Replying to a message of mark lewis to Bob Ackley:   
      
    RC>> What is it like to be on welfare and what does it do for your   
    RC>> self-esteem?   
      
    BA>> Apparently it beats working for a living...   
      
    ml> not everyone without a job is on welfare but they can still find ways   
    ml> to provide for their needs... this does not mean that they do not   
    ml> "work" for their "living"... contrary to what the gov't believes...    
      
    ml> in the same breath, do not believe those stats about X% are unemployed   
    ml> because they are always short... i've been unemployed numerous times   
    ml> for several years in some cases and have never gone down and been   
    ml> added to the statistics so i know for a fact that they are always at   
    ml> least one entity short... welfare helps those who are willing to go   
    ml> that route but there are many others who do not and will not "go   
    ml> there" for their own reasons...   
      
   But you did not and most do not make welfare their lifetime career.  Some do.   
   I've been unemployed, and have drawn unemployment (I'm not eligible for welfare   
   due to my military retirement annuity).  At the moment I've been unemployed for   
   just shy of two years, fortunately I'm eligible for and draw Social Security   
   to pay   
   the bills (that aforementioned annuity makes the house and insurance payments)   
   -   
   so I can say I'm retired. although not by my choice.   
      
   I can remember my parents griping in *1960* about second and third generations   
   of people living on California's at-the-time quite generous welfare system.    
   Back   
   in those days states provided varying levels of benefits and people were moving   
   to California simply to get on the welfare system there, and the state   
   attempted   
   to place a residency time requirement before one would become eligible - and   
   lost   
   a federal lawsuit over it.  The feds gradually took over the entire welfare   
   system -   
   mainly by mandating that states provide certain levels of benefits and   
   eligibility,   
   not by paying for it.  The federal Medicaid program is even worse off than   
   Medicare WRT funding - and has been for years.   
      
   --- FleetStreet 1.19+   
    * Origin: Bob's Boneyard, Emerson, Iowa (1:300/3)