citizenry by not providing health insurance, and encouraging ordinary Americans to believe that that was a reasonable way to live, to have uninsured neighbours, and pretending that the rest of the first world's socialised medical systems were, well, "socialist," and "socialist" meant something different than it does' has a lot to answer for with the current 'occupy' difficulties...

Ryder -certainly this woman with designer clothing and wallet doesn't have a cart full of walmart clothes. You are full of crap and making that scenario up to feel better.

If a person on assistance has nice hair, how do you know their sister isn't a hair dresser? Or maybe they get gifts.

Maybe she wore her best clothes to an interview today to 'get off the system'.

Simply put, you simply don't know the circumstances.

I think that if you are choosing to have cable and internet and cell phones but not health care your priorities are out of whack.

I don't mind government assistance for those in true need. But need has gotten out of hand that anyone who just feels like not working thinks they somehow deserve it. Why shouldn't we all just sit on our asses and stick our hand out because it's our religion or whatever?

I pay for my healthcare out of pocket. It's high but it's prioritized with food and shelter.