Hi Butch,
You take a typical "protestant" attitude to the poor in our society. Believing they find themselves in poverty because of lifestyle choice or laziness, and to some degree, with the minority that is true. You believe the poor are incapable of managing their own affairs, can't be trusted with money, and for some that is also true. However the vast majority of people I deal with are in a state of poverty, not through choice, but through circumstance. For some they have been programmed looser's from birth, there are others who have worked all their lives and have nothing to show for it, and are now in poverty, mainly through lack of income. Your solution is the "big stick approach" belt them for the crime of being poor. My answer to you is, where do you suggest the new mega super max prisons be built to house all these poverty criminals. people in our society can't survive without some cash in their pockets, that is a fact. Another one of the great fallacies is the poor live in a high cost city like Sydney through choice, and should simply up and move to where the grass is greener. Please explain how you achieve that, it is mentioned so often. A bit like saying, don't live in poverty in Mount Druitt, all will be well if you move to Vaucluse,
I assume you see me as one the despised do-gooders. I doubt you would know a poor person if you fell over one. Under your system the poor would be taking their food voucher down to your butcher shop for their weekly ration of snags and sausage mince, a vocher you would promptly cash! Like doctors, you can be trusted with taxpayer money.

Interesting, if you are a qualified butcher, how did you not work for a couple of years. You said it was by choice, did you use any government benefits in that time, like subsidized public transport.

Hi Foxy, welcome back to the forum. Hope your health is much better now.

"Of course there are people who misuse the system." There are doctors, bank managers and horse trainers who misuse the system. while ever you have a system it with have a percentage of misusers.

"However, I feel that if the money currently being spent on
federal poverty programs was given directly to the poor,"
I know poor people who if you gave them a $1000 cash bonus today, they would be just as poor in a fortnights time. Can you explain what you mean by that.

A case, can you comment; "A single bloke about 30, living in Sydney. Two weeks ago was given notice to quit. Occupied a room at $160/week from his dole of $265, had about $100 left over to feed and cloth himself etc. Prior to that he was living in his "car". He told me he had been paying his rent, but said the landlord put a letter under his door. because someone told the landlord he has a court date in February, which he does. Has history, the coppers caught him this time trying to break into a shipping container, it was probably full of lawnmower parts or some other useless object. Looser from the start, bad up bring, no education, no skills, drugs and alcohol, as a teenager, although been clean of both for a long time now. Had to yesterday to get out, could not find him yesterday, and doesn't answer him mobile, but might not have credit, try again today.

p/s Nothing affordable in the luxury room department at the momnet.

I don't give people money, although my partner does, the other day she gave a bloke 5 busks, when I asked "Why did you do that!" She replied "Because he needed it." I said "He will only spend it on piss." She said "Yes, but he needs that to." Bloody do-gooder!

Dear Paul,

Thanks for the "welcome back."

I always give to people asking for money. I always have. I don't question
what they're going to do with it. If I have it, I give.

Who knows, someday some person may help me out.

T800
Foxy,

You really don;t get it do you
The law of the jungle is the weak die off and the strong survive.
There should be no welfare for those who refuse to work, for breeders who
breed for the sake of not having to work,for disabled who are disable via
'SIA' self inflicted wounds such as obesity, alcoholism and substance abuse.
Why should we, the worker,law abider and tax payer have to buy their fast food,
cigarettes,grog and drugs.
Get real you two.
If they don't deserve it let them starve.

What world do you people inhabit, it sure isn't this one.

We have lots of dole bludgers around here, & lots of work offering, but the bludgers wouldn't take a job, while they can bludge.

My turf farm neighbour can't get anyone to work for him, except the cash in hand brigade, who will only do a day or two a week.

My hydroponics farm neighbour couldn't get anyone to work for him even for cash in hand, the work is too hard for the dole bludgers, so his kids have to do it after school.

My son had a job in a week after coming out of the navy. He had 4 employers fighting for him after a couple of months.

He is now a victim of our disgusting welfare system, designed to cater to the bums of our world.

He slipped of the back of his ute one night, & blew up a knee, reconstructed not very well after an accident on a navy base. He had to hobble around for 3 months, unemployable, he couldn't even drive, before he could get surgery. Having had that, he can not go back to work for at least another 3 months.

Meanwhile he is living out of the bank. He has some $60,000 in the bank, saved to be the deposit on a home. If he had bought a home, or a new car & had nothing, he would be receiving disability benefits, but he will not get anything while he has money in the bank.

Come on Paul, & try to dispute our welfare system is for bums, not decent real people.

Dear Chris,

I can't help how I feel on this topic.

I don't believe that you'd walk away from somebody in
serious trouble either. I've witnessed quite a few
times a pensioner at the checkout line in a supermarket
trying to decide between products that they could afford
to buy, fruit or bread - because they couldn't afford
both. I'd end up paying for them. I could not just walk
away. The same as single mums deciding what they could
or could not afford. If I could help, I always would.

I think you would do the same despite your strong rebukes.
Because underneath it all - you're a softie. Whether you
admit it or not.